This is topic New Poll: What's the most outrageous thing a doctor has actually said to you? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/9785

Posted by Houston Lyme Pie (Member # 2578) on :
 
The thread about wierd symptoms is a great one- and cave76's response to our fellow lymie being dismissed with "benign vertigo" really cracked me up.

So here we go: What is the most outrageous thing YOU ever heard come out of a doctor's mouth?
 


Posted by pini (Member # 1405) on :
 
Here is a good one. I went to a neurologist because I was having very bad muscle spasms, trouble walking, slurring speech etc. She told me I needed to exercise everyday, but not just a little exercise. I must exercise until I am drenched with sweat otherwise my spasms would not go away. She said in when I see her in 6 weeks I would be fine. The nurse was shocked at the way the doctor was acting and she didn't know what to say so she said if you need a cheap gym go to the YMCA. I walked out of the office not knowing if I should laugh or cry. I cried.
 
Posted by Liz Hallinan (Member # 2365) on :
 
I went to the emergency room with palpatations and irregular heart beat, huge swollen knees and ankels...he said "you need a vacation..you're fine." I thought I was losing my mind...Quack Quack said the duck!



 


Posted by Curley911 (Member # 2205) on :
 
LOVE THIS POLL!!! It needs to be made into a book!!! OK, here's mine:

I'm at my "get to know you" visit with my new PCP, hoping for an open mind on my journey to wellness.

I say "I just simply don't believe Lupus is the ONLY cause for these symptoms. I do not test DNA positive for Lupus, the only thing I have is an elevated ANA and that could be caused by many things".

Her response "The only other thing would be AIDS".

Withing 24 hours my HMO had me switched to a new PCP. They were appalled by the incident.


[This message has been edited by Curley911 (edited 12 July 2002).]
 


Posted by Obi Wan Knobi (Member # 2496) on :
 
My PCP asked me this question....

What are the odds of you being bitten by a tick that has Lyme.....

Duh I Dunno, I only spent every waking moment of my life MTN Biking, and Rock Climbing in the woods of Northeastern P.A. for the last 10 freakin years.

I should have said...

The odds of me catching LYME are better than the odds that you would be able to diagnose it if I did....


May The Force Be With You....


Obi Wan


 


Posted by Nancy2 (Member # 95) on :
 
Doctor #6 told me to "take this antibiotic for 10 days and forget about it" (the Lyme that is)!
 
Posted by Green Darkness (Member # 985) on :
 
i needed this laugh; I just had an awful night after a e r visit; wanted tested for epstein barr--"they don't do that test here" also "we don't have lyme in south c."
Well, now I feel better.
Enjoyed laughin at the other posts; we all need to write a book about the wonderful ducks we have met over the years of lyme etc.
 
Posted by Shoregirl on :
 
After 2 yrs with lyme and babesia(spelling)The 4 wks of doxiciilan was enough to take care of it.Another year gone by same duck now says I have false positve results I can`t have it I`am just deppresed and I need to stop going on the computer. The problem now is that my deppresion is forcing me to stay on computer with you hypocondriacs!So much for the Ducks of the world!!!!!

------------------

 


Posted by kacan (Member # 2294) on :
 
The doctor said

"There is no lyme in Tennessee"

Yeah right.
 


Posted by PROV2001 on :
 

Most outrageous thing a Dr. has said to me:

"I've got your lab work back and everything is fine."

I replied, "If everything is fine, why can't I get out of bed?"
 


Posted by kayru (Member # 2749) on :
 
This is easy for me....after explaining some of my bizarre symptoms to a nuerologist he asked me if I was married or had a boyfriend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so furious I threw the sample of antidepressants he gave me on his desk and walked out. Not that I didn't need them..but can you believe he said that????
 


Posted by boola (Member # 2608) on :
 
"Its probably just the start of menopause."

(I was 39 at the time.)
----------
Close runner up:

Me: This medication is making me gain weight.

MD: Medications don't cause weight gain. Eating too much causes weight gain.

Me: But I wasn't having any weight problems before I started taking the medication, and since I started taking it I've gained more than 30 lbs.

MD: If you weren't eating too much you wouldn't be gaining weight. After all, there weren't any fat Jews in Auschwitz.

P.S. I am Jewish.


 


Posted by Katydid (Member # 1128) on :
 
A brilliant M.S. specialist told me over and over that I didn't have M.S. -- yep, no question.

When my Lyme tests came back positive (several tests from different labs), I told this doc about it. He replied, "We haven't seen a documented case of Lyme in Texas in many years".

When I told him that I had also tested positive for the co-infections babesia and ehrlichia, he made a complete about-face, stating, "Remember, M.S. is still in the differential".

Heaven help us!

P.S. Oh Boola, I hope you hit that doctor!
 


Posted by cbb (Member # 788) on :
 
My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. When I asked his dr about Lyme disease, I got the standard answer - "We don't have Lyme disease in South Carolina."

Later, a wonderful Dr in New Jersey diagnosed Lyme affecting the central nervous system, causing the dementia.
When we got home, I told the local dr about the diagnosis. I wanted to sound knowledgeable, so I used the medical term Neuro-borreliosis. He looked surprised and asked "Where did he come in contact with barillium gas (sp?)"
Floored, I said, "No, tick bite...Lyme disease.."
He stammered, "OH, I knew that, I knew that."

Yeah.....really!! Quack, Quack

 


Posted by boola (Member # 2608) on :
 
Katydid:

I WISH I'd hit that doctor -- with a complaint to the state medical board.

Unfortunately I was too ill at the time to be able to think very clearly.
 


Posted by Cassie (Member # 2106) on :
 
My family duck said " you would be in more pain if it was lyme disease"
Been asking for more pain meds for years.

------------------

 


Posted by Grits (Member # 2440) on :
 
After multiple failed knee surgeries I was scheduled for a total knee replacement.

Two days prior to the surgery I received a call from a doctor that I had seen to get a
'good physical' before having that surgery.

I was told that I had Lyme.

I cancelled my 2-day-away knee surgery.

Here's the good part...my husband happened to run into my Ortho Surgeon the next day at a local hospital...the surgeon inquired:

"So how did they diagnose that...on a CT?"

------------------

 


Posted by Maryland Mom (Member # 2043) on :
 
I logged on tonite to post about my husband, but couldn't resist replying to this!! A great thread...

I have a two way tie:

#1: My children's EX-Pediatrician: "Most adults who think they have Lyme actually have something else." This was after he had grilled me about why I felt a need to have my daughter tested when she was exhibiting many symptoms of Lyme and my son and I were already being treated for late stage Lyme....I made the mistake of pointing out that not all Lyme patients present with swelling knees.

#2: My ID duck: "You can't possibly have Lyme, but your bullseye rash sure throws me for a loop."
 


Posted by primcol (Member # 2269) on :
 
"Look here..I am a doctor...you are the patient"

"you are hypochondriacal"

"you are a healthy young man with psoriasis...that all"

"you cant run a high fever from sinustis"

"small pox vaccines for your children isnt given any more
because the disease does not exist anymore"

"You can have antibiotics for your sinusits
because it is just a virus"...with no
cultures or evidence at all

After my son had monthly vomiting attacks
at age two for eight straight months..."
He gets alot of virus".....turned out to
be childhood migranes

Trust me I could go on four hours on this list.
 


Posted by kayru (Member # 2749) on :
 
I was telling ond doctor that I worked on a horse farm and horses ship in an out from all over because he said "no lyme in kentucky" We were stabled right next to a farm from New Jersey at the show where I got bit. i had a huge bulls eye rash on my neck whch grew larger over 4 days, then I got a bad still neck and fever. went to an er close to the horse show and they found the tiny tick still inside me having a feast! they put the tick on a piece of scotch tape and showd it to me under a microscope. they sent me on my way with some topical cream for the rash.

when I went to my regualr doctor the following week he said it couldn't be a lyme tick here in KY. This was in 1989, I guess back then they had signs near the state lines for ticks to jump off the horse vans fro New Jersey. haha.
 


Posted by momtoeight (Member # 2215) on :
 
Our family doctor told me while lookin at the bullseye on my thigh:

"you don't have lyme - you just need to stay off the internet"
I responded with "how else can I learn - I don't happen to have a medical library in our home"
He says "Your not suppose to have a medical library - that is why you come to me. I AM THE DOCTOR with the education"


And the next time that he just happened to see us he took my husband aside and said:

"I believe that she believes that she is really sick, and I think that I could help her (wink, wink) I could prescribe just the thing to settle her down"

Unfortunately I cried before I could get out of his office!! Just hate that man knowin he got to me!
 


Posted by Oski (Member # 1234) on :
 
The one that really got me was my all time favorite duck (the excuse for a doctor who misdx my EM rash)

He dismissed all my symptoms that were coinciding with my EM rash as due to stress..but then he asked me what was something that I really wanted lately..something that would make me happy..

I thought for a minute...but was really put off by it..didn't know where he was going with it...and I said that I had been wanting to see Les Miserables in SFran..

well, he wrote a med script out to me and told me to give it to my husband...it said something like "take your wife to see Les Mis"...he said that that would make me feel better.

I never felt so humiliated in my life...I remember breaking down in the car telling my husband..he just made me feel like such a hypochondriac..it was absolutely awful and I will never forget it!
meghan
 


Posted by slpook (Member # 605) on :
 
Sent to rheumatology group at hospital (won't say which, but new Dr afterword said wouldn't send dead dog for autopsy there!) listened to all symptoms and stated "No matter what the tests say, at this stage if it was lyme all your hair should have fallen out". 14 years ago and Dr's are still uneducated!
 
Posted by ebbyban (Member # 842) on :
 
Duck #1 - "Are you sure your not fighting with your Hubby"?
Me: "Yes I am sure"
Duck " I think you are fighting with hubby"

Duck #4
Me "everytime I go to my inlaws I have to sit away from them or across the room because I feel like I'm going to pass out everytime I am there"
Duck replied "In-lawidus"
I gotta admit it was funny but later figured out since the house is so small it had something to with the oxygen.

Duck #20 something
"I don't know what is wrong with you and you are lucky that I ran all these tests. I have a patient that is just like you and she ended up in the hospital because she went blind , now we can treat her. Lets just wait for something to happen."
 


Posted by ArtistDi (Member # 2297) on :
 
The alternative doctor that I saw for over
a year and diagnosed me with multiple chemi-
cal sensitivity--( I suddenly developed
breathing problems and chemical sensitivity,
all was attributed to my profession as an
artist and a home improvement. When I came up "equivocal" on a test that I persuaded him to give me (I asked for Igenex), he told me that no one with Lyme ever had chemical sensitivity. I definitely didn't have Lyme. I saw Dr. H and retested for everything--Lyme, Erhlichia and mycoplasma came up (Igenex and PCR).
 
Posted by Susie Jo (Member # 2480) on :
 
!!
After six months of being desperately ill, barely able to walk, covered with a rash over my chest,back and face, slung over a chair because I was unable to summon the energy to sit, my long-time family Dr said he was going to send me to Dartmouth-Hitchcock because maybe it was CFS, he really didn't know what I had. Then, with such a smirk, he said You know, of course, what you have is classified as a somatoform illness.

The alternative practitioners were no better, it was just put in "new age" terms that there was some hidden reason for my illness.... psychological, spiritual, some undealt with issue of my childhood, etc. You are sick therefore you have created a defect in some way, blocking your body from its natural radiant state, out of harmony with the universe...blah blah.


 


Posted by momtoeight (Member # 2215) on :
 
Oh my gosh, Oski!

I had forgotten the prescription our doc gave my husband in the ER the night that I was there with my chin frozen to my chest!!

And they couldn't get an x-ray cause when they had me stand by the table and start to lay it down, I screamed with the pain.

The xray tech wrote "patient was very uncooperative"

I still have the prescription:

//Jane is to rest on the couch and be fed Bon-Bon on a silver platter by her lousy husband. Her husband is to wash the clothes and dishes, clean the home & take care of the kids.//

Yep - that did the trick doc - NOT!!!!!!
 


Posted by bg2711 (Member # 1865) on :
 
Oh, this is such a good topic!! Lets see when my daughter first got sick 10 years ago( she was 8 yrs. old then) and was in the hospital after the spinal tap they did on her, he said "There was nothing ORGANICALLY wrong with her and I over nurtured her and she needed a shrink!!

Last year my daughter, now 18yrs. had a seizure so she was sent to a neurologist who told me that after two weeks of antibiotics she would NOT HAVE ANY NEUROLOGICAL problems related to lyme that would have caused her seizure ten yrs. later. That she was cured of lyme and I should let her get on with her life. Oh my God, I was gona punch this guy, ya right no neurological problems after 2 weeks of antibiotics, give me a break. Yep, those ducks ya gotta love em or hate em!! Barb
 


Posted by SandiB (Member # 1557) on :
 
Oh, I have a good one. Two years ago I found a tick attached to my abdomen. I called my doctor and asked if I should take antibiotics. He told me no, as there is no lyme in our area. Just wash the bite and let me know if you get a bull's eye rash. I never got a rash, but three months after the bite I came down with all the lyme symptoms in full force. Fast forward a year later....I go to another doctor and test positive for lyme. Thinking I should let my previous doctor know that there is lyme in the area so maybe he won't make the same mistake again with someone else.... I call him.
I wasn't angry about what he had told me about there being no lyme in the area, as I thought he just didn't know, and if I shared the fact that I now had lyme and probably was reinfected by this tick, he would want to know. Well, he attacks me with, "I KNOW THERE IS LYME IN THE AREA, I HAVE HAD IT THREE TIMES." Is that not disgusting!
SandiB
 
Posted by echo (Member # 2577) on :
 
After dozens of doctors and tests (except lyme) and no diagnosis for my incapacitating illness, I went back to my PCP and told her something was seriously wrong, I wasn't able to work, and I was not getting better. I asked her to test for lyme since she was already drawing blood. Her response.... "Why, you don't remember being bitten".
She didn't order the test, I guess the expense was coming out of her pocket and not my insurance.
By the way, I live in an area where lyme is epidemic.
 
Posted by AJ (Member # 12432) on :
 
I think my fav was being told I was having sinus migraines. I was not having pain of any sort...what I WAS having were temporal lobe seizures. Several a day.

stay off the internet is always a good one.

Everyone has that buzzing noise in their head, you've only just become aware of it. Yeah, I believe that.

------------------
__TarCat
 


Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
 
(As told to sis):

Doc: "There is no lyme in Chicago. But I know a doctor" (at - blank - Chicago hospital)"who treats lyme."

Sis: "So who does he treat?"
 


Posted by Obi Wan Knobi (Member # 2496) on :
 
Remember, all Ducks are going to tell you to stay off the iternet because most of the time you are misdiagnosed. Even my LLMD advised me not to read into things to much as each case is different, however he commended me for obtaing the knowledge regarding the LYME. I agree that sometimes people read into stuff to much, but that is human nature. If these Ducks were more sensitive during the 3 to 5 minits they spend with you, you may have more confidence in them. However, YOU are responsiable for your own well being and your own treatment, and these Ducks merely PRACTICE medicine on you. Information is the key, and it makes thier job more difficult if you are informed.

May The Force Be With You...

Obi Wan
 


Posted by bik77 on :
 
Dr. #1:

"After three weeks of 200mg/day Doxy, 99-44/100% of my patients get over Lyme for good."

This was from the guy who told me that his office has seen approx. one new case per Dr. per day (in the summer months) over the years.

Let's see: 1 x 3 Dr.s x 60 days x 6 years = 1,080 cases
 


Posted by WildCondor on :
 
here are the top 10.......

1) Lyme only exists in Lyme, CT. and Babesia only exists on Long Island

2) You have 2 years to live because you have Chronic Mono

3) "you are crazy and depressed, you need a shrink, You dont have Lyme, your western Blot is negative"

4) "You could not have had 70 tick bites at once, thats imposssible!"

5) Oh, those are all neurological symptoms, you better take some Kava Kava.

6) You need steroids for the rest of your life

7) "You need to accept this illness as a part of your life"

8) "Nobody is longer than 10 days on IV for Lyme, everybody gets cured" HA!

9)"It cant be Lyme Disease AGAIN, you already had it." Your Brain MRI shows you have MS.

10) Those are 70 spider bites you have!
 


Posted by breezexlt (Member # 2446) on :
 
Dr.: I think you have depression. It's good to talk to someone about your problems, everyone should do it once in a while.

Me: So who do you go to?

Dr.: You really need a psych. consult
 


Posted by pab (Member # 904) on :
 
This is about Jordan (from age 8-11):

ENT: Jordan is not sick, his mother just thinks he is.

PEDIATRICIAN: Make him go to school unless he is on his deathbed.

ID: If you have Lyme, you will test highly positive. Even if you have Lyme, it is only a nuisance not a serious illness. Two weeks of antibiotics will cure it.

ID: Doctors on the East Coast set up clinics just to treat Lyme and make money.

NEUROLOGIST: All kids have headaches and most of the time we don't know why. They usually are worse during the school year.

GI: Some kids have stomachaches and we don't know why.

PEDIATRICIAN: Could he be depressed? Go see a Psychologist.
PSYCHOLOGIST: Go see Pediatrician because not enough medical tests done.

ID: No reason to test for Bartonella and Babesia in Minnesota.

------------------

 


Posted by RSF718 (Member # 1407) on :
 
Here are my favorites ... at the beginning of my illness (before I knew it was Lyme), I went to one infectious disease doctor who told me that too many people diagnose people with Lyme and that it's becoming a fad and therefore he wouldn't diagnose me with Lyme. He said to just eat a more well-balanced diet (Note: I am an Exercise Specialist at a gym as well as a graduate student studying Exercise Science) ... my eating habits were obviously not my problem!

Then I had a neurologist say that I was too stressed out and that this was all just stress. He then called my Mom into the room and blamed her for stressing me out (Let the record state that I was not under stress ... except for the fact that I was so sick and didn't know why! ... and my Mom has never pushed me or stressed me out) ... it's amazing doctors like these exist ... so scary!
 


Posted by RSF718 (Member # 1407) on :
 
Oh, I forgot to add my favorite misdiagnosis at all ... this one's priceless ... I was away at college when my Lyme first surfaced. I had gone out to dinner with some friends and then about 4-5 hours later was lying in bed and woke up in a cold sweat, so dizzy and woozy, nearly paralysed and shaking on my left side of my body with all sorts of neurological symptoms going on in my body ... most of which I can't even remember clearly anymore. I remember my roommate rushed to get our floor RA who then called 911 and an ambulance came to get me to take me to the ER ... I spent the night in the ER and was told that it was just a bad case of food poisoning!!! (mind you ... I didn't throw up or have any stomach symptoms though!) The ER doc also added that these types of "food poisonings" often occur when people eat fish and told me not to eat fish ... I guess it didn't matter to him that I had no fish that night or any other night for that matter (considering I'm allergic to it, I would never go near the stuff to start with!) What a moron! It scares me that colleges are giving doctorates away to such airheads!!
 
Posted by o2igiv1 (Member # 1111) on :
 
Boy there are so many I don't know what to choose...

1. No I won't order a Lyme test, sooner or later the HMO is gonna "ding" me for ordering all these labs" Poor baby, his bonus check was at stake. I work at the hospital and see this boob on occasion. I walk with forearm crutches due to permanant nerve damage and have a PICC line in- " wow, you don't look to good, what's going on?" My answer " some idiot Dr refused to test me for Lyme and it turns out I have it and now I'm screwed for the rest of my life." No reply from the jerk.

Neurologist ( king of the stupid ducks) " You are extremely anxious and need to go on Prozac" I asked why I had no reflexes in my feet and he replied " not everyone has reflexes in their feet" Huh???? When I requested my medical records it said all my reflexes were normal and my gait was "unremarkable". Hmmmm, I guess he didn't notice the footdrop on the left or that I can't stand up from a chair due to weakness.
 


Posted by kathy klopfer (Member # 1624) on :
 
Theres so many.
Dr.#7 (Your blonde with blue eyes and your from Europe)you dont have Lyme Disease you have MS.
Dr,#8 Are you sure your not have problems with your marriage.I'll give you some anti-depressants take double the dose and you should feel better
Dr's 1 to 14 The ticks in Tennessee don't carry Lyme Disease it's all in your head.
 
Posted by Liz Hallinan (Member # 2365) on :
 
o2igive1

I can NOT believe this!!!!!!!!! Especially about the boob doctor. Why are these doctors so dumb? What ever happened to the hippocratic oath they take? It makes me soooo mad all of these stories. Thank God for our LLMD!!!!!!! We would truly be lost without them if not 6 feet under. They are literally saving our very lives.

Liz



 


Posted by richtersl (Member # 2554) on :
 
ULTIMATE DUCK STORY

This actually happened to someone I used know. Sadly, the outcome was tragic.

Mom goes pumpkin picking with her kids. Daughter has Lyme and was in treatment for it. Sometime after returning home, daughter goes unconscious and into a coma. Daughter is rushed to the hospital where her LLMD practices (about 20 miles away). Enroute, she goes into complications so the ambulance turns around to taker her to the nearest hospital to be stablized because her life was at stake.

At the hospital she was taken to there is a self-proclaimed LLMD who believes that you are cured of Lyme after 28 days of antibiotics. Since the daughter had already been under treatment for Lyme for a longer period of time, the self-proclaimed LLMD poo-pooed the real LLMD's diagnosis and told the mom that her daughter really had a viral infection. Mom pleaded with the doctor, but was treated poorly. Doctor treats daughter with antivirals and daughter is still unconscious and in a coma. To placate mom, the self-proclaimed LLMD did try the daughter on IV antitbiotics and she showed some improvement but he didn't buy into it because "you're cured of Lyme after 28 days" and continued with the antiviral because he didn't believe she had Lyme. She was eventually transferred to the care of her real LLMD who proceeded with aggressive antibiotic therapy. She eventually regained consciousness (don't recall at which hospital that took place) only to be wheel-chair bound and no longer capable of coherent speech. Her mind still worked but she was no longer the same child. She was more like a child with cerebral palsy. The damage had been done.

The daughter passed away from complications several months later. Mom wanted an autopsy performed. I was told that the autopsy revealed that her little body had been infested with Lyme Disease.

So much for the "28 days and you're cured" theory.


 


Posted by Amareo (Member # 1454) on :
 
Hmmm...I can't really decide..theres a few. Anyways... after I'd been sick for about 4 months STRAIGHT (coughing, fevers, unable to walk some days...unable to use my arms other days)....hehe... doc finally told me on about the 5th visit in 6 weeks that I had "Flu syndrome"...thats not too outrageous I guess... but pretty funny since it doesnt exist! The most outrageous thing I think I ever heard...was when my doctor looked at me after I'd been in congestive heart failure for 3 months (and my cardiologist was telling my parents not to expect me to live more than a week at the most)...when I was 12 years old...and he said "Well...I can tell just by looking at the muscles on your arms that your just really out of shape and you need to exercise more." HELLO.... for the past year I had been figure skating 3 days a week/5 hours a day!! hehe...anyways...that one threw me for a loop! (it was a general doc that told me I was out of shape...not my cardiologist)...anyways.... thats probably the most outrageous one I can think of
Along with the one about my mom having "munchausens syndrome" (spelling?) ..you know..the one where the parent poisons child and then brings child to doctor so that parent can get sympathy from doctor...? YEAH...RIGHT. What are we anyways... antibiotic ADDICTS?

..That last one was sad... guess it says a lot about docs these days doesnt it?
------------------
Lishka

[This message has been edited by Amareo (edited 14 July 2002).]

[This message has been edited by Amareo (edited 14 July 2002).]
 


Posted by greg (Member # 1250) on :
 
After i went in with lyme sx and a nice little bullseye, my duck told me that he was sending me in for a cat scan with contrast because i looked thin and that coupled with the night sweats led him to believe that i had hodgkins diease..(he actually told me this)...never mind that he knew i was an endurance athelete and spent alot of time outdoors..they blew out my vien with the iodine during the cat scan, and later i gave the duck my positive results from igenex along with dr.b's guidelines for treating lyme...by the way i dont have hodgkins disease, just lyme babesia and bartonella...greg
 
Posted by SandiB (Member # 1557) on :
 
In 1987 I was very sick....I had all the symptoms of lyme, but hadn't been diagnosed with lyme.
A friend who was trying to help me, recommended I go to an internist at the local medical college. When I went to the internist, who happened to be the head teaching doctor, they put me in a room on a cold metal table. I remember sitting there for at least a half an hour freezing in only a hospital gown. Finally about five med students and the internist came in ....they prodded and propped every inch of me....they were so cold to me, but the worst thing was they talked like I wasn't capable of hearing them. Examining me like I was a specimen on a metal dish. Talking among themselves they left the room, and a nurse came in an drew about 6 tubes of blood, I was so weak I almost fainted. The nurse wasn't much more compassionate than the doctor and the med students. I went home ....and a week later as instructed I called the doctor's office. I was having an awful time trying to get him to return my calls. I wanted to find out the results of my test. When he finally returned my call, he sounded very annoyed and just came out and said, "You have lupus." I was so stunned, I didn't answer for a few seconds, when I started to ask him about my illness, he abruptly cut me off and said, "What do you want me to say", and hung up. After that experience I didn't go near a doctor for ten years.
SandiB
 
Posted by KayJay on :
 
"you don't have lyme. you need a psychitrist. there is one on the floor above me. let me call now and make an appt for you. ARGH! needless to say i said "no thanks" and left the office never to return.
 
Posted by Ant Ellen (Member # 2751) on :
 
"You don't have lyme. You never had lyme. See...the test is negative."

(This was 5 years after I had the rash behind my knee.)
 


Posted by LLLucille (Member # 1443) on :
 
My duck actually wrote me out a prescription that said "Go out and have some fun"!
 
Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
 
Years ago in the Bull's-eye newsletter I asked people to submit outrageous things about Lyme disease said to them by doctors.

This was in the August 1993 issue - I called them "Infamous Quotations" -

(Ed. note: The following are doctor's comments as reported by the patients to whom they were made. The quoted physicians are all practicing in northeastern Ohio, many at most respected medical institutions. Some are neurologists, rheumatologists or infectious disease physicians; others are pediatricians and family practice doctors.)

"You can't have Lyme Disease in Ohio"

"There have never been any cases of Lyme disease reported in Ohio" (there had been about 400 at that time)

"You don't LOOK sick!"

"It's not Lyme disease, it's LIME disease!"

Doctor: "You don't have Lyme disease"
Patient: "How do you know?
Doctor: "I went to Harvard."

About a child: "She can't be too sick; she's smiling."

"I have no idea what you had, but whatever it was, you're over it now."

"There is no such thing as Lyme disease."

"A hundred years ago, she would have been termed a sickly child."

To a child: "I think you are depressed and need a psychiatrist who will put you on anti-depressants. And you're just going to have to learn to live with it."

"If she doesn't have arthritis, she doesn't have Lyme disease"

"You couldn't have Lyme disease. Lyme disease is susceptible to penicillin and you had 10 days of penicillin in 1988."

"Even if it is Lyme disease, it wouldn't make any difference because there is no treatment for Lyme disease."

[Ed. comment: Do we need any further demonstrations of the need for physician education about Lyme disease????] (end of article.)

How awful that for the most part, the picture has not changed in the past 9 years!!!

Ann - OH

 


Posted by matmemom on :
 
Rheumatologist who is an "expert" on lyme disease told me that the presence of lyme in my blood work was proof that I did not have lyme. My lyme titer was 1.44 and I had 4 bands positive. He told me that this indicated I had lyme antibodies and was immune to lyme. He then told me I was doing myself a great deal of harm by not going to a neurologist.
 
Posted by matmemom on :
 
OH, I forgot to add that as he was telling me to leave his office after I questioned his "diagnosis" there hanging on his door was an article written by Dr. Allen Steele.

 
Posted by heckyeah (Member # 603) on :
 
I had a classic EM rash ~1990 but doc said it was a "bee sting." I told him that I had had a bee sting before and this was NOTHING like that. So he said "ok, then it's a spider bite."

In 1996 when I was finally crippled by all my various "stress/over-exercise induced symptoms" and doc sent me to an infectious disease doc who was also a "lyme specialist."

ID Doc said my lyme elisa was positive but my western blot was negative so I don't have Lyme. It couldn't possibly be lyme anyway because I didn't have swollen joints (just excruciatingly painful ones). At this point, he looked down my throat and said "ah ha!! You have Fibromyalgia!" I'm not kidding.

When my condtion continued to worsen and I started having what were apparently petit mal seizures at the wheel of my car (the id duck and the neuroduck wrote in my records that these were "falling asleep"), they did some more testing to rule out epilepsy and MS. When those tests were "negative" the ID duck said I also had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

He said to "just go back to work" (at this point I could barely walk at all) and that I "should be glad I [don't] have AIDS." How do you respond to a comment like that??

(I definitely think that Boola wins the Suckiest-Thing-a-Doc-Ever-Said Award with that psycho racist comment.)

------------------

Jen
 


Posted by tree on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Susie Jo:
!!
After six months of being desperately ill, barely able to walk, covered with a rash over my chest,back and face, slung over a chair because I was unable to summon the energy to sit, my long-time family Dr said he was going to send me to Dartmouth-Hitchcock because maybe it was CFS, he really didn't know what I had. Then, with such a smirk, he said You know, of course, what you have is classified as a somatoform illness.

The alternative practitioners were no better, it was just put in "new age" terms that there was some hidden reason for my illness.... psychological, spiritual, some undealt with issue of my childhood, etc. You are sick therefore you have created a defect in some way, blocking your body from its natural radiant state, out of harmony with the universe...blah blah.


Dx lyme 7yrs ago pos blood, etc., after 3 yrs oral abx new pcp said "no more abx" due to 28 day rule. You all know the drill...

6 mos later new onset seizures, pcp said, "I think that your problem now is Lupus, "The Great Imitator"

2 yrs later vasculitis shows up on brain MRI, pcp said, "I think your problem now is MS, "The Great Imitator"

5 mos later pos lyme titer on spinal tap pcp said... any guesses, "Just like I thought, you have neuro lyme "THE GREAT IMITATOR"

to which I replied, hey I think I've heard this before somewhere. I know I'm 'a little foggy', but I'm sick, I'm not stupid.


 


Posted by Starphoenix (Member # 2402) on :
 
I recently began treatment, and I've had Lyme for 17 years. I've heard so much ridiculosity in that time! Three recent events come to mind. My now-former PCP, who was wonderfully supportive when she thought I had Lupus, scoffed at the possibility of Lyme and even went so far as to wonder if I was sick at all! She thought I may be sick because of all of the medications I've been taking. HELLO! I told her that I've been sick for 17 years and taking meds for two. I was given meds because I'm sick! I couldn't believe she would question whether or not ANYTHING was wrong! She thought changing my diet and losing weight would do the trick. My new, soon-to-be-fired, PCP doesn't believe in the PCR result! Even though I've had the Blot (not technically positive, but positive nonetheless) and a positive blood PCR, he wanted me to have another Blot. He didn't believe it. He had so much erroneous information. He wouldn't argue about it. (Of course. I was right!) He even questioned my respiratory diagnoses and thyroid diagnosis (like "can you say 'hypochondriac'?"). I was in the ER the other night. (Our apartment building is loaded with mold--long story--hope they condemn it so they have to move us. We're low income and can't just find another place right now otherwise, and no one in power is taking it seriously, it seems.) I'm concerned about having an invasive mold infection (been here awhile, didn't know how bad it was, am on steroids still after Lupus diagnosis because of weak adrenals, have been on oral chemo during the time here, and have Lyme and both restrictive and obstructive lung disease), but the doctor said I read too much! When I asked about Aspergilliosis, he said, "You don't want that." Another one thinking I'm a hypochondriac! No, I don't want it! I'd sure like to know if I HAVE it, though! Steph

[This message has been edited by Starphoenix (edited 15 July 2002).]
 


Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
 
I had a doctor tell me I read too much.
I told him I had a license to read - a Master's degree in English.
Ann - OH
 
Posted by wendy (Member # 2646) on :
 
BEST POLL I'VE SEEN HERE YET!!

Ok, went to a psychiatrist after 2.5 years of worsening unexplained illness. I begged him to believe that I was physically sick. I said I felt so "desperate" for people to understand, for a doctor to help me figure out what was going on... I said I was not suicidal (have not history or act or intention) or homicidal ("). He said:
"THERE IS NO WAY SOMETHING CAN BE PHYSICALLY WRONG WITH YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IF TESTS DON'T SHOW IT." Nevermind he knew nothing of the tests done or anything. IGNORANCE!!!

Then he said, I think you need to be hospitalized in the adult crisis unit. I left before he could degrade me further.

Lastly, my most recent duck before I FINALLY found a wonderful LLMD saw me present with a case of bad tremors in her office. Two nurses tried to hold me down on the exam table to stop the shaking (not seizure). She said "ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE JUST NOT SCARED TO DEATH?" And, then "COULD YOU HAVE EATEN SOMETHING BAD?"

OH my Gosh! These things still enrage me. I have always been so rational and then to have this stuff said to me has made me feel so hopeless and lost. Thank God for my present and only LLMD!!!!

Wendy
 


Posted by KJ (Member # 960) on :
 
where to start......

After my 21 months old had several documented bullseye rashes, she sent us to an ID doc.

He told me that she looked fine, and other things can cause bullseye rashes. I asked "what?" and he said " ummmmm....spiders?"
 


Posted by terter (Member # 2204) on :
 
-"You just want to have Lyme because it is in vogue!" (like cancer????????????)

-"Don't call or ever come in again! Be your own doctor. In 6 or 7 months you should be better."

"How often do you have orgasams? What is the percentage? When you have your movement disorder with your husband, can you stay on the bed? Wow, honey, you look great after losing all of that weight....(while staring at my ample chest....knee to knee and sweating bullets) No I didn't have the energy at the time to report him!

-"you have pseudo-seizures. (Fake seizures) Don't bother to come in again. "Stay off the internet. Get on with your life and stop focusing on what you can't do!"

_"You have had enough antibiotics to have killed a horse ...If you ever did even have LD"

and sooooooooooooooooooo much more duck talk. The stories are amazing...I just might print them out for my neuro!

Take care everyone-we will make it! There are still some good docs out there! Don't lose hope! Shall we all print this out and mail it to some professionals? What's the poll on this one?

terter
 


Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Don't know if this is sad or funny...

Like others.. I have had so many.. wouldn't know how to list them all..

Here is one I was just reminded of..

