Jan. 13, 2014, 4 a.m.
SHAKY handwriting on a birthday card seemed innocuous enough to Sheridan Jones, but it was the first sign of a rare disease that has robbed her of a previously active life.
SHAKY handwriting on a birthday card seemed innocuous enough to Sheridan Jones, but it was the first sign of a rare disease that has robbed her of a previously active life.
The Mortlake woman didnt dwell too long on her writing, putting it down to fatigue. It wasnt until a Tasmanian holiday two months later in March 2012 that she knew something was seriously wrong.
Her right leg felt unusually heavy, like it was dragging against the will of the rest of her body. Sheridan went to see a neurologist, one of many, and a series of diagnoses failed to fully explain what was wrong with the once-healthy young woman.
The explanation turned out to be more perplexing than the symptoms. Sheridan had contracted Lyme disease, a virus not officially recognised in Australia, yet she didnt even hold a passport at the time of contracting the rare infection.
I remember calling up mum and saying my handwritings messy, my handwritings messy, the 26-year-old said.
Mum said not to worry about it but I always liked my writing to be perfect.
I had no idea that it would lead to deteriorating my eyesight and not being able to walk. No idea. It wasnt until my leg problem that I became really worried.
The presence of Lyme disease in Australia has been a source of debate among medical professionals for decades, with many experts claiming there is no evidence of a domestic strain.
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From medical mystery to costly overseas treatment for Mortlake woman