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A former Mount Beauty mother who said she was misdiagnosed by doctors and felt humiliated for 40 years has welcomed a senate inquiry into Lyme-like disease in Australia.
Yvonne Evans described her illness as the flu that never fully went away.
The chronic pain, fatigue and a broken immune system stripped her of not only her health, but her home, her job and her community.
Aged 62, she said she hopes the inquiry will mean others will not have to go through what she experienced for most of her life.
“I was tested for everything MS to rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, they all came back negative,” she said.
“Almost two years ago I began a very stressful time and things were getting worse.
“It started with shakes then came severe head pains.
“I couldn't see properly, my legs gave way and doctors said it was in my head.
“Eventually I found a doctor in Sydney who told me I had Lyme disease and that I'd had it for more than 40-years.”
Ms Evans now lives out of a camper van with her partner and within months expects to run out of money for treatment.
In her fight for recognition, she worked with the Lyme Disease Association of Australia to initiate a postcard campaign where more than 20,000 were signed sent to political representatives.
The challenge is to prove whether the tick-borne illness can be acquired within Australia.
Borrelia burgdorferi is the bacteria which causes Lyme disease and at this stage there is little indication as to how many strains could exist in the country.
Ms Evans hoped the inquiry would get health professionals to open their eyes to the illness, learn to treat people and give Lyme sufferers the respect they deserve.
LDAA vice president Jennifer Sherer said recognition was a starting point.
“We have been working toward this for a very long time,” she said.
“We are very excited, but there is still a long way to go.
“Our association has contributed a great deal to the terms of reference for the inquiry.”
An online petition for the recognition of Lyme-like disease in Australia has gained almost 34,000 signatures.