After a year of feeling horrible... I drug myself to work so when the kids got home from school they wouldn't find me there, dead.

Once there I dropped to the floor I was so weak. One of the hunters took me to the docs office.. I was there when they opened before 8 AM.

By then.. as I laid on the table unable to move... one arm was swollen and completely blue.. and ICE cold.

The other arm was red, sweaty, and HOT!

I couldn't even sit up, my eyes were watering, my head was pounding, I was too weak to speak... the room was spinning... etc. etc...

The nurse practioner.. who KNEW I had been sick for MONTHS.. asked me if I had eaten breakfast yet?

I shook my head "no".

She said if I started eating breakfast.. then I wouldn't feel so bad.

That will be $60.00 please.

------------------
Please don't feed the ducks!

 


Posted by ratherBgardening (Member # 2744) on :
 
First of all, I really feel we need to see the humor in this...somedays, you need to really look hard, but it helps.

Your lists of funny comments just go to show how uneducated physicians are about this. I hope this changes in the future for all of us. I for one am working on this for all of us.

No matter what anyone tells you, educating yourself, on the Internet or in a Medical Library at your nearest hospital is a GOOD thing.

If you cannot talk with your doctor...find another. I find that good communication with your doctor is 80%+ of your treatment.

No doctor can know everything. If they say they do, leave as soon as possible.

I am on leave as a RN that is a patient educator of patients with kidney disease. I welcome the patient to my office that has looked up information...it gives us a place to start, or a place to correct falicies. Even if they are into alternative medicine, I say, as long as it can't hurt you, I would never say never. It is like this with Lyme. There are too many Dr. that are too busy to listen or are afraid to burst their egos...at what a cost to their patients. They have to work WITH you.

Yes, keep track of these comments. One day when the research shows they have it all wrong in the year 2002, wow, they will say, I should have been a better listener of my patients.

Now, I am seeing a great Dr. of Infectious Disease that is trying to get me retreated with Rocephin. (insurance woes). But one neurologist told me only that I didn't have Lyme...no other reason or diagnosis noted,or what I should be tested for and another diagnosed me with Trigeminal Neuralgia... did not even hear me tell about vision problems, joint difficulty...was told that Lyme neurologically only give a Bells Palsy (droopy face) and I did not have Lyme...even though I pain, numbness, weakness...

They need to stop thinking they have to make a snap judgement on the first visit...my doctor now does not do this and listens to what I find in my research.

And I really thing boola's doctor should be brought before a state Medical Misconduct Board...unbelievable.

 


Posted by Curley911 (Member # 2205) on :
 
To the top for that Pennsylvania Reporter to get the idea
 
Posted by GMP (Member # 55) on :
 
On my 35th birthday a doctor said..."your symptoms are weird...could be MS, have a great weekend." Needless to say, I didn't have a great weekend or birthday!
 
Posted by jessiemacmom (Member # 2425) on :
 
I am sooooo glad to know that there are others living in my parallel universe!!
Let's see, most of these (but not all) come from the head Rheumatologist at a well respected university teaching hospital that "followed" my daughter waiting for an autoimmune disease to fully manifest itself enough to put her on Pred...
"She doesn't have Lyme - she doesn't have the hot,red, swollen knees"
"A positive IgM doesn't mean anything, especially since her symptoms have been going on for longer than a month, it's not a very accurate test and besides her IgG was negative (only 3 bands)if IT was positive, now that would be a TRUE positive..but it's not so it is something else causing the IgM postive...let's retest her in a month..."
"There is no Lyme in Georgia so that makes the positive IgM immediately suspect"

This was a good one, after 2 days of horrible stabbing back pain when breathing, her ped said she was "over reacting" and I insisted on a chest x ray which she thought
was crazy. When it came back showing pneumonia she said that my daughter "brought it on herself by refusing to take deep breaths...(uh, what happened when she was sleeping???)
"A daily fever of 100 is not abnormal, send her on to school unless it is over l0l.5, she just needs to get with the program..she's depressed"...
"Her labs are mostly normal and her symptoms are so subjective, she must be depressed, I think it's time to send her for counseling
...."
yep, and on and on it goes...so easy to dismiss it all from your office when you are not dealing with it, physically and emotionally, from day to day....

------------------

quote:
I have..many promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep..

Robert Frost
...and every Lyme mom out there who fights to advocate for her child..

Jessiemacmom
 


Posted by henson2 (Member # 463) on :
 
The rheumatologist who said:
"Everyone has trouble getting up in the morning. Who wants to get up and feed the kids their oatmeal?"

(I was 31 and had no children)
(ha ha I guess she hated feeding her kids!)
(Woops, showing a little too much of yourself, Dr.!)


 


Posted by arg82 (Member # 161) on :
 
Okay, here's mine. I went to a walk-in clinic because I was having trouble breathing. I tell the doctor, "I can't take a deep breath" and he tells me "well, you don't need to take a deep breath."
--Annie

------------------
"I'd run away
But there is nowhere to go
So I'll stand and fight
And hope and pray
That the best is yet to come
And we ain't seen nothing yet."
--Tracy Chapman

 


Posted by Gary M (Member # 34) on :
 
An ID Idiot Duck said "I think you have MS because my sister has MS". By the way, I just got retested by PCR, and it was Positive on the first try at MDL in NJ. Yippy!!! Now I can go back to the VA and show the idiot he was WRONG!!!
 
Posted by sabumnimjim (Member # 2653) on :
 
I think I can top the charts here...

My wife went to her orthopedic doc for wrist pain. He said there is a cyst and go to the Korean plastic surgeon who removes cysts (he has a VERY good reputation!)

This is the truth - the Korean doc told my wife that one of her arm bones is TOO LONG, and that he wants to operate on her, cutting the bone to normal length!!!!!

He said, You haf bone too rong in yo ahm. I gonna cutta bone, den you gonna be in cast fo one yeah. Den you come back gonna feel real good!

------------------
www.afmaconline.com
 


Posted by loveisblue (Member # 2827) on :
 
as far as duck's and amusing physicians...
i hate to say this, but all authority is going "down". this is a sign of the times and neither good nor bad.
while it is important to keep your head about you, we are -thru this list- as important as even LLMD's in this fight. the 95% of physicians in lyme will always be way behind us in information. the hard thing for us is to find ways of testing and authenticating the information.
i went to a colorful shrink years ago and in the course of conversation he said ". If i still treated my patients from what i learned in medical school, they would all be dead by now."
point is: med school maybe minus 5 years AND med school teachings 10 years beyond that.
so, med school is at least 15 years behind the current situation.
we are now in a situation of rapidly evolving current information where the problem is weeding out the unreliable.
 
Posted by caat (Member # 2321) on :
 
I should be doing something else- but this thread is hilarious.

""-"Don't call or ever come in again! Be your own doctor. In 6 or 7 months you should be better.
terter"""

Wow. Best advice I've ever had infered to me too...

""Shall we all print this out and mail it to some professionals? What's the poll on this one?

terter""

Oh yes! It should be edited, along with more stories and mass e-mailed (***spammed****) anonomously or with a fake authoritative return address (like harvard med school? JAMA news update?) to every single medical clinic and hospital in the country. All in the same week. Would start people talking.

My favorites-

"it's all in your head"
me- (look to kill)
her- "you need elavil!" (anti-psychotic)

another one- "it's all in your head"
me- (look to kill)
her- "you're aggressive!!!"

"you have a flu"

"your allergic to your shampoo"


------
recently;
1st office visit;

me "I think I have late syphilis, I'm staggering and can't read"

doc "are you sure it's not lyme?"

me- "no. But I'm not sure about syphilis either. those tests are only 70% accurate."

doc "no they're not'
me "yes they are"
doc "no they're not"
me "YES they ARE. Please give me a treponomal test."
doc "no"
me "antibiotics?"
doc "no"

2nd visit
doc- "you were right, the syphilis tests are only 70% accurate. come back next week and we'll test you for both (trepenomal & elisa )."
Me "thank you. you know I found out the lyme tests are only 30% accurate. Can I have a western blot? it's a little better"
Doc "no they're not. No you can't. We don't do western blots."
me- "can I have antibiotics?"
doc "no."

I went & got my own antibiotics and started to treat myself. I also convinced the nurse to do a western blot. They sent it to unilab which doesn't do a full band report.

During the blood draw another doctor came in with wild eyes & yelled at me (yes- yelled) "this (lyme)is new to us. we don't know what we are doing!!!!"
me- calm & polite- "well, that's ok. well, can we send this to Igenix?"
doc "what?"
me "Igenix lab. they have a lot of experience with this."
doc still screaming "NO !!!"
me "they're good..."
doc "NO !!!" stomps out of the room.

3rd visit-
doc " test is neg you don't have lyme."
me "the tests are not accurate, & it isn't a full report on all bands."
doc "yes they are"
me "no they're not"
doc "yes they are"
me "can I have doxycycline?"
doc "no."
me "do you have lyme in this area? ...Do you treat lyme?"

doc "You have transitory viral menengitis. We will wait 6 weeks and see if gets worse. If it gets worse we will do more tests."

me "what?"
doc "something is effecting your 12th (?)nerve. Lyme effects the 8th nerve. It's not Lyme."
me "it's a bacterial infection..."
doc "no it's not"
me "then why do antibiotics make the neuro symptoms subside?" (look to kill. a look like what kind of doctor ARE you?)
doc "they do?"
me "yes. almost immediatly."
doc "oh. antibiotics are an anti-inflamitory"
me "no, it's a bacterial infection"(look to kill. a look like what kind of doctor ARE you?)
doc "OK !!!! I'll give you antibiotics BUT IT"S NOT LYME !!!!"

doc agrees to give 200mg doxy for 4 weeks. She is totally aghast & freaked out. Refuses to write possible lyme in records. I don't what she came up with for the records.... must have been highly imaginative.

me "thank you."
doc yells " I am NOT going to give a clinical dx for lyme."
me "it's supposed to be a clinical dx. not a test dx according to the CDC even. Whether I have Lyme or not, you have other patients with Lyme."
doc- "I hate antibiotics!!" leaves the room in a hurry. she is crying.
----------------

herbalist at same clinic;
"stay off the antibiotics, they will kill you. we can cure this!"

me " which herbs cross the blood brain barrier? do you know?"
herb, looks confused "we can cure you!"
me "you don't know..."
herb (screaming. no, really...)"you are going to make yourself very sick and it will be your own fault" or something like that. He screamed about whatever for about 10 minits. I just smiled at him. It was actually pretty funny. We came out of that room and the whole clinic was looking at us.

that's pretty close to word for word & I think in that order... the entire clinic had a serious nervous breakdown & it was as good as a monty python sketch. And as infuriating. The CDC dragged this area & it has the highest known lyme count on the west coast. And some of the most ignorant doctors.

Do I feel sorry for them? h*ll no. They are killing people by not treating them. they don't what they are doing and are too lame to find out. People are starting to avoid that clinic big time. There is no waiting time there. it's a great place to go for a common cold.

[This message has been edited by caat (edited 21 July 2002).]
 


Posted by SandiB (Member # 1557) on :
 
Everyone,
All these stories are sadly funny. If laughter could cure us, we would all be cured after reading these ridiculous conversations with doctors. Someone does need to edit them and print them up in
a pamphlet. The last story reminds me of a
skit I saw on the Carol Burnett Show. Unbelievable!
SandiB
 
Posted by Houston Lyme Pie (Member # 2578) on :
 
The response to this poll has been really incredible. I found myself shrieking a kind of twisted "aaaagh!" as I got to the "punch line" of almost every one. We really should do something with this- I don't know what though, but let's think...... I see a really dark black humor in the circular nature of all these people being "invalidated" by these authority figures who are being paid to heal them. (Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22" comes to mind.)

Like the Infectious Disease doctor who told me my fatigue was caused by my sudden post-bite need to take naps.

She then sent me to a Rheumatologist who gave me a 'scrip for a sleeping pill.

The ID doc told me to "Stay away from Lyme support groups, because those people are SO DEPRESSING"

(Can you imagine a doctor saying "Those cancer patients, what a glum bunch of fellows they are!")

The Rheumatologist asked me about 15 questions and seemed vexed that my symptoms were not falling into the RA profile. I said "Well I don't think I have rheumatoid arthritis"

She asked "What do you think you have?"

I told her that my problems had started with a bullseye rash that my primary physician thought was a Lyme EM.

She replied, " Oh no! Not that! You and everybody else WANT to have Lyme these days"

She charged me $350 for her 18 minutes.

And no I never took her sleeping pills!
 


Posted by leonora (Member # 1512) on :
 
My doctor told me "I don't have time to answer questions - if you have questions, sign up for a class somewhere". He was not joking!
 
Posted by comunsens (Member # 2253) on :
 
oh man i just gotta get my 2 sens in here:
the MOST outrageous thing that was said to me was not said to me but SCREAMED at me by one of the most well respected ID docs in Montreal:


me: how many Lyme patients do you treat a year?
ID:
"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT LYME! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!".

2. "There's no way you can have Lyme cause there's no Lyme in Quebec (yeah, duh, it's not a reportable illness, and doctors refuse to test for it. Of course there's no Lyme here, diagnosed and treated that is)

3.
PCP: You are really depressed.
me: of course i'm depressed. I can't move.
PCP: Have you ever considered having a psych. evaluation done?
me: (in my head)yes, actually, to try and figure out why YOU think i need a psych evaluation when YOu're the one who needs it!

4.
me: (to a tropical diseases dr.)so here in this article you wrote in 1993 you say that the effects of untreated Lyme can be really horrible. So why aren't you willing to treat me?
him: we have very strict guidelines concerning Lyme.
me: I fufill all CDC diagnostic and surveillance criteria for Lyme. What guidelines are you talking about?
him: i'm sorry, i can't treat you.

5.
PCP: well, first i want to send you to do a neuro-psychiatric exam. it'll take about 8 months before you can get in.
yeah, and 8 months later i WILL be demented from Lyme and will NEED it!

7.
ID: you can only get Lyme in Connecticut
(and he has new editions of Emerging Infectious diseases magazines sitting on his desk).

i could go on and on.
anyhoo.
sparkes
 


Posted by Curley911 (Member # 2205) on :
 
to the top
 
Posted by rosespetal (Member # 571) on :
 
All of these responses are after 3 blood cultures, 30 blood tests, triple phase bone scan, 6 day stool tests:
#1 PCP-Manic depressive
#2 PCP-brain tumor
#3 Allergist, PCP, Dermo- Aids
#4 PCP, Endo-MS
#5 Allergist, Immunology specialist- Lupus
#6 PCP-dunno, you were tx for lyme, maybe it's post lyme syndrome
#7 ID- even if you still had lyme, you're allergic to cephalosporins, you can't be treated, don't worry about it
Spinal tap showed higher antibodies in CSF than in blood, non LLMD insisted IV abx..

I now have seizures, and they say it's either from active lyme still, (even the dr's know I was tx w/ 3 weeks amox, 5 months zithromax, 3 months zithromax, 4 mos doxy, all oral, but supposedly 3 weeks of abx cures lyme...
so now I am IV and hopefully it will get rid of any active lyme IF there is any there they say it should knock it out, but I may have scar tissue and continue to have seizures that are not being controlled well with my medications
 


Posted by LauraS (Member # 2814) on :
 
Oooh oooh, I've got some good ones!
1. When discussing recurrent vag. yeast infection: "Just try to keep that area dry"
2. When I was 19, w/o any diagnostic tests to confirm: "You have endometriosis. You'll probably never be able to have children"
3. From the school infirmary nurse practioner after several weeks of nausea and intense right abdominal pain and a negative pregnancy test: "It's just a touch of the stomach virus" (yeah, a very localized virus)
4. From my former pcp after this nausea and pain continued for another month, who didn't see me himself but called it in from the hallway: "It's probably just endo"
5. From my current pcp after my first Lyme test (drawn the day the rash showed up) came back negative: "It just doesn't make sense to keep you on antibiotics if your test was negative"

And Finally...My favorite:
From Hugh C., intern extrordinare at a small hospital in an affluent Boston suburb, where I worked as a unit secretary while at college (the first time). We were on a coffee break, him, me, and my then boyfriend (a fourth year medical student on infectious disease rotation). I had recently caught a horrible med error in one of Hugh's charts. It would have killed the patient if no one had caught it. He didn't know I caught it, thought the head nurse had since she's the one who bitched him out. So it's coffee time and we start arguing. He was saying that all nurses and clerks were out to get him, saying some horrible things about nurses and my mom was a nurse there. It got ugly. Then he said:
"It's a good thing you're dating an I.D. guy...he can prescribe you an antibiotic to clear up your ****ty attitude"
It's my favorite thing a doctor said to me because about 15 seconds after he shut his mouth, he was wearing the contents of my huge styrofoam cup. Which were a whole lot of soda, some ice, and one slice of lemon.
Wahhahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!!!!
-Laura
 


Posted by PaintedRabbit (Member # 2249) on :
 
Ok, after being bit, I wasn't given antibiotics but I was told just wait to see if you get a bullseye rash. Then the next day trying to get some antibiotics anyway and I overheard...."Boy, is she a piece of work, she won't give up on the antibiotics, let's just get her out of here."

Then You probablly have Diabetes. Lets change your diet. And, the next few days, You probablly have a brain tumor. I actually got the test.

This was all in the Lyme capital, Columbia County where there are the most cases. I pity anyone who has to put up with these ignorant ducks.

------------------

 


Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
up

...on the house top reindeer pause....

Out jumps good old santa clause...
 


Posted by Rita on :
 
I believe most who answer this poll have grounds to sue. You're going to have to pay for the long term treatment and the ducks might as well contribute, especially since it's their fault.

------------------
New Yorkers,and others who are LL, please email [email protected] to help. Lyme Disease Association 888-366-6611 www.lymefnd.org URL=http://www.lyme.org]www.lyme.org[/URL] www.lymenet.org www.lymealliance.org www.lymeinfo.net/lyme www.geocities.com/ldbullseye

www.faim.org/lyme.htm
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/forum1/HTML/009342.html For those who need to talk, my home phone is 8605374287
 


Posted by Julie2763 (Member # 2841) on :
 
I went to the family doctor knowing that I had Lyme Disease (since I had the bullseye rash and my arms and legs were in pain).

1st visit - yup, that's a bullseye rash from Lyme Disease. 1 month of doxy will clear it right up.

2nd visit - hmmmm, still didn't get rid of the Lyme. 1 week of amoxycillin will clear it right up.

3rd visit - I only said you had Lyme Disease because it is what I thought at the time. But since it is not going away, I don't believe it is Lyme Disease. I will need positive blood tests before I give you any more antibiotics.


aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh
 


Posted by Sue vG (Member # 3143) on :
 
Boy, I can't come close to some of the -er- amazing affronts y'all have endured, but a neuro said to me last year (pre-Lyme dx),

"You have too many symptoms."

Thanks a pantload, duck.
 


Posted by Kathy Boss (Member # 3062) on :
 
1st doc said I had shingles. I asked than why are they on each side of my body and not located on one side. She said "your lucky"

2nd doc throws his arms in the air and says"I don't know what else to do with you" I could do a MRI & CAT but this is exactly what the Ins companies do not like.

3rd doc said my ankles were swollen because I was under stress.

4th doc (a LLmd) looks at my positive IgG & IgM & the rash and says "I don't think you have Lyme)


[This message has been edited by Kathy Boss (edited 28 December 2002).]
 


Posted by LittleCat (Member # 3467) on :
 
Psychologists got hold of me once. They told me I was healthy and I shall focus on the therapy. When talking to my therapist, she once said: ,,You're trying to argue consequential. You won't come far this way." If you're not nuts after years of illness, give a try to a Freudian psycho-analysis. I promise You, Woody Allen movies get a whole new dimension.

Oh, and nearly forgot the first advice I got from a doc concerning my chronic fatigue: ,,You might drum with Your fists onto your breast. That stimulates Your thymus. Orang-Utans do this constantly, and just look how much energy they have."

[This message has been edited by LittleCat (edited 28 December 2002).]
 


Posted by June Bug (Member # 2813) on :
 
My LLMD after 2 years of treating me "in case I have lyme" and now has stopped treating me said...

1. in response to the Postive Bartonella test results, "You have a cat don't you?"

2. When asking my LLMD..."well, what about my positive Erlichiosis or my IgM results with the 31+, 34+, 93+, 45+, ect. He said,"Well that just means you may have been exposed...If I did an antibody test on you, you could show exposure to things just because you were sitting in the waiting room with my other patients"

------------------
June Bug
 


Posted by Marz (Member # 3446) on :
 
Most outrageous quote from a rheumatologist I was referred to (and will never go back to):
After examining ALL the joints of my body, he made the observation that most are very flexible except for my knees and neck. (he called it hypermobility--which I already knew--I am flexible, but not to the extent that I can turn myself into a pretzel!)
He said people like this often have joint aches inferring that was my problem--not Lyme's. At least when I pointed out that I didn't have any pain in the flexible joints--mainly in my knee and neck he was
very quiet!

There was some justice--one of my test results came back showing that I had had LD.


 


Posted by sheilaTN (Member # 3213) on :
 
Okay..hold on to something and try not to scream..My ex-MD asked as he was listening to my heart.."Is that a black teddy you have on under your clothes ?"

Outrageous..I froze up, I didn`t know what to say or think. growls
 


Posted by HeathO947 (Member # 2890) on :
 
When I first started having symptoms (spacey feeling, fatigue, lose of appetite, headaches) I was a freshman in high school, an avid runner, and the Dr. told me I needed to drink caffeine!

A rheumatologist: "You have Lupus and you're going to have to live with the spacey (brain fog) feeling for the rest of your life."

Another rheumatologist (supposed to be Lyme literate, thought I had a connective tissue disease): "If you think that you have Lyme disease than you can leave my office!"... meanwhile I had a HIGH IgM, and he thought you could only have Lyme if you have swollen knees.

Cardiologist: "If you drink a glass of water real fast it will get rid of the dizziness."

A VERY well known LL rheumatologist: "If you don't feel better after three shot of bicillin that you only have Lupus, not Lyme."

Ear Nose Throat (for dizziness): If you open your mouth real wide, tip your head back, and stick your tongue out all the way, and hold it like that for 30 seconds per day, it will get rid of the dizziness... and you don't have Lyme."

Heather

 


Posted by Stella (Member # 3119) on :
 
I was told LOTS of different things...... all of which I had read of above! I don't know of many cases who have been accurately diagnosed and treated for Lyme on their first visit to the doctor. It took me MANY appointments with 14 of the BEST doctors in TWO COUNTRIES!!!!!

Anyway, here are some of things I have been told so far:


1) It's only stress - rest it out (in the mean time cortisone shots will make it better!!!!)

2) We thought it was a rare form of cancer, but it's not so we will check for MS, Lupus, Arthritis, so we may start discarding illnesses.

3) You are so beautiful, and look SO HEALTHY! (but my blood work IS off the charts and I feel BAD!)

4) Are you sure you are feeling what you are describing????

5) I should transfer you to a psychiatrist

6) I'm sorry, I can't help you but there is a doctor who treats AIDS patients and has pretty much seen it all.... go see him instead!

7) I read on the internet that this is how Lyme should be treated - so this is what we'll do.....

8) The standard treatment for Lyme will have you cured in 2 weeks... no need to worry!

The surgeon who put in my catheter thinks I'm kind of NUTS and that there is NO need for an IV treatment since I don't have cancer.

He has suggested that I change my course of antibiotics (although he has never treated a Lyme patient) ---- NO WAY! Dr. H (in Houston) has been an angel in my life!!! It's been a long treatment but I can definetely tell I'm getting better...... slowly but surely!


 


Posted by AZURE WISH (Member # 804) on :
 
hi.
i had one dr tell me to throw away all my meds i would never get any better i had fibromaylagia (sp). he said antibotics do not work after the 6th week.

i asked him why did the iv only start working after the 7th week

he replyed i dont know.
and something like science doesnt have ALL the answers.

what a moron.

when i was young like 11 (thats when i really got it i was test for all sort of stuuf but they said nothing was physically wrong with me)
they said all my symptoms was from drinking to much ice t
yes you heard me right ice tea

they was saying abunch of stuff that it was my fault i was sick... i was in tears
b******s

and of course the ever so popular it was from stress (i was 11 ... what were my barbies having problems getting along...my play kitchen resturaunt having fake money problems?)
childrens hospital is horrible!
 


Posted by Rita on :
 
Allen Steere is not LL nor are all the ducks with his mindset. To use the term LL with these types is likely to cause confusion in the less LL among us.

------------------
New Yorkers,and others who are LL, please email [email protected] to help. Lyme Disease Association 888-366-6611 www.lymefnd.org URL=http://www.lyme.org]www.lyme.org[/URL] www.lymenet.org www.lymealliance.org www.lymeinfo.net/lyme www.geocities.com/ldbullseye

www.faim.org/lyme.htm
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/forum1/HTML/009342.html For those who need to talk, my home phone is 8605374287
 


Posted by TX Lyme Mom (Member # 3162) on :
 
I'm thinking that we should print this topic out and enter it into the minutes of the next CDC/NIH Advisory Committee Meeting on CFIDS, probably next month in DC, following the biennial meeting of the American Association of CFS, to be held Jan. 30 - Feb. 2 in Virginia.

Here's the link to the official AACFS webpage announcing the upcoming meeting.
http://www.aacfs.org

The CDC Advisory Committee Meeting is generally held the day after the AACFS Medical Conference, but I haven't been able to find any official announcement on the CDC website.

 


Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
 
World famous reumitoligist; You only have some OA in your hands. OA does not travel around the body therefore the pain you think you feel in your elbows is not OA or RA. They are fine, no sign of arthritis of any form.( Couldnt bend it to my mouth)Right elbow and right handed.
reumy: Good for you if you cant feed youself cause your elbow wont bend, cause you need to lose weight anyway.
I am not that overweight, maybe 20 #s. I dont have six-pac abs but not obese either.
Two weeks later when an Ortho Dr. scoped my elbow and removed extensive arthritic roughness and bone spurs. He said he never saw any thing like that, That I really had early onset osteo-arthritis and I should have both my wrists fused at once including my hand bones. Nothing else was going to help. And to go on disability as soon as possible.
Okay fast forward to dxed lyme: Why does IV Clafron make them feel wonderful?
 
Posted by goldie (Member # 25273) on :
 
A doctor in Michigan told my father it would be better if I had AIDS rather than Lyme Disease.
 
Posted by bpeck (Member # 3235) on :
 
The following is a true story:

During the last 27 years, in order of the diseases they tried to diagnose me with (but some tests were not conclusive, and some were flat out negative):

1) Lupus
2) MS
3) Fibromylgia
4) Scleroderma
5) Late stage Syphilis (3 negative tests over 20 years and they STILL wanted another)

*Postive* for Babesia & Lyme.. and they didn't beleive those tests because I didn't look sick enough at the time.

Barb
 


Posted by SKINNYNOW32 (Member # 3154) on :
 
before my lyme was dx i was sent to see a neurologist at nemc in boston.my left leg was totally numb,had no feeling and i couldnt lift my foot up off the floor (dropped foot) i hab burning fire pain,was extremely weak all over and my bones hurt felt like my insides were rotting. when nervve conductiom tests showed nerve bamage he said it was caused by my rapid weight loss of over 100 lbs.he says muscles and tendons shifted and i damaged the nerves by crossing my legs . when i asked about the cause of all my other symptoms he told me to stop stressing myself out and wrote me a script for valium.can u believe this guy thought my problems were from crossing my damn legs ? what an idiot!

also the np at my pcps office refused to fill my pain meds when my pcp was not there.she told me you are not getting anything for pain and thats that!! youll just have to suffer.mind you ive been a patient in that office since i was 19 years old im now 32 so she knows me and knows im no drug addict. she was just a rotten b***h

cheryl
 


Posted by 1rosco02 (Member # 2083) on :
 
The most outrages for me is quite a few
1.You had lyme disease at one time but do
not have it anymore.
2.we can not give you antibiotics they will kill you.
3.Lyme does not cause lesions in the brain.
4.I think you had an attack for 91/2 years and went into remission,I still think you have ms but you do not have seconday progressive you have relapsing remitting ms.
5.Do your legs swell 3 times the size?If not you do not have lyme even though had all symptoms but 2 for lyme.
6.It is cause you have ms is why you think you have a pain in your ear.
7.Heart palpatations is cause the ms is tricking your brain to think you have them.
8.You have to live with it.
9.Lyme disease ir rare.
10.No you can not go see him wanted to see an infectious disease doc who was lyme knowledgeable he would not let me go see him cause that guy believes everyone has lyme,had hmo insurance and needed a referral
11.There is not enough proof lyme is passed on to the fetus no I will not test him

 
Posted by TX Lyme Mom (Member # 3162) on :
 
I just created a new topic in the General Forum and I want to link these two topics. Please take a look at the topic entitled "Anyone Want to Lobby on Lyme at CFS Conf. in Jan.?" Here's the link:
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum3/HTML/007141.html

This is the big biennial conf. on CFS sponsored by the CDC/NIH and the AACFS. Doctors from all over the country and from foreign countries attend, as well as officials from the NIH & CDC.

It would be a great opportunity to have recovered Lyme patient representatives present at a table or booth and to speak with doctors in the halls and on the sidelines during breaks between the conference sessions.
 


Posted by once bitten on :
 
The md in the hospital who was to sign off on my first dose of rocephin refused to. He wrote a letter to my doctor saying that rocephin was no longer used to treat lyme. And that I should see Dr Sugar at the Cape Cod Hospital if I really wanted to get better. Sugar is Siegal's plant here from Boston...the dr didn't look at my orders nor talk to me, just refused me and walked off.
The nurses all reported him. I came back a few days later when the coast was clear and got my rocephin...
Also a local GYN asked me if I had been someplace exotic to catch Babesia. (aka: Nantucket Disease) I said no, just here on Cape Cod. She thought I was nuts.
 
Posted by RSF718 (Member # 1407) on :
 
Here we go: "You are not sick. You are stressed b/c your Mom is pushing you to finish college" ... (which she wasn't!! ... and I loved college and I wanted to go and finish ... so ... WRONG ANSWER!!!) Another dr. told me "You just need to eat better." Yea, ok buddy!!!
 
Posted by Lyma Bean (Member # 1914) on :
 
I went to one of the leading dermatologists, in my area, with my bulls'-eye rash. She dx'd some kind of fungus and staph. When I developed arthritic-like sx, three months later, I did my own research, and discovered lyme disease. I called her office and was told that my rash was too big to be lyme disease and that if it were, it would be more like hives
 
Posted by Jack Lemonlyme (Member # 1962) on :
 
A neurologist I went to
when I started feeling worse
had this little bit of wisdom,
but it wasn't said in verse.
"Your PCR is negative,
your MRI was good,
are you sure you're really feeling bad?
'cause everything looks good.
I don't think lyme's your problem,
here's a simple remedy...
every morning, for an hour,
do the martial art tai chi."

[This message has been edited by Jack Lemonlyme (edited 29 December 2002).]
 


Posted by Cheryl (Member # 75) on :
 
OHMIGOSH, I can't believe how many clowns everyone here saw! It is outrageous! There is an epidemic of moronic doctors! Is it contagious? I considered posting some of my own, but I'd be here all day!!!


Cheryl, an ``awful'' patient who doesn't blindly ``obey''

------------------
Lyme Disease Information Online:
http://www.lymeinfo.net
Lyme Disease Information By Email:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lymeinfo/
New Yorkers, please see:
http://www.lymeinfo.net/newyork.html
 


Posted by TaylorFamily (Member # 3261) on :
 
Our (former) family physician said, (after being told that my son had several tick bites, and hearing us explain what were Classic Lyme Disease symptoms, and seeing not one, but two large bright bulls-eye rashes) "I know you think this is Lyme Disease, but, the thing is, we don't even HAVE Lyme Disease in Tennessee."
 
Posted by georgi (Member # 1622) on :
 
While in the hospital being treated for a collapsed lung which occured when they put in my Hickman cath to start IV treatment for Lyme, the neurologist called in as a consult told me "There is no such thing as Lyme at all, it is just a form of mass hysteria!!!!" After going untreated for 8years because of ignornace in the medical profession, I firmly asked him to leave my room.
 
Posted by pomegranite (Member # 3339) on :
 
I went to a neurologist when my hands were numb with numbness that would radiate up my arms. My toes were numb and numbness would at times radiate up my legs. My private parts were numb. I had tingling, stabbing, pinprick sensations that moved around my body but were often on my tongue or around my face. I felt like water was running down my leg when there was none. I thought ants were crawling on my arm when there were none.

Neuro dx was carpal tunnel!

When I asked about my legs, he said Oh you cross your legs a lot.

Because I was furious and wanted to shock him into seeing how stupid he was being I asked him he thought I had carpal tunnel in my vagina too.

He told me to come back in a month for electrical impulse testing to determine how severe the carpal tunnel was. I walked out and never looked back.

Pomegranite


 


Posted by lynnic on :
 
I haven't been on in a while so I missed the beginning of this poll.
What a great idea !
The worst thing drs have said to me are....

1- There is no lyme in our area of PA.
2- A neuro told me that I trained myself to speak the way I was speaking. ( I have bells palsy and slurred speech)
3- Another neuro from Cleaveland Clinic told me that I have a severe psychologic disorder and need to get help immediatley from a large univ. hosp.
4- the list goes on and on but fortunatly for me due to short term memory problems I can't remember?? but my husb. does.

Happy New Year Everyone!


 


Posted by lobee (Member # 3250) on :
 
My first neuro told me my vision problems were do to eyemake up. when i told him i have symptoms without makeup he said nothing. when i told him about tremors (which were bad that day) he said i was nervous because i was at a doctors appt. i told him i have them when not at the docs, again he did not relpy. tingles according to him were anxiety and he didn't believe i was having pain because i wasn't in tears. in the end he blamed it on being female. i'd really like to do nerve conduction studies on him.

other doctors have said: "your a mystery" or this will just go away. you need to exercise more and eat salty foods. "on paper you're healthy," maybe a psych consult. one laughed at me when i mentioned lyme and refused to test me despite my history of hiking, gardening, and ticks on my dog.
 


Posted by lymebrat (Member # 3208) on :
 
Hi Everyone

I was told a year and a half ago by the doctor who I went to with my Bullseye rash..

"Well, it looks like Lyme Disease. Even though Lyme isn't in New Hampshire, I'm going to put you on 3 weeks of Doxycyline - just incase you went to Connecticut or somewhere they have Lyme, and forgot about going"

After about 3 months of my going to him with Lyme related problems, he told me he thought I had MS and sent me to a Neurologist.

