There are days Flavio Celsi says he can't get out of bed because of his fatigue and headaches, but the Windsor man hopes to raise enough money to find a cure for his Lyme disease.
Celsi, who is 38, says he began to feel symptoms when he was 17, but doctors couldn't reach a diagnosis. With his symptoms worsening, Celsi says he's unable to hold down a job. "I was working part-time over the years with my dad. We had a painting business," he says. "In the last year and a half I haven't been able to do anything. I've been on disability for about four and a half years."
Around the time he was first tested for Lyme disease at the age of 22, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. While doctors figured the tumour was to blame, successful treatment didn't relieve his symptoms. Now after years of searching for a diagnosis and two negative blood tests for Lyme disease, blood work in California has come back positive.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says there were just two confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Essex County last year. Dr. Wajid Ahmed, acting associate medical officer of health, admits most diagnosis are reached after taking a detailed history from the patient and supplementing with lab work. He admits the lab work isn't perfect, but cautions against testing done in the U.S. and Europe. "They are not accredited labs, but they do offer testing for Lyme disease and quite often they diagnose Lyme disease when our labs have ruled out the disease."
While more and more people claim to be infected, Ahmed says it's not an easy illness to contract. Ticks, and the virus that carries Lyme disease are more common in warmer climates. "Not only does this tick have to come into contact to transmit the infection, the tick has to be attached onto the body of the person for at least 48 hours."
Celsi hopes to finally find health at the Sponaugle Wellness Clinic near Tampa, Florida but treatment is expensive. At a cost of up to $4,000 a week, Celsi figures he'll have to raise at least $60,000 to cover his stay, treatment and testing. He has started a GoFundMe campaign and hopes to begin treatment later this year.
