The fitness influencer Maria Palen31, was paralyzed from the waist down after being chopped by a tick. The American shares its recovery process on its Instagram profile and went viral after telling its story.
Maria made content about her exercise routine and on the social network. However, after starting to feel severe body pain and excessive fatigue, she decided to seek medical help and understand what was limiting her body.
After feeling worsening in the symptoms and difficulty of doing simple tasks, Maria was diagnosed with Monday Transversa Due to an unnamed one – a disease caused by a bacteria, called Borgdorferi Borgdorferi, transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes.
In an Instagram publication, Maria talked about her history and the symptoms she felt. “It was so bad that something as simple as blocking my cell phone or turning the wheel of my car has become a moment of agony,” he says on a video.
What is Lyme’s disease?
Lyme’s disease is caused by a bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferitransmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes. Symptoms include red spot at the bite site. However, some people do not have skin lesions due to the bite, which makes the diagnosis difficult.
After the sting, the bacteria spreads through the body and can cause symptoms such as fatigue, fever, chills, headache, pain and swelling in the joints, neck stiffness and weakness on one side of the face.
The disease is diagnosed by clinical examination, evaluating symptoms, and blood tests. Treatment includes antibiotics and painkillers for joint pain.
What is acute transverse myelitis?
Acute transverse myelitis is an inflammation that affects the spinal cord in all its width. It can happen in people who have diseases such as optical neuromyelitis, Lyme disease, lupus, covid-19 or who take certain medications, as well as other infections.
Symptoms include sudden back pain and, in severe cases, paralysis. The diagnosis is made by magnetic resonance imaging, lumbar puncture and other tests to investigate possible causes.
The treatment is done with corticosteroids and, in some cases, by the change of plasma (liquid part of the blood). The goal, according to it, is to remove from blood any antibodies that may be attacking or damaging the spinal cord.