The Neurologist believing I had late stage Lyme, sent me to an Infectious Disease Doctor. She met with me, and ordered 2 lumbar punctures. (which I now know are useless tests for LD)

After reviewing all my symptoms and tests...
She concluded that...

1) I was cured of Lyme!!!

2) I probably had MS, as MS sometimes gets confused for Lyme. (Isn't it the other way around????)

3) When I asked her why I would start to get MS symptoms a week after I was diagnosed with Lyme? She told me that It was all in my head.

4) She also told me that I would just have to learn to cope with the pain.

So I told her that I wish she could feel the pain that I feel, and walked out.

She had the audacity to call my PCP, and warn her that I was hysterical, and wouldn't take her professional diagnoses... MS.

So I got my PCP to send me to a LLMD. He said I was a classic case for Late/Chronic Lyme. He ordered another round of Lyme tests, and they came back positive. ( no surprise here!)

My PCP and LLMD both reported the ID Doctor to the CDC. She is no longer a "Lyme Specialist" as she proclaimed herself to be.

So some good did come out of it... There is one less "Duck" in our Pond!

------------------
~ Missy

"Lyme is an enigma. While the debate rages over proper diagnostic and treatment procedures, patients get sicker and some even die." Pat Smith, LDA
 


Posted by TX Lyme Mom (Member # 3162) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by lymebrat:

My PCP and LLMD both reported the ID Doctor to the CDC. She is no longer a "Lyme Specialist" as she proclaimed herself to be.

So some good did come out of it... There is one less "Duck" in our Pond!


Hooray for your PCP & LLMD for doing that!!

Why don't more PCPs & LLMDs do this, too??

Thanks for posting about this. It cheers me up to realize that once in a great while, Truth is allowed to prevail.


 


Posted by Kathy Boss (Member # 3062) on :
 
To The Top
 
Posted by TaylorFamily (Member # 3261) on :
 
To the top!!!!!!!!
 
Posted by ilonar2820 (Member # 1361) on :
 
Let me count the ways.. those axxholes said dumb things. Okay, it's august 1999 and i'm stuck in the hospital. These are only three examples of stupid things ducks did... i have countless more. So, I'm lying there with tubes coming out of my chest for two months.... no, not for IV abx, but for plasma exchanges... they vampired me twice a day for two months... i had an autoimmune reaction called tpp. so, someone is kind enough to bring me a laptop, i start doing my homework on pub med, plus which i have access to the hospital library, and sure enough, paper after paper spits out with the link between ttp and tickborne disease, as well as a slew of other microbial etiologies. so, i mention it to every duck who walks into my hospital room. but guess what they say? they refuse to look at the papers (from respected med journals, if you please) and then they insist that ttp has no underlying microbial cause... or if it did, the culprit has long been cleared out of my body... but then they give me an AIDS test, just in case. (TTP is more frequent in AIDS patients..) That's one of the dumb things. earlier on, another dumb thing was when they failed to dx me with TTP. instead, they insisted that i had ITP, which is much less dangerous. well, someone gave me a harrison's which is this med encyclopedia, and i'm there trying to make sense of the hematological section, and i've got my chart in front of me, and i keep seeing that in my chart, there's something called LDH (lactate dehydrogenase, i.e. the byproduct of hemolysis) which is boldfaced cause it's about triple what it should be. then i look at the harrison's, and it specifically says that with ITP, LDH levels are normal. so, all proud of myself, i go find a resident and point out this discrepancy, thinking how grateful they'll be that i've ruled out a patently incorrect diagnosis.. yeah, right. instead, the resident tells me it's against the law for me to read my chart, and he moves towards me with hands outstretched and then puts his hands around the harrison's .. the exact quote was, "We'll take that from you now," at which point I slam my hands down on the harrison's and reply, "No, we will NOT take that from me now." So he calls another resident, and they confer, and they both approach me and tell me it is illegal for me to see my chart. Foolishly, I believe they can't both be mistaken, or worse, lying. I recount the story to a nurse later that night, and sure enough, he tells me that under NYS law i am entitled to see my chart as often as i damn well please. other dumb things include sending a priest to icu to see if i wanted last rites... that one didn't thrill me.. after i tracked down a ttp specialist in nebraska who has had success treating ttp patients with doxycycline alone, without the addition of the steroids and plasma exchanges they so often use to treat ttp, i suggested this to my hospital hematologist, and he replied, o no, doxycycline is very dangerous. i hate them i hate them i hate them. those fokkers almost killed me. by all means, everyone, eat duck for dinner.
 
Posted by britney spears (Member # 2783) on :
 
I guess this is a never ending poll!
Can contribute some nice ones...

"There is no disease in the world, which causes symptomes youre desribing. Thats why it must be stress."

"Stop running from one doc to another! Stop trying to find the reason for your pain! There are people doing this for 40 years. Is that what you want?"

"Since x-ray doesnt show anything it cant be anything serious. Wait until your pain is gone!"

"You think you have lyme? People who live in a forest may have lyme, but not a student in city."

"I also felt pain during my medical examn, went to the toilet too often and so on. It will disappear."

 


Posted by cayce on :
 
I've been told by more doctors than I can count - we know that your sick, and it probably is some virus that we dont know about yet - because there just simply isn't any health condition that causes all of the symptoms you have!
Once I started researching lymes - I have all but 4 symptoms! SO FRUSTRATING... still waiting for appt. with llmd, and hoping for treatment!

[This message has been edited by cayce (edited 11 January 2003).]
 


Posted by CJ (Member # 169) on :
 
my doc said: " we don't have lyme here".
She sent me to a dermatologist because she didn't know what the rash was, but she was sure it wasn't cancer.
The derm said: "I think it's capillaritis". He gave me some type of anti-inflammatory topical creme.
The rash continued to grow and the only thing the creme worked well on was my sunburn!
I went undiagnosed for one year after that...until I changed docs.
 
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
 
I am beginning to wonder if our experiences with Lyme diagnosis and treatment are really unique. Are they getting a lot of other stuff wrong too? Bound to be, if they are so arrogant and ignorant.
 
Posted by brenda b (Member # 2176) on :
 
Went to the quack primary care in eastern LI the tick capital of the world with positive elisa and western blot, bone inflammation, pain there are no words to describe, fevers, thyroid failing and was told you are upset about 9/11. I started to cry, I thought I had bone cancer and he rolled his eyes and said "so what do ya want some codeine". Left and went to StonyBrook lyme clinic the specialists; Was told the 100mg doxi I had taken a yr ago had cured my lyme and I was just depressed and all my symptoms were auto immune (eyes , thyroid , bones and liver)......just depressed I was 41 and could not walk had bone scans showing such severe bone inflammation the orthopedic surgeon thought I might have osteo osteoma and had not slept in months due to the pain and was getting constant nose beeds from all the anti-infammatory medication. quack quack
 
Posted by bargrafx (Member # 2360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by lou:
I am beginning to wonder if our experiences with Lyme diagnosis and treatment are really unique. Are they getting a lot of other stuff wrong too? Bound to be, if they are so arrogant and ignorant.

Lou......you have NO idea! Read some of the entries on the Google search below for duck practicing in local clinic (N MN) with TB.

This is the same clinic where an ID specialist discovered another tick related disease in MN...yet can't clinically diagnose LD in patients...he emphatically believes the Elisa test is more reliable than the WB...sad.

Tho it's even more sad when a duck does not have his patients best interests at heart and exposes them to TB. :-)


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=TB+Duluth+Clinic+doctor&btnG=G oogle+Search


Barb

[This message has been edited by bargrafx (edited 09 January 2003).]
 


Posted by richtersl (Member # 2554) on :
 
I think what's happening is that patients aren't willing to take everything doctors say as gospel.

Why? Because we have resources available to us now that we never used to in the past. We can look up medical information and research on the Internet and be prepared with questions.

I don't think that a lot of doctors know what to do with a patient who asks medical questions. Look at it from their perspective: they've gone to med school for x number of years and here comes a patient with no medical background asking them medical questions and questioning their diagnosis. If the doctor has ego issues then folks seem to get the typical answers posted here. Kind of like a knee-jerk reaction.

Look at the story of the woman from New York who thought she was being helpful to her doctors by doing all this research on her own. All she got was treated badly. How about the doctor from TN who told his patient there was no LD in that state. OK, so the guy actually believes there are guards around the borders of his state who do not allow ticks or tick-bearing animals to pass.

No doctor is going to have "all the answers" but some seem to be more willing to listen and learn more than others.

All these stories should be posted on something like a "Lyme Disease Hall of Shame" web site.
 


Posted by ilonar2820 (Member # 1361) on :
 
hey, lou, bargrafx and richtersl. here's another story to curl yr hair. i have a friend, a gym mate, who happens to be an RN. So the nyc quacketyquacks take out a few calcifications and one lump and diagnose her with breast cancer. the next step, they say, is to whack the breast and take a mirror biopsy, which is the mirror image spot in breast B of where the lump in breast A was found. my friend goes to another institution for a second opinion, and the duck there looks at the first duck's report, performs a cursory, disinterested exam, and says, i agree completely. fortunately, a friend steps in and insists that my friend fly down to MDanderson in texas. she does so, and she sees a radiologist who left the nyc institution where my friend was first seen and went to texas because, and i paraphrase third hand, she couldn't stand lying to patients any more. apparently, the nyc ducks are covering their waddly white tails. so the texas docs tell her that yes, her cells are abnormal, but they're not cancerous, and at this texas institution they think that women who have never breast fed can live with this kind of cell for the remainder of a normal length life, and would my friend like to be part of a study to that effect. ten years have gone by, and my friend, now 56, is fine. moral of the story: 1) quacking in unison; they all agree with each other in nyc without even examining the patient thoroughly because they all belong to the same club. 2) the ducks in ny are afraid of lawsuits so they overdiagnose (this is a possible interpretation) 3) the ducks in new york don't know that this type of cell may not lead to cancer (another possible interpretation, highly likely in light of the fact that we all know that ducks lose their literacy upon graduation from med school as evidenced by their inability to read up to date med journal articles or patients' charts...) best, ilona.
 
Posted by swissmoeka (Member # 1577) on :
 
Well here's mine....

I'll make this real short... Mrs. ****** their is absolutely nothing wrong with you and if you ever find out there is, write me a letter cause I could learn from you.

This dr. couldn't see the tic in my eyes, the tremor in my hand (couldn't even hold a cup without spilling it) showed him results of MRI's in black and white and he claim they were not so....for some reason you if you said something was black he claimed it was white....and he wanted me to waste my time writing a letter. I think not.

I went across the hall with my friend, she had an appt. with her dr. the same day. We were so upset about my appt. she asked if he could see my at some point. He said he would squeese me in on the next tues. which doesn't usually happen but he could tell how bad the tic and tremors were right off from seeing me,and that was not even after examing me...dahhh how can some ducks be such quacks....

 


Posted by hunthill (Member # 3518) on :
 
Oh, I feel human again, yet the pain and disease is still with me....I haven't laughed so hard in awhile....I think we are all going to the same doctor or either they are all going to the same University to get their PHD's....I have been to so many that they tell me my symptoms don't make sense because they aren't routine....what the hell is ROUTINE? I also asked one doctor if maybe it was allergies...please find what is wrong I can't give up and I can't make it ....he turned around and reached in his medical cabinet and said....YOU THINK YOU HAVE ALLERGIES?????.....here take this ALLEGRA and threw an armful of sample pills in my purse while I sat on the table looking at him with tears streaming down my face.....I also was told TEXAS doesn't have lyme disease......PHD=partial hearing disorder (only hears what he wants to)
 
Posted by CJ (Member # 169) on :
 
In my case, I even told the doc that "I KNOW we have Lyme here, because I used to work at the County Health Department!"
She still said we don't have lyme here!
Oh, yes, I also forgot to mention, that I'd already had it documented that I'd found tick by a night clinic doc because I was experiencing flu like symptoms about one week later....the rash hadn't appeared yet.
I reminded doc of this and she still disagreed.
When I changed docs, he asked me who told me we didn't have lyme here. When I told him --- he was shocked!!! He and the female doc that had told me that had done missionary work together in the past!

 
Posted by hunthill (Member # 3518) on :
 
I forgot the last rheumatologist diagnosis....she walked in my room poked my arm with her finger (no other test mind you) and said you have fibermalagia(sp?)....then looked at my chart without examining me and said...how old are you? any kids???? when I said yes three....SHE IMMEDIATELY looked up over her glasses and said WELL THAT IS certainly enough to make you feel this way....I WAS FURIOUS (MY family have been my strength thru this NIGHTMARE) if I had bad kids I wouldn't of mad 6 yrs of HELL....when I started to cry she said WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO???? THIS IS AN OVERPAID EDUCATED MEDICAL DOCTOR asking ME what she should do....When I left her office I could barely walk down the hall to give the nurse my papers....do you know what I left with ....SLEEPING PILLS....she said I needed sleep ...this is how she feels when she pulls an oncall shift.....GO FIGURE....I wish I could make an appt. with some of you before wasting my insurance (which thank God I have wonderful insurance).....have a good weekend....this site has really lifted my SPIRITS....while I fade fastly physically...
 
Posted by thomps14 (Member # 3334) on :
 
OK, I'll bite...

I showed my picture-perfect EM rash to four doctors in Ohio:

#1: "Lots of bugs can leave a bite like that."

#2: "It looks like an ant bite to me. There are some really venomous ones around here."

#3: "Well, it doesn't look like a tick bite."

#4: "That doesn't look like anything to worry about. Get off those antibiotics."

A former student of mine is now studying medicine at Ohio State. When I told him my experience he was dumbfounded. He said every med student knows what a bulls-eye rash means. Hope for the future?

Jeff
 


Posted by TaylorFamily (Member # 3261) on :
 
To the top.....Please!
Any new readers need to know that they are not alone in this nightmare. I just "met" a new Lyme Mom, through a mutual friend, and she too is experiencing what many of us have in trying to get help for her son. In a odd, sad kind of way, this helps to to laugh at it and realize there are many others who KNOW that we are not IMAGINING this horrible illness. There really is Lyme Disease in _________ (fill in the name of your state).
 
Posted by Poochini (Member # 3534) on :
 
AT THE PRIMARY CARE DOC'S OFFICE:

ME: I was wondering if we should do some tests for MS because of the 15 lesions found on the brain MRI, along with my memory, muscle and joint problems.

DOC: 15 lesions could be normal for your age....Besides, most doctors are reluctant to diagnose MS because there's nothing you can do about it anyway. Also, you said you have pain, and MS is a painless disease..."

CUT TO OFFICE OF MS SPECIALIST

MS Specialist: "Take heart, there are many new treatments developed in the last 15 years for MS. And yes, chronic pain is a primary symptom in 70% of our patients...As for Lyme disease, I doubt you have that. We just don't see that here in California. Also, your rash did not have the bull's eye. But if you are concerned, we can run an ELISA test just to make sure. If that's negative, you definitely don't have Lyme Disease."

CUT TO SLEEP DISORDER CLINIC:

ME: "I wasn't able to sleep during the sleep study, so I don't think we're learned anything new about why I have hallucinations and act out my dreams during REM."

DOC: "Well, it's true that you didn't have any REM and very little Stage 3 and 4, but it was a success because we proved you don't have sleep apnea."

ME: "I never thought I had sleep apnea. I don't snore."

Later...

ME: "I read that hallucinations and acting out of dreams during REM can be a sign of narcolepsy. Is that true?"

SLEEP DOCTOR: "No. There are no studies that show that."

CUT TO MS NEUROLOGIST OFFICE:

Doc: "I want you to go to Stanford and do another sleep study. Hallucinations and REM behavior disorder can be a sign of narcolepsy. And there are some studies that narcolepsy can be associated with MS."

Do you think my neck stiffness comes from having to constantly jerk my head 180 degrees?


 


Posted by LucidMusic (Member # 3526) on :
 

[This message has been edited by LucidMusic (edited 22 January 2003).]

[This message has been edited by LucidMusic (edited 22 January 2003).]
 


Posted by LucidMusic (Member # 3526) on :
 
Can't resist...

Family doctor: "You're female. You're a teenager. You're just depressed."


The head of Children's Hospital: "You are a slug, plain and simple. You are a slug"

After telling a diagnostic duck that I had missed the greater part of my high school life because I was too sick to leave the house, he quacked: "It isn't interfering with your daily life. Get over it."


Internist: "It's all in your head."


I also had a witch doctor (not kidding) tell me that I had 282 "discarnate entities" attached to me, and that was the *real* problem. She said that I was in desperate need of an exorcism.

Right. Maybe the "discarnate entities" were bad vibes I'd accumulated from other ducks!

Poochini- Tell me about it;I got whiplash every time I saw a new doctor!

Health and Happiness...and strength in the duck fight,
Ashley


 


Posted by Jane Swanson (Member # 1106) on :
 
Supposed LMD doc in K harbor, Michigan, I can't treat you unless you have a positive test.
Internist In Maui,"I'm from Michigan,and an expert on LYME, You do not have it, you tested negative on Elisa, 6 months after bite an dhaving two doses of abx. I gave him internet info from DR. B , he threw it back at me, "I don"t need this crap". I said, what if I do have Lyme and you don't treat me, meaning, I'll sue your ass off. He went and got me a prescription for Doxy, 100 , three time a day and I walked out and reported him and changed docs. My Hmo said, why do you come here if you think docs are bad, I replied that my husbands company paid for the insurance, That's why.
ID doc in Maui,You don't have Lyme, your chances of getting Lyme from one tick bite (in Michigan) are rediculous. I asked him if he would tell a teen age girl she couldn't get pregnant from having unprotected sex just once. He than askd me If "I needed to TALK TPO SOMEONE?". I told him I was physically sick, not mental.
Later found out from a pharmacologist sent over from Oahu, that they had written in my chart to NOT give me abx for Lyme. He told me to go to mainland, treated me for Fibermaglya and chronic fatigue, low immune system, low magnesium, shall I go on???? If I could sue, I would! BIG QUAKS over there in Hawaii, that's why we moved.
 
Posted by caat (Member # 2321) on :
 
24-bit; "I once went to a doctor that didn't know what to do, so he referred me to the Lymenet board for treatment!! No, that didn't happen, I'm just kidding. "

ROTFL !!!

I have another one.

I was asked to "help" which I assumed meant not only to find out which labs tested for co-infections, and the prices, but also to share some of the research I've done. ie- just plain information.

Bartonella was considered a fine thing to test for till they talked to the California Sonoma County Health Dept. I guess...

The conversation went;

Nurse " I don't know why we're testing for bartonella. Ticks don't carry Bartonella."

me "yes they do"
nurse "no they don't"
me "yes they do"

doc "no they don't"

me "well, no, they do. I can show you the documentation on that, would you like to see it?"
doc "no, because they don't carry it".

nurse reads the descriptions of various bartonella species on the test and laughs.
"trench fever?!?! we don't even HAVE trench fever in the US!!!"
nobody else laughed...
(lots of homeless people (& I'm sure others) in seattle do. I guess they are not considered part of the US.)

The doctor I guess knew this because she looked embarassed. Or maybe she could read me thinking... (why am I here?)

I'm not sure what was going on because the nurse kept asking if I wanted to be tested for erlichiosis after 9 months of doxycycline. I said I don't care- whatever. You want to test me? You think you should test me?- test me, I don't care either way, really, I'm fine with that, but I do want the bartonella.


She seemed to be trying to talk me out of the bartonella test after the doc left the room. Why? I have no idea. Doxy doesn't work w/some bartonella. What possible agenda could she have? Why on earth would it matter to her? Does she not want to beleive in it? Is it against her religion or something? Of course I was scratched by a cat, Lady, please, just give the #$%^&*! test!

She didn't test me for erlichosis. I don't care. But maybe I should have. I now read some strains are resistant to doxy. Maybe she was right on that one. If she knew why I wish she'd have told me.



 


Posted by tabbytamer (Member # 3159) on :
 
Okay, I've got one.

(Actually I probably have more than one, but this one beat all the others)

After months to years of chronic UTIs, bladder infections, kidney infections for which no one could find an answer, my body came near to giving up completely.

I ended up with a whopping kidney infection. So bad that my urine was bright red. Now here it comes (you guessed it ladies):

The doctor: "Are you sure you are not on your period?"

Let's see, had four pregnancies, three kids, started menses at age 11, now 31, hmm, yeah, I think I would know when I'm on my period. Besides, it feels like a donkey kicked me in the back, my face is gray as ashes, I am so weak I literally can't stand up, and I have a raging fever.

Doctor: "Well, just to be sure, we'd better put in a catheter and collect a clean urine sample. The Nurse Practicioner will be in to do that."

NP: "Hmm. Urine is still bright red. I'd better have the doctor look at this."

Doc: "Hmm. NP must not have done the catheter properly. She will be back in to redo it."

NP comes in to insert a larger tube. "Hmm. Urine still bright red. Let me tell the doctor."

Doc to NP: "Are you sure you did this correctly? Well, go ahead and test it anyway."

NP returns: "Doctor wants you to see a specialist ASAP. You must have a massive infection. There is so much blood in the urine we can't even test it."

Then, the office took days to arrange for me to see the Urologist (was in an HMO). After he sees me, they all panic. Apparently I wasn't too far off from renal failure.
 


Posted by efsd25 (Member # 2272) on :
 
To the top
 
Posted by Annie Fannie on :
 
When my doctor told me that chronic Fatigue is not a part of Lyme Disease! Could have fooled me, the only reason I finally went to the doctor after 8 months of being tired. I could barely keep my eyes open when driving and needed a nap every afternoon. So if it wasn't for the chronic fatigue I still might be undiagnosed.

[This message has been edited by Annie Fannie (edited 24 February 2003).]
 


Posted by trish (Member # 3617) on :
 
After the moving pain that goes to large joints settled in one ankle so bad I couldn't walk, my ortho guy referred me to a specialist.

He came in, introduced himself, and went to get my file. I sat there for one hour, listening to him talk cars on the phone in the next room. Pretty soon I'd had it and peeked my head out; he saw me and jaw dropped two feet.

He entered the room and said I needed my leg amputated up to the knee. I noticed my name was not on the file and he said must have received wrong file; he left the room.

Thirty minutes later, he came back with my file and said I still needed amputation!

Good thing I thought about it, as two months later an xray showed the "tumor" was gone. (I found out later "it" moves from joint to joint) but didn't know didly then what I know now!

There would be nothing left if they "took off" everything on me that hurts!

------------------
Patience is the companion of wisdom.
 


Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
I like Hopkins approach... it is on their web site!

They state... yes.. they really do...

"Patients with chronic fatigue, joint stiffness &/or muscle aches should not have Lyme disease serology & should not receive Lyme disease treatment."

HUH? Excuse me?

What problems DO I need to have before being tested or treated?

Oh.. that's right... I was suppose to say I have green bananas growing from my ears, a butterfly tattoo with wings that move, and really loose legs than can face forwards or backwards depending on the direction I want to go.

Geeze... I wish I would have known that when I went there!
 


Posted by Stardantzer (Member # 3681) on :
 
After my bloodwork came back positive for Mycoplasma Fermentans, HHV6,CMV, Clamydiae Pneumoniae and Trichosporon Sacchyromac the doc looked at me and said "You can't have all these infections you would be really sick!"

------------------
~Kristina~

 


Posted by lelahj (Member # 3697) on :
 
pre-diagnosis(1992): "well, you might of had mono, but you don't anymore"

post-treatment(1999): "there's nothing else i can do for you, you're going to feel this way for the rest of your life". haha, funny! because i definately don't feel that way- i feel ten times worse!!

(2003)"you have chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, hypermobility, arthritis, and attention defecit disorder".

ha ha ha.
 


Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
up
 
Posted by joanie (Member # 3922) on :
 
The ones I remember the most:

When I told the infectious disease doc I thought I had symptoms of Lyme including Left sided tinnitus, left eye blurring and conjunctivitis, numbness, tingling, and pain on the left side of my face (etc etc etc), and I was worried that my face would start to droop with bells palsy he said: "Don't worry dear, you have such a nice smile. It would be a shame....and you don't have Lyme. People don't get Lyme. I think you're just depressed because you weren't able to get pregnant (I had been trying before). I told him I am a psychologist and had just published a book on depression and that these symptoms are NOT depression. He told me: "That's your problem! You're trying to diagnose yourself." No kidding!

GI doc: "Just let me pull that picc line out of your arm. You don't have Lyme. Your problem is that you're receiving too many medications." (Ya, but why is that?) Oh those are just neurological symptoms. (Uh huh.)

Neurologist: You don't have Lyme. Lyme disease is a myth. Besides, it's not true that people get it back east. (I guess he's never heard of Lyme Connecticut!)

Anyway, just thought I'd add a few for the fun of it.
 


Posted by oceangarden (Member # 3778) on :
 
Gosh I haven't laughed this much in years...crying too because this is truly very sad for all of us, but not to be alone is a drug in itself.


ID of Vermont - asked for an appt. thru my pcp because he would not give me an out-of-state referral for treatment by llmd.(mind you I had just had a RI ID Dr evaluate me with late CNS Lyme).

ID/VT: "We have no reason to see you because your pcp said lyme test was negative".

ME: "You won't even see me?" "You must know the percents and reasons for false/negative tests?"

ID/VT: "We have spoken to your PCP and we will not see you"

I can only imagine just what that conversation was????????????

4 years previous was dx'd with MS after a year of awful reactions to steroids and therapy drug, I insisted on being tested for Lyme.

Neurologist: "A elisa test?" I don't know if we do that here."

ME: "Duh I think you have a full blood testing facilty downstairs, this is the health center of VT."

Neuro: "And what are you going to do when it comes back negative? You have to face reality you have MS."

Me: "I am facing reality! I am just want to be certain I am treating the right thing."

CHEERS TO MY HUSBAND........A year after MS dx one night I was crawling in the door from the car he was standing in the kitchen looked at me and said "Honey You misunderstood the Dr. He didn't say you had MS - He said YOUR A MESS".

Atleast someone was paying attention

gonna make it! oceangarden
 


Posted by hangontilldone (Member # 1893) on :
 
Ok...this is great..it helps to see that we all have the same things happening...

Here's mine:
Scene One:
I go into see my doctor....has decided to give me antibiotics "just to see" if anyting happens....I'm totally bed ridden...can't walk....have migrains.....

Scene Two:
We go back to the doctor to let him see how it "has" effected me....and start asking him some questions....about Lyme...telling him what we have found out.."by the way...I had had a positive Lyme test at this point.

Me: We have some things here we would like you to read....we think this is the Lyme.

Dr. Just who do you think is the doctor here...me or you??? I'm the one who went to college all those years....don't you think I would know more than you?

My Thoughts...: If you don't know....why am I here seeing you....?? And does little old me threaten you???? Opps....sorry...I had an opinion about myself....how dare I? Ok...let me blindly turn my life over to you...because gee...you sound like you care so so much....and my last thought.....how do you fit patients into your office...with that ego????
 


Posted by joanne15853 (Member # 3329) on :
 
OMG - I'm amazed at these stories! I know I wasn't the only one these things happened to, but I had no idea....!

Mine:

ID at Childrens Hospital:

I feel that your son has No active Lyme, has no coinfections and he'll be better in 2-3 months, after his body has cooled off

ME: Are you going to test for coinfections? and what if he gets bitten again.

HER: No - there's no need for a coinfection test - I can't pronounce them anyway. And look at the bright side, if he gets bitten again, he'll be immune to it!

She's supposed to be a SPECIALIST??? HA

JoAnne
 


Posted by irongirl (Member # 3931) on :
 
Fresh from the duck this past wednesday:

"You are getting older"

"you look fine to me"

"You'll feel better when the weather improves."

So......
Changed to a new doc/with a clue on friday.
Getting more specific tests at IgeneX.

irongirl

[This message has been edited by irongirl (edited 18 May 2003).]
 


Posted by patchwork (Member # 3797) on :
 
I was unable to get up from the sofa and my Dr told me I needed to work out at the gym every day!
Another Dr told me I was just trying to get out of work and needed a good kick up the backside.20 years on ,he's one of Britains top A.I.D.S specialists - wonder what he tells his patients these days??? I'm still considering a brick thru his window!!
 
Posted by SandiB (Member # 1557) on :
 
A friend suspecting she had Lyme went to
an infectious disease doctor. He said, "There's no Lyme in Florida...it seems it is just the latest FAD this year".

SandiB
 


Posted by spacysue (Member # 3770) on :
 
I went to the head of ID at a local hospital. He said....well.....he'd take some more tests. They came out negative, and he said, "if you really want, I'll give you a month of doxy".

By that time I had seen an LLMD and diagnosed. When the ID doctor asked who was I seeing, I told him. He said, "oh, yeah. Beware though, he's one of those doctors who believe in chronic Lyme". Like I should be scared??
 


Posted by Amareo (Member # 1454) on :
 
Lishkas mom here (I am on her puter...and dont remember my password)
The most interesting things drs have said would include, but are not limited to
your 8 year old daughter has recurrent flu syndrome and growing pains, I asked, "what is the difinitive diagnosis for recurrent flu syndrome? He responded there is not difinitve, but thats what she has. WEll could she have lyme, she was bit by a tick, followed by spiked fevers, rash, then began having recurrent encehpalitis...should we check for lyme? No. lyme doesnt exist. Its just a catchall, he replied.

Then...when she came out of the hospital after recurrent bouts of Congestive heart failure and pericarditis, we were instructed to go to the pulmonologist, who promptly told Lishka that her only problem was she was depressed....I challenged him on that, and he turned to me and said, well shes not depressed really, just stressed out because you are so stressed....
I told him, yeah we are pretty stressed, from dealing with dumb*@$*! like you! Comon lishka lets get out of here.


 


Posted by Diane D (Member # 3930) on :
 

"Sounds like PMS"
 


Posted by caat (Member # 2321) on :
 
to the top!
 
Posted by SentByHim (Member # 3998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by boola:
"Its probably just the start of menopause."

(I was 39 at the time.)
----------
Close runner up:

Me: This medication is making me gain weight.

MD: Medications don't cause weight gain. Eating too much causes weight gain.

Me: But I wasn't having any weight problems before I started taking the medication, and since I started taking it I've gained more than 30 lbs.

MD: If you weren't eating too much you wouldn't be gaining weight. After all, there weren't any fat Jews in Auschwitz.

P.S. I am Jewish.


I hope you slapped him BEFORE you spit on him! no sence you messing you hand

Sent
 


Posted by SentByHim (Member # 3998) on :
 
I give up I've read enough! God help us all!

Here is mine. Remember I am a tri-athlete and martial artist. I danced clasical ballet for many years before that. My thighs have so much muscle mass that before I got sick I had to wear baggy pants because my thighs would not fit in regular pants till loose fitting jeans came out. Lyme struck with neuro sympthoms and I could no longer walk right let alone train. I gained weight at an extradornary rate I gained almost 90 lbs in 1 year. But at the time it was about 60 extra pounds. My ID said to me, you have had the IV Rocefrin now you are cured, the reason you cannot walk is all the weight you gained! I asked what about the absence of reflexes on my left side? and the diminished reflexes on my right? wouldn't that effect it. He just gave me a stupid smile. He told me when I walked into his office for the first time I was the ONLY PT he had ever even heard of whos blood tested negitive but spinal fluid tested positive for lyme. He had to "look it up" but in the following 4 weeks he became an expert.

My latest neurologist just droped me: "Your beyond my ability to treat. I just don't know what is going on with you or how to treat you" She said this as she handed me back Dr B's guidelines that I was courtious enough to get for her.

No wonder I look to God for my healing. These morons aren't goning to do it.

Sent
 


Posted by SentByHim (Member # 3998) on :
 
I give up I've read enough! God help us all!

Here is mine. Remember I am a tri-athlete and martial artist. I danced clasical ballet for many years before that. My thighs have so much muscle mass that before I got sick I had to wear baggy pants because my thighs would not fit in regular pants till loose fitting jeans came out. Lyme struck with neuro sympthoms and I could no longer walk right let alone train. I gained weight at an extradornary rate I gained almost 90 lbs in 1 year. But at the time it was about 60 extra pounds. My ID said to me, you have had the IV Rocefrin now you are cured, the reason you cannot walk is all the weight you gained! I asked what about the absence of reflexes on my left side? and the diminished reflexes on my right? wouldn't that effect it. He just gave me a stupid smile. He told me when I walked into his office for the first time I was the ONLY PT he had ever even heard of whos blood tested negitive but spinal fluid tested positive for lyme. He had to "look it up" but in the following 4 weeks he became an expert.

My latest neurologist just droped me: "Your beyond my ability to treat. I just don't know what is going on with you or how to treat you" She said this as she handed me back Dr B's guidelines that I was courtious enough to get for her.

No wonder I look to God for my healing. These morons aren't goning to do it.

Sent

one of the sympthoms of lyme is repeating yourself

[This message has been edited by SentByHim (edited 13 July 2003).]
 


Posted by heidiadam on :
 
The worst thing I ever heard was "Come back when there is actually something wrong with you"
 
Posted by braincrash (Member # 4080) on :
 
Two weeks after a head injury in an auto accident, my neck became so stiff it felt like concrete. I developed the worst headache of my life and became totally disoriented.

The duck's notes on the first visit said "the patient promptly forgot what was just told to her and repeats herself multiple times. Her speech sounds odd but I wouldn't quite call it slurring." He gave me a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Headache Syndrome and sent me home with a common antidepressant.

I laid in pain for 2 days crying and went back to the duck. I told him that "everything in my head feels like it is so swollen that my skull bones are going to split apart. I don't feel like I am getting enough oxygen to my brain"

His response was a chuckle "Ha...., trust me you are getting plenty of oxygen, you just need to increase your trazadone. Take 4 this time!"

Needless to say, it took 3 years of duck switching, and a severe progression of illness and disability, to finally get tested for lyme and start treatment.
 


Posted by livinlyme (Member # 3773) on :
 
I have 2 for this one :
Sorry...
The right side pains in your upper abdomen are IBS.
After 3 trips to the ER and 6 months later, I had a HIDA scan done to find my Gall Bladder was functioning at 10%!
IN 1996 After having several MRI's of my spine indicating a herniated disk at the L1; S5, I was told surgery was not an option since I was too Young!(age 35)After 2 years of pain injections and nothing helping, a second opinion revealed that surgery was the only option and it was a SUCCESS with a 2 pin titanium cage! and I had my neck done also which was never addressed before this point in time!

