THE HIDDEN ENEMY

As I pack my camera bag to prepare for my latest shoot, deciding what lenses are appropriate and checking my weather apps etc., I always wish I hadn't overlooked one safety issue a few years ago. I'll never know for sure, but I am pretty sure I went out shooting on a summer evening in the New Forest, got bitten and ended up with Lyme disease. In my case it's affected my brain leading to a motor speech disorder which has caused a lot of devastation and mental distress.

Ticks lurk in the undergrowth waiting for unsuspecting host to brush past so they can latch on and feed on our blood. Sound gruesome doesn't it? Except tick bites are not painful and many victims do not realise they have been bitten, unless they notice a bulls eye rash, but not everybody gets that. I didn't so it was in my system a year before I got a diagnosis.

The key to protecting yourself is vigilance and prevention, because if caught early it is easier to treat with antibiotics. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease but their presence is increasing due to climate change resulting in the moist damp conditions they love. They are present in heathland, woods and grassy areas, including urban parks, all year round.

I call it the "Russian Roulette"illness. It imitates other conditions and symptoms vary from person to person. In addition to the actual Lyme there is also a risk of co-infections such as Bartonella and Babesia. Because of my late diagnosis, NHS treatment was inadequate and so I had to spend money on private treatment which still didn't clear up my speech issues.

It's a minefield so please make sure that a full memory card is all you are bringing home from a shoot, beware of uninvited guests!

• Carry a DEET repellent that deters ticks as well as mosquitos and a tick remover tool.

• Wear light coloured trousers tucked into socks - trust me it's a good look in a tick infested wood!

• Check yourself thoroughly and shower after a shoot. If you do see an embedded tick, remove it with a tick remover or fine tipped tweezers ensuring the head is also removed. Clean the area with soap and water.

• If you see a bullseye rash or start feeling unwell see your GP without delay.

Five years on, I consider myself very lucky that I largely escaped the chronic fatigue and pain side of things and can go out fairly regularly with the camera. Even when I am climbing that evil hill at Corfe Castle at 5am, I consider myself lucky to be able to do so. But I do get bad days and am now semi-retired unable to work a regular job. A speech condition is hard to live with; I miss being able to express myself the way I used to.

More information and patient support can be found through Lyme Disease UK.

https://lymediseaseuk.com