A FORMER beauty queen has revealed a bug bite on holiday has left her bedbound and unable to even use the toilet alone.
Kirstie Haysman, 34, competed in Miss Great Britain and Miss London City pageants, and was crowned Miss Hertfordshire in 2015.
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Kirstie was competing in beauty pageants before she became unwell Credit: SWNS 5
The 34-year-old sought treatment in Mexico earlier this year Credit: SWNS
But eight years later she can hardly leave her house, after being struck down by a debilitating case of Lyme disease - a bacterial infection spread to humans by ticks.
Kirstie, who's mum to daughter Harriet, 11, started having symptoms in 2015.
Doctors told her at the time she likely had an infection or autoimmune condition.
However, Kirstie became unsatisfied with the diagnosis after years of pain and went to Mexico for blood tests this February.
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There, she was told she had Lyme disease.
Kirstie now wants to raise awareness of the condition and encourage others who are suffering with mystery ailments to get tested.
Lyme disease can cause a high temperature and fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, tiredness and loss of energy.
It is usually easy to treat when diagnosed early, but can be fatal if caught late.
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Kirstie, from Watford, said: "[If the infection had been diagnosed] it could have cleared up in 28 days with antibiotics - now my body is shutting down and my husband has to pick me up to use the toilet and have a bath.
"I was doing high intensity training before, I was very fit and it's now at the point where when I wake up my entire body is weak and hurts everywhere.
"I pray it gets better so I can walk around - I've been outside twice in last the six weeks, other than that my life is in bed.
"This all could have been avoided if they'd done a simple Lyme test."
Kirstie says she first started experiencing symptoms of what she now knows is Lyme disease in 2015.
She began suffering with fatigue and pain in her joints and after visiting a rheumatologist she was told she had a connective tissue disorder and prescribed a high dose of steroids, she says.
Her health continued to deteriorate and Kirstie says her hands became 'disfigured' - leaving her with painful swollen joints and unable to pick things up.
She says her blood tests didn't show any problems and doctors assumed she was suffering from an autoimmune disease.
As doctors believed the condition to be autoimmune, they attempted to suppress her immune system - but Kirstie now believes this worsened her condition.
Following further tests she was told the long-term use of steroids had led to her bones deteriorating - with a rheumatologist telling her she had 'the bones of a 70-year-old'.
She continued to take steroids and says due to long term use she is now struggling to stop using them, she says.
In January 2023, an acquaintance suggested she might be suffering with Lyme disease and Kirstie began researching the condition.
She organised to travel to Mexico for blood tests specifically for Lyme disease in February and was left shocked when the results came back positive.
After returning to the UK with her diagnosis, Kirstie says she was put on three different antibiotics for a 12-month course in addition to herbal remedies.
And she says she is still battling to find doctors who understand the condition.
Kirstie said: "It wasn't until this year that I met someone who said, 'Do you think you've got Lyme disease?'.
"I'd been taking steroids, living on pain killers and had tried every low inflammation diet you can think of.
"I just assumed I had an autoimmune disease like Lupus - Lyme is called 'the great imitator' because it imitates these autoimmune conditions.
"I'm bedbound and I had to give up my job as a healthcare professional, I was a chiropodist and couldn't use my hands anymore.
"My daughter is going for a blood test for Lyme disease - doctors don't normally offer the test for under 16s but because it's in the family they've agreed to see her.
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"I want to get the word out that if you have autoimmune conditions or rheumatic disease to get tested for Lyme.
"It's so frustrating - in your mind you want to be working and socialising but you're stuck in body that can't work."
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Kirstie suffers from swollen joints in her fingers Credit: SWNS 5
Kirstie was crowned Miss Hertfordshire in 2015 Credit: SWNS 5
She's had to undergo a range of treatments since becoming sick Credit: SWNS
What is Lyme disease?
LYME disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks. It's usually easier to treat if it's diagnosed early.
The symptoms:
A circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery Headache Muscle and joint pain Tiredness and loss of energy
If treatment is delayed, it can also cause:
Pain and swelling in joints Nerve problems – such as pain or numbness Heart problems Trouble with memory or concentration
Not all ticks in England carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
High risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern and northern England and the Scottish Highlands.
Source: NHS