------------------
Can't do better, unless you know better!
 


Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
 
GEEZ ITS A WONDER THAT ANY OF US ARE ALIVE!
 
Posted by TicksinNC (Member # 1510) on :
 
My daughter's first visit with the Neurologist while looking her over:

Doctor: "Well she looks healthy"

Me: "And does AIDS patients, what's your point?"


 


Posted by Mary J (Member # 4234) on :
 
First day reading horrid experiences.
My heart bleeds for all of you although
almost lost bladder control laughing some of them.
Orig dx plantar fasciitis. Ok, I could agree with that, but did not respond/resolve since Aug.02.
Displayed bull's eye rash Sep.02; duck at
walk-in clinic dx spider bite. Ok, I could agree with that too. Then got sicker, sicker; last day worked June 20/03; off on
indefinite paid leave. Then Sun Jul 7 (or so, forgive if wrong date), BINGO, hit on
LD website by Dr B and Dr M (British
Columbia, Canada). So saw my own PCP next day:-

ME: Sweaty, shaky, stoopy grin: "Guess what,
doc? I know wut it is! LD !!"
DUCK: Fabulous, flashy, totally blindingly white new ,but her own, toothy smile:
1. "Cannot be LD as there is no LD in British Columbia."
2. "I do not know anything about LD, anyway"
3. "But! Will do Provincial lab test"
done & sent that day, jumping ahead: results
neg as totally bogus anyway
ME (couple days later): "Send sero to LLMD"
DUCK: "I am not prepared to do that. You do not have LD. Test was not for LD anyway.
Why u want go to another dr??" "You are of an age (51) so sweaty is normal!"
ME THINKING: later for you, sweetheart, will deal with that pile when stronger.
PS Prov lab results were in hands by fax of LLMD next day,
so she's not entirely stoop eh? Crafty duck even tho we here in Canada are not known (erroneously so??) to be litigious(sp).

So off I go to LLMD only about 1 hr from my
house. Incredible for a place in SW Canada
that has NO LD. Clin dx of course LD.
Antibs that day. Two biggest are EM and
unable walk soles feet so incredibly sore;
but walked yesterday around house a bit and
am paying dearly for it today. Igenex test kit on it's way to me now, should arrive by end week. Later on that.....

Anyway, hallucinating late eve in dark, unable tell where am in bed. Anyone with that experience at beginning trtmt? Sorry,
have read quite a few pages this site but don't have lingo down yet and anyway am too
old (ha ha) to learn it. Feel thick as a tree trunk..



 


Posted by Lymelight (Member # 3600) on :
 
A NeuroQuack told me that Lyme tests are "very reliable."
 
Posted by Cucamonga (Member # 2122) on :
 
You should lose some weight...then you could get a boyfriend and not be so depressed..
(I put 45 pounds on in 3 months after being bit...and the LAST thing I wanted was a boyfriend!!!)
 
Posted by Lishs mom (Member # 2344) on :
 
This came from the Duck of Ducks...(medical director for CIGNA) Anyone want to email him PROOF???? I might just get snotty and post his address here....
"The optimal duration of therapy for these different manifestations in not well established, but there is no evidence that children with ANY manifestation of Lyme disease benefit from prolonged or repeated courses of orally or parenterally administered antimicrobial agents."
 
Posted by gwen37 (Member # 2189) on :
 
Get this, I went to a naturalpath to hopefully to address heavy metal issues because of not getting better with lyme treatments. He says after reading history & hearing the whole sob story,(he doesn't do ART) "I think you're main problem is emotional issuses. Here take this homeopathic remedy which I won't tell you what it is because I don't want you to do any research on it and come back in a month. Don't be concerned if you have more emotional problems, Its a sign of you getting better & if you don't get better then we can look into heavy metals". He then hands me two sugar pills, pats me on the head figuretively & sends me on my merry way. UGH!! Big waste of money. Worse thing is I saw him in my brain dead stage & said O.K. & didn't insist on my way.
 
Posted by jeni582200 (Member # 4270) on :
 
i called the dr's office with gums bleeding like a stuffed pig. the lady who answered the phone said,

"oh, that's a sure sign of leukemia."

------------------
jeni
 


Posted by frenchbraid (Member # 4225) on :
 
When my daughter's test results came in, the doctor said that she was negative. I said "Really, her symptoms are so classic of Lyme." The doc says "Well, she is "minimally reactive", but there aren't any bands, so she is negative." I said "Minimally Reactive? Isn't that like being "A Little Bit Pregnant?" We switched doctors and got her treated promptly.

------------------
Stay positive. Smile. People care.
 


Posted by chraxis (Member # 2251) on :
 
This isn't really all that outrageous, just stupid. It scares me to think there are doctors out there like this that we entrust our (and our loved ones) care to.

He said I had the flu.

And this was after he knew I had been sick for 6 MONTHS!

It must be one of those rare permanent cases of the flu.

What a dumba*s!

------------------
D.C. Chris
 


Posted by jeni582200 (Member # 4270) on :
 
just came home from the PA at the neurologist.

she asked me if the swelling, cracking and bleeding in my feet might be due to depression.

i looked at her with an evil eye, so she said she would ask the doctor. she came back 45 minutes later and said:

"we think it's connected to the lyme."

------------------
jeni
 


Posted by spacysue (Member # 3770) on :
 
"Here's a prescription for 8 visits to Physical Therapy. You'll be completely fine after that."

"There's no such thing as chronic Lyme"

When I told an ID that I was going to a particular LLMD, he said, "oh, just be careful. He's one of those that believes in chronic Lyme" Heavens, I wouldn't want to go to a person like THAT (that's me thinking of telling ID)
 


Posted by Lishs mom (Member # 2344) on :
 
Ohhh they get better every day...

Lishs ID doc when the picc line broke and we needed to put in a chest port to continue ABX.

"well, its gonna leave a really awful scar right over your breast area and when they put it in it will cause pain for a few days. I think we should reconsider whether we should continue with treatment since the side effects (scar and 2 days of pain) will be so significant."
 


Posted by cbb (Member # 788) on :
 
It's no wonder they don't know what's going on with Lyme disease -

Because of ringing in my ears, I was told to have my hearing checked (1991). Asked the dr what causes the ringing and he said that about 80-85% of cases are from unknown cause.

When I asked about Lyme disease, he said:
"We don't waste our time studying an illness that we'll see only one bizarre case in a lifetime."
 


Posted by zippysmom (Member # 1174) on :
 
Early in my LD, I went to the ER in severe agony with aching knees. When I told Dr. I had been dx'd w/LD, he said, "Oh, you wouldn't have painful knees from Lyme Disease!" (He was a neurologist.)
 
Posted by DiffyQue (Member # 3317) on :
 
The following two incidences are not the most outrageous thing said/done to me by ID people, but illustrates how out-of-control some "ducks"("doctors of interest") are:

Situation I:
Exam room "discussion" w/rt the most pertinant aspects of the dignosis and treatment of lyme, and having seen comprehensive, exhaustively detailed medical records, including one West. Blot for lyme Ab (Igenex) according to the CDC, one lyme west. blot from Stonybrook, with an insufficient number of positve antibody bands, 1-2 bands being specific for Bb; Lab corp results = totally negative; 110+ photos of disseminated rash from two separate occasions when I was bitten, darkfield microscopy results, actual medical images(MRI,CTSCAN), and results of specialized blood work.

After "discussion" and presentation of the foregoing "evidence-based medical facts," one of my doctor's explicit statements were:

"Well, you can't prove a negative."

His in-office conduct verbally low-key pretension to "deep" consideration of data, but comportment, countenance, ocular dialect was quite hostile:

Translation:
I'll say anything I want in the service of my hidden agenda(s), come up with every psychiatric label and character assasination against you and you can't prove otherwise.

Situation II: In Office:

Infectious Diseases Specialist's statement to me: "I want to see 5 bands on the IgG and 2 bands on the Igm..."
I only wish I had a hidden tape-recorder, or transmitter when this was said.
This statement was after all healthcare providers received the explicit warning from a Federal agency about the "...widespread mis-use of the lyme western blot results..." as the sole diagnostic criterion of lyme disease.

Situation IIIOne phone discussion:

Me: " If labcorp's results comeback with insufficient number of bands to test positive, then what..."

Infect. Dis. Specialist: "We'll put 'em all together." Meaning combining the lyme West. Blot results from Stonybrook and Labcorp's lyme west. blot results.
He said this in a low-keyed, vocal tone of quiet-confidence, and inherent sarcastic, dupping laugh.

Dq

[This message has been edited by DiffyQue (edited 22 July 2003).]

[This message has been edited by DiffyQue (edited 23 July 2003).]

[This message has been edited by DiffyQue (edited 25 July 2003).]
 


Posted by C-Rae (Member # 4778) on :
 
Dr. N in Westchester asked if anyone in my family drank too much. When I said there was someone, he said, You inherited a depressive gene from this person, and it coincidentally activated when you saw the deer on Fire Island (New York). Your positive responses to doxycycline, rocephin, ceftin, and zith are all coincidences.

Another guy told me I could control the Lyme symptoms solely with dietary changes. When I told him my neurological symptoms were pretty severe, he got angry and said, you know, you shouldn't be so contentious, because someday you may meet a man and then there will have to be harmony.
 


Posted by twobusymom (Member # 3956) on :
 
My PCP said.....

Even though your western blot is positive, it doeasn't mean that you actually have lyme disease. You could have just been exposed.

This was a few months after reveiwing the same results and saying......

This looks like you have an active infection


Hummm, time for a new PCP????
 


Posted by david1097 (Member # 3662) on :
 
"There's nothing wrong with you. Please don't go and try to prove me wrong"


 


Posted by SentByHim (Member # 3998) on :
 
Sounds like you are going through menoupause.

Ahem I am a 37 year old male.

I hope he was kidding.

Never the less he said it as he was perusing my chart.


Sent
 


Posted by iontheprize (Member # 4029) on :
 
Dr. Shu Man Fu (really that's his name), PhD in microbiology and Director of the UVA Rheumatology Department reviewed my tabulated, seven-page typed illness chronology documenting flu-like illness, fasciculations, paresthesias, modest lymphadenopathy, increasing pain in my neck and back, and repeated eye infections with secretions and told me that I was suffering from a "post viral" syndrome (love that one, heard it many times). He urged me to stop searching for the etiology of my illness and begin rehabilitation.

His recommendation: "Go swimming 3x per week and come back and see my in six weeks and you will be fine."
 


Posted by Nestle (Member # 878) on :
 
I have many examples of stupid things docs have said or done:


1) Lyme doesn't exist in Ohio. Then the doc pulled out a map of the border of Ohio and NW Pennsylvania. He then told me that the area where NE Ohio borders Pennsylvania was the only place in OH where I could have gotten Lyme. He never asked any further questions of me and left the room.

2) I was recently in the hospital where the neurologists ganged up on me and told me Lyme does not exist in OH. I was having vision problems and speech problems at the time and they told me AIDS was a possibility for causing my symptoms. I agreed to give blood. I tested negative (like I was worried). The neuros also told me they ran an Elisa against my blood fo Lyme and it too was negative. They obviosly did not know the first thing about Lyme.

2) Years ago I went to a neurologist. I asked him for a Lyme test and he got really angry with me. He threw the paperwok at me with the script for an ELISA bloodtest. He then proceeded to tell me that he didn't know why I was bothering with the blood test because they always come back negative. He did not even listen to my request for my blood to be sent to IGENEX.

I have many more examples of stupid docs stories!


Karen
 


Posted by GreanPea (Member # 3411) on :
 
I get a really bad UTI, followed by an "unexplained fever" which ends up being pnuemonia in July. Then I start showing lyme symptoms (was diagnosed and undertreated w/3 wks of doxy 4 yrs prior to this).

My GP is on vacation, so another doc in the practice sends me for bloodwork. They do ELISA and western Blot. Elisa is elevated and WB is "negative". (a local lab did the work)

The doc who ordered the bloodwork says "your pneumonia can make your titer go up."

The nurse says well "you only have lyme if both the ELISA and WB are positive"

The doc returns from vacation and says that the pain in my wrists and hands are carpel tunnel flaring up, the pain in my chest is heartburn and when I told him that I wasn't sleeping at night, he asked if I'm having some sort of anxiety.

Then he diagnoses me with ehrlichiosis and gives me 4 wks of doxy to shut me up.

3 yrs later I relapse and here I am a year later still dealing with this #$%!%%~@#$#.

Sheesh!
Pea

[This message has been edited by GreanPea (edited 02 November 2003).]
 


Posted by mmdmum (Member # 4618) on :
 
Before dx of LD, my husband was having seizures (although we didn't know what they were at that time). After describing the sensation of the seizures (he was having 40 - 50 partial seizures in a 24 hr period...they even woke him from a sound sleep) the PCP did an exam.

He said "Could be a brain tumor, could be a growth on the brain or spine. But I think as you are self-employed and under a lot of stress, you just need a vacation with no phones ringing."

I told him my husband had an appt with a neurologist scheduled and he said "Oh good idea."

We won't go back to him!!
 


Posted by orion (Member # 3858) on :
 
So we take our 13-year old daughter into the ER with violent tremors:

ER Duck: Everything checks out fine; blood, CT scan.
ME: What do you think it is?
ER Duck: You know, she's a girl, 13... It's a rough age... there's no many pressures nowadays...
ME: And you are suggesting -- what?
ER Duck: Take her to therapy for emotional issues.
ME: She's SICK. She doesn't have emotional issues.
ER DUCK: There's too many symptoms.
ME: Too many symptoms should be a CLUE to something!
ER Duck: I'll give you a referral to therapy.


 


Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Need to vent?

Help yourself...

Up for new members...


 


Posted by rosespetal (Member # 571) on :
 
HEY! I didn't do this one!!

#1- (PCP) If your b/w is normal you're manic depressive (2 weeks later 2 IGM 7 IGG w/b)

#2- (PCP) Herxheimer reaction? Ohh it can't be that bad take 2 alleve...

#3-(nurse) What sort of tests do you need to see if you're having this 'herxheimer reaction?'

#4-(PCP and a LLMD) You have Fibromylagia now, take these....

#5-(ID) Even IF you had Lyme, you're allergic to the antibiotic I would use, so.. Don't worry about it... I think it's your thyroid.

#6-(PCP) You have a brain tumor (after a neuro exam-pin pricks etc) I said-"I have a negative triple phase bone scan, and negative brain MRI-no I don't..." (She walked out...)

#7-(PCP) You have tattoo's it's probably Hepatitis...(after flipping thru my b/w from another PCP mind you...)

#8-(immunologists) You have 'chronic hives' and the western blot results mean nothing more than you had it, I don't know what's causing your meurological symptoms.
(University of Medicine and Dentistry)
-BTW- I tested + via LP 2 years later for Lyme...

#9-(PCP) The # of bands on a western blot mean nothing, it just means you're positive for Lyme... (questioning my 2 IGM, 7 IGGs) same dr gave me an initial treatment of 3 weeks trimox..

#10-(allergist) With all your allergies, you must have AIDS......(over active immune system=allergies).... my reply- I just got a 200k life insurance policy 2 months ago, and they tested me for AIDS- it was negative.

#11-(allergist) Even IF you had Lyme, I won't desensitize you unless it's out of your pocket, as insurance won't pay me enough to spend the time in the hospital w/ you for something YOU think is Lyme...
(2 yrs later + LP to Lyme)

#12-(Allergist) I don't know why when you're placed on steroids you can't walk....

#13-(Rheumatologist) It could be Lupus, as you have a 'malar' flushing on your face, but you tested negative, I think you DO have Lyme, but I am afraid to treat you due to all your allergies....

#14-(PCP) Your sons EIA is .30 he's negative for Lyme, I don't know what's causing his symptoms.

#15-(PCP) I don't know why your son walks weird while on Biaxin, it could be that the allergy is settling in his joint....

#16-(Dermatologist) You REALLY need to be evaluated by a University...
(just came back from UMDNJ)

#17- Have you traveled out of the country?

#18-(PCP)I don't know if that's ringworm or Lyme...Ohh you're going on IV soon-good don't worry about it...

#19-(neurologist) You're having uncontrolled seizures, you need to see a neurosurgeon..(misdiagnosed w/ seizures)

#20-(neurologist) Ohh that LP was POSITIVE for Lyme? Ohh, I don't know how to read those tests....(swear to god this lady was a nut)

#21-(neurologist) My patient does NOT suffer from seizures, she infact has Neurological Lyme Disease.... (re instating my drivers license from her misdiagnosis)

#22-(PCP) Your 2 swollen ankles COULD be due to an exisiting Lyme infection, but let's do a stress test on your heart to be sure.....

#23-(PCP) I don't know why when you're on steroids you can't walk, and you need them for this allergic reaction...take some alleve then....

#24-(immunologist) You don't have anything that shows up from our exam (bone scan, cultures, entire workup of 40 blood tests, skin tests for allergies, stool tests for parasites, test for TROPICAL diseases) I don't know what's causing your symptoms, and you DID have Lyme, but it's negative now.

#25-(PCP) I don't know why you think your heart is beating weird, there's nothing wrong-(he leaves nurse comes in) I said, listen to my heart okay? She says okay- she listens, I move my finger to match when its coming-she goes back out to PCP and insists I get a holter monitor.....

#26-(cardiologist) I don't see anything wrong w your heart besides MVP and regurigtation, and I dont know why your ankles are killing you so badly on the treadmill- do you have arthritis or something? (had just explained the Lyme tests and my symptoms)

#27-(ID) your brain MRI and LP are negative for MS, and for Lyme, and the antibodies can carry over so the + western blot means nothing, you'll haveto come into the office to discuss this...

#28-(ER) Why did you have a LP? (for Lyme), well we are going to give you an IV line incase you need antibiotics-(I relpy I am allergic to antibiotics) she says- well what ones? (I roll my eyes, and state it's on the CHARTTT duh) and refuse the IV...

#29-(Neurologist)-You DO have Neuro Lyme, here fill this perscription (as he pushes me towards the door at 4:45 pm) I say, am I allergic to this??? He says-Ohh you have allergies??? Let me see that script...
(I say-well what family is it?) He says it's Rocephin, it's a Cephalosporin, ( I say- I went to the ER w. a SEVERE reaction to Ceftin- I can't take this it will kill me) Yoins script out of my hands and starts making phone calls...

Thats all of them I can think of for now... but I am sure more will come for me to add..

Rose

[This message has been edited by rosespetal (edited 29 January 2004).]
 


Posted by Robert is king (Member # 5171) on :
 
This was told to me when I first started having severe peripheral neuropathy at the age of 12. The adolescent pain ward at a certain major hospital in California had been taken over by the adolescent psyche ward. This is an EXACT quote.

"Your leg pain is caused by your mother's inability to accept your growing independence."
 


Posted by David95928 (Member # 3521) on :
 
Walk-in clinic in Chico California (not the GOOD one near the University)

Me: I was diagnosed with Lyme disease which I have had for at leat twelve years.

Duck: If you had Lyme disease for twelve years, you would be dead.

Me: Well, I'm not. I've been in treatment for six months and getting a lot better.

Duck: If you take a bunch of antibiotics, you are going to feel good.

..........................................

Huh? Under what set of conditions would that be true? Bacterial infection, perhaps?
 


Posted by lymiecanuck on :
 
Hey everyone I love this, having a laugh.

1st: "If the blood is flowing properly to your heart it's flowing properly all over your body"

This was after concerns that blood flow to my head wasn't right.

"Don't come back unless you drop to your knees or lose consciousness"

"If you have encepholaphy you'd be in a coma.
 


Posted by NIBOR (Member # 5182) on :
 
Went to my Duck with scripts from LLMD,needed them to be written by him for insurance payment. Well talking to him about LLMD and Lyme, and he comes out with how old is he? I had to ask myself what that has to do with anything? For he is younger than LLMD!!!!

------------------

 


Posted by Carryon (Member # 4951) on :
 
Duck 1: "You must have had a trauma or abuse sometime in your life."

Duck 2: "You do not have Lyme. You have a psychogenic disorder (Its all in your head)"

Duck 3: "You could not have Lyme. You did not travel to a Lyme area (I did) and you can only be infected by a fully engorged adult tick. They are big not the small thing you are describing"

Duck 4: "I cannot read this report from Ignenx. I am going to do tests of my own!"
 


Posted by Nancy Glinecke (Member # 5219) on :
 
You know, I laugh when I read these because so many are WAY familiar!!!

An allergist told me that there is no chronic Lyme and it was made up by doctors in Lyme Clinics to make money. He added that people, especially women, have little to do so they create these symptoms.

He was a duck and a half!
 


Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Up..

Ducks are dummies...
 


Posted by Lenny777 (Member # 5452) on :
 
I went to my Internal Med. Doctor because I was dizzy and had funny feelings in my hands.
Also, my tick bite still had not healed. Keep in mind the tick bite had been there for 2 months! I don't care if you're Lyme Literate or not, that should raise some kind of red flag.

I asked him if the bite could be causing my symptoms. He said, "No, I doubt it. We don't really have Lyme and all of those other tick diseases here in Texas."
He said, "Don't worry about the bite and let's wait and see if the symptoms go away."

Still waiting...
 


Posted by daviesdonnie (Member # 5449) on :
 
HAVE YOU BEEN TO CONNETICUIT LATELY?


ARGH!



 


Posted by mdswolf (Member # 5485) on :
 
My story is not nearly as outrageous as all of yours...........I have always been active........weights, running.........etc.......an occupational necessity.......I am a police officer........and have been for 20 years.

To make a long story short, after 2 years of neuro problems and numerous neurologists........beginning with what was diagnosed as Bells Palsy.........which I was told "moved" and has caused numbness and tingling in my arms and legs, in addition to pain I was sent to see the "top neurologist" in the southeast. A professor emeritus at a the large teaching hospital in my state. He reviewed my records, this 80 year old expert, spent 10 minutes with me and then said, " There is no "objective" reason for your symptoms..........what you are feeling is "subjective". Do you know what "subjective" means?" . Before I could answer he went on, "It means you think you have these symptoms". Mind you I am 6'3", about 250 pounds and before all of this I bench pressed 400 plus pounds, 3 times.......:-). Then he said, "You understand...you think you have these symptoms"...........I had to laugh.

Then............"you have a good quality of life...........be thankful".........of course he didn't hear me when I said there was a problem with my symptoms and my career.........namely that I am unable to draw a firearm from my holster.........because I can't feel it.and haven't been able to for over a year.

When I reminded him of this aspect of my condidtion he said, "Well you will just have to find another line of work".......I left before I was tempted to tear his arms off.........:-)

So much for the "top neurologist".........:-)
 


Posted by lazerorca (Member # 4689) on :
 
The student health doc said after running blood work (didn't include lyme serology) that I may have reactive hypoglycemia although blood tests came back fine.

Other student health doc told me I may have benign ataxia. although her assumption is wrong I am very thankful for her help. she got the ball rolling by referring me to outside help. she was truly concerned and wanted to find the cause of things.

Neurologist said I was depressed and wrote on his report that he suspected drug use once we acquired records. also found a memo that I was not told about where he suspected Wilson's disease.

After serological positive IgG by the CDC standards mine you on top of that, my infectious disease doc concluded after a lumbar puncture for a PCR test (which has as low as a 5% yield that I have read in some studies) that I didn't have lyme disease and that false positives were very common and that I may have been infected long ago and just show left over antibodies

Actually his assistant was insisting on IV Rocephin for 3 months but he quickly said it wasn't necessary and prescribed 200 mg of doxy a day for 2 weeks as a precaution.

------------------
Click here to join AIM Chat for Lymies


Click here to join my Yahoo group for lymies called "Lyme On A Dime"
 


Posted by caat (Member # 2321) on :
 
to the top
 
Posted by trying2bsunny (Member # 5798) on :
 
My first quack told me I couldn't have lyme because no one in Ohio has lyme. The 2nd idiot aksed me why I would try to convince someone I could have a disease that could kill me? But the toppper was when I was told all my problems stemmed from the fact that I was being unsatisfied by my husband. He told me I just needed to get away from the kids with my hubby and add some romance to my life and i would feel much better. I said to him well um... you have to be able to move without pain in order to even think about things like that. To wich he responded he couldn't help me and maybe I should see a shrink and he could also recomend a good sex therapist. What a JERK!
 
Posted by shy (Member # 5488) on :
 
I hope its ok to answer for my husband, who has Lyme. As we were sitting in an Infectious Disease Dr.'s office, my husband with the classic bullseye rash and many other Lyme symptoms, the Dr. says....... " I am 100% certain you dont have Lyme Disease, this is a Forest Gump". I asked what that meant and he replied..."**** happens". He then ordered an AIDS test and gave him some salve for his "rash".

BTW, I lodged a complaint with the Medical Board against this DR. and pursued it to the end.His patients have my deepesy sympathy.
 


Posted by Cathy09 (Member # 5713) on :
 
A well-known ID doctor in the Princeton area(my first big mistake) said to me: "Well you have all the classic symptoms of LD, but I don't think it is LD."

My next ID Doctor(in Princeton area..didn't i learn from my first mistake..also found out they knew each other.,.she said to me "You may very well have what we call chronic lyme but until you test positive you won't find a doctor in the PRinceton area who will treat you with antibiotics."

This goes on and on and now I am even sicker than I had to be..these doctors sucked!
 


Posted by crmc (Member # 4207) on :
 
#1 - Any possibility you could have HIV?

#2 - Lyme disease does not exist in Florida.

#3 - Babesia and Erichlia are extremely rare diseases, we don't need to test for those.

#4 - A diagnosis of Lyme Disease would be opening up a can of worms, lets look for the real reason why she's not feeling well.
(said by my daughters pediatrician)

#5 - After my insistance about the tick bites, my PCP had to look up in the back of a book what kind of test to give me. When I asked how many people he had tested for Lyme disease his reply was "only one in my whole career", (this man was not young!)
 


Posted by 3greatkids (Member # 3838) on :
 
"I've, never seen Lyme before, this is my first case." After 10 day treatment and then going in with valuable information concerning how this bacteria lives and dies and hides(cyst, etc.),he says," Well, when I was in med. school I read many abstracts, papers, etc. and I could have convinced myself I had a brain tumor." I sat there and stared at him,while he snickered,and let the steam come out of my ears so I would not slug him( Lyme Rage was fast approaching). Lucky for him I remained calm,left and have not seen him since. Oh yes, I did see him in the grocery store and he said he had referred more patients to my LLMD because they were like my history.I should have slugged him there but at least now we have one more Dr. with their eyes open to this Disease.Thank God.
 
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
 
1. Audiologist: "It's physiopsychomatic"(what the heck?)
2. Neuro #2..."Sometimes people just get dizzy for no reason and it can last at least a year.... Now let's do a spinal to rule out MS". (bite me!!!)

------------------
Julie G.
___________
lymeinhell
 


Posted by Kookie on :
 
I went to the neuro with symptoms of left/right disorientation, mild alien limb, paresthesias, etc., and was told I should seriously consider a breast reduction!!!! (I'm a DD, not THAT big!), and he said that it's probably causing sleep apnea which causes all of my other symptoms. (BTW, I don't snore and have hypersomnia - I sleep like the dead! - they had me do a sleep lab anyway, and guess what? No snoring nor apnea! DUHH). It was almost too funny to be angry, until I got the sleep lab bill.
Kookie
 
Posted by lymewarrior03 (Member # 3891) on :
 
The infectious disease specialist on martha's vineyard (major tick hotspot) listed 8 or so lyme symptoms and reported that I had a very rare presentation of depression.

He is now practicing medicine in Hawaii.
 


Posted by lookin4answers (Member # 4974) on :
 
Well, the Pediatrician that my daughters WERE seeing told me that my daughter with the POS. IGm may have had a previous infection. (if you have an infection like this one and are not treated, DO YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO GO AWAY BY ITSELF?!?) He was not willing to start her on ABX.

Also: Because it was her IGm that is Pos. there is no way you could have passed it to her in utero, it is too large.
Uuuuuhh....HUH?

[This message has been edited by lookin4answers (edited 20 August 2004).]
 


Posted by shassler64 (Member # 3479) on :
 
My doc said,'You get lymedisease from cheese don't you?"

sue from downunder.
 


Posted by EAC82 on :
 
My PCP sent me to a neurologist for lumbar puncture. I went to appt with him, he listened to me for 10 minutes, then told me "I you really want to get better you should see a psychiatrist. There is no such thing as chronic lyme (or fybromyalgia) . Your problem is psychosomatic." Needless to say, I walked out and did not allow this man to touch me. My PCP lined someone else up to do the tap.
 
Posted by EAC82 on :
 
Excuse the spelling errors in my post. I have many neuro problems from Lyme. Before I could type a million miles a minute. Now I constantly hit the wrong keys. Typing takes forever. So pls excuse typos in my posts, they happen all the time now.
 
Posted by Gabrielle (Member # 5329) on :
 
I got strange red rashes when I was 2 or 3 years old. The family doctor didn't know what it was but said it could be scarlet fever.

I didn't have the strawberry tongue, though. Also, there was no other kid with scarlet fever around and I didn't infect anybody else with it, myself. However, as in 1960 nobody knew about Lyme, I cannot blame him for that.

But later, I was the only kid ever heard of, who - according to him - got Mumps THREE TIMES!!! He said he had never heard of such a case before, but thought it was probably because I didn't have it properly the first two times ... haha!

Gabrielle

 


Posted by kaos (Member # 4144) on :
 
Doc said, "You have Post-Lyme Syndrome and your symptoms should resolve within 3 years on their own."
 
Posted by sizzled (Member # 1357) on :
 
-My doc said,'You get lymedisease from cheese don't you?"
sue from downunder.-

I am sorry for laughing so hard about this. It really is quite sad.....but...I just can't help it right now.

I was reading these and getting so sad...but..CHEESE?????????? LOL!


 


Posted by bbinme? (Member # 4665) on :
 
My pcp tried to tell me i probably had fibromyalgia, but sent me to an ID dr who did some tests, nothing showed up, my titer and my wb were nagative therefor he told my pcp that i had a one in 10 billin chance of having lyme disease, even though i was very healthy until i got bit by a deer tick, i was told lyme disease is not in Maine, he recomended that i see a neurologist for possible muscular disorder and for a possible spinal tap and mucscle biopsy, which i did. The neurologist asked me why i was sent there( do these dr's even comunicate) so i patiently told him why i was sent here, at the time i was very sick, i could'nt work, i could'nt drive, my fiance had to take me to all my appointments, this dr examined me, agreed that i didn't have lyme, said i did'nt need a muscle biopsy or a spinal tap, then he made the comment that i had appeared very depressed and he recomended i see a psychiatrist , i was so stunned i did'nt know what to say and left. Once i got better, thanks to my llmd, i returned to work as a nurse and i see that dr form time to time, i have the hardest time not to slap him silly!!!!!
 
Posted by Ingeborg (Member # 5147) on :
 
Now one of our Dutch Ducks said to someone that he couldn't have had a tick-bite because than he must have the tick, "They won't fall of by theirselve".

It seems that some ducks become more stupid instead of smarter.
 


Posted by breathwork (Member # 567) on :
 
From the head of ID at Stanford....."I went to medical school with Alan Steere and trust his opinion implicitly."

From another local ID doc....."Even with positive blood work, you couldn't have lyme after three weeks on doxy. You clearly are mentally ill and in need of therapy." He then tossed all my records in the trash, turned on his heel and walked out.

His nurse followed me to my car and found me crying. She told me that I was not insane, that their medical group, 1500 doctors strong, would be penalized for treating lyme beyond three weeks by Blue Cross...they would lose the monthly bonuses and then be penalized further if treatment continued...
 


Posted by RECIPEGIRL (Member # 5884) on :
 
To the top.
 
Posted by Lishs mom (Member # 2344) on :
 
My daughters ID doc...duck....told her, you would not want to continue treating lyme with orals because he just admitted a girl in the hospital who had an ulcer from doxycycline, and certianly we should not consider a port or picc because it might leave a scar on such a beautiful child!

His suggestion, just dont treat, it would go away eventually!
 


Posted by mcpucho on :
 
after being duped into an unessecary sinus surgery and then told i had chronic fatigue syndrome for six months i asked a friend, an expert martial artist, if he knew any 'healers'.

he referred me to a guy on park ave, nyc, who did elaborate acupuncture on me.

he initially said i would be fine in 2 months. he later recanted that and said spring, it was fall. i started to become wary.

after 4 months i sent him a check (i owed him some money) and a letter thanking him for his time trying to help me and best of luck in the future. very congenial.

3 months later, when i was just dx'd with lyme (and herxing), he sent me a reply letter.

he said he was a :

master acupuncturist...
that he did help me...
that he spent his whole life fighting injustice and what had i done?...
that i had my head stuck between my tail and wouldn't get better until i faced my fears...

and on and on. this from a 'healer'.

i wrote him back a long, logically stated and eloquent letter. i never mentioned the lyme diagnosis.

he sent me back the letter with a note saying :

"i never read the letter... if you spent as much attention and time developing your body as you have your mind you would be healthy."

lesson : ducks are bad but they don't quack the loudest

ps :currently my brother is trying to drag me to another 'healer'. he wants to pay so i 'must' go and be duped again.... lesson : i'm a sucker.

[This message has been edited by mcpucho (edited 12 August 2004).]
 


Posted by RECIPEGIRL (Member # 5884) on :
 
to the top
 
Posted by Larkspur (Member # 5131) on :
 
Dr.#1 (Internist) "Maybe you have lupus....or maybe a brain tumor...or perhaps post traumatic stress disorder" (from a mild fender bender 6 mo. earlier with no injuries)

Dr.#2 (ID) "I have absolutely no idea what's wrong with you, but it will prob. just go away"

Dr#3 (Yet another internist) "I hate when people get medical advice from friends or look up things themselves. People should just stay off the internet" "You don't have Lyme (Negative Western Blot). If I were to give you antibiotics and you started feeling better than you might live your life thinking you had Lyme dx"

Back to Dr. #1 (2 weeks later from above visit) following waking up with a headache that made me think I had had an aneurysm accompanied by blurry double vision:
"Your blood work is fine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you."
 


Posted by Biting Back (Member # 6018) on :
 
Long, but kinda funny.

