"It felt like hitting a brick wall, like I had the flu," Fox-Baker says
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"It felt like hitting a brick wall, like I had the flu," Fox-Baker says.
Doctors tried all kinds of things to treat her symptoms.
"I had a hysterectomy, went back to work, and that didn't take care of it," Fox-Baker says. "They said maybe you need foot surgery. That'll take care of your leg pain and your foot pain. That didn't take care of it."
Finally, in her 30s, a blood test came back positive for Lyme disease.
Those at the Frederick County Health Department say ticks, which can pass on the disease, are most active from late spring to early fall, so it's important to know the symptoms.
"Some of the symptoms of Lyme disease are going to include fever, headache, and fatigue. They're really very generalized symptoms, but in about 70 to 80 percent of individuals who are bitten by an infected tick, they'll develop that classic red bulls eye rash," says Darlene Armacost, program manager for communicable diseases at the Frederick County Health Department.
Armacost says you should try to avoid wooded areas, high grass, and always check yourself and your pets for ticks. You should also use an insect repellant with DEET on skin and clothes and avoid walking in areas lined with shrubs.
"You want to try and wear light-colored clothing so you can easily see if a tick was on you," Armacost says. "Although it's probably not what you're going to want to do, it's recommended to wear long pants tucked into your socks and a long-sleeve shirt tucked into the pants."
Lyme disease caused Fox-Baker to have to quit working, and she was in a wheelchair last year.
"Do daily checks. Do hourly checks," Fox-Baker says. "It doesn't take long to rub your fingernails over your body through your hair."
Fox-Baker loves to wear lime green, from her shirt to her nails, not because it's her favorite color but because she wants to make sure others don't have to go through the same pain she's had to live with for 30 years..
According to the health department, 1,352 people in Maryland had Lyme disease in 2011.
