4 siblings went nearly a decade without a diagnosis — until their vet diagnosed the family dog within days and gave them the missing clue
For Makalea and her siblings, the incident with their dog, Molly, acted as a guidepost
An experience in Makalea (@heymakalea)’s teenage years caused her to wish that she had visited an animal doctor rather than a human doctor. As a teenager, she was struck with strange joint pains that popped up without any clear cause. She spent years down the road hopping from doctor to doctor to get a cure for her crippling pains. But the cure didn’t come until about 10 years later, when a doctor suggested that she get a test for Lyme disease. The clue came from her dog, Molly, who was quickly diagnosed with the disease. If not for the vet who correctly diagnosed Molly, Makalea wouldn’t have been able to get the diagnosis of her own debilitating condition, according to a June 22, 2026, report by Newsweek and a June 1 Instagram video, which has amassed more than 93,000 likes.
Pains without a cause
Makalea recalls spending most of her teenage years battling unusual pains. She would pull ticks off herself, but never realized why they were there in the first place. Her three siblings also suffered from a similar set of symptoms, but the evasive condition remained undetected. They never had a bull’s-eye rash, so the possibility of Lyme disease never crossed their mind. Then the other day, Makalea’s mother took their dog, Molly, to a vet because she developed a bull's-eye rash.
Dog broke the years-long bottleneck
While Makalea and her siblings were stuck in a bottleneck, this vet troubleshot the problem in no time. They diagnosed Molly with Lyme disease and put the dog on antibiotic medication. After the treatment, Molly lived a healthy life up to the age of 16 years. For Makalea and her siblings, the incident acted as a guidepost. Their own doctor insisted that they get a test for Lyme. After almost a decade of grappling with intense discomfort, Makalea was finally diagnosed with Lyme in January 2020.
In the next few years, her siblings were also diagnosed with the same disease. Without Molly’s vet, who quickly diagnosed the disease, they would have been jogging around in an endless limbo, never getting to the underlying cause of their pain.
Debunking the medical myth
The central reason behind this prolonged confusion was simply the non-existence of a “bull’s eye rash.” In the medical community, it is still believed that a bull’s-eye rash is a major symptom that confirms one has Lyme disease, but as it turns out, it is not the only standard. "It's a myth that Lyme disease always means you get a bull's-eye rash," Makalea explained to Newsweek. She also urged the viewers to visit a doctor immediately if they have flu-like symptoms. Additionally, she recommended saving the ticks and putting them in a Ziploc bag so it is easier for the doctor to test them for the disease.
Makalea has now recovered from over 90% of her symptoms, but she wonders what could have been if she had been diagnosed earlier. "If I had caught Lyme early, my life could’ve been so different," she speculated. She advised the viewers to mention their ticks to the doctor, whether or not they think they are relevant to the investigation.
The deadliest bug bite
According to the CDC, approximately 476,000 people in the US are diagnosed with and treated for Lyme disease each year. It is one of the most common infectious diseases in the country. As Cleveland Clinic explains, the culprit behind this disease is tiny blacklegged creatures, the size of a poppy or sesame seed, that lurk in wooded areas. One bite from an infected deer tick can jolt a person’s body into a range of triggers, including pains that spread to the heart, joints, and nervous system, causing serious damage.
As the tiny creatures colonize the body, they spread a bacterium called “Borrelia burgdorferi,” which provokes symptoms like fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, and often a bull’s-eye rash. “Not everyone with Lyme disease develops this rash. It appears in about 7 to 8 out of 10 infected people,” the medical website explains.
'Vet treats my animals better than my doctors treat me'
Viewers speculated that most doctors still have little knowledge about zoonotic diseases, including Lyme, which makes things difficult for those struggling with the symptoms. Others shared similar experiences with the disease. @armineklecka shared, “As a child, never found a tick or got a rash, only found out when I couldn't physically walk anymore. Extreme exhaustion or joint pains need to be taken seriously! Doctors need to listen to the bull’s-eye more!” @mathis.in.the.woods commented, “I always say that the vet treats my animals better than my doctors treat me.”
You can follow Makalea (@heymakalea) for lifestyle content and personal stories.
More on Scoop Upworthy
Boy suffered for 3 years without a diagnosis, until his mom turned to AI
Share on Facebook