I was referred to a neurologist for headaches and decline in vision. I played the game we all know and dummied up. I didn't offer any info unless he asked and I kept my replies brief. I thought I would see him once, but he kept making return appts. He kept finding odd things here and there and eventually noticed I had swallowing difficulties. He referred me to ENT. ENT found I had no gag/reflex and asked if I'd had a stroke. He also asked if I'd been tested for lyme. The ENT ordered a sleep study because of the paralysis. NOTE: The neurologist USED to be the only doc offering sleep studies in this city until the ENT came along.

Sleep study and MSLT were abnormal per ENT doc and I'm having PVCs. ENT doc already had copy of tests prepared for me to give to referring neurologist the next day. Dutifully handed sleep study results over to the neuro, he quickly flipped through 2 pgs. and said, your sleep study is normal! I think you need to continue to see your psychiatrist for your somatization disorder. (HUH?) The neuro raised his voice more said you have to stop seeing doctors and stop subjecting yourself to all of these tests!

I came unglued.

I yelled, you're telling me I need to stop seeing doctors but you referred me to the ear, nose and throat doctor! I didn't just get a wild hair up my ***, walk into the ENTs office and make my own appointment with him. You referred me to him!

He said, yes, but I referred you for your swallowing difficulties, not for a sleep study study!

I said, you're telling me to stop subjecting myself to tests but you decided to test my parathyroid glands twice, you ordered several blood tests, you wanted to do an EMG, you wanted to do a sleep study, you wanted to test my muscle strength, you ordered a pituitary MRI . . . I listed all of the tests he'd ordered for me.

HERE IT IS:

The neurologist said, Dr. Smith (the ENT) is playing games with me!

I lost it with the guy and said, If you believe Dr. Smith is playing games with you, then you need to take the matter up with Dr. Smith, not with me! Don't involve me in your silly doctor squabble because you're angry with Dr. Smith. I'm the patient and this has absolutely nothing to do with me!

He said, I'm not taking it up with you.

I stood my ground and said, yes, Dr. neurologist, you are.

He raised his voice and said, I am not!

We bantered back and forth a couple more times. I finally realized he threw a tantrum because the ENT gave me the sleep study and HE wanted to do it. Geesh.

Ended up he tried to tell me I didn't have lyme but hadn't ever asked me a single lyme-specific question. He tried explaining to me that lyme is caused by a tick bite. Rreally? I thought it was caused by ducks. Then he told me he was a leading authority on lyme disease in our state. Grrrr. Lyme disease is here now, but people like you are becoming hysterical about it. It's overdiagnosed. People are becoming fanatics about lyme disease.

I had a hardcover book in my hand, Bull's Eye, Unraveling the Medical Mystery of Lyme Disease. A few more words were exchanged and I got so angry I threw the book at his feet. The book went BANG on the floor and the appt. was over. He's my ex-neurologist and 12 days later I was diagnosed by someone else.

P.S. He did write me a follow-up letter and included something about, "the book you so dramatically threw on the floor . . . ."

 


Posted by DELT/1 (Member # 5711) on :
 
after being in hospital for a week because i couldnt walk talk ect,

I was told by the cheif of the hospital
that i had WAY TO

(MANY SYMPTOMS)

for it to ever be lyme disease!!

then he ordered the house nut doc to do head evaluation on me

cause i was crazy!!

but head doc said to him that it wasnt my head,

so then he kicked me out of hospital

ONE MONTH later four positives on test
for lyme and co"s that was two yrs ago and im still sick and now been on iv for 8 month after year and half orals
stupid duck
wack ( quack quack

debbie from warwick

------------------
lyme diease coming to a family near you;;

staring the infamous spirochete;;

with special apperances by
coinfections.

education should never stop.
 


Posted by RECIPEGIRL (Member # 5884) on :
 
Up for more responses
 
Posted by RECIPEGIRL (Member # 5884) on :
 
up for more responses
 
Posted by Mary J (Member # 4234) on :
 
"lyme disease from cheese" !!!
sue from downunder...

This has to be the best
 


Posted by troutscout (Member # 3121) on :
 
2 days after waking up paralyzed....with a cervical spine that is swollen so much it pinches off the feeling to my peripheral nerves.

"Well...I can tell you that you are clear of any disease or virus....in otherwords...the good news is...you aren't dying."

But....please keep testing....why does my spine swell up when I am exposed to chemicals and mold?

"My ASS-ociate and I are willing to meet with you once a week to help you deal with your pain."

So...you aren't going to keep searching?!?

"No....at this point we are going to just treat your symptoms."

Doctor....kiss my a**!!!

Door closes as I walk out.

Trout
 


Posted by caat (Member # 2321) on :
 
up
 
Posted by joop (Member # 5601) on :
 
My favorite so far was...

"go home, take a hot shower for the pain and get on with your life"

I stood up and left without saying a word
 


Posted by christier66 (Member # 6038) on :
 
The first doc I went to to get a lyme test came back with a positive result and this: "Your Lyme test came back positive, but your chronic fatigue has nothing to do with that. You're just stressed out. Here, take this prescription for xanax."

The second doctor, an infectious disease doc, put me on IV Rocephin, which I had an allergic reaction to after 2 weeks. He did not prescribe another medication saying that the two weeks of Rocephin just needed time to work and it should clear up in a month or so. "Give it time" This came after my complaints of returning symptoms. Obviously, if Im not on a drug, and the symptoms are coming back, then the 2 weeks of the drug wasnt enough!!!!
 


Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
 
after suffering a nervous breakdown and not sleeping for a month a General MD pulled out a questionare and asked me all the depression questions.

Have you been sleeping more
Have you been more widthdrawn
Have you been sad?

I was crying every day and didnt have the energy to move.

After telling him that i was diagnosed with
CFIDS and fibro in my teen he said hmmm

then reached for some samples of lexapro and told me that what im suffering is common.

Its SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

i wanted to bash his head in

What the hell did you go to school for.

To be ignorant!!!!!


 


Posted by trecetetodromonmetabia (Member # 6250) on :
 
I was continually fainting and I couldn't walk in a straight line. My doctor told me that I would be fine if I just got eye-glasses.
 
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
 
My husband was having a really bad day and I printed out Page 1 of this post. It took him 4 or 5 pages of reading before he picked up on what a duck was.

He always called them KNOTHEAD DOCTORS, but likes ducks better.

At least he got some laughs out of the comments and asked me to send copies to several family members who can't seem to relate to why we have been to sooooooo many doctors to get diagnosis and treatment of his Lyme, babesia, bartonella, Borna virus,
CMV, HHV-6, and nanobacteria.

We have many classic lines to add to this post and I'll add one now and be back to add more in the future.

One classic line regarding another illnes, "YOU'RE GETTING BETTER, BUT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IT."

Yeah, right!!!

Bea Seibert


 


Posted by fish (Member # 4096) on :
 
up for L!
 
Posted by gonecrazy81 (Member # 6421) on :
 
I had positive test results from the lab in California showing that I had lyme disease. An ID doc looked at it and said that I did not have "new" lyme disease, but I had "old" lyme disease. What the heck is that? He concluded by saying that I was just depressed and couldn't deal with everyday life. He also said that he had more of a reason to be depressed because he was discriminated against from society due to being from a foreign country. Needless to say, I never went back to this QUACK!!!!!

[This message has been edited by gonecrazy81 (edited 05 November 2004).]
 


Posted by Reibersc (Member # 5752) on :
 
I got all of the pat answers from my ducks...

-it's depression

-lupus

-fibermyalgia

- you shouldn't get your information off the internet

-you have polymyalgia rheumatica (I'm only 40)

-menopause

But the best duck story by far for me was:

My youngest son has had health issues since he was born, among them being heart defects, a hearing loss and growth hormone deficiency. He also has a learning disbility and his IQ scores are very skewed. One day I was on the internet and happened to come across a genetic disorder called Noonan's Syndrome. My son is not a Poster Child for the syndrome but he had a lot of the characteristics that pointed to the syndrome. Part of the syndrome includes puberty delay, so on his visit to his endocrinologist, I brought up my suspicions and since my son was at the age of puberty and showing no signs I mentioned that we should consider treating him for a delay. The doctor just brushed me aside and said, he"s not a Noonan's kid. I was really upset and wanted to put the issue to rest so I took him to a genetics doctor. Again, I mentioned that I thought he had Noonan's syndrome,

geneticists(sp) answer..."He's not a Noonan's kid, but to make you feel better I'll test him for it."

Three weeks later when the lab results come in I get a call from the doctor......He says...."Well, Just as I expected (meaning him the doctor) your son has Noonan's Syndrome"

DUHHHH....Thought you said he wasn't a Noonan's kid

Now the endocrinologist is pissed at me, because I proved him wrong (plus I think he noticed I took great pleasure in waving the report under his nose to prove him wrong).

This duck says that my 14 year old can decide when he wants to get treatment for his puberty delay.

Sure...the kid is going to just beg to start intramuscular injections on top of his daily subcue injections.

Needless to say, that endocrine duck is no longer treating my son.
 


Posted by DaveinCt (Member # 5818) on :
 
The Duck that told me 9 years ago that the clearly indicated bulls-eye rash on my arm was NOT Lyme. I've been paying for it ever since!

Thx,
Dave
 


Posted by christelleny (Member # 6719) on :
 
Doctor # 1 (after 8 years spent complaining about an endless list of problems and finally thinking I had cancer)

"I don't think blood work is necessary. Let's put you back on antidepressants"


Doctor 2 before positive Lyme test:

"Are you happy?"
"Are you married?"
"Do you have a happy marriage?"

Doctor 2 after positive test:

"I knew you had Lyme disease. See, I even wrote it as a possibility on your chart. And you know how I knew? Because you are 30 and you have the health of an 80 year old. Three weeks of antibiotics should take care of it. Come back in a month and we'll put you back on antidepressants" (Me: what's up with the antidepressants?)

Doctor 2 (back to see him because of seizures. I fainted in his office and began getting serious tremors):

"Here...breath in the paper bag and get a hold of yourself. You're too excited!"


A nurse at a neurological facility: "A tilt table? Well, I'm not sure what you're refering to...we have a regular patient exam bed..."


LL neurologist called for a complete neurological evaluation at my treating LLMD's request:

"Complete neurological evaluation is $400, but if you have Lyme, it's $700".


 


Posted by HEATHERKISS (Member # 6789) on :
 
At one of the endos I fired after I told him about all my problems before knew it was Lyme.

He said, "When was the last time you had a breast exam?" Would you like me to perform a breast exam for you?"

I should have said in my best porn voice, "Will it make me feel better?"
 


Posted by sarahlea1717 (Member # 6783) on :
 
My ex-doctor told some great ones to my mom as well. She called and told them that I would come home from school and take a nap. I was only 8 years old, something must be wrong for me to be that tired. His reply? "Make her go for a walk with you."

My symptoms started to get worse. I started to get a distended abdomen, so again my mom asked my doctor about it. He said, "Do 100 sit-ups twice a day."

Then I developed drop-foot. My mom again took me into the doctor and asked why I walked funny. He told me to walk for him, and he said I looked perfectly fine.

Finally I was really weak and he referred me to a neurologist. That was more than 10 years ago, and I've had many doctors in between
 


Posted by Biting Back (Member # 6018) on :
 
In the hospital with meningitis in December and hubby was worried the docs would do the wrong thing, so he presented them with my positive WB. The docs continually taunted us with, "you don't have lyme disease."

Had IV Rocephin for 10 days. I whispered to the doc: "I think I have a yeast infection in my mouth. My throat really hurts."

She replied, "Antibiotics do NOT cause yeast infections! Stick out your tongue! Nope, no yeast infection."

She walked out the door and I had to see a psychiatrist the next morning.
 


Posted by EZ-E (Member # 6436) on :
 
"Got your brain MRI back. You've got Multiple Sclerosis, but don't worry, we're gonna fix you." Full of SH*T, is what he was...
 
Posted by Ms. Myoclonus (Member # 6750) on :
 
I went to a psychiatrist for depression, and the main question he focused on was, "How often do you have sex?"

When I gave my response, he shook his head in a very grave manner.

He said, "Someone your age should be having sex every single day." (I was in my early 20's).

As if a little rumble tumble would solve all my problems!



 


Posted by lymie tony z (Member # 5130) on :
 
The first Idiot duck I went to not only told me but wrote it down on paper...5 bands positive on western Igg blot(later positive on Igm)

"The patient may have ALS; MS; Fibromyalgia;Chronic fatigue;ankylosing spondilitis;....I don't think he has lyme disease but I will treat him for Lyme Arthritis.........."

What a MORON!!!!!!!..............zman

------------------

 


Posted by CA quest (Member # 6827) on :
 
Two stand out in my mind:

1) Before I knew what was wrong with me, and had multi system symptoms that waxed & waned...one doctor asked, " were you abused as a child?"

2) Most recently on a search for a new pcp: Frazzled looking doctor offered me a job as we walked into the examining room...her receptionist had just quit. Then she looked at my rather small list of problems...and of course at the top was "chronic lyme disease". She immediately looked frightened and said..."you know I have these get to know you appointments so I can reject patients...I am a mainstream doctor."

So I just tried another pcp today...who told me: "oh, I have treated a few "LymeS patients." The knowledgeable "S". There were only two pcps available in the Tricare network in my county... so he is now it. At least he accepted the brochure I offered...the first one said, "I don't have time to learn about it."

Quest

[This message has been edited by CA quest (edited 15 March 2005).]
 


Posted by JillF (Member # 5553) on :
 
An ID duck told me that if I really have had Lyme for a year, I'd be dead and that the only true test for Lyme was a spinal tap.

He also said ALL of my symptoms (muscle aches, twitches, stabbing pains, butterfly rash, electric shock pains, visual problems, memory problems, sleeping problems, etc) were caused by anxiety, allergies, rosacea and sleep apnea. Those were the only causes of everything (all 40 symptoms).

The other duck (my family physician at the time) told me that I wasn't in enough pain to have Fibromyalgia (this was before I realized I had Lyme). Guess she thought I should be crying, writhing in pain, in the hospital and not able to get out of bed (good luck with that when you have a toddler).

And finally, my old family physician that I saw (I was running out of doctors to see) said I might have MS but whatever it was wasn't killing me yet and not to worry - I really needed to get my weight under control. That was more important....
 


Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
 
Things Doctors Have Said to Me
(and my internal response)


``Maybe you're just tired because you didn't get a good night's sleep or you're a little stressed.''
(Even if I don't sleep well I was able -in the past--to hike 17 miles quickly over a 13,000 ft mountain pass or carry a 45 pound backpack for 10 miles over rough terrain in the Grand Canyon. I'm trying to tell you I was too tired to walk across the room! The only thing stressing me out right now is doctors like you who don't understand their patients!!)

``You need to learn how to deal with the fact that you feel poorly. Here is the name of a counselor that I recommend.''
(If you can't tell a doctor that you feel poorly, who are you going to tell?! I don't need a counselor. I need a doctor who can help me figure out what is wrong with me!)

``If you lived in New York, you would have been tested for lyme right away.''
(Since when is lyme found only in New York??!!)

``You just keep going from doctor to doctor, don't you?''
(You would too, if you felt as poorly as I do.)

``I only treat nerves. If your joints or stomach are bothering you, you need to see a different doctor.''
(Now THAT'S tunnel vision! What if the same ``culprit'' is causing the nerve, joint and stomach pain?)

``If it's not hormones or iron deficiency, I don't know what is wrong with you!''
(Well, how about doing some research to help me?)

``You sure are falling apart. You need a 50,000 mile tune up!''
(I am well aware that I am falling apart, thank you for your assessment.)

``Try deep breathing exercises for the pain.''
(Do I look pregnant?)

``You look perfect on paper and on exam.''
(Then why do I feel so crummy?)

``How about a vacation?''
(Are you going to write a script so my insurance will cover it?)

``If I hadn't known you for the last 10 years I would say that you are a fruitcake!''
(Thanks for those comforting words)

 


Posted by achey (Member # 6284) on :
 
you'll love this:

I grew up in CT...multiple bull's eye rashes as a kid and tick bit scars that have flared up regularly for years.

10 years ago I mention this to a world famous MD homeopath, and asked to be tested for LD. I get told that if I had been bitten by ticks in the past I was certainly over it by now.

Next, LD was only discovered in 1977...that was when you graduated from high school, and you didn't grow up in Lyme Ct, so stop being a hypochondriac!


 


Posted by patdetweiler (Member # 7030) on :
 
There is no Lyme disease here because of the elevation(Pocono Mts/Pa 1850ft.).
 
Posted by agszafran979 (Member # 7069) on :
 
After I explained that my reaction to antibiotics (Herx-like, and then the joint pains 90% went away) could be indicative of Lyme:

"You read too much."

-Drew
 


Posted by twicebitten (Member # 5412) on :
 
My LLMD sent me to a neuro for a work up for MS, to have MRI and such done..
The neuro said I surely did not have lyme and found the prospect of me contracting it from my mother at birth proposterous even though I told him it was not my theory but my docs..
He began to ask me if I knew where I was and the date, year, etc..
Did I know who the president was?

Okay, were they going to come take me to the padded room now? I knew if I let my true feelings show and hit him they would...
At the time I was on IV rocephin and flagyl..I didn't prescribe it, yet he thought ME crazy..He told me I should go to and infectious disease doctor and unless I was actually bitten by a tic that i should not suspect lyme disease and that I did not have ANY neuro problems that he could see including MS and that he did not see a reason to even do any further testing or waste any further time or money on my case. To which later I was told my MRI had multiple lesions and my problems if left untreated would have resulted in putting me in a wheelchair within a matter of months and death within 3 years..
Melinda
 


Posted by patdetweiler (Member # 7030) on :
 
We don't have Lyme here because of the elevation. (Pocono Moumtains of ne Pa)
 
Posted by patdetweiler (Member # 7030) on :
 
We don't have Lyme here because of the elevation. (Pocono Mountains of ne Pa)
 
Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :
 
After taking 6 days of doxycycline prescribed by my Mother's Dog's veterinarian who took one look at me and said, "You have Lyme" (At this point I had seen 15 physicians who all said I was fine after every scope and blood test known to man)

I landed in the ER not knowing what a herxheimer was at that point...I explained how I could see my right arm but it didn't feel like it was there and I was having chest pain - along with the myriad of other symptoms I was having - I was asked by the ER doctor to smile after I let him know this vet thought I might have lyme - No Bells Palsy so I was released and told to see a neurologist and that it might take a long time to figure out what was causing the Parathesis "since those neurological issues can be hard to diagnose".
 


Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :
 
Oh - here is another one - After experiencing rectal bleeding after a CT scan Pre-Colonoscopy - I looked horrible - I was so sick...the ER doctor says, "You need to go home to your new home and plant a garden" - I let her know I had already planted one and that hadn't helped.

She then discharged me with papers on how to handle stress, anxiety and the suggestion to do yoga which I have been practicing for three years prior.

Turns out I have lyme, babesia, ehrlichia and possibly Bartonella. I can't wait to inform this ER doc...
 


Posted by Coyotecrazy (Member # 6707) on :
 
My PCP actually said to me "If you were bitten by a deer tick, you would DEFINITELY KNOW IT" ......... I guess she thought a deer tick was actually as big as a deer so I couldn't have 'missed it' ........... DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
 
Posted by SteveInMinnesota (Member # 6661) on :
 
After a week of hospitalization with Menegitis, my wife pleaded with the Doctors (at the world famous Mayo Clinic) to, at least, consider Lyme Disease.

Their response was "It's the wrong time of year for Lyme".

I guess everyone get's better around Christmas. Right?
 


Posted by quic (Member # 5262) on :
 

Same here. Duck says,

"You can't get lyme disease in January."

Turns out the whole family is infected by ticks on our infested Christmas tree.
 


Posted by Crystal (Member # 6365) on :
 
This is a great list!

I was referred to an Infectious Disease specialist in NJ, and when thru my whole list of neuro symptoms with her. She told me that if I had 'Active Lyme' my knees would be swollen.

She then told me to take Advil, since it makes me feel better. When I asked, "So, then it's OK for me to take Advil every four hours for the rest of my life?", she said, "Yes".

I was only 28!!
 


Posted by Neil on :
 
lol..

I've got like 50 of them, but this is my personal favorite...

In a medical center on Cape Cod of all places.. with a huge bulls-eye type rash..

Doc: 'No..No.. it's not lyme. It's Impotigo.. '

Me: 'Doctor, I don't remember the actual tick bite but I am absolutely sure that it is Lyme or something very similar.. this is why....'

Doc: 'It's not Lyme. If there was no tick there is no Lyme'

I stand up turn around & notice a LYME DISEASE AWARENESS POSTER on the wall directly behind where I was sitting! Perfect side-by-side match & even information about how easy it is not to notice a tick bite!

Amazing! lol!


 


Posted by tickitout (Member # 6982) on :
 
After being positive with lyme for approx. 6 yrs and many hospitalizations for encephalopy(?sp)therapists were trying to teach me how to use a walker since I was unable to get out of bed on my own.

An associate of my neurogist, one who never even saw me comes in takes a quick look at me and picks up a cane, slams it on the trapeze bar on my hospital bed and yells..get up and walk through the halls, there's nothing wrong with you and ran out of my room...duh..I wish I could have gotten up and grabbed that cane and slammed him with it..
 


Posted by HEATHERKISS (Member # 6789) on :
 
up
 
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
 
"You've already had aggressive treatment and are better. The symptoms that returned after going off meds are not significant. Just try to boost the immune system with alt med stuff. You won't relapse."
 
Posted by Lymeindunkirk (Member # 7118) on :
 
Some of these are really really funny. Thanks for sharing. I just have to print this posting and save it.
 
Posted by laserred (Member # 6796) on :
 
Dr.of Internal Medicine '98
"You can't have all those symptoms!"

My GP Jan '05
"I don't have time for you today, I'm backed-up and have a bunch of other patients to see, and I'm the only Dr. here."

That's the last time I saw him. I then searched the internet and found my LLMD in three weeks, and he made an appointment for me within 3 days of calling his office.
 


Posted by cigi (Member # 6600) on :
 
At a seminar last week a doc said people are claiming they have lyme disease when the tick that carries lyme isn't even in their state. I guess everyone stays in their own territory.

cigi
 


Posted by rainbow (Member # 2711) on :
 
The ID doctor at my hmo( who transferred from the east coast, no less) says "I don't

know what it is with all you California people, you think you all have lyme!"
 


Posted by levity101 (Member # 1528) on :
 
I recently got copies of some of my son's office visits from our local pediatrician and found a truly outrageous entry by his "former" pediatrician...

We switched peds. because she was more like a cheerleader - always superficial and "perky" - than a real doctor.

He was in for his yearly exam which consists of checking his vitals and not much more..she would never be involved in his Lyme treatment or speak to our LLMD. At the time Max was herxing badly, feeling terrible with a continual headache...at the bottom of the form she wrote...

"Healthy boy with chronic Lymes"

How can you even talk to someone like that???

Nancy
 


Posted by trailsgrl (Member # 7285) on :
 
In 2001 while hospitalized with severe herx reaction to Rocephin, I had a nurse ask me:

When does the rash actually turn green?

(Lime green) I thought, only in New Mexico!

Trails

[This message has been edited by trailsgrl (edited 12 June 2005).]
 


Posted by bigmamma (Member # 7181) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by trailsgrl:
In 2001 while hospitalized with severe herx reaction to Rocephin, I had a nurse ask me:

When does the rash actually turn green?


You have got to be kidding! Boy they were bright!!

------------------

 


Posted by sweet pea (Member # 6495) on :
 
An infectious disease specialist telling me I didn't have Lyme, when I had the rash plus all the right symptoms. I had been on abx for only 8 weeks, and she said, let's take you off the abx and see how you do. But she was happy to push Lexapro (an anti-depressant) on me, and was almost hostile when I told her I didn't want to or feel the need to take it.


 


Posted by Romans12:12 (Member # 7506) on :
 
I have 3 I have to share....

Episode 1:

I was first diagnosed with Lymes at age 13 in 1993, I was hospitalized for a week and put on morpheine for my pain. During my 5 day stay my current doc (who against every other doc I had seen was willingly treating me for Lymes though I had not had a positive test) well he commited suicide. That by itself was tragic, but the quack that replaced him actually said this the very first time I ever met him:

quack: (walks in holding my chart, rifles through it) we're discharging you because you do not have Lymes, you're completely fine except for the fact that you have numerous mental problems and that you need to be admitted to a pyschiatric ward to deal with them. I'll talk with your parents about it as soon as they get here.

me: (who is under 16 and by law quack should not be discussing any treatment with me w/o my parents who were not there) (as I was on morpheine I didn't care what was going on or how I behaved soo....) ***k you I want another doctor. I am sick. I have Lymes. I need to have my mom and dad here right now. I want you out of my room now.

nurse: (quack had called her in becuase of my "distress" as he called it) what do you need?

quack: give her a shot to calm her down and then discharge her

Needless to say my parents filed a huge complaint that even today still sits on said quacks record. The nerve!

Episode 2:

Now 15 years later since my first bought with Lymes it is back and has been here the whole time...I was never fully over it. I have yet again been through the rig-a-ma-row of 5,000,000 quacks that all say the same thing; although there was one I was not expecting.

Days after waking up one morning almost blind, (this was the onset of my obvious signs that Lymes was back in my life) I sought the advice of an opthomologist quack....visited her 3 times within 3 weeks, desperate to regain my vision. Each time she did normal tests, etc...all came back normal. So the last time she saw me she looked at me and said:

quack: have you been fighting with your boyfriend?
me: no everything is fine
quack: (looks at boyfriend whos with me) do you fight a lot? have you noticed her behavior change? do you think she is depressed?
boyfriend: (looks at me like "are you kidding?") no changes everything is fine really she just can't see anymore
quack: (back to me) you were recently promoted at your job right?
me: yes but I love my job and am good at, there's no problems there at all
quack: well I can't find anything wrong with you and I have discussed your case with a colleague and I think you have what's called "hysterical blindness". you see a counselor right?
me: (starting to cry) yes but that has nothing to do with..
quack: (interrupts) you should focus on more therapy and deal with your mental issues and depression. you have "hysterical blindness" and the only one who can make your vision come back is you.
me: (now sobbing) I can't deal with this again. This happened to me as a kid, no one would believe me and now you won't either. I need a doctor who is willing to help me and you are not that doctor by far. (abrubtly left her office, went to receptionist desk and made it very obvious that i was unhappy with quack and needed to talk to her supervisor) Also put an official complaint on her record as well. The nerve...like I want to be partially blind!

Episode 3-

Finally am seeing a neurologist who can interpret my MS looking damage seeen on my MRI's and delayed VEP tests and perhaps shed some light on my situation. On visit number 3 I tell quack that I had been running a temp of 100-101 for the past 4 days. Quack looks at me and asks me accusinly "Why did you take your temp?" I replied "Because I felt hot, like I had a fever." Shouldn't his first question be..."hmmm that's no good, have you felt like the flu...blah blah?"

On visit number 4, 2 1/2 weeks after having a spinal tap done I tell quack that I had been super thirsty and drinking like a gallon or two of water a day for the last 2 weeks. Quack looks at me with disdain, "Why are you doing that?" I'm like what? "Because I was thirsty". Quack replies, "Well don't do that it's not good for you." So I say,"How do I deal with being so thirsty? What is causing it then?" Quack says: "Just don't drink that much water. Be thirsty, it's not going to hurt you."

Last time I saw him I brought in my symptom journal. He looked appalled. I read him off all of the things that had been going on for each day, and there were lots. He looked at me and began the speech I had been dreading, that we have all heard "Well some of that is important to know, but most of that I think is you just being too in tune with your body, (is there such a thing? I don't think so) too conscious of it. I think you are just very wound up about this whole thing and need to relax. I'm going to give you this rx for Impramine to help you be less anxious, and I want to talk to your therapist. Also I think you can go back to work now, things seem to be resolving themselves and the medication will help even more. Just come back and see me in 4 months and we will redo the MRI's and if we see more brain damage then we can diagnosis you as MS."

This was incredible to me as I had just told him that my arms and legs had gone numb and tingly for a whole week, seizures, tremors, episodes of falling down, speech impairments, vision issues had worsened, and the headaches now were unbearable and so much more. That was the last time I saw him, and when I got the positive Western Blots back from my LLMD that were done at Ingenex I sent him copies!

Thanks for sharing all these stories...they are really good to hear so that we all know we weren't alone in the hypochondriac cave!


------------------
"Be joyful in hope, patient in
affliction, and faithul in prayer." ~
Romans 12:12
 


Posted by lymeyinok (Member # 5817) on :
 

"I don't have time to keep up with the regular diseases! How do you expect me to have time for something like Lyme!" "Besides, I haven't had a vacation all year because my malpractice insurance is so high!"

Kindof makes you NOT wonder why malpractice insurance is so high!

------------------

 


Posted by lymeyinok (Member # 5817) on :
 
One more:

Internist, Infectious disease MD at University hospital:
"Even though your Western Blot came back still positive for Lyme, you were treated with antibiotics for 9 weeks two years ago -there is no way you can have Lyme now. You will just have to accept that this is a false positive and you have MS or fibromyalgia"

Found an LLMD after that one!

------------------

 


Posted by DanP (Member # 7501) on :
 
"You've had 4 negative Lyme results from Quest and look great, go out and enjoy life." Then, a few weeks later when the back pain crippled me, and the night sweats drenched me, "you don't have Lyme and you didn't have strep throat" (positive Quest test result ten days before) "you've got 'anniversary crisis syndrome' (because he knew my mother had died the year before).
 
Posted by rosedarling2 (Member # 4271) on :
 
Several years ago, I went blind in one eye over a 12-day or so period.

Me: I can't see out of my right eye anymore (28/29 years old at the time). It happened over a 12-day period.

Quack: How do you know you can't see out of the eye? That's right. How do I know I cannot see out of the eye??????

Me: Well, what do I say to this? I had to paid $150. to him before he would see me(Ophthalmologist). I was living in Canada at the time. Dealing with the limited amount of doctors and red-tape.

Quack: Well, the only way to know what's going on with the eye is to TAKE THE EYE OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND DISSECT IT. The only problem is we couldn't return the eye back in your head(my only problem). However, this problem isn't your eye your need to see a Neurologist.

I won't even tell you about the neurologist he referred me to. After 8 months, I was finally able to see a good Ophthalmologist and neurologist. I wonder if I could have had a chance (to see out of that eye) if I didn't wait so long.
 


Posted by rosedarling2 (Member # 4271) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by bigmamma:
You have got to be kidding! Boy they were bright!!



That's too funny & sad at the same time.

 
Posted by rosedarling2 (Member # 4271) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by bigmamma:
You have got to be kidding! Boy they were bright!!



That's too funny & sad at the same time.

 
Posted by Korinne21 (Member # 7472) on :
 
My doctor said very many things to me but heres 2 things.

I had called her one day because i thought i had a seizure while driving...while i was dealing with the oil heat guy she called and my sister answered.

My sis says "korinne, dr.k is on the phone" i get on the phone and the doctor says to me "well thats pretty bad that your family knows me by my voice on the phone already"

I guess she never heard of caller ID.

Another time is... i was in her office and she was thinking that i could possibly have a tumor in my pituitary.

So i asked her while she was writing up the perscription for an MRI...."what are the symptoms of a pituitary tumor?" and she says "im not going to tell you the symptoms because you'll be back in my office the next day saying you have all of the symptoms of a pituitary tumor."

Belive me there are many times where i just wanted to smash her head against the wall The famous words i would always hear was "korinne, what am i going to do with you?"....

well i dont f-ing know, im not the doctor here...shouldnt you know? lol

those are my doctors stupid phrases.

~korinne~
 


Posted by Linda LD (Member # 6663) on :
 
I kept coming in and complaining of fatigue. Everytime he would check my thyroid "numbers" and tell me I was fine.

I finally told him, "If you don't do something I'm going to slip into a coma! All I do is sleep!!!"

He said, "If you don't quit complaining I'm going to write down chronic fatigue." Like that was a threat?

I said, "Well, write down something!"

Thank GOD I found my doctor.
 


Posted by Korinne21 (Member # 7472) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Korinne21:
My doctor said very many things to me but heres 2 things.

I had called her one day because i thought i had a seizure while driving...while i was dealing with the oil heat guy she called and my sister answered.

My sis says "korinne, dr.k is on the phone" i get on the phone and the doctor says to me "well thats pretty bad that your family knows me by my voice on the phone already"

I guess she never heard of caller ID.

Another time is... i was in her office and she was thinking that i could possibly have a tumor in my pituitary.

So i asked her while she was writing up the perscription for an MRI...."what are the symptoms of a pituitary tumor?" and she says "im not going to tell you the symptoms because you'll be back in my office the next day saying you have all of the symptoms of a pituitary tumor."

Belive me there are many times where i just wanted to smash her head against the wall The famous words i would always hear was "korinne, what am i going to do with you?"....

well i dont f-ing know, im not the doctor here...shouldnt you know? lol

those are my doctors stupid phrases.

Wait, want to write one more thing. When i had come up positive for lyme disease in august of 04' the neurologist had actually tested me and never told me i was positive until i found out on my own.

When i had faxed the results to my doctor she supposidly called an infectious disease doctor and she said to me "Well i cannot treat you because you only have 2 reactive bands on your western blot and you need 3 or more to be positive."

While my ELISA was positive and i had the 30 kda band and the 41 kda band....I demanded to be tested in 2 months and she said i was negitive....i later found out i was actually positive and the PA department of health had contacted her with a letter asking if she was going to treat me for lyme's disease.

I actually found that one out today, i got all my medical records in hand. My dad says to me "why would someone do that to you?" ...i dont know dad i really dont...she obviously did not care.

~korinne~



 


Posted by janeymae (Member # 7018) on :
 
After having menigitis that didn't seem to go away last January, I was sent to a very nice neurologist, who talked to me a long time and told me he couldn't believe no one had ordered a Lyme test. He called me when the results were positive for late stage and had already made an appointment with my regular dr. office for an appointment the next day!

I took this to mean it was serious. And it explained why I have felt the way I have for, oh, 15-20 years.

When I met the dr. (he was a new one, I hadn't had before) He greeted me with - Hi, I understand you have Lyme. Do you have a tick bite for me to look at?
 


Posted by surg (Member # 6937) on :
 
My "lyme duck" told me I just needed to loose 25lbs. So I did and then I was skinny and sick.
 
Posted by MrsSAM (Member # 7079) on :
 
Mine said "Yes there seems to be something wrong with you but do you want to waste $10,000 of the medical systems money to figure it out" I looked at him and said YAH!!
 
