Billie Faiers diagnosed with devastating health condition after months of ‘horrendous' symptoms
The 35-year-old reality star has struggled through extreme fatigue and agonising pain in her battle with the disease.
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And now the mum-of-three has revealed the true extent of it, saying: 'Some mornings I couldn't even get out of bed. I would have to crawl, going to the toilet, I was in bits, I was hysterical, crying, because I was in so much pain.'
Billie continued to tell the Mirror: ' It was hard for me to sit on the toilet without Greg helping me. It was so scary.
''I had so many blood tests but no one could figure it out. One doctor said she'd never seen anything like it. It was frustrating. This went on for about two months before we learnt it was Lyme.'
It took weeks for the doctors to figure out what was wrong with Billie, before coming to the conclusion that she was likely bitten by an infected tick as many as three years ago.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks - tiny, spider-like creatures that live in grassy or wooded areas.
The first symptom of the illness tends to be a red, bulls-eye ring around the bite.
But people bitten by bacteria-laden ticks can be struck with debilitating symptoms days or months afterwards.
These can include severe headaches, joint pain shooting pains or tingling in the hands or feet, and episodes of dizziness.
A number of celebs have spoken out about suffering from the disease - from Bella Hadid and her mum Yolanda, to Justin Bieber, Miranda Hart and Ben Stiller.
Billie Faiers under fire from Family Diaries viewers for filming distressing scenes of her dad before rehab
Billie continued to tell the publication that her body didn't respond to the antibiotics she was prescribed.
She added: 'I was so unwell. It was only after [My sister] Sam introduced me to a holistic doctor and I started taking natural medicines that I started to notice a difference and things slowly began to turn around.'
Symptoms of Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks. It's usually easier to treat if it's diagnosed early.
A circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite can be an early symptom of Lyme disease in some people.
The rash can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks. It can last for several weeks.
The rash can have a darker or lighter area in the centre and might gradually spread. It's not usually hot or itchy.
The rash may be flat, or slightly raised, and look pink, red, or purple when it appears on white skin. It can be harder to see the rash on brown and black skin and it may look like a bruise.
Some people also get flu-like symptoms a few days or weeks after they were bitten by an infected tick, such as:
a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
headache
muscle and joint pain
tiredness and loss of energy
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