A tiny culprit may have played a large role in Kathy Rueckert’s health ordeal which took place amid the 2020 global pandemic.
It was early October 2020. Rueckert, 65 at the time, was feverish and feeling weak. She sought help at ThedaCare Physicians-Appleton Gateway. At the time, that’s where patients were being treated if they had symptoms of COVID-19.
Doctors would soon determine that what ailed Rueckert wasn’t the respiratory illness affecting people around the globe. It was arguably something equally as serious – a parasitic infection called babesiosis, transmitted by the bite of a deer tick.
The illness is considered rare, Rueckert said. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the state saw an average of 75 cases per year reported from 2014 to 2023.
Rueckert, who worked for ThedaCare for about three decades before retiring in 2018, enjoys camping and outdoor activities but said she was at a loss for explaining when or where she may have gotten a tick bite resulting in the babesiosis diagnosis.
“I had no clue. I have no idea,” she said. “I have no marks on me. What suddenly happened was the fever, the first indicator that something was wrong.”
As her fever persisted, she went from being checked for an ear infection to being checked for potential Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a disorder in which the body’s immune system errs and attacks and destroys its own platelets, which are essential for blood clotting.
Rueckert said her platelet count increased and she seemed on the mend after being treated for ITP with prednisone, a steroid. Prednisone may help increase a patient’s blood platelet count by slowing the destruction of platelets. Her respite was short-lived, though.
“My fever would be up and down,” she said. “They had me taking various medications to help. The fever kept coming through and at the end of October, I got a mild case of COVID, mild compared to what I was going through.”
What she was going through was the appearance of blood clots in her tissue whenever she blew her nose. She also had difficulty breathing. She quickly sought medical attention.
“The day I went into the ER, that day my right foot was becoming numb and I didn’t know why,” she said. “The provider did a blood test and came back saying, ‘we found you have a parasite in your blood, the babesiosis.’”
Explaining Babesiosis
The infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is primarily known for causing flu-like symptoms and hemolytic anemia – a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than they are replaced. But in rare and severe cases, babesiosis can also lead to neurological complications especially in individuals with weakened immune systems or other health issues.
Rueckert was prescribed medication. Eventually, she returned to the emergency department.
“I went in on November 18,” Rueckert said. “I didn’t come out for three months.”
That’s because she was also diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). It, too, is a rare illness. It results from the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking the peripheral nerves, causing muscle weakness. In severe cases, it causes paralysis.
“I was temporarily paralyzed from the neck down,” Rueckert said. “My husband couldn’t visit me. It was the middle of the pandemic, over Christmas, a very lonely time. But I felt blessed that I had a lot of wonderful ThedaCare people that helped me along the way.”
Embracing her Recovery
Now 70, Rueckert said she’s recovered and again enjoying an active, outdoor lifestyle, especially pickleball, thanks to ThedaCare.
She praised ThedaCare’s team of medical experts and health care partners that provided her specialty care services, notably respiratory therapy, physical therapy, neurology, infectious disease expertise, and podiatry care for nerve issues in her foot while she was hospitalized.
She also appreciated the support of her family medicine provider, Dr. David Anderla.
“He has been my primary care provider for almost 30 years and I consider him a friend,” she said. He was supportive. It’s been quite the journey.”
Rueckert now supports others going through health conditions similar to her experience. She volunteers at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, providing support for the rare babesiosis or GBS patient. She’s also hoping to help raise awareness of both illnesses.
Tick Prevention
These recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can help people reduce their exposure to ticks:
- Reduce leaf litter, mow tall grass and remove yard brush that may serve as a tick habitat.
- Walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with vegetation when hiking.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and high boots.
- Tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks to cover clothing gaps.
- Wear light-colored clothing in order to see ticks more easily.
- Check the entire body for ticks promptly after coming indoors from yard or nature areas.
- Treat clothing, boots and gear with products containing permethrin, a commonly used insecticide.
- Use insect repellants to repel ticks. Some products should not be used on infants under three months old.
If someone has a concern about a tick bite, they can schedule an appointment with a provider by visiting MyThedaCare.