Posted by dafje (Member # 7121) on :
 
I once told an emergency dr. I had Lyme and that I'd had it for 5 years (at that time). His eyes grew big and he said:

"if I'd get bitten that often I would really dislike ticks."

He thought Lyme made you ill for like 2 weeks or a month, so he thought I'd been bitten by at least 60 ticks over the years. Truth is I've only discovered a tick on me twice in my life, and the one that caused Lyme I never even saw. My EM was in my neck so I guess I must've overlooked that one.
 


Posted by brodiemac (Member # 7232) on :
 
Best quotes from Scottish GP to date - "Have you any idea how much a Lyme test costs?". Or how about my favourite - "There is absolutely nothing that says a neurological problem can't start while you are being treated for Lyme Disease - but that does not mean you still have the disease" - anyone explain that one??.

The neurologist was the best -

Husband says "I was being treated for Lyme Disease just when this started - could it still be that?"

Neurologist says "Oh come now, I really don't think so - what do you think?"

Husband should have said "You're the b---- doctor being paid to do the thinking!" but he is far too polite.

Brodiemac
 


Posted by dafje (Member # 7121) on :
 
Yeah I love it when they ask you what it is. My GP said my Lyme was "just puberty". I said "that's funny, I don't see too many kids in my class with red rash all over their shaking, hurting limbs and they don't run a fever every single day EITHER." GP looks at me very annoyed and says: "Well little missy if you think you're so smart then tell me what you have and we'll just say you have that. Don't expect any treatment though."
 
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
 
I can't remember when and where this was...
sometime in the mid 90s.

I went to walk in clinic because I had a sore throat and cough and wanted a strep test. During the history part I told the doctor I had lyme disease.

He knew very little about it and I felt it my duty to educate him (at least a little). I just started spouting all kinds of useful information.

After a few minutes of this he said to me, "You know an awful lot about lyme disease. WHY do you know so much about lyme disease?"

I went on to explain that I knew I had it for a year or 2 and had been through some treatment and thought it was a good idea to learn as much as I could about it.

Then he said, "You shouldn't read so much!"

(I didn't tell him I was running a support group and active in another. Who knows what he would have done if he thought I was encouraging others to read!)



 


Posted by dafje (Member # 7121) on :
 
Yeah trueblue, how COULD you

"Don't try to argue with idiots. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."
 


Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
 
You're right dafje.

Which reminded me of another one.

When I moved to florida, I was very concerned with finding a LLMD. I came from an area that was endemic and had quite a few.

So, I sat down with the phone book and called a bunch of doctors' offices (rhuematolgists, neurologists and even IDs) to see if any treated lyme and how they would treat.

After a few days of this I hit on a rhuemy that sounded promising. I promptly made an appoinment and had them request my records.

I was on tetracycline at the time and she said to continue with what I was on. (It wasn't helping and I was feeling worse but I did for a few months.)

When I felt so bad and knew I had to do something I asked what else we could try; she seemed flustered. (She sounded willing to treat but had no clue how.)

Then she comes out with, "You know I have patients that are in much worse shape than you in wheelchairs, etc. that are working full time."

I ran from her office so fast. She didn't understand the first thing about lyme disease nor did she hear a word I said in those months. (Like I would have chosen to live on pennies a month and be sick and in pain because it was a great deal.)

I called all over the country until I got a referral to my present LLMD. Heh, my disability review papers came a few days later. I can't say enough about good timing.

Please note: Stay away from the rhuemy-duck S. in Boynton Beach Florida.


 


Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
 
double post
 
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
 
upy

Would like to see this in general very good one.
 
Posted by SAK (Member # 7387) on :
 
I have more than one. They go something like this:

1. The ID dr I first went to said "and stay off the Internet, learning about Lyme things. I know."

2. Went to emergency around 3am with a high fever, palpitations etc. I didn't know it was a herx and my parents were frightened by my increasing temperature.

The emergency dr told me: "you just need a good night's sleep. That's all. Plus remember, you have MS."

Oh well . . .
 
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
 
I was also told not to read so much, told about a medical student that read the merck manual and then thought she had every disease. Told I should just get on with my life, got the brush off when I showed the beginning stages of muscle wasting, just a multitude of hints that I was a hypochondriac. Guess if it isn't severe enuf to be noticed by the clerk at the grocery store, or you walk in on your own two feet, instead of being wheeled in, it isn't serious. Offered a whole raft of expensive supplements.

This was not a duck and I was paying big bucks to see him. So, it isn't just ducks that say outrageous things.
 
Posted by Carol B (Member # 9110) on :
 
I have laughed till I cried reading this thread. Whew-almost fell off my chair-it is all soooo painfully funny.

Referred to gastroenterologist for chronic diarrhea-asked if it could be related to lyme-he told me to lay off the laxatives! but I never take laxatives-then go see a shrink.
Yeah like I set myself up to poop my pants in the elevator.

Referred to neurologist who diagnosed seizures and ataxia-asked if it could be related to lyme-told me to lay off the booze- I have been sober for 30 years-not a drop.

Showed GP a rash-Eureka! a fading EM he declares, on my stomach-has me show it to his co workers as if he has just won a prize for the day. Then he examines me and combs through my down under hair for the TICK! Notice I said FADING EM rashl How long do those little buggers hold on anyway. ?

Treated me for two weeks with normal dose Ceftin-after looking it up in a treatment book.
How naive I was back then.

God Bless the LLMD's willing to risk all to help us heal.

Carol
 
Posted by polar blast (Member # 9142) on :
 
stupid docs.....

you must have the lyme virus....

everyones pupil are differant sizes....

you may have had lyme then but not now....

your looking to much into your body...

you have anxiety not lyme...

I am the doc and you cannot think for yourself and tell me what you think you have as you dont have a medical training...

and the list goes on.....
eric
 
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
 
this one is getting a lil worn out with me but

yesterday morning they sent a resident duck to my room....the kid had to be 25..atleast he looked that young.

He says that the hospital is not the place i want to be, sick people are in the hospital , i am young and healthy and believe it or not the hospital has a great affect on people

once i get on with my normal life i will see that things will fall into place. Im young like him and even going to work at a hospital gets to him.

what a hoot...this after my bladder bled for 24 hrs and had to be irigated and i couldnt walk once out of the bed. I cried while he visited me. Then later realized he was just a duck. ugh.

Lucky for me the good duck came to visit...great bedside manner...more of a real human then a duck...and lifted my spirits. said lyme was why my bladder bled. Hoorah for the humans.
 
Posted by bettex99 (Member # 8109) on :
 
hmmmm where to start. Was bit in 1987, had a rash. Neuro Lyme and bad with co infections.

"its in your head"

"you are doing this to yourself, you must accept this"

" you need respiratory therapy to learn how to
breathe correctly"

" you lost weight because you are not eating" doink!

"you have a rare chemical disorder and you will have to live your life in the basement" no kidding, he said that.

"if you are so sick, how come you are not in bed 24 hours a day?"

" you think about your body too much"

husband was under great stress from restraining himself from bopping a doc upside the head.

Patient is confrontational, patient is hysterical


I grew to hate most doctors, and lost respect for them due to such narrowminded , illogical thinking.

I have a great GP whom I am training. Doing fantastic now on Zith and bicillin.
 
Posted by Big B (Member # 8229) on :
 
Long before I knew I had Lyme . . . I had a host of chronic problems, beginning at age 4 with daily headaches, extremely tight, painful muscles my parents said were "growing pains," extremely frequent urination, and as I moved through grade school depression, major bowel problems, etc.

My mom was sick from the time she had me with all of the above and much more, so by 8th grade my dad took me in to my pediatrician to figure out what was going on. I described my bowel problems, headaches, and muscle aches and mentioned that my mom had all these things. Maybe I had IBS or something that she had . . .

Before I could go any further he cut me off and said, "Kids your age don't have these problems." I started to protest - I mean, c'mon, I don't make this stuff up - I want to be normal and healthy! - and he cut me off and smiled patronizingly and winked and said, "You're fine."

Needless to say, after being kicked out of his office, my dad and I were pretty upset. Now we know that I have had Lyme at least since I was four (suspect I may have gotten it from my mother in the womb). I have babesia from who knows where, extremely elevated levels of mercury and lead, and chronic exposure to Stachybotrus black mold.

I'm just fine. Thanks for listening, Doctor Duck.
 
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
 
Hi all

I swear this is 93 percent-- True--

About 5 years after I got sick-
I went to see a Stomic doctor--

I had no
idea what was wrong with me
but I was perty sure I had
- Candida for starters--

I was laying on exam table 30 min.
naked except for one of those
paper exam robes--Very cold-
(Meat Locker)


The doctor was a Germen Dude-
about 50 or 60 --tall and skinny
with thin white hair--
He walked very fast-

He was wearing a White Lab Coat
and looked like the-
- Fearless Leader-
on the Bull Winkle cartoon--

When the doc came into the exam room
he walked quickly to his desk -
sat down and started looking at my forms

He said Nothing to me--

After a minute or so I asked
if he was the doctor?
He answered with Supreme Athority
that-- He Was--

From his top pocket he pulled
a Monical and put it in his
right eye glanced at me- Once

Then continued to look at the forms
and Mumble to Himself-

I had brought a Very Complete
list of my symptoms with me-

(full page-turns out it was
a very complete list of Lyme-
babs symptoms)--

I got up off the exam table
and walked over to the doc
and handed him
My Symptoms List --

He looked somewhat Supprised that-
I had approched him and
had handed him this list--

He examined the list for a few
seconds and started putting
big check marks beside each
symptom and said nuro doctor
for this--Bone doctor for that ect.

Well- I then told the doc that I
thought I had Candida--

He looked up from the papers--
Blood Vains in his bald head started
to Pulse and Grow--
His face turned Really Red -Quickly--

He then Shot out of his chair
to his feet--
Kind of startled me
so I stepped back--

Then All of a Sudden he started
Jumping Up and Down - Yelling-

There is No Such Thing as Candida---
Over and Over and Over---

It took me a few seconds to
figure out what I was witnessing-

Thought Maybe I was on -Candid Camera-
or something

You Know Me-
I am not one to pass up a
Good Jumping Up and Down Session
--so I Joined In--

We were Both Jumping Up and Down

We were both getting some
pert good air-and was kind of fun-

He just keep Jumping and Yelling-

There is no such thing as Candida-
with a Crazed Look on his face-

All of a Sudden he stopped Jumping
and his face turned Bright Red--

Then with a POP- the Monical
he had in his right eye-
shot out and bounced
off the wall 3 feet away
and landed on the floor --

I was in Mid Air and the
Monical landed right under me --

My foot landed right on his
Monical and shattered it
with a Crunch --

I could see this was going
-No Where- so I grabbed my
forms and threw them in the trash--

Then I grabed my cloths and
Hopped Out of the exam room-

Leaving the ducktor still-
Hopping and Yelling--

I thought the Big Veins
in his head were going to Explode -
and I did not want to get
Any On Me --so I hurried-

I was Butt Naked except
for the paper robe --

Im sure Patients and Nurses could
hear all this going on--
Was Perty Loud-

I asked his receptionest if the
ductor was like this All The Time --

She did not say a word but
the look she gave me I
feel this was common--

I hopped out to parking lot
of the hosipital and put
on my cloths--

Total time seeing ducktor-
Maybe 4 minutes--Cost-$175


Ok-Ok I did not hop to
parking lot -I walked--Jay--
 
Posted by psano (Member # 7785) on :
 
One of the ducks who saw me said: "I want you to know that I don't believe in chronic Lyme disease. I believe in it as an acute illness, but I don't believe it becomes a chronic condition."

Just what does he think happens if the acute illness doesn't get treated?
 
Posted by AP (Member # 8430) on :
 
"There is absolutely no way you still have Lyme Disease. You were treated with six weeks of Rocephin. That is all the guidlines call for. It's all in your head. You have Fibromyalgia and CFS. We're testing you for MS as well. But, no, we will not explore your previous bout of Lyme Disease. that part of your life is over."
 
Posted by gambler (Member # 8441) on :
 
Dr. - "I recommend a psychiatric evaluation"

Me - "So...the antibiotics caused me to imagine I felt worse?"

Dr. - "Possibly. You don't do anything for fun-"

Me - "Because I am sick."

Dr. - "-and you aren't married, you don't have a boyfriend...these are red flags, you have psychiatric problems, not an infection."
 
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
 
This thread is priceless.

Here's a few from Neuro duck:

Dripping scorn: "You are Internet doctor."

"Dees are migraines. Ve just need to find your triggers." ( I got some triggers in mind for you.)

"You don't have Lyme. Lyme very rare in California."

"Vot you tink is EM rash just allergic reaction to tick bite."

After being faxed the CDC positive western blot from my LLMD:

"Dis doctor OVERTREATING you. Vot is his name?" (Righteously, as if he hadn't just misdiagnosed me. Barely six weeks into abx with LLMD!)

"If you really got Lyme, all dees brain lesions vill go away."

ME: "No, I think studies say about 50/50 chance."

DUCK: (Emphatically!) "NO! Dey vill ALL disappear if it is Lyme."

Well, they haven't changed in one year, but he'll never get to know, because I refuse to see him any more. He is too pigheaded to read any studies or educate himself. Him and all the other neurologists in the Redding area are the chief reason people think there's no Lyme around here. It's always diagnosed away as something else.

Wouldn't it be nice if doctors put as much energy into trying to find out if you have Lyme as they put into trying to disprove its existence?

Michelle
 
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
 
It took me two days to read this whole 9 page thread, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

After more than 20 yrs. of illness, I could fill another 9 pages with incidents, several of which would have killed me if I hadn't educated myself by the time they happened. I will just post the one that came closest to causing me to commit homicide.

At the time, I had not yet heard of Lyme, and had been told I had fibromyalgia, after being mis-diagnosed with MS for 4 years.....

Rheumatologist: "Why are you taking up my office time? You have fibromyalgia. It will not shorten your life. I refuse to examine you."

Me: "But, I am so sick I cannot work anymore".

Rheumatologist: "So what you can't work. You're a woman, stay home!"

(I would have got up and walked out, but I was wearing a backless gown. I literally had to sit on my hands to keep from hitting this a**hole).

Klutzo
 
Posted by pq (Member # 6886) on :
 
up
 
Posted by JimBoB (Member # 8454) on :
 
My DUCK said: "Where did you get your information, on the internet? You can't believe most of what you read on the internet".

Also, "You do NOT have Lyme, just lingering symptoms. Everyone is cured in 21 days on antibiotics".


"I was bitten twice and cured twice and had the bullseye and was tested positive too".

THAT was last fall. I have NOT been back to HIM since.

Jim [Cool]
 
Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :
 
Although my Mom went to see a doctor for something completely unrelated to Lyme this is a good one...

She went in and had a health concern...I think it was in relation to ovarian cancer...She asked her question in that regard and Dr. Idiot replied, "Well you are going to have to die of something"...

At least he didn't pretend to be someone he wasn't I guess...
 
Posted by elley0531 (Member # 9434) on :
 
from a food allergist "you are young and attractive, stay out of doctor offices" (no, I'm dead serious) she had so more gems to say too:

Her:-your inflammatory test came back negative. If you were sick, it would show on here.

Her:-you are depressed and have anxiety, you're not ill.
Me:-Depression and anxiety can cause your rib cage to be so inflamed it crackles (proceeded to press on my ribs so she could hear it pop and crackle)?
Her:-your mind is a powerful thing.
Me:-I only got depressed after I started getting physical symptoms.
Her:-You have a problem...there is something wrong with your life.
Me:-I have great friends, an amazing family, a great job, and a fantastic fiance...the only problems I have are physical"
Her: (yelling at me) I am so disturbed by you! What is wrong with you? I am the doctor! Stay out of doctor offices!
 
Posted by Danser (Member # 7373) on :
 
My husband was just in the ER today. When the ER doctor came over to ask about the problem and why my husband has a PICC line in his arm, my dh told him he has lyme disease.

The doctor, " you can't have lyme disease. You look ok to me."

Then he also said "lyme disease is not treated with rocephin."

Good grief! What ARE they teaching doctors these days!

Oh, and there will probably be more to tell - the hospital is sending in an ID doctor tomorrow!
 
Posted by Dave6002 (Member # 9064) on :
 
"I feel I am dying", I finally said the truth, intending to warned the doctor that I had serious problems.

"That just comfirmed my long suspect that you have Hypochondriasis".

Then happily wrote the referal for the mental health doctor.

[dizzy] Never say this to a duck even it's the truth, otherwise you'll end up in mental health center.
 
Posted by gwenb (Member # 7217) on :
 
My endocronologist is arrogant and good-looking -a truly wretched combination. Having being diagnosed with multiple endocrine problems including hyperthyroidism that also displayed as hypothyroidism I finally said, after researching my condition, "I think I might have Lyme disease."

He looked at me very slowly, laughed in my face, and said, "Yes, it was very popular for people to think they had Lyme disease 10 years ago - people were becoming quite hysterical about it, but we don't have Lyme disease in British Columbia."

I then asked him to explain why the US has over 20,000 documented cases on Lyme disease a year, which the CDC say is under-reported by a factor of 10, and why Canada only had 34 cases - he really didn't have much to say.

The next one I swear is true - a friend of mine is a nurse, and she asked an infectious disease doctor at the hospital where she workds why we don't have Lyme disease in British Columbia. He said "because they don't cross the border." He was being serious.

Gwen
 
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
 
Before I knew that I had lyme I worked with a doctor for several years who admitted that she had no idea what was wrong with me. We worked with several very strict and difficult treatments. I was extremely compliant and she was well aware of that. She finally told me that she couldn't help me. Later, I read in my medical records "Why won't Terry let herself get well?"

Like I wanted to spend thousands of dollars and feel absolutely horrible for years on end because I didn't want to get well???

There have been many things over the years that are just as bad or worse but I won't be able to sleep tonight if I start thinking about them now.
Terry

[ 12. May 2007, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: TerryK ]
 
Posted by Hides1 (Member # 6348) on :
 
My case- which went undiagnosed for years:

"You are too stressed" Do you work AND have kids?"

"You need to exercise more and lose weight"

"You need physical therapy"

"You need hernia surgery" This was for an unexplainable pain I had in my groin area that lasted 8 months and mysteriously went away. Nothing had showed up on CAT scans! The doctor got mad at me when I challenged him.

TMJ pain- "You need cortizon shots"

Heart Pains in ER - "You need to relax and they just gave me Xanax upon releaese"

First LLMD after 8 months of antibiotics and not getting better- "This may be as good as you get"! This is the dcotor I went to for three years and he missed my Babesia.

Quotes pertaining to my kids:

I tell pediatrician my husband and I have lyme and I'm concerned about the kids- "Well, what are the manifestations?"

I finally go to Dr. J with the kids and all three get diagnosed. I go back to their local pediatrician with test results, info etc. He says to me:
"You have to watch all these doctors at 1-800-TICK BITE- they are out to take you money" I was floored with that one.
"Bartonella doesn't last long and is blood born"
"You and one other mother are bombarding me with all this information"
"There are other tests besides Quest/Lab Corp?" He knew nothing about MDL or Igenex.

I could write a bokk myself with the endless,senseless quotes I have gotten from docotrs. Luckily I do have common sense and am a fighter and pursued every avenue I could to get my family diagnosed properly.

I just feel for the families who are on the diagnosis carousel and aren't getting answers to their families true issues. I just can't beleive how clueless medical doctors are in regards to this disease!
 
Posted by am36 (Member # 9409) on :
 
this thread has been real medicine for me...


I've had two doctors on two separate occasions tell me that they don't know what this is, but being that I've been sick for a long time and haven't dropped dead yet, whatever it is is not possibly dangerous...
 
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
 
I got the old:

"You have too many symptoms. No one could have that much wrong with them. Obviously, you need to see a psychiatrist."

This from the head of the G.I. Department in a large, prominet hospital in a major metropolitan area that I had travelled 200 miles to go see.

Sheesh. Thanks for the drive-by psycholanalysis, Duckster.

Tracy
 
Posted by surg (Member # 6937) on :
 
Your too fat. Lose 20 pounds and you'll be fine.
 
Posted by Rooster (Member # 11776) on :
 
13 years ago when I was 21, My dad and I went to see a "SPECIALIST" at Shands Hospital in Gainsville Fl.

We stayed at a motel the night before after a long drive from Ga. Hopeful that this guy would be different than the others, and actually try to figure me out between TEE TIMES.

This was a year into major pain that I thought I had gotten after getting hurt on a trampoline.

After telling him that I couldnt play guitar anymore or any of the other things I enjoyed as a 21 yr old, he looked at my MRI and said "Theres nothin wrong with ya" then he walked out of my life.

My father and I sat there almost in tears and really didnt have words for that moment. (we had experienced it so many times before)

Just then, the resident came in and presented me with a "test" that Dr. %$@# thought I should take. Here are a few of the questions:

What is your name?

where were you born?

What year is this?

Who is the President?
(pointing to a map of the USA) Where are you on this map?

I just looked at my father, and we walked out...... Wiser.

To add insult to injury, the resident was really hot.....unimportant you ask? Not when your 21.

Needless to say, I just got diagnosed this week. 13 years later. It is possible that I have been infected since early childhood. He didnt care to try very hard.

He doesnt remember me.
BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET HIM.
Yay!

~R

[ 13. May 2007, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: Rooster ]
 
Posted by Kayda (Member # 10565) on :
 
How about this one:

Lyme burns itself out

quoted by an anesthesiologist!

Kayda
 
Posted by catalysT (Member # 10786) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by kaos:
Doc said, "You have Post-Lyme Syndrome and your symptoms should resolve within 3 years on their own."

I got that same reply! Son's of *****es, honestly.
 
Posted by Walnut (Member # 6585) on :
 
Go to the gyn/ob and mention that I have chronic Lyme disease, am sick and taking antibiotics.

He saids that the antibiotics have taken care of my lyme disease by now, and then tests me for syphilis! [Eek!]
 
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
 
Doc told me " its not LYMES disease" maybe post LYMES. My neck hurts cause I am out of shape. I am losing weight cause Im not taking in enough calories. And if it were LYMES it would've shown on my mri?????
 
Posted by canbravelyme (Member # 9785) on :
 
From a neurologist's report (who on a subsequent visit suggested hypnotherapy):

"A. was reviewed recently complaining of tightness of all her muscles, dizziness, confusion, irritability, nausea, vomiting episodes..."

"I suggested that A.[...]try to join a swim club for exercise, strengthening and conditioning. [...] Her episodic symptoms are of a migrainous nature and are best alleviated by relaxation therapy, exercise and conditioning, regular hours of eating and sleeping and reassurance."

That was a year ago...can you say, "seizure"? Exercise? If I even get out of bed, I'm subject to one of these "attacks". Perhaps a little seizure in the pool??
 
Posted by diana (Member # 7466) on :
 
HI all,

At a recent meeting with an MD at a pain clinic-I tell the doc I have lyme disease-he refers to borrelia as infectious agent, but it becomes clear he doesn't even know it is a bacterial infection.

Second visit-doc read up on lyme disease. He is now the expert. He tells me "what WE (we being the medical profession and you being only the ill informed patient) know about lyme disease is that it is totally eraticated within 3 weeks with antiobiotics" and what you have could not possibly due to lyme. I sure wish our goverment would start educating our physicians on tick borne illnesses so these doctors can stop making *** .. of themselves.

Don't even get me started on the internal medicine doc that told me borrelia was a virus and the vector was a flea....

Diana
 
Posted by Lioness (Member # 10655) on :
 
Well, lets see... so many to pick from...

I guess one would be before I was FINALLY properly diagnosed and my neuro symptoms were really kicking in.

I was on my way to see the doctor and was having a tough day. The vertigo and all the other symptoms were out of control.

I was walking across an extremely busy road in the city and my legs gave out and I fell in the middle of the street with cars coming towards me.

Shaken and confused about what was going on, I talked to the doctor about it. (Actually, I beleive I was crying)

His suggestion to cure me was for me to "eat something."

????? [loco]

I walked out and never went back again!!!
 
Posted by sienna (Member # 10980) on :
 
Doc laughs and says "If you go and see enough
people claiming that you have Lyme Disease, you will always find one who will agree with you".
He said this after I had given him a copy of
my 'positive' Igenex result!
 
Posted by lymeladyinNY (Member # 10235) on :
 
I've had lots of outrages.

First, I was told I had postpartum depression and that I didn't want to take care of my children so I was making up symptoms.

Then, I was told there's no babesia in Maryland.

"Your Lyme tests are negative. We did PCR testing, which is extremely accurate."

I was told I most definitely did not have tick-borne illness and the tick bite was an "alleged" tick bite.

Next, I was told I needed to go into a nursing home until I could get over my conversion disorder.

Another "doctor" told my family I was mentally ill because I "laughed too much" for a person who "seemed" so sick.

I was kicked out of a family practice for refusing to see a psychiatrist for making up "fake" seizures.

I was told to stop my behavior or I'd be wheeled to the parking lot at an ER when I screamed with terrible body pain and severe muscle spasms.

My niece, a PA in an ER, told my family I was a drug addict because I occasionally use valium and oxycontin for muscle spasms and pain.

On a trip to the ER in an ambulance, the paramedics were told that the doctor on call was angry they were bringing "that woman" in again.

A psychiatrist diagnosed me with hysterical personality disorder when I seemed to have a fixation on the fact that a tick bit me and I subsequently couldn't walk.

The list goes on and on!!! [cussing]
 
Posted by susan2health (Member # 10446) on :
 
Well, I have to jump in on this.

Before the positive Igenex, I had a board certified rheumatologist tell me after my 20 year illness:

"The good news is that there is nothing really wrong with you. The bad news is that you won't get better, but some antidepressants may help."

This was her synopsis of the official position in the Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue brochure from the Arthritis Foundation. She also gave me the brochure.

I spent thousands of dollars for that ducky report.

P.S. Is there a record for number of responses to a post?

Oh, and the runner up reponse from my family doc: "All you ever talk about is yourself and your problems. What do you do for other people? If you would give some thing positive to the world, you would get back good health."
 
Posted by lymeladyinNY (Member # 10235) on :
 
I have more:

I was taking amoxicillin and I had a bull's-eye rash after a tick bite on my 9-months-pregnant abdomen. I begged the ob-gyn to deliver my baby. She refused, saying my son was just fine because he was getting my amoxicillin. 10 months later, after my son tested positive for Lyme by urine PCR, I called her up and yelled at her, "You'd better treat a bull's-eye rash on a pregnant woman's abdomen as a medical emergency from now on!" She had nothing to say.

An ID duck told me all I needed was one doxycycline and I'd be all better, if indeed I ever was bitten by a tick.

She also said I'd already had too much antibiotic treatment (4 wks. of amoxicillin) and that I was harming my children because I was breathing and sweating out antibiotics and making them resistant! I wasn't even on antibiotics at the time because every duck I went to begging for help refused to give me any!
 
Posted by katieb (Member # 11398) on :
 
the first neuro doctor that I went to didn't know why I was having tremors and prescribed me a heart medication. and also wrote a letter to my medical doctor that all of my blood work for lupus and lyme were negative and I was a young women with nothing wrong. I was 32 at the time.

The 2nd neuro doctor I went to with Severe neuro
symtoms told me I had hyperventilation syndrom and to go home and talk to my husband about taking an anti depressant!

Another specialist asked me if I had any hobbies and how was my marriage. I was wearing a size 0, could not eat, swallowing, think, get out of bed!

The ENT that I saw because of the servere acid reflux that damaged my throat, it was so bad that my teeth were breaking and constricting my vocal and I couldn't swallow pills and felt like I couldn't breath told me that he was calling my medical doctor because I needed a shrink! by the way his wife was a shrink!

Then the gastro doctor that I saw because I couldn't eat for a year told me I had a lot of MS
symtoms and needed to see a neuro! I could go on and on
 
Posted by Munch (Member # 11323) on :
 
I am currently seeing the physican/author of the book "The Triple Whammy Cure". This book covers how to cure fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, TMJ, depression and many other illnesses in just 3 weeks. His thesis is these health problems are caused by low serotonin, shifting hormones and stress. Why isn't "The Cure" all over the news?

He said that seeing a LLMD was dangerous. The antiboitics they use cause liver damage. The speciality labs they use to test for Lyme look for antibodies. Treating antibodies from an old infection is pointless. The immune system has already killed off the infection leaving just the antibodies behind. That's like treating your antibodies to chicken pox!"

My reply was "Borrelia is a spirochete illness
much like syphillis. It's not a herpes virus like chicken pox. Would you tell someone with syphillis they couldn't have penicillin?"

To his credit he ended up writing me a RX for Minocin. The only reason I continue to see him is for the pain meds.
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
In my medical report: "She's very odd -- she wears dark glasses at an indoor medical appt."

In psych report: "Due to stress because she and her family don't agree about chiropractic care."

My ex-internist: "He(ID duck) doesn't think you have Lyme disease." Well, I'll be a duh-duh-duh-duh-ck's uncle...

By the way, I howled when I read the post about the duck who said Lyme disease wasn't in Canada 'cause ticks don't cross the border(from the US) [loco]

[ 17. May 2007, 06:09 AM: Message edited by: Robin123 ]
 
Posted by gailsy (Member # 10536) on :
 
"You are under stress". What a surprise for my doctor when I returned three weeks later with blood work from Igenex showing Lyme. He couldn't look me in the face although he did apologize.
 
Posted by LisaS (Member # 10581) on :
 
My neurologist said that I was manifesting symptoms because I read about Lyme Disease, mind you I had never heard of it until a coule days before when my GP called me and told me I tested positive.

Then the neurologist called my GP adn quized her why I she diagnosed me with Lyme. As he never looked at one of my tests.

Then next time I went to that GP, he said it's not that I think that you're crazy kiddo, and he patted me on my shoulder but here, and he handed me a business card to a psychiatrist.

The ironic part is when I did go to that Psychiatrist she knew a lot about Lyme and was mad at my doc! LOL. That's karma for you. She wrote in her charts, patient here with Lyme Disease and needs help to deal with chronic pain!

So in the end I felt at least a little validated.
 
Posted by lorima (Member # 11925) on :
 
My husband's PCP (who I can't get him to dump, though fortunately husband goes to my LLMD and does what she says):

"Allen Steere is the guru of Lyme disease!"

And he wasn't being sarcastic.
 
Posted by tailz (Member # 10014) on :
 
Not sure if I posted this before, but my PCP said, "Well, you can MAKE yourself lose weight! SPERM can cause protein in your urine!"

The best part was I had no boyfriend, so if the protein in my urine was swimming around, I have more problems than Lyme apparently.

Just goes to show if you are hot, you should never go see a doctor who is old enough to be your father.

My GYN smiled and said to me, "Everything comes back normal. It is all in your head. I strongly suggest you take something if it is offered (meaning Cymbalta)."

Let's just say I used the F word, and I've never gone back and don't ever intend to - ever.

And in my medical records I am reprimanded for 'reading waiting room literature' after having read a sign that something like, "If you have 3 of these 11 diabetes symptoms, you should discuss them with your doctor."

So to be a 'good' patient - don't read, I guess.

I don't even think I can laugh at this thread anymore. What they did to me has scarred me for life.
 
Posted by canbravelyme (Member # 9785) on :
 
Oooh I love this!

Asking neurologist:

"Can you please prescribe to me anti-seizure medication in the interim?"

"No, we believe in, 'Do No Harm'; you've been living with these events for 3 1/2 years, you can wait." [note: next appointment is in 6 months]

"But I'm here because the events are becoming more serious, and I'm experiencing serious cognitive deficits afterward. Can I cause myself permanent damage if this continues?"

He wouldn't say 'no'. Makes me shutter.
 
Posted by dguy (Member # 8979) on :
 
After I had waited months for the appt, and endured the trip (travel makes me ill), the doctor, whose office had no other patients waiting, said "I'm too busy to see you today."

Apparently this duck has quite the reputation: when I later related the story to another doctor, he instantly guessed who it was.
 
Posted by radfaraf (Member # 11909) on :
 
I was told by an acupuncturist that they don't know anything about Lyme disease, yet they still went on to say that I don't have it and should see psychiatrist.
 
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
 
Gosh, I never saw this old thread.

I think besides the "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" for which paxil and xanax

Was Rx'd (but never taken), the duck that

REFUSED to test me for Lyme take the cake (and the icing too) as

We don't have Lyme in Louisiana.

My response "Ok so just test me for it anyways".

His response "You don't have it."

My response "Do you have x-ray vision or something like that where you can see inside MY body?"

Never went back. Did write a nasty gram though after being diagnosed.

Hugs,

Geneal
 
Posted by onthemend (Member # 13454) on :
 
I have a few (of course!)

- "Well, now, you're so upset that you're noticing EVERYTHING"

- "It is more likely to be an undiscovered disease than it is to be Lyme"

- "Can you tell me about your childhood"

- "You have to become TIRED to be able to sleep. You are probably just not active enough during the day" (I am a mother of a young child and a super volunteer plus athlete)

- "Peri menopause (about 10 years too early)

- "You've got to let this go and move on"

and so many, many others. what is wrong with the medical profession?!?! If you ask me, THEY'RE the ones not using clear thinking!!!!
 
Posted by Mtgirl (Member # 13278) on :
 
1) "Why can't you just have something that is easy to diagnose." Obviously, this doctor was unable to diagnose me. I guess I forgot to specify "easy to diagnose" when I ordered from the CHRONIC ILLNESS MENU! (Insert sarcastic tone [Roll Eyes] )

2) "You can't be sick, you're the picture of health!" This was from the doctor who nine years earlier said my EM rash "looked like it could be from Lyme Disease, but it is nothing to worry about."

3) "I'd like you to have some testing to look at your memory issues, but I also want to rule out any psychiatric issues that could be causing your symptoms."
This was after I had just explained that aside from being sick, I actually love my job, and have a very loving relationship with my boyfriend. All psychiatric/mood disorders were ruled out as a cause! Furthermore, although my IQ test showed I have an IQ almost two standard deviations above the norm, my achievement test and D-KEF showed I had "significantly impaired executive functioning, and significant memory impairment."
 
Posted by Mtgirl (Member # 13278) on :
 
1) "Why can't you just have something that is easy to diagnose." Obviously, this doctor was unable to diagnose me. I guess I forgot to specify "easy to diagnose" when I ordered from the CHRONIC ILLNESS MENU! (Insert sarcastic tone [Roll Eyes] )

2) "You can't be sick, you're the picture of health!" This was from the doctor who nine years earlier said my EM rash "looked like it could be from Lyme Disease, but it is nothing to worry about."

