Armonk woman’s Lyme disease went undiagnosed for nearly 2 years

An Armonk woman says her Lyme disease went undiagnosed for nearly two years.
"I never saw the tick, I never had a rash, and a year and a half later, I started experiencing symptoms,” says Alyssa Sokoloff, of Global Lyme Alliance.

Sokoloff said it made her sick and forced her to miss work and quit her job because she was so sick.
She suffered from chronic fatigue and migraines, and had problems with her heart and vision.

Sokoloff says that only 40% of people that get bit by a tick will get a classic bullseye rash, and that its symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses - and tests aren't always accurate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Northeast saw the most cases of Lyme disease in 2017. Westchester had approximately 22 cases of Lyme disease per 100,000 people. Rockland saw 74, Orange had 159 and Putnam had 287.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo created a new research partnership this year to advance the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases, saying it would "...address major gaps in our knowledge of tick-borne illnesses."
Sen. Charles Schumer also led the charge, increasing state funding for Lyme disease to $12 million in 2019.
Sokoloff, in partnership with the Global Lyme Alliance, an organization that promotes research and awareness, is hosting an annual fundraiser on May 1 to educate people about Lyme disease.

According to the CDC, children between the ages of 5 and 9 had the most cases of Lyme disease between 2001 and 2017 nationwide, with the number of cases approaching 40,000.