Aoife is lovely, calm, happy, and polite. All the things I could never be if I had been through what she has been through. She has suffered for over a decade with chronic Lyme disease, something she believes picked up while gardening in Galway.
It seems such an innocuous start to an experience that has been both devastating and life-changing for her. The chronic form of Lyme disease that experts in Germany finally diagnosed her with isn’t formally recognised in Ireland and many other states. This means that patients in these countries have to battle to get the care they need, whilst also battling the debilitating fatigue that is a classic symptom of their condition.
Her story makes me upset, angry and utterly concerned for the rest of the public who are, like I was, completely unaware of the damage that an untreated tick bite can do. With life on the move (and with a dog) we’ve been encouraged to learn more about safety measures we can take from here on in. Here’s a brief explainer from the HSE if you’d like to learn more.
Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.
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xR