3) "I'd like you to have some testing to look at your memory issues, but I also want to rule out any psychiatric issues that could be causing your symptoms."
This was after I had just explained that aside from being sick, I actually love my job, and have a very loving relationship with my boyfriend. All psychiatric/mood disorders were ruled out as a cause! Furthermore, although my IQ test showed I have an IQ almost two standard deviations above the norm, my achievement test and D-KEF showed I had "significantly impaired executive functioning, and significant memory impairment."
 
Posted by joalo (Member # 12752) on :
 
My first duck said, "You can't be sick because you are overweight". (Meaning only skinny people are sick) Quack, Quack!!
 
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
 
All by different "ducks":

1. The first night all my symptoms (almost all of them from the list of Lyme) were dumped on me, I went to the ER the next morning and the ER "duck" told me I had a sinus infection and gave me antibiotics. That made me even sicker the same day and that night I ended up back in the ER (with a different "duck" but still a "duck").

2. It's your "spirit."

3. You need to see a psychiatrist. (And, even though I didn't believe that anxiety, etc. was causing my illness, I went to see one anyway. It was somewhat helpful in dealing with my ILLNESS. I didn't get better, of course, but it was nice to talking to someone without judgement. Therapists can be good...)

4. You have vitamin deficincies. If you take these vitamins, you'll get better. (I didn't, of course. I went back to him and he told me to keep taking them and that eventually they would help. Yeah right! And he kept praising B-12 and Folic Acid. He told me that would get rid of all my problems (when my B-12 level was fine in the first place!!!!)
 
Posted by cjnelson (Member # 12928) on :
 
[/QUOTE] that there was some hidden reason for my illness.... psychological, spiritual, some undealt with issue of my childhood, etc. [QUOTE]
-------------------------------------------------

Spent years going back into therapy and keeping everything dredged up for myself and my family!

Talk about feeling bad now!!!!

#2 - psychosomatic

#3 - stress

#4 - there is NOTHING wrong with you

#5 - ID - reviewed my file only which included a checklist filled out on Lyme symptoms - I check 33 of 38!!!!! "No definitive proof of Lyme" Refused to even see me in his office!!!!

#6 - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

#7 - Depression - loved this one! I said - I have them, dreams, desires...but I cant seem to

get the energy to do any of them - Depressed people DONT CARE!!
 
Posted by DW213 (Member # 9590) on :
 
I originally saw a doc about my numb ring finger and pinky on one hand.

He sent me for an electronic muscle test, with the electrodes.

The doc who gave me the test said "you don't have anything that will affect your quality of life."

Hah!
 
Posted by bejoy (Member # 11129) on :
 
From a GP: "You have PMS. You need to embrace your femininity."

From another GP when I am in serious agony: "Look, I told your there is nothing wrong with you."

And from a wonderful and generous doctor after diagnosing me with lyme: "That rash is ringworm."
 
Posted by seewater69 (Member # 11433) on :
 
Hi,

I was wondering if I could contribute to this poll since so much has been said, it is hard.. But Actually...

"Don't panic"

Said the ID Dr in my first consultation with him some years ago when I was much better than now. A few years later I am a mess thanx to his incompentence and that of others.
This sentence has now become a noir standing joke in my family.
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
Check your records for this one: "May be due to functional overlay." This phrase was tossed around a lot in my medical reports over the years as I was trying to figure out what was going on and no one could figure anything out.

I believe it's a phrase used to mean they think there are other functional reasons why we're complaining about not feeling good.
 
Posted by ladycakes (Member # 12619) on :
 
The first thing I got diagnosed with was Fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed after a 5 minute office visit, and no blood work to rule out other possible causes.

me: "I only have 2 tenderpoints, aren't you supposed to have 11?"
rheumatologist: "well, each case is different."
me: "okay, but, I don't have widespread pain, I only have pain in my legs."
rheumatologist: "try these antidepressants."

Why even have diagnostic criteria?


Then I got diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, by the worst neurologist in the world. This is how my visit went.

I showed him my outrageously long list of symptoms.
neuro: sighs, and ROLLS HIS EYES AT ME, "you think you have MS huh?"
me: I... think I'm not a neurologist. Do you think I have MS?"
neuro: "No. This is really a lot of symptoms"

After a 5 minute office visit, he diagnoses me with CFS. THEN orders an MRI, VEP, and EEG even though I couldn't possibly have MS.

He even sent me to an opthamologist to check optic neuritis, since I was having pain behind my eyes when I moved them and seeing spots.

eye guy: "well, your retinas look good, there's no inflammation."
me: "so what's causing the spots?"
eye guy: "benign floaters."
me: "oh. Well what about the pain?"
eye guy: "hrm... dry eyes?"

Are you asking me? He prescribed me eye drops as needed.


But my very most favorite thing was when I told my rheumatologist some of the weird symptoms I'd been having.

He said, "huh."
 
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
 
Thanks for bringing this thread up again. I had forgotten how funny (or pathetic?) it is. Many names still here since I joined in 02.

But so many posters long gone since 02. I just hope they are gone due to being well again.

Pam
 
Posted by roro (Member # 13383) on :
 
I had fever, sweats and joint/muscle pain that responds dramatically to antibiotic, i.e. symptoms resolve after 24-48 hours on antibiotic and return after 1-2 weeks of stopping the antibiotic. I also have swelling, twitching, history of bullseye rash, tested positive for exposure to co-infections, heart valve damage, meningitis, cranial nerve palsy, and every single other symptom of lyme disease, all of these confirmed by neurologists and other specialists.

I was told it could be "drug fever"
me: Isn't drug fever the opposite, i.e. the person gets worse with antibiotic and gets better when going off?

Another explanation was the antibiotics were causing an anti-inflammatory effect.
me:If that were true, wouldn't steroids work better? Steroids cause the fever to spike and worsening of the condition, doesn't that indicate infection?

I have also been misdiagnosed with MS, ALS, dystonia, myasthenia, chronic pain syndrome (which I may still have) CFS, FMS, bechet's, autonomic dysfunction, congestive heart failure, aseptic meningitis, need I go on?
 
Posted by LuLuFlorida (Member # 12066) on :
 
I saw a neurologist becuase I was having heart palpiations, muscle spasms & twitches, fatigue, insomnia, vivid dreams, headaches, shooting pains, numbness and tingling, unexplained fevers, sensitivity to light.. the lsit goes on and on...

Anyways, I told the lady that I had been doing research and though I had lyme disease and had been trying to tell doctors for the past year and nobody would ever test me.

She then replied, "You have anxiety problems. You are alert & oriented and I see no signs of neurological distress. You complain that you have hundreds of muscle twitches a day and I have not seen one since you have been here. I will run a lyme test only because I think that telling you that you do not have lyme will not suffice."

This lady did not schedule a follow up consult and when I called to get the results she was very rude to me on the phone. She also told me I tested negative for Lyme disease. When I went to the hospital to get all of my medical records I saw that she never even ran a Lyme test on me. When a lyme test was finally run 2 months later I was positive.

Gotta love those doctors!
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
I think some of these docs do really know about Lyme and coinfections and are not talking about it because the cost of treatment will be too high for insurance companies to cover, as well as treatment being complicated and they don't want to bother.

I said as much to one rheum who tried to undiagnose me, that insurance companies were behind all this. He walked out saying he was going to write a letter to my doctor. I said, so am I. And I got there first with my letter. Needless to say, I changed all my doctors.

Personally, I think it's time for them to lose their licenses until they're willing to recognize, adequately test for and adequately treat Lyme and co's for the spreading plagues that they are.

Btw, anyone can go to www.ratemds.com and rate a doctor publicly. I have rated both wonderful doctors and ducks.

[ 15. August 2008, 04:15 AM: Message edited by: Robin123 ]
 
Posted by usyankee (Member # 16173) on :
 
I was told by the rheumy too much medical knowledge can be dangerous.

He refused to give me my previous fibro pain med (Vicoprofen) saying he doesn't like to give out narcotics.

He told me I need to quit smoking and get more exercise.

I told him I stopped taking the Mobic because it wasn't helping and it's similar to Viox which is off the shelves. He then wanted to increase it to twice a day.

I said it's a COX 2 inhibitor, and he says it's not (actually it is considered a COX 2 inhibitor in other countries, but not in the US!!) and when I said everyone dies in my family from heart attacks, and I'd rather not take it, he smiled and said everyone dies from heart attacks.

Um.. and this means ....what? Um...excuse me but I would prefer not to die from a heart attack (I am 50) from a drug that doesn't even work (I am taking the generic which I have heard is not for some reason as beneficial as the Brand name, Mobic).
 
Posted by QuietFury (Member # 15829) on :
 
I chased a diagnosis for more than 20 years. In that time I was given lots of labels with "syndrome" and/or "idiopathic" attached to them. Just a few weeks ago I was finally diagnosed with lyme, as well as a few other complications.

In all that time, doctors have said a lot of stupid things to me. The most absurd statement that immediately comes to mind is this one:

About a year ago I went to (yet another) neurologist because of rather severe neurological symptoms. My regular doctor had suggested I see him to get an MRI of my brain. The neurologist told me he didn't want to do an MRI because he didn't want to "look for trouble". I was so stunned that I was speechless.
 
Posted by usyankee (Member # 16173) on :
 
Oh I forgot! I showed him the slight droop in my right eye lid that I never had before. He said he was going to test my thyroid because my eyes were big. I said 'every doctor tests me because my eyes are big...everyone in my family has big eyes.'

'But I see some swelling there." he said.

The tests came back normal thyroid. He never mentioned what he thought the drooping eyelid and swelling were THEN!

I should have asked him at that point, what he thought it was NOW that the tests were negative, but I didn't. I had forgotten why he had originally taken the tests and in my mind I had vowed to never go back.

I had almost forgotten he had taken tests, and he had finally mentioned at the end of the visit they were normal. I had put them out of my mind because he tested in addition to the thryoid...stupid things... Vite D, Fifth's disease (I am 50 years old) ... If he was ruling out something and they were negative, what was it then?
 
Posted by not so sublime lyme (Member # 15185) on :
 
I went to a neurologist after years of increasing balance problems, memory problems, trouble with comprehension, failure to recognize faces and many other neuro issues.

On the written history form I wrote that I do not drink. During the oral history I answered that I do not drink.

His advice to me after a 5 minute exam: "Cut down on your drinking."(!!!)
 
Posted by Hot socks (Member # 14557) on :
 
after my gym found a tick in my belly button that was not tested for lymes or any other disease. She told me that lymes test are like pregancy test you ether are or your not.
 
Posted by Hot socks (Member # 14557) on :
 
after my gym found a tick in my belly button that was not tested for lymes or any other disease. She told me that lymes test are like pregancy test you ether are or your not.
 
Posted by lymielauren28 (Member # 13742) on :
 
I went to an Infectious Disease Dr. and when I told him I was certain I had Lyme he said, "Lyme disease? You think you have Lyme disease?! Do you know how rare that is? It's hardly heard of in the north, and we don't have it at all in the south! And let me tell you girly (yes, he called me girly)if you THINK that's your problem, then you are waay out there and I can't help you."

I replied, "No you can't!" and walked out.
 
Posted by MarlaSue (Member # 14601) on :
 
My first Lyme symptom 27 years ago was a sudden sharp stabbing pain under my right should blade that began in a Statistics class in college and never went away.

I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every doctor, counselor and health practitioner who asked "And how did you FEEL about that statistics class?"
(I got a "A")

My daughter: I took her to a neurologist who said in one breath that someone her age (13) shouldn't be on Zoloft because it was a "strong" medication and in the next breath blamed her severely tremoring legs on "anxiety"

Marla
 
Posted by soonermom (Member # 14494) on :
 
I was going numb all over on my left side (including inside my throat) so I made an early appointment w/my neuro and he told me:

"Don't come back early for your next appointment unless you lose the use of a limb, or go numb from the waist down"

When I finally go back my CDC positive IgeneX results that I had my GP order and brought them w/me to my next appointment and told him that I finally knew what was wrong with me he said:

"You don't have lyme (as he is waving the paper around in his hands), you don't WANT to have lyme, from what I hear it is really BAD!"

you just can't make this stuff up.
 
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
 
I was explaining to a doctor (not my llmd, clearly) how over a year of high-dose antbiotics had helped: my crushing fatigue was gone, along with horrible joint and muscle pain, facial numbness, uncontrollable tremors, brain fog, inability to stand, and daily chest pains. I said how grateful I was that long-term abx had saved my life, and although all my symptoms were not completely gone, I was still getting better, had not had problems with the abx, and before starting treatment felt like I was dying.

The doctor then said, "Yes, but do you have any objective symptoms and evidence? Without objective evidence you shouldn't be taking abx."

(This after I had a positive co-infections test).

[Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by NanaDubo (Member # 14794) on :
 
One visit with my PCP several years ago: I was having horrible ear aches and wanted her to have a look.

She said my ears looked just fine. I said that I thought lyme or certain abx could cause ear pain.

She rolled her eyes, looked at her watch and said "go home and take some Tylenol."

Fast forward to a few months ago. I needed a form signed by PCP to cancel some travel plans.

She said "why would I put my medical license on the line because you don't feel like going on a trip?"

I said "because I don't feel well."

She rifled through my file and said "well, this Igenex thing, we just don't like that lab and this Doctors Data heavy metals test, I've never seen any blood work on you that shows heavy metals".

"I suggest you stop eating food you are probably allergic too (I did years ago) and this will all go away."

"Take the trip, it might be good for you."

Maybe that's sufficient for her medical license to be on the line!
 
Posted by proudmom (Member # 15532) on :
 
Sitting in the drs office one day with muscle spasims, chest pains, extreme fatigue, etc.

I told the doctor what my complaints were that day. After looking in my chart for awhile she said that all the tests i've had in the past were all normal.

my muscle spasms were from stress and I should go get a really good massage.

My chest pains couldn't be explained so she told me not to worry because if it was cancer it wouldn't hurt.

I had just had a friend die from cancer and it hurt him all the time.

For fatigue, quit my job and find something easier.
 
Posted by sans0002 (Member # 16409) on :
 
After moving and therefore getting a new family doc who had only known me for say the last 5 months of my symptoms said

"maybe your just one of those people who over analysizes things and makes yourself sick because of it"

later after he started treating all my symptoms individually I kept complaining that my skin was very very dry, sensitive and reddish tone and he said

"i don't care if you have to sit in a bath of vaseline till we deal with some of your other issues"
 
Posted by Lauralyme (Member # 15021) on :
 
After showing my GP my positive Igenex of Babesia
"Babesia? hmmm I don't know what that is, but I don't think you have it"
 
Posted by Pauline (Member # 10000) on :
 
"YOU DO NOT HAVE LYME DISEASE PAULINE"... "no need to test"... and "come back when you have a babysitter and I can examine you". Then he passed me a bottle of Paxil.

When I DID get tested positive a month later after I ended up in the hospital deathly ill, I wrote a big, long letter to that practice!
 
Posted by Bobidor (Member # 14453) on :
 
I went to see a neurologist because my left side (face, arm, leg, foot...) had gone numb. I had a long list of other neurological symptoms.

His only theory was that they were probably the manifestation of some mediumnic/channeling powers my body was trying to block. I could not believe it!
 
Posted by Dawnee (Member # 15089) on :
 
I went to a neuro who did not perform a neuro exam on me... instead he took a phone call during my visit. He never touched me.
He sent me to another room to have some nurse perform an EEG (she ALSO took a phone call during my EEG)

I was told to come back in a month. When I came back I asked why I never got an exam ....
And the doctor tried to convince me that I HAD had an exam but that I just couldn't REMEMBER!

I got my files..and sure enough, he had made up exam findings. He said my babinski test was normal... uh.. my shoes never left my feet so how do you know that?

Said my reflexes were normal (I went to a new Neuro three days later who found me to have very hyper reflexes)

The list goes on.
Outrageous that he tried to convince me that he'd done an exam, Outrageous that he made up exam findings, Outrageous that the B**tard still has his license.

Dawnee
 
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
 
Responding to Dawnee

I went to a neuro who said he couldn't see why I was having seizures. According the reports he got from my MRI and EEG, everything was normal.

I left the office with a copy of my reports and went to another neurologist recommended by my daughter's LLMD.

I obtained my MRI photos and this neuro and I loooked TOGETHER at all the white spots on my brain.

He said.."it looks like you have had strokes, but I'm guessing it was caused by infection".

How about that? I tested pos for Bartonella a week later.

Kelmo
 
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
 
Hi All

This is a Really good thread and someone
should make a Book out of it- Seriously -

When you read these posts make sure to notice
that Very Few of these people are posting here
Any More - they have gotten well and moved
on with there lives --

You Too Will get Better and Get Your Life back -

The post about the Cheese is Priceless -Jay-
 
Posted by SickRI (Member # 16803) on :
 
We went to a regular doctor a few days ago, before switching doctors.

The first doctor said. "Go home. All you have is a simple virus. You will be fine in 3 days."

In three days, we went to a much better doctor. This new doctor took a bright light pointed to all the red rashes and he said "This is obviously disseminated lyme."

He thinks the first doctor is nuts.
 
Posted by LittleLymie19 (Member # 15610) on :
 
Well, since the conventional docs labeled me a "complex IBS case" a few years ago, their reply to everything is:

"Well, you're just constipated"

I tell them that I've got severe pain in my ribcage, and sometimes I can barely breathe.

"You're just constipated"

I tell them that I'm dizzy and my heart rate drops really low at night, and I'm really short of breath.

"It's probably just the constipation. You're just backed up."

I go to the ER and tell them that my heart is racing, I feel really weak, I can barely stand. It feels like my spleen is super swollen. I've also had diarrhea a few times.

"It's probably because you're constipated"

But I've had diarrhea?

"Yea, that happens sometimes when you're really constipated"
 
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
 
Groovy said:
quote:
This is a Really good thread and someone should make a Book out of it- Seriously -
When my daughter was starting treatment and herxing out of her mind, I printed off this entire thread, put it in a binder, and we would take turns reading it.

It helped us deal with previous years of being jacked around by "specialists"
 
Posted by discdogger (Member # 16798) on :
 
My 1st MD ask how my home life was and if I had been sexually abused. He also said Lyme is not in Alabama.


The 2nd doctor would not even address all of my symptoms. He said we can only look at 2 symptoms. Then he pulled out a medical dictionary and read Lyme word for word and said you don't fit the text book description.


Everyone is different and has different symptoms. They don't want to admit that the patient knows more than them.
 
Posted by janis1023 (Member # 15942) on :
 
"You don't have edema, you are just fat! Don't come back until you have been on the Southbeach diet for 2 weeks."

When I promptly replaced her she "failed" to mail my records to new doctor. I turned her in to the Texas Medical Board, copied her Association and picked them up personally.

She didn't succeed in treating me like I was nothing! I got my records.
 
Posted by Angelica (Member # 15601) on :
 
Yalie shrink turned energy worker "There is no such thing as Lyme disease it is just something people invented and friends tell friends about and then they get it too. I don't want to hear anymore of your Lyme dogma."

He interned at Stanford. He still had the price tag on this plastic grapes draped above the armoire in his office in his zillion dollar fake Tuscan home in the hills. He use to be an emergency room duck.

I stopped payment on his check and wrote him a letter spelling out exactly why. He took it well because he knew he had been abusive.
 
Posted by Ocean (Member # 3496) on :
 
After having been very sick for over a year, back in '97 when Lyme was really not well known here in OH, a doctor told me (after injecting myself with things he made for a few months, to this day I don't know what they were, I was desperate), "You have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and since these injections haven't worked, you will be like this for the rest of your life."

I was 19 years old, I went home and cried for days.
 
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
 
From a neurologist who had (mis)diagnosed me with MS:

"Until you begin to spiritually heal others, you will not heal yourself."

This from a neurologist to a neurology patient, in a neurology practice.

She then told me that she is a medical intuitive as well, and proceeded to try to sell me a painting from the wall of her office, and to convince me to take reiki lessons from her on the side.

At that point, I got smart and found an LLMD.

After 3+ years of treatment, no more MS symptoms and no more MS diagnosis.
 
Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
 
Mine is hilarious:

I had 6 Brain SPECT scans done. Every single one was abnormal. In 2004, my Brain SPECT scan said:


"Cerebral Cortical perfusion ranging from 50% to 70% of max perfusion seen in RT frontal, temporal region, left frontal and parietal regions.

Heterogeneous cerebral cortical perfusion suggesting widespread process such as a micro vascular, infectious, or encephalopathic process rather than large vessel or classic degenerative dementing process."

I was hospitalized in early 2005. I had all my medical records with me. The Infectious Disease specialist came in, and told me "You don't have Lyme Disease."

I said "Dr. _____________ said that I do, and it's supported by 1 psychologist, 1 psychiatrist, 1 infectious disease specialist.

He said "We tested you, it was negative." I said "Testing for borrelia is inadequate, I'm well aware of this fact, and you should be too given the abundant studies available on the public medical database -- Seronegative ELISA and Western Blots."

He said, well that may be, but you don't have Lyme.

I said, well I was bitten by a tick at age 9, I've been sick since, that was 1987. I have a history compatible with the disease, I'm responding to treatment, I have bands showing up on the test, although circumstantial evidence, and I have 6 brain SPECT scans indicating global hypoperfusion and vasculitis."

He says "Let me see them, I'm going to consult the Neurologist overseeing your case." I show him and he reads what you read above, and you know what he said?

"This test isn't yours. Me and the Neurologist agree. You wouldn't be able to talk to us, this is the test of a 90 year old man with severe Dementia, neither of which are you. -- It's a lab error if it isn't yours."

So I say, well I have 6 of them, done at more than one facility. Farmington UCONN, UMASS Memorial, Western Baystate." Are you telling me they're all incompetent or that their equipment is all faulty?

He said "Well I don't know, but these obviously aren't your tests, someone gave you the wrong charts."


He then said "I know your Lyme Disease specialist, him and I worked together for many years -- over 25 years in-fact we've known each other. He's incompetent and a quack. He likes to take a lot of vacations out on his Yhat on weekends. That's what he's doing with your money."

I don't pay him. Medicare does. Medicare has investigated him and found him competent in treating me, and I reviewed his malpractice history. He hasn't had one malpractice suit, nor been brought before any medical board at any point, so I think the burden of proof belongs to you. Additionally, He works 6 days a week, has over 10,000 patients, and he doesn't own a yacht, and It's not very professional to talk about a fellow doctor as you have. I'd recommend that if you two have disagreements, that you two work it out, it's not my problem.

He tried to talk over me, but my family was there and they told him it was time for him to leave. He walked out and he was ****ed. What a ****in' moron.
 
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
 
I had my yellow jogging outfit on the other day.

A person complimented me on how that color looked good on me.

It reminded me of an experience I had over a year ago at my primary doctor's office.

I wore the yellow jogging suit that day.

She took one look at me and said I looked juandiced (sp?) and wanted me to go to the hospital for lab work.

AS I was cruising in my power chair on the way home I looked at what I had on and started laughing.

Of course my lab work was fine.
 
Posted by kim812 (Member # 17644) on :
 
I was told by my PCP that I was the healthiest looking sick person he knew.

I had empty nest syndrome (my sons had been on their own in college for years already)

That it was because my husband worked nights and I was alone

The best one is that I was bored and needed a vacation..hey I would have loved to go away on a trip if only I wasn't so sick!
 
Posted by 2roads (Member # 4409) on :
 
What a great thread.

I really needed to hear how much they make as*()(*)(*_ses out of themselves.

Yes, a book is a must.
 
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
 
When my daughter first got sick, we printed out this entire thread and put it in a binder.

We would read it on days we needed encouragement to deal with the crappy years of seeing doctors who diagnosed her with one syndrome after another.

It's amazing what doctors feel they can say to a patient. Just because they can pass a test, doesn't mean they should be in practice.

We have had more than one doctor lately say, "you must have brucillis, not bartonella"
 
Posted by FancyRatFan (Member # 3088) on :
 
I saw this thread while searching for something else. It gave some good laughs. I thought it would be fun to circulate again.

One of my severe symptoms is light sensitivity and very Sound Sensitive. Any light caused severe pain in my head and Migraines

Doctor told me to go to the beach every day. Start by going 5 min. a day, than 10, etc. and soon I'll be able to go anywhere.
 
Posted by AnnaL (Member # 18464) on :
 
Hmmm...here are my top picks:

1) "No, I won't test for Lyme. We don't have those ticks here." (Um, yes, we do. And I just moved here from Northern CA and went to college in western MA!)

2) MD: "Are you pregnant?"

Me: "No. In order to get pregnant, I'd have to have sex. I haven't felt well enough for sex in months. No sex, no baby."

MD: "I'm ordering a pregnancy test."

3) "You have CFS. CFS is exactly the same thing as chronic EBV. You should feel better in two to three years. Check back with me in a few months."

4) From a yoga teacher, with no medical training:

I was sick because: 1) I don't eat meat. 2) I have bad karma.

And eating dead animals is supposed to give me better karma? Riiiiiiight....

5) MD: "You have low ferritin." (Ferritin levels test out fine.) "Well, it's probably still low ferritin because you don't eat meat."

Me: "But the test showed my ferritin is normal. In fact, all of my labs are perfectly normal. And I've been vegan for five years, and only now am sick."

MD: "Let's give it a few more months. Come back then."
 
Posted by Staris (Member # 17648) on :
 
I agree with a previous responder. Those with horror stories should add their opinions to www.ratemds.com. You don't need to join up or recieve spam or anything. Just fill out a simple evaluation after you find the correct doctor.

The only way some will learn is if they lose business or are admonished publically. Information can be a great equalizer. All patients deserve basic decency and an empathetic experience. Unbelieveable what some of these stories are.
 
Posted by Fordace (Member # 14874) on :
 
one of my doctors asked, How much money do you have???

I was like UGH.............. [Eek!]
 
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
 
Most common question I get when I tell them I'm sick: 'Where did you get your degree from?' and 'What level of schooling do you have?' WTF?
 
Posted by Nicole_Denise (Member # 20620) on :
 
So I'm bringing this back up, because I found it randomly, and thought it was great.

Here are my stories:

Chiropractor/acupuncturist: You don't have Lyme disease. If you did, your knees would be swollen to the size of grapefruits.

(When I still looked sceptical)- It's easy to think you have a brain tumor whenever you get a headache (I had not mentioned headaches or brain tumors)

Family doctor: When I came to him with Lyme- ``People get over Lyme.'' (as in, without treatment).

When I told him I'd already got an ND to sign off on the Igenex test he said sarcastically ``Welll, let's bet on the outcome.''

At drop-in clinic: I was there to talk about muscle twitches/tingling and eye problems.

Before I even got to the eye problems, he interrupted me to ask (3 times!) if I were an anxious person. Then he told me he thought it was stress.

I said I wasn't stressed. He went back to my chart from my previous visit , and started critiquing it!

Him- ``I see you came to us for shin splints. Have you resolved that?''.

Me- ``Not yet. I'm supposed to do physio for periostitis (shin splints'').

Him ``but your bone scan is normal. You can't have shin splints.''

Me ``The sports med doctor said I do.'' Him- ``You can't have shin splints.''

Arg! He was obviously looking for ways to prove I was a hypochondriac! Getting him to test just my thyroid/blood glucose was like pulling teeth!

If my Igenex comes back positive, I'm going to send them all copies!
 
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
 
"Go home and have a glass of wine"...!!! What the...??
 
Posted by Leelee (Member # 19112) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by btmb03:
"Go home and have a glass of wine"...!!! What the...??

I had a similar experience east December in the midst of my horrific Lyme crash.

My PCP said, "Take a Xanax. It's like having a glass of wine." [dizzy]
 
Posted by Oz (Member # 2905) on :
 
Years ago I stopped to help our family doctor and crawled under his car to tie up the muffler to keep it from dragging on his way home from church. On my next visit to his office, when it was time to pay, he told his secretary not to charge me because I did him a favor last week.That was outrageous.
 
Posted by Oz (Member # 2905) on :
 
Years ago I stopped to help our family doctor and crawled under his car to tie up the muffler to keep it from dragging on his way home from church. On my next visit to his office, when it was time to pay, he told his secretary not to charge me because I did him a favor last week.That was outrageous.
 
Posted by Oz (Member # 2905) on :
 
Years ago I stopped to help our family doctor and crawled under his car to tie up the muffler to keep it from dragging on his way home from church. On my next visit to his office, when it was time to pay, he told his secretary not to charge me because I did him a favor last week.That was outrageous.
 
Posted by Oz (Member # 2905) on :
 
Years ago I stopped to help our family doctor and crawled under his car to tie up the muffler to keep it from dragging on his way home from church. On my next visit to his office, when it was time to pay, he told his secretary not to charge me because I did him a favor last week.That was outrageous.
 
Posted by Oz (Member # 2905) on :
 
Years ago I stopped to help our family doctor and crawled under his car to tie up the muffler to keep it from dragging on his way home from church. On my next visit to his office, when it was time to pay, he told his secretary not to charge me because I did him a favor last week.That was outrageous.
 
Posted by Oz (Member # 2905) on :
 
Years ago I stopped to help our family doctor and crawled under his car to tie up the muffler to keep it from dragging on his way home from church. On my next visit to his office, when it was time to pay, he told his secretary not to charge me because I did him a favor last week.That was outrageous.
 
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
 
That sounds nice Oz.

At an ER that my college roommate years ago dragged me to, the ER doc told me I drank too much, to stop drinking so much and I'd feel better.

Another doctor told me I had Somatization Disorder, past emotional trauma was causing my brain to make me sick.

Another told me it was normal to feel this way.
 
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
 
I was told years ago in my quest for an answer that I needed to look to God. Will never forget that doc.
 
Posted by karenl (Member # 17753) on :
 
A University professor ( 600$ for this advice)
I was couchridden since four months:
" Just go out to dance".
 
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
 
A HMO Doctor told me I had great tan lines while he was examining me for dizziness.
 
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
 
That's crazy Feelfit!
 
Posted by pryorka (Member # 13649) on :
 
I handed my ID doctor my western blot and he wouldn't take it. So I handed him my positive babesia FISH test and he wouldn't take it either and said "I don't believe in that crazyness, here I'll give you a prescription for an antidepressant so you'll stop worrying about this nonsense"

I told him to get an education, he billed me $450 for the 5 minutes he spent with me.
 
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
 
"Lyme exists, but I won't test for Babesia or Bartonella because I don't believe in them."

More recently, and my face turned RED RED RED as I stomped like a tomato out the door after this appt.

I went to see a regular doc about something totally different, but once he saw my medication list and asked what all the antibiotics were for, he could not- and oh I tried forcefully to redirect him several times- focus on why I was there to see him.

He only wanted to argue with me about the over-diagnosis of Lyme and cited the old faithful among ducks, that darn New English Journal IDSA article. Oh how I have come to truly despise that publication. It's all I (we) hear from these people. I hate getting caught up in that trap with docs who really couldn't give a doo about what I have to say about it, even with my positive tests and titers, etc. I got nuthin' out of that appt but rage.

On the way out, with his hand on his hip, he smugly said "Good luck with your so-called Lyme and such."
 
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
 
OK, just have to say thanks to all of you who posted. I am laughing so hard I might pee in my pants! You guys have a way with words, no doubt.


On the flipside, of course such occurrences are at the same time sad and disgusting and many have taken a chunk out of us emotionally and have wasted precious time while we waited and searched for our own answers and proper treatment. And understanding and some needed compassion.

Right now it's about 4AM and I'm herxing with some pain and have insomnia and I needed the giggles from the couple of pages I read. Hugs to each and every person here.

Despite the wachadoodles' nonsense, despite their arrogance, despite them giving up on us, we will not give up this fight.
 
Posted by hobokinite (Member # 6132) on :
 
about 9 years ago, a leading Lyme doc in the NY area told me to get my affairs in order. Well, I ain't dead yet.

He also asked me if I was a praying amn -- I wasn't tehn, so his words did click and some years after that, I became a minsiter at a healing minsitry.

I am no way healed of Lyme or allergies, but I am not bead and that is a blessing!
 
Posted by hobokinite (Member # 6132) on :
 
about 9 years ago, a leading Lyme doc in the NY area told me to get my affairs in order. Well, I ain't dead yet.

He also asked me if I was a praying man -- I wasn't then, so his words did click -- I better find out who this God Character is before I kick. Thus, some years after that, I became a minsiter at a healing minsitry.

I am no way healed of Lyme or allergies, but I am not dead and that is a blessing!
 
Posted by hope4sofia (Member # 20577) on :
 
The most hurtful Dr I went to was an endocrinologist. I just wanted him to check my thyroid and glucose. Told him it felt like I was having bad hypoglycemic episodes.

He actually got angry with me. Him, "Do you get periods?" Me-"yes, but they're not normal..." Him-"you get periods, You can't have hypoglycemia if you're not diabetic!"

He then opened his door in front of all the waiting patients, called his receptionist over to tell her how ridiculous I was and yell at me. I left humiliated and in tears.
 
Posted by hope4sofia (Member # 20577) on :
 
When I was 17, they told me my dysautonomia was because I was young - I'd grow out of it.

When I was 27 they told me I was a young mother - of course I was in pain and exhausted. Must be post-partum.

When I was 33 they said... well, welcome to aging. Have you seen a counselor? Even had a Dr ignore me and talk to my husband about my emotional state and how good religion was for the mind, body and soul.

The last Dr I went to because my heart was beating out of my chest and I was having throbbing pains in my left arm said, "Have you tried Valum?"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is there no age when a woman is allowed to feel well?
 
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
 
the older I get actually the more serious they are with me.

They just say they dont know, and do take me seriouslly. Still doesnt help though.
 
Posted by EllieP50 (Member # 15936) on :
 
After being diagnosed with Lyme (positive blood test,bell's palsy, bullseye rash) I stayed on doxy. for 4 weeks then stopped as directed. My rash had been going away, but when abx. stopped, the rash got ragged again on the edges and active looking. I called the ID doctor and his nurse told me couldn't be Lyme - the doxy. killed the bacteria. I said "How come the rash is active again then?" She said "Maybe you leaned against poison ivy or something else." - I said "It's in the exact same place (the rash never really went away) and only became active again when I stopped doxy." She said, "Well all I can tell you is it isn't the Lyme. It's just a coincidence that you have contact dermatitis there!"

