Scottish woman's 'unimaginable suffering' after second tick bite leads to Lyme diesease

It took a year for the business manager to be properly diagnosed by medics, despite being bedridden and suffering from more than 40 different symptoms. PICTURE: SWNS

Yen Lau, 32, first contracted the disease two years ago but has since been targeted by the bug again.

It took a year for the business manager to be properly diagnosed by medics, despite being bedridden and suffering from more than 40 different symptoms.

Yen said she had eight different diagnoses and saw more than 50 GPs before being told it was Lyme disease.

In June, after two years of pain Yen, from Baillieston, Glasgow, booked to go on a healing retreat in Crete, Greece to get support for her symptoms.

But on the last day of the getaway, terrified Yen noticed a bullseye rash on her right arm - the sign of an infected tick bite.

Yen says this second tick bite has left her taking heart medications, Parkinson's medication, steroids, thyroid medication, the painkiller Tramadol and medicine for her immune system.

Yen said: "I was feeling semi-normal; it was amazing, I was smiling from ear to ear, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world and thought this might be my second chance at life.

"On the last day of the retreat I looked down on my right arm and there it was again.

"A bullseye rash with a tick stuck in my arm. Even then I tried to remain calm and positive until the symptoms came back and knocked me down."

Yen's downward spiral began two years ago when she was camping at Loch Lomond and was bitten by a tick.

She had no immediate symptoms, common with the illness, but six weeks later she fell seriously ill.

The former make-up artist is now making a desperate plea for help to travel to Mexico for treatment.

Yen said: "I went from having such an amazing adventurous life. I was a happy, optimistic and bubbly character who loved and lived life to the fullest.

"I was working full time as a business manager and make up artist to all of a sudden my whole world collapsing in front of my eyes and all I could do was watch and endure the psychical torture.

"I was left completely bedridden for months and in need of a wheelchair for my bad days.

"I have good days and extreme lows but the suffering I go through is truly unimaginable.

"I am not sure I have the strength to go through this emotionally or physically. I feel I am just living a quarter life.

"I am on a lot of Lyme forums and the Mexican clinic had been mentioned a few times."

At her worst, Yen has to get her sister to wash her hair and needs to use a wheelchair to get around.

According to the NHS, Lyme disease can be easily treated with antibiotics if it is diagnosed immediately.

But the disease does not subside for some people and can leave patients with chronic pain, fatigue, memory problems and severe headaches.

Yen stopped working two years ago and said her circle of friends slowly dwindled to none as she was unable to participate in social events.

She now wants to go to Mexico for treatment and has launched a Go Fund Me page to raise £25,000.

Her first visit is on October 14 and needs to raise £3,000 before then.

Yen said: "I spent my life savings on various private doctors and treatments but there is no cure available for Lyme in the UK.

"I felt suicidal. I had hit rock bottom and could see no way out. But then I decided to fight.

"It has been really difficult to make myself so vulnerable by asking strangers for money.

"I have never taken a penny from my mum or dad.

"Everything I have, I have worked for.

"So there is a lot of raw emotion doing this but I truly believe it is the only way to save my life."

To donate visit GoFundMe.