photo: RIC DUGAN / staff photographer
Carol Engstrom's bout with Lyme disease hasn't changed her love for spending time outside.
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She isn't sure how she contracted the bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected tick. She had plenty of chances to be exposed to ticks over the years while clearing her land along Antietam Creek and helping rehabilitate rodents, deer, bunnies and Canadian geese.
In the late 1980s, Engstrom began experiencing flu-like symptoms rather frequently. Then she got a burning sensation in her mouth, burning and tingling in her muscles and heart palpitations. At one point, she couldn't hold her neck upright and had to prop her arms up on pillows because she couldn't hold them up herself.
The symptoms of early-stage Lyme disease can include headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle aches and fatigue, according to Arthritis Foundation. Those who are bitten may develop a large, expanding red skin rash around the spot where they were bitten that may feel hot to the touch but is generally not painful. The rashes also may look like a bull's-eye with a red ring and clear center.
