work, it’s not uncommon to pull a muscle or get an injury. Q : Have you ever had to make a profes- sional decision (whether that meant slowing down, taking time off, etc.) because of your health? If so, what was that like? A : My diseases have caused me to have to stop working and it’s killing me. I’m a very active person — running my own tree care company, climbing or doing forestry work all day every day. When I get home, I chop wood and do Timbersports [lum- berjack] training, go on hikes, walk the dogs, and so on. Having to stop doing all the things that I love has been extremely difficult. The worst thing is that every time I try to push myself, even just a little, I go back to start with all the symptoms and fever yet again. Q : As someone who spends so much time working out- doors, has your relationship with ticks and tick prevention changed since your diagnosis? A : When the doctor at the infection disease department at the hospital asked how I discovered a tick on my body, I told him that “it tickles” or itch- es. He then informed me that when the tick bites, it spreads a protein into the body – a protein you don’t typical- ly feel. But once you’ve had an excess amount of tick bites, your body will rec- ognize the protein and cause it to itch. So, the itching was a sign of having many ticks on my body. I’ve become much more cautious with ticks now. I check my entire body every day and take pictures of the bite after re- moving the ticks. Q : What do you wish you had known about Lyme and tick-borne illnesses before you be- came sick?
Banck urges arborists to learn about tick-borne illnesses and their symptoms and to seek medical attention promptly if they suspect a tick bite or develop symptoms.
quently with tick bites, often resulting in increased complications. And while Lyme and TBE may develop at the same time, their symptoms can vary within the infected individual and appear in stages. With tick-borne diseases becoming more prevalent across the world, Banck has made it her mission to raise awareness — especially within the tree care industry. In our conversation, she reflects on her experience with Lyme disease and TBE, and shares insights on tick prevention, symptoms to watch for, and more. Q : How has Lyme affected your ability to do your job in tree care? Are there certain aspects of work that have become more dif- ficult than they were before? If so, how have you adapted?
A : For six months, I wasn’t able to do any kind of tree work. One thing was the all-consuming extreme fatigue and tired- ness. I was often struggling to stay awake until 7 p.m. Another was the dizziness, light sensitivity, and memory loss/cloudy brain. Not great combinations when working with chainsaws or swinging from a rope. Now, after nine months, I’ve been able to do a couple of days of work, but nowhere close to what I normally would do. Q : Looking back, were there symptoms or warning signs that you initially dismissed or attributed to the physical demands of work- ing in tree care? A : I dismissed everything, thinking I’d just been working too hard. In our line of
26 | Fall 2026 ArborTIMES™
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