Doctors told a mother-of-two who had Lyme disease dismissed her symptoms as imagined - telling her to 'try meditation' because she 'didn't look unwell'.
Katherine Wood, of Stow, Massachusetts, went out on a nature walk with her young son and his friend in November 2016 when she was bitten by a tick.
Because she didn't have a fever, a headache, or a skin rash, the 37-year-old thought she was fine.
But over the next several months, Wood's symptoms got worse and she saw more than a dozen specialists who either misdiagnosed her or told her they didn't think anything was wrong.
One even told her that her symptoms were likely psychosomatic and to try meditation.
Finally, nearly a year after symptoms began, Wood was correctly diagnosed by a Lyme-literate doctor and was put on an intense regimen of oral and injectable antibiotics.
In a first-person account written for Health, Wood says she feels better than she did months ago, and encourage others to trust their gut and advocate for themselves if they feel like something is wrong.
Katherine Wood, 37 (pictured, right, with her husband), of Stow, Massachusetts, was bitten on a tick while on a nature walk in November 2016
She started experiencing symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, neck stiffness and numbness in the hands. Pictured: Wood with one of her sons
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that generally causes a rash as well as joint-pain and muscle weakness. It can typically be treated by several weeks of oral antibiotics.
But if left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous symptoms and be deadly.
Wood said she didn't even realize she'd been bitten until her husband found the tick attached to her back the day after the nature walk.
'What I knew then about Lyme disease told me that I would develop a bulls-eye rash or flu-like symptoms if the tick actually transmitted the illness to me,' she wrote in Health.
'Neither of these signs appeared, so I assumed I was fine. That flawed assumption drastically changed my life.'
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks.
The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash called erythema migrans.
The disease can typically be treated by several weeks of oral antibiotics.
But if left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous symptoms and be deadly.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE INFECTED?
During the first three to 30 days of infection, these symptoms may occur:
Fever Chills Headache Fatigue Muscle and joint aches Swollen lymph nodes Erythema migrans (EM) rashThe rash occurs in approximately 80 per cent of infected people.
It can expand to up to 12 inches (30 cm), eventually clearing and giving off the appearance of a target or a 'bull's-eye'.
Later symptoms of Lyme disease include:
Severe headaches and neck stiffness Additional rashes Arthritis with joint pain and swelling Facial or Bell's palsy Heart palpitations Problems with short-term memory Nerve painSource: CDC
It wasn't until February that Wood started experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain.
She was diagnosed with