It's really hard to get anyone to believe this conversation took place but it did! (my pcp put me right back on doxy. so it wasn't a problem).
 
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
 
An Infectious Disease specialist I went to (before I knew I had Lyme) told me, with a derisive smirk, that I just needed "a pep talk", and maybe some exercise.

He said I might have "post-infectious CFS."

If I had listened to him and left it at that? I feel 100% certain I would either be dead now or have permanent heart and brain damage. I had been sick with Lyme for more than 30 years, and not long after that appointment, I was bedridden for months.

Guess his pep talk didn't work so well.

Now with a year of antibiotics, I am well on the road to recovery. Once I am doing really well, I wonder if I should pay this person a visit and give them some information on Lyme.

Maybe a whole giant binder chock full of Medical and Scientific Literature on Lyme disease. Something like what the ILADS just gave the IDSA for their review.

I'm thinking I just might do this with all of my previous docs that misdiagnosed and mistreated me.
 
Posted by peacemama (Member # 17666) on :
 
"You may have Lyme, but you have to stop thinking you might have passed it to your kids. It is NOT possible."
 
Posted by Starfall1969 (Member # 17353) on :
 
I don't think I've had any quite as hilarious as some I read on here, but I heard all the usual.

NEUROLOGIST: I have seen people with Lyme Disease, and YOU do NOT have Lyme disease.

(Fast forward 6 months when I was diagnosed with Lyme and Ehrlichia)

DUCK #3: (After looking at my chart but not examining me) You seem to have some anxiety and stress issues. You should see a psychiatrist and take some Lexapro.

(Never saw the psych, but took the Lexapro--almost killed myself after one dose, just went off the deep end.

Yeah, that's just what I needed)
 
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
 
i can't remember but i think i already posted this.

one doc said "your breathing problems and shortness of breath are because you're boobs are too big".

another said "your bra is too small".....

and one idiot (lymetoo knows who this is), literally threw me out of his office and told me to come back when i understood english!!!!! (english was my major in college, he was middle eastern...)

another ask if i was sexually abused as a child.

and the usual "how's your marriage"...type comments.

and one finally did say "well i never thought there was anything wrong with you in the first place."
 
Posted by Jane2904 (Member # 15917) on :
 
I think the best one for us came from a Boston Hosp. After reviewing our daughters labs from igenex, they said she was adequately treated and probably didn't have Lyme.

Forget about it, "Don't label your child" Even though she had many symptoms.

Sent us home, said anxiety!!!!!!

Almost one year later, we are retreating for Lyme and now treating for Bartonella. Per Well known LLMD pediatric.
 
Posted by lymetwister (Member # 19590) on :
 
Your follow up appt. is 15 min. and it will cost $400 Cash.
 
Posted by catskillmamala (Member # 12536) on :
 
Looking right at my positive babesia FISH bloodwork THE local ID doc said "there is no babesia here, it's only in Shelter Island, so this must be a false positive."

He was referring to a 1996 study that found babesia in ticks on Shelter Island, but hello, do birds not fly? Do deer not swim? Do infectious diseases not migrate?
 
Posted by sickpuppy (Member # 23846) on :
 
Neurologist: "You might be developing Parkinsons" in one breath AND "you need to ignore your symptoms" in the next. Then "you need to go to a psychiatrist." But also "Yes, you DO need an MRI." She also sent me to a rheumatologist and an orthapedist: foot specialist. The hostility escalated when I asked about CFS.

ID duck: "Do you want to be a professional patient?" AND the basic it's all in your head line with a major rant about those who believe in late stage lyme disease.

I almost forgot, a GI specialist said: "You need to drink more, and relaaaaaax."
 
Posted by farraday (Member # 21494) on :
 
I can't pass this up! What a great thread!

I guess the most serious thing was a doctor telling a nurse (on his way out of the room) "Just give her another pad!" while I was hemorraghing on his table after he had performed a biopsy on me.

I had told him I was pregnant, I was throwing up every morning, etc. He refused to wait for test results and so essentially aborted me. The nurse shook her head and said "That's the second one this week!"

They put me on a guerny and rolled me into the emergency room where another doctor going off duty elected to sit up with me all night to be sure I didn't die. I was too young and stupid to sue the miserable man....and my mother and husband too furious to do more than yell at each other. [Smile]

More recently I was asked, ever so politely, not to wait in the waiting room for the doctor. I was so sick in my wheelchair and with my oxygen tank...they suggested I wait in back so I would not upset other patients!

I did not look that bad, just weak and tired. My husband told them ever so politely that we had just decided to find a qualified physician to handle my care...and we left.

Isn't it amazing, with all the stuff we forget, that those painful insults remain with us for a lifetime!
 
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
 
This one is a little different. Not exactly told to me, but about me.

I was "un-diagnosed" of LD by Mayo clinic, without even going there.....HA HA HA!!!!!

My cousin who has been ill for about 2 years went to Mayo clinic recently in search of a diagnosis......(definetly hold the Mayo)!

But anyway, he told them that he had symptoms very similar to his cousin(me) and that I have Lyme Disease.

Well of course they never diagnose anyone with LD, so they gave him a very rare disorder called parsonage turner syndrome.....even though he has classic lyme symptoms and lives in the middle of 200 wooded acres of land.

And here's the clincher......They said they were 99% sure that his cousin(me) did not have LD.

They said parsonage turner syndrome was a genetic disorder, and since he has it, then I probably do to.

And then they told him, there is no treatment for parsonage turner syndrome but that it will go away on its own within 3 years.

Unbelievable what happens at hold the Mayo!
 
Posted by jkmom (Member # 14004) on :
 
My daughter was in the hospital last fall to see if they could do anything to stop her headache. We went in to the ER but she was admitted for a couple of days.

Of course, they had to do their own Lyme analysis and they decided she didn't have it.

She has had a nonstop disabling headache for 2 years. Their opinion? "She needs more exercise."

I asked the doctor if he had ever told a patient that and they went out and exercised and got their life back. He said no.

I also told him that before my daughter was sick, she was extremely active and athletic.

He didn't listen because in her records it says "mother is resistant to the idea that exercise is a major contributor to her illness."
 
Posted by jkmom (Member # 14004) on :
 
I have another one from a different doctor. He also denies Lyme is a possiblity.

My daughter has a tremor, POTS, and extreme fatigue as well as her headache.

I was trying to get him to understand there might be more than just a migraine going on and I asked him about her disabling fatigue. He said we could just give her Ritalin.
 
Posted by linky123 (Member # 19974) on :
 
I took my son to the ER the other night. He had an upper respiratory infection and was having shortness of breath.

We got the local GI doc working some extra hours to put her kids thru college.

Her diagnosis: 'His esophagus is spastic. He needs to take some Maalox."

I said, 'it's not his GI tract, HE CAN'T BREATHE!'

She said, 'No he needs Maalox.'
 
Posted by Brandimc (Member # 22017) on :
 
I saw an Infectious Disease doc and showed her that I was positive for Lyme and Babesia...she said "Well, most of the population has Babesia, so I dont treat that"
 
Posted by psr1 (Member # 22957) on :
 
My daughter had Lyme when she was six. She had chest pain and pain in her large muscles: not her joints. She'd had a tick bite but no rash. The pediatrician said, "children with Lyme never present with cardiac symptoms or muscle pain. You can trust me because I treat Lyme all the time and I go to conferences." By the time I got her to this doc she had an arrhythmia and a strongly positive Lyme test.
 
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
 
I went to the doctor for back pain, undiagnosed, and mentioned the tick bite and the rash but never said anything about lyme.

He said "did you have a temperature of 106 with a rash all over your body"? "No" I said, "they looked like spider bites"(I had three EMs) With great impatience in his voice he snapped at me, "Then they were spider bites and you did not get anything from that tick! There is no lyme disease in Montana. The only thing you can get is Rocky Mt Spotted fever"! He charged me $200 for that visit.

Rocky Mt Laboratory is less than a mile from the hospital that employs him, and it is where they are trying to identify this new strain of borellia. I went to 6 doctors and they all told me there is no lyme disease in Montana.

From a lyme doctor via an internet site promising a free consultation. Nothing you are taking will cure you You will have to consult with me and that will be $1000 per hour.
 
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
 
My GP, knowing I have lyme, tried to persuade me I need medial marajuana. That would be just great for my brain fog, I said.

How about an antidepressant then?
 
Posted by Haley (Member # 22008) on :
 
Just recently I flew to San Francisco to see a somewhat well known LLMD. He was a character. He mentioned the medicine Alinia. I told him "my doctor says that stuff will kill you." He said, "he's right it will kill you, that's one less Lyme patient we have to deal with."

I laughed. This was one of the first things he said to me. Ha Ha
 
Posted by Need Lots of Help (Member # 18603) on :
 
Having sex with my husband every night would help me sleep better, then I wouldn't feel so tired daily.

This was a psychiatrist. Oh, my husband LOVED him!!
 
Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
 
Last year I had one of my worst chest/heart pains I've ever had. I really thought I was having the BIG one so went to the ER...I never went to the ER for chest pains before this visit.

The ER doctor didn't really find anything wrong with me (surprise -surprise). But he must have believed how much pain I was really in because he said I would be spending the night at the hospital.

They did all kinds of test and blood work all night and I guess they found nothing.

In the morning I had 3 or 4 different doctors come in and talk to me. They must have had a meeting together before talking to me> they all said basically the same thing (WHY ARE YOU HEAR-YOU KNOW THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU).

One of them even said you know there is nothing wrong with you and wanted me to tell him the I was lying about the pain!!! I TOLD HIM TO GO F... YOURSELF AND GOT UP AND LEFT... I ALWAYS RECPETED DOCTORS TILL I GOT LYME...

Steve

[ 08-19-2010, 12:34 PM: Message edited by: steve1906 ]
 
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
 
My GP at my first visit to her, about 2 months after my tick bite--I removed the tick when I noticed it after 3 days, then started having what I later realized were Lyme symptoms within a week after that.

I told her about the tick bite and my symptoms, and asked her if I might have Lyme disease.

She rolled her eyes and laughed and said, "You do NOT have Lyme disease. We don't have that around here. You must have caught a cold virus. Go home and take some Advil."

I protested that I have never before been sick in the summer,

that I have never caught a virus that did not provoke respiratory symptoms due to my asthma--much less twice within 6 weeks (fever episodes), and

I did not know anyone else who had been sick who could have passed it to me or gotten it from me.

I started explaining more about the timing of the tick bite and my symptoms.

She interrupted me and started telling me I did not understand how viruses worked, and if I had been exposed to one, then I would definitely get sick with it, regardless of whether my immune system was strong.

I wondered why she thought that same reasoning didn't apply to bacteria from a tick bite that I KNEW I was exposed to?

Thankfully I kept insisting and got her to give me some antibiotics while I found my own LLMD, and now have a proper diagnosis and am on proper treatment.
 
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
 
I also recall, pre-Lyme, one time when I showed the same GP some research I had discovered about another of my health problems.

She laughed and said, "How can you stand to read all those boring medical articles?" Her manner implied that she did not read them herself.

Um, so how does she keep up with new developments in her field, then?

And shouldn't she be the one reading boring medical articles and then telling me what they say, before I pay her?
 
Posted by tdono7 (Member # 19047) on :
 
When my husband saw an "infectious disease specialist" and told him his symptoms, the doctor said,
"Some people are just really tired for a year".
 
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
 
Cardiologist told me that people with Mitral Valve Prolapse, just notice every little thing in their body.
 
Posted by whimsy (Member # 24351) on :
 
My daughter has been having singular symptoms for about 2 1/2 years, very easy to dismiss as other causes (sports injuries, growing pre-teen, strain, sprain, pulled muscle, low iron, over-did activity, etc, etc). Nothing clicked that it was more than "usual things" until symptoms clustered in Aug of 09 and all of a sudden I thought JRA.

First stop, pediatrician. Lab work ordered, everything is in range, they don't suspect JRA. I tell them that something still isn't right, and that the tests must be false negative because something is going on. They suggest a ped rheumatologist.

Well known children's hospital, chief of rheumatology. Does clinical exam, orders some more lab work, and a foot xray for my daughter's deformed toe (that has gotten progressively worse over the few months before we saw the dr). Xray negative, so on to bone scan. Bone scan negative.

By this time, another mother who was kind enough to email after I posted on an email list (not about Lyme), suggested that I might want to look into Lyme since I had mentioned my daughter was chronically ill. (We start researching).

In the meanime, the rheumatologist sends us to a physiatrist saying it's not JRA, probably FMS, but she doesn't have the credentials to dx that.

Go to physiatrist, they do clinical. They state that the rheumatologists developed the criteria for FMS, they don't know why she didn't either dx it or rule it out. Physiatrist can't help.

Back to rheumatologist. I push for a Lyme test, very reluctantly she orders one. However prior to ordering the labs, she says, "Have you ever even been to Connecticut?" (in a very derisive tone).

Now the funny thing is, I looked her square in the eye and truthfully stated that "Yes, we camped in the state parks there in Aug of 2006"

She answered with the statement that she didn't think it was Lyme, but to make me happy she would order the testing.

We left with an order for the labs and a referral to a pain mangement clinic.

We never went back. (And I also don't have much faith in Children's Hospital anymore.)
 
Posted by bonafidejason (Member # 24472) on :
 
Before both my girlfriend and I were diagnosed with Lyme, we found ourselves in the emergency room sometime after midnight in a small CA coastal hospital. My girlfriends heart raced up to double her normal rate and stayed there for a week.

We still don't know what to think of this doctor.
He told my girlfriend she was fine and that she was just stressed, and needed to learn how to express her emotions. We will always remember how he said, "Get a journal. Jot it down. Burn it. Let it go." My poor girlfriend is stripped down to a hospital gown, terrified at 1 in the morning, is actually struggling with some of the most unnerving symptoms of Lyme, and he says let it go.

Oddly enough, when I explained to him some of the symptoms I was having, he told me flatly that I probably have Lyme Disease, I should get a Rife machine, and move on.

Apparently he came from a family of osteopaths, and he had to work the midnight shift to pay his college debt, but he couldn't wait till he could quit and start his own business as an osteopath.

Weird.

This guy is just a New-Agey twist to an old theme: Which is the God Complex most doctors have. They think they're first instinct is right, and when people exhibit symptoms they don't understand, instead of listening and learning, they privately or publicly condemn you as a crazy.
 
Posted by Alana (Member # 14077) on :
 
Doc quotes:

"Is she depressed?"
our response: not until she couldn't get out of bed because she is very very SICK
his reply: "oh"

"Are there problems at home or school?"
our response: what?
his reply: "well you know, arguing in the household, boyfriend problems..."
our response: do you know any family that doesn't have the occasional argument? Do you know any teenager who hasn't had a boyfriend or girlfriend problem? And, do you really think that either of these things would cause an active kid to go from 100 to 0?
his reply: blank stare due to reality smacking him in the head

"Lyme is cured in 3 weeks"
our sarcastic response: that's awesome...please tell us who cures lyme in 3 weeks--we'll be at his office tomorrow morning.
his reply: doesn't look at us and changes the subject

and tada, famous last words spoken by one doc:

"I don't know what it is, but it's definitely not Lyme"

our response: "So if you don't know what it is, how do you know it's not Lyme? Please tell us what you think it might be so that we can explore that further"
his reply: made believe he didn't hear us and moved on quickly to the next question.

School district quotes, equally ridiculous:

"I think it's all in her head"
our response: um, no and here's some stuff for you to read
their reply: took the literature and probably just threw it out

"She needs to see one of our psychiatrists to rule out other issues"
our response: um, no
their reply: "we recommend this"
our response: um, no...again, a little louder in case someone didn't hear us the first time

"What does she do all day?"
our response: what?
their reply: staring at us, waiting for an answer
our response: she sleeps, sleeps, sleeps, eats, tries to do her schoolwork and then sleeps, sleeps, sleeps.
their reply: "Oh"
our response: heavy sigh, eyeroll and throwing hands in the air.


If all our experiences weren't so pathetic and disturbing, it would be funny, wouldn't it? Maybe one day we'll look back at all this and be about to laugh at all this ridiculousness.

[ 02-16-2010, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Alana ]
 
Posted by BrianF (Member # 24286) on :
 
A month after my PCP diagnosed me with Lyme and immediately put me on amoxicillin, I went to the local Infectious Disease guru who told me flat out, "You don't have Lyme." When I told him I had the classic bulls eye rash, swollen glands, exhaustion, sore creaking joints, shooting pains, tinnitus and vision problems he said, "That could be any number of things."

When I said I had done research online, he laughed and said, "You shouldn't believe what you read on the web. Those people are just chronic whiners looking for attention. Here, I'll give you the name of my friend who is a rheumatoid arthritis specialist. He'll help you."

He also said there was no such thing as chronic Lyme and since my test was negative, I definitely didn't have Lyme. Aaarrgghh!!
 
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
 
How could a negative test rule out something that doesn't exist?

And they think WE have problems with rationality, good grief.
 
Posted by Wonko (Member # 18318) on :
 
Well, other than having 4 neurologists and 1 rheumy all telling me that under no circumstances was it even remotely possible that I have Lyme, I think my overall favorite came from my PCP.

After visiting her about 1/month for a year with my concerns, I finally knew to request a Western blot (I was negative on the ELISA 2 or 3 times).

She refused, on the grounds that "It's too likely to give you a false positive."

Yeah, yet she had no problem putting me on oral steroids without knowing what was wrong with me.

And I live in an endemic area, and have lived in them all of my life.
 
Posted by Got Lyme? (Member # 11109) on :
 
After testing was done by my Reumy, he tells me that I have mono (old) and that the antibiotics will help the inflamation???

Inflamation from mono?

I went to a neuro duck (already on antibiotics from a LLMD) to see be sure that there weren't any other conditions besides the lyme.

Nuero says, you must have MS, you're symptoms are the same and you are already being treated for lyme.

Well, after testing..no MS.

Now he says I have spinal stenosis....more testing, no thats not it.

I ask, "Do you think it could be from the lyme disease?

He puts his hands up in the air and backs out of the exam room says, "I'm not getting involved!" and left me there.

They should all loose their license for treating their patients so badly!
 
Posted by pj1954 (Member # 11722) on :
 
my favorite was from the idsa doctor as she read me the results of my blood tests and said there is no lyme disease in illinois. so why are you here, as I sat there sweating like I was in a sauna and shaking like a hooker in a convent she then asked me why are you sweating like that when she and her nurse both had on heavy sweaters and were freezing. I replied as I got up and walked out of her office what do you think im here for in the first place your supposed to be the doctor. two weeks later I was diagnosed with babesia!
 
Posted by lymebytes (Member # 11830) on :
 
I have learned ONE thing, when an MD tells you that you need to see a shrink, that is it, they can't figure out what is wrong and it is Lyme. It happened w/my son and husband too and as soon as they recommended it was all in their heads, I KNEW they had LD too and they did.

There are too many to count. I actually posted the illiterate responses on my website (below). I copy and pasted a few from my site many stupid things doctor's said and did in search of my answer.

"Stop reading the internet and let ME be the doctor!!!"
"Oh, please none of the pain makes sense, get a life, you are fine, here go see this chiropractor".
"Numbness on one side of your body, that doesn't make sense and you sound crazy saying it"
"Are you ready to talk about your emotional problems"
Dr. Can I please see a neurologist? "No, we know what this is and so do you". What is it? "It is anxiety".
"If you smoke stop and you will be fine, I tell everyone with any problem that is the answer".
As I sat crying, a Neurologist shrugged his shoulders and patted me on the back "I don't know what's wrong, hope you feel better soon!"
"Well we have tested you for everything, it can only be anxiety, depression or fibromyalgia" When I shot back an angry look he said, "Well, maybe I don't know you well enough to say that, but there is NOTHING else it could be!"
"You have tender points it is fibromyalgia"
Hospital visit - "Why are you on pain meds? That is ridiculous, this is obviously a chronic stomach issue, follow up with your primary".
Lastly I insisted on an LD test and to be given antibiotics while the test was pending. 2 weeks later the doctor called "'Your lyme test is negative, did the antibiotics help" I said, "No, I felt worse." Doctor response "Then it obviously isn't lyme".
"You are very high strung, obviously it is anxiety, just look at you" (I could barely walk now at this point and I was losing function I was hysterical)
 
Posted by xoxoxox (Member # 18778) on :
 
The Neurologist I saw told me, "At some point, someone is going to tell you that it's Lyme Disease - but you don't have it."

In retrosepct, it was a herx but after treating me with Ceftin for six weeks the Infectious Disease doctor said, "Well, it's not Lyme then. Clearly you're a mess."

But the topper for me was the John-Hopkins guy. While asking about various issues, environment, etc., he through a curveball question in - "Do you ever experience guilt?" and then proceeded to tell me my problem could only be depression. His reasons were because:
1) I've stopped doing the things I like to do (ignoring the fact these were physical activities and it became too painful to do them)
2) I experience guilt.
3) I was emotional.
4) My Quest Lyme test was negative.
5) And because Lyme is hard to get and easy to treat.
 
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
 
#1. FP to me - "I realize you have the tick you pulled off your back but I don't believe it is a deer tick. And I realize you have a bull's eye at the bite site, but I don't believe you have lyme. I believe you have arthritis but since you insist on antibiotics, before I will give you 3 weeks of doxycycline, you must sign here saying you won't sue me if you end up with liver damage, and sign here saying you won't come back to me if you don't feel better."

#2. ER doc to me (about my 7 yr old daughter who had started abx. the day before when she was diagnosed with lyme due to waking up with 13 bull's eyes on her torso)- "She doesn't have lyme. We don't have lyme disease in Pennsylvania."

[ 02-16-2010, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: 17hens ]
 
Posted by motownlyme (Member # 11485) on :
 
Oh where do I start?!

(1)While in ER with crushing chest pain and pressure, shortness of breath, nearly passing out, racing heart,sky high BP. "It's all in your head and you've convinced yourself that you have this mysterious thing -like med students when they are studing think they have rare diseases. Stop reading on the internet. You're just stressed out dear, go home and have a hot cup of tea and try to relax. I know someone who can probably teach you biofeedback - that might help."

(2)"Lyme isn't in WV." from ID Duck. I live 8 miles from the Pennsylvania Border. Ticks are apparently able to recognize borders.

(3) From a very nice endocrinologist after a two hour appointment,"Well you're definitely sick. I don't think it's anything I can help you with though. You'll either get better, Stay the same and learn to live with it, or get worse and someone will figure it out." - Way to cover all the bases Doc!

AND MY FAVORITE...
(4)"Lyme? Did you get bitten by a DEER?" (YES!REALLY!) This was from the RN in a quack's office. After recovering my ability to speak, I patiently explained that the deer don't bite you - ticks do. She still wrote on chart, "Bitten by deer."
 
Posted by purplemom (Member # 21064) on :
 
My daughter was diagnosed with Lyme after 6 to 8 weeks of fevers and muscles aches followed by Bell's Palsy and a CDC positive test. (there was a known tick bite)

5 months after that I ask my pedi about how he would evaluate for re-infection due to her getting more ticks bites.

He send me to a pedi ID doc at the only children's hospital in the state. There I am told: "She probably never had lyme and if she did she is immune from geting it again"

Why did she never have lyme? Because her IgG Western blot never converted to positive and "all my lyme patients with Bell's Palsy have had a positive IgG after this many months"

And the getting "immune from lyme" comment? I just don't know what they are thinking

Interestingly they also said that perhaps she did have lyme and that her IgG never was positive because of early anitbiotics intervention blunting the immune response. but then no ID ever says that about anyone else's test (ie negative due to early antibiotics)
 
Posted by JunkYardWily (Member # 24271) on :
 
I could spend hours reading this thread...

1. "there has never been one documented case of lyme in kansas city" -ID's secretary

2. "youve been tested and the drs cant find anything wrong. its time you see a psychologist" - my so called mom even though she knew that before i got sick i hadnt gone to a dr in 10 years.

3. ``just come on over if you get sick I can just give you some chicken noodle soup'' my brother followed by laughter by my sister

4. the worst was after being very sick for weeks i finally went to the ER not knowing what to do. later that afternoon my PCP's test for lyme came back positive so i went to see him(i had to ask for the lyme test). he asked me how i was doing and i said "not very good, went to the ER this morning" he looked at me like i was a complete idiot and said "now why would you go and do something like that" i want/wanted to choke his eyes out.
 
Posted by Elizabeth In PA (Member # 17790) on :
 
My daughter had a clear bulls eye rash, high fever, and intense right knee pain, our Johns Hopkins-trained, top-ranked Pediatrician treated her with a 30day antibiotic and then declared the Lyme to be gone. We had to return 5 months later with right knee pain so severe, she cried herself to sleep at night for three weeks. The doctor to my daughter:
"I think you just hit your knee against something very very hard."
 
Posted by supergirl (Member # 26936) on :
 
The first doc I went to see when I began feeling sick was my other pcp. I was so out of it I could barely communicate what was wrong with me.

I went in to see her, filled out a form checking off all of the symptoms I was having (typical lymes symptoms)-

the nurse asked me what my greatest concern was and I told her extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain. gave her the form... she gave me a physical, supposedly looked at the form I filled out, talked with the nurse, checked my heart, etc... then looked up at me: well, you look pretty good and ..you don't have any joint or muscle pain... I think you're fine! maybe you need a vacation

[ 07-26-2010, 01:42 AM: Message edited by: supergirl ]
 
Posted by supergirl (Member # 26936) on :
 
This thread rocks! I LOVE the "did you get bitten by a dear?" OMG, that would make this all so much easier! We would all have known right away we were slymed!
 
Posted by LymeMom Kellye (Member # 24807) on :
 
My daughter had been seeing a psychiatrist because she became very depressed after years of being sick and everyone telling her it was either constipation or telling me to just make her go to school.

So off to the shrink we went. He gave her meds for depression. Now she was still sick, but no sad anymore. The Dr said to make her go to school, that she was faking her fever.

The next time we wanted a referral to infectious disease clinic at children's hospital, the pediatrician didn't want to refer her becasue the unexplained fever was depression.

Fast forward six months. After my daughter tests CDEC/NYS positive IgM for Lyme my husband brought a copy of the lab report for his record.

He looked at it and said you don't have Lyme. Then he took my daughter into her appt. and told her that her parents were trying to kill her by making her take abx, and that the LLND was just out to make money off of her! Sad but true!
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
I love that one, bitten by a deer! Pass the buck, won't you?!
 
Posted by NMN (Member # 11007) on :
 
I had a history of over a dozen symptoms going back a year and only after coming down with chronic uveitis the opthamologist ran a barrage of infectious disease tests due to my 2 years travelling the world.

Got no word from the hospital after 2 months so I went to the opthamologist and insisted he get me results right now!!

He came back and said " We have good news ....you came back positive for lyme disease....Its a good one to have....very treatable now go down to the ID department and they will help you"

Went to ID department " WHO SAID YOU HAVE LYME?"

ID consultant walks in with hands in pockets...Says "lyme only exists in black forrest region of Germany and east coast US (as apposed to the jungles of Laos and Cambodia)....You must have got it last month in Germany"(despite illness going back a year).

Gave me 2 weeks of doxy 200 mg a day. After 5 days on doxy my whole body goes berserk. I call ID and tell them the meds are making me worse. The girl on the phone says "come in"

I try to explain I have become ten times worse by the antibiotics and I have awful fatigue and neuro symptoms now.

"You don't have lyme anymore you have post lyme syndrome" Despite still having the chronic Uveitis that landed me there in the first place and now a million other symptoms and had a textbook herx to the doxy.

I insist I need a western blot "he says we dont do that here"

ID doc:"2 weeks of doxy kills all spirochetes"

Refers me to neuro to get my head examined.

It was only after 3 months of requesting my bloodwork did I actually find out I was also IGG positive for Bartonella and the doxy only sent the disease neuro due to under treatment.

6 months later at the neuro despite all this blood evidence of TBI and being disabled and unable to work:

ME: "Antibiotics make me ten time better and I think I have neuro lyme".

Neuro: with 3 junior neuro groupies in the room Laughed and said "you only think they make you feel better".
 
Posted by bill+1 (Member # 24446) on :
 
The first neurologist i went to (this was long before any dx) on about the 3rd visit looked me right in the eyes and said , can you bring this on yourself ? I never went back.
 
Posted by BoxerMom (Member # 25251) on :
 
"You need a soul retrieval."

Actually wrote me a Rx!
 
Posted by LoveSick (Member # 27192) on :
 
ID Doctor #2
"Lyme only occurs in sick deer- it is not transmitted to humans."
 
Posted by Sophie1234 (Member # 26412) on :
 
Neuro told me the increase in size and number of the lesions on my brain were from: "magic".
 
Posted by kday (Member # 22234) on :
 
ER Doc: "Did you do cocaine. All your symptoms look like cocaine"

(Test results come back negative for cocaine)

Doc: "Are you sure you didn't do cocaine. Your young and healthy, and your blood work is fine"

(Receives 15 mg horse tranquilizing dose of Ativan per 24 hours while in and out of ER for a couple days).

Doc: "You've received a lot of Ativan. You might want to figure out how to get yourself off that stuff. You must be dependent."

(I explain my normal dose of Ativan which was about 1/5 the amount/day)

(I suddenly have the strongest feeling ever that I was dying. Infused with 3 mg of Ativan, and still agitated.)

Nurse: "Well, you obviously have a lot of anxiety. I've had anxiety before. You just have to learn how to relax."

----------

Anyways, I was havin a really rough time already with neuro/neuropsych symptoms and had an ADR to an anti-psychotic on top of it that caused all this. Adverse drug reaction was printed on my first discharge sheet. Interviewed by psych hospitals several times and each interviewer labeled my condition as non-psychosomatic organic anxiety.

Most doctors still tried to blame me for my anxiety at the time, ignoring the fact that I was interviewed for an hour and had an ADR to an anti-psychotic that lasted several days. The docs typically saw me for less than 5 minutes.

The fact that I couldn't exercise, had bouts of SVTs in the hospital, and couldn't exercise for years was my fault as well.

Oh, and say the word Lyme to a ER doc; forget about it. It's a bad word. I just say I'm infected with neuroborreliosis as that word seems to go over most ER docs heads.
 
Posted by kellephant (Member # 24885) on :
 
great post!!!

nurse: have you ever wanted to harm yourself?

me: no! never!

nurse: have you ever wanted to harm others?

me: no!!!

nurse: yep, you definitely have depression.

doctor: this is OBVIOUSLY a mental problem and you are wasting my time. i am used to helping people who are actually dying!!!

nurse: here's some suicide hotlines. if you think about killing yourself this weekend please feel free to come back here [Smile]
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by BoxerMom:
"You need a soul retrieval."

Actually wrote me a Rx!

So where did you go to fill it? At the sole (soul) pharmacy in town?
 
Posted by littlebit27 (Member # 24477) on :
 
My PCP looked at my blood work ordered by my LLMD one day. He says...

Doc: "Oh, mycoplasma-that's rare-no one gets that, and since your blood work on your body fighting an infection is normal it's nothing to work about-it's not THAT high"

Me: "Um, ok..."

Doc: "Chlamydia Pneumonie, this is women problems, means you have vaginitis, you've been exposed to the STD (then looks at my husband)"

Me: "Um, no, it's says Pneumonie, it's like any other pneumonia, has nothing to do with an STD. You catch it from people coughing and sneezing."

Doc: "No, no, it definitely means you've been exposed to Chlamydia. So you have Chlamydia."

REALLY?!?!?!

He has also told me Lyme doesn't exist in GA. People with ehrliclia are much more sick than me with a high fever and a couple day of abx takes it away.

Then goes on to say LLMD's are only out to steal people's money, but who is he is to argue with success. What??? That didn't even make sense.

He is so stupid.

Someone really does need to make this into a book.
 
Posted by Rene (Member # 4870) on :
 
When I went for an evaluation to see if I qualified for disability. I saw a Psychiatrist who told me that my problem was I needed to be more social, make friends and hang out at Starbucks. All I needed was some social interaction!!!!!
 
Posted by RESOLVED. (Member # 24991) on :
 
idiot #1 "You have no active infection in your body"

idiot #2 "There's no Lyme in Florida" If I had a dollar for everytime a doctor told me that I could....afford my Lyme treatment..yeah, that's it!

idiot #3 "It's not Lyme, it's life"

idiot #4 "You've been healthy all your life so you're really noticing every little symptom.."

idiot #5 "You don't have Lyme now and you've never had Lyme"

Like all of you, the list goes on and on.
 
Posted by Cyndy (Member # 26693) on :
 
Called the doc asked her to do a Lyme test. It Came back positive. She ordered 14 days of Doxy. Several days later I got 2 letters cancelling my appts for the rest of the year.

I had just had blood work done and my triglycerides were 715. Keep in mine I weight 125 lbs. No diabetes or anything else that goes along with high trigs. Even though she had cancelled my appts I needed to find out if I had gotten them down. So I called for an appt to find out. (They had gone down to normal on Lovasa.)

She just pretty much ignored me with her nose in the computer screen. I told her I wanted to talk about the Lyme test. She said "yes you have Lyme!" with a hateful tone. "it's right here in front of me. You do have full blown Lyme."

Me. "Well what are we going to do about it?"
Doc. "I have treated it. It's gone."
Me. "No it's not I'm still sick."
Doc. "All the symptoms you have are from depression"
I proceed to tell her that other how sick I have been and other drs. said it was either Fibro or RA they didn't know. They did lots of tests ruling out MS etc. etc.

Then I say "I'm not a doctor but I know that Fibro doesn't cause HIGH fevers and RA doesn't cause HIGH fevers and depression doesn't cause HIGH fevers. It's the first thing that has ever come back absolute and I want to treat the LYME."

Well by then I was crying and she says "See there, you're depressed."

Me. "it's not depression, I'm crying because I'm crying out to you for help and you won't give it." There's a lot of conversation left out here but you know the drill.

Anyway, she determines she is not going to do anything further. And makes the comment "I cancelled all your appts. You didn't have to come back!"

She offers to refer me to a ID and I tell her I don't need her referrals. I start to walk out crying uncontrollably.

She says "But you need help."

I turned to her and said "YA THINK!!!!!!"

When I got out I looked at my check out sheet and she had written in big letters. NO COPAY NO APPT.

There were a lot of people standing at the check out window. I walked up slammed the paper on the counter right in front of the others waiting in line and reiterated NO COPAY NO APPT!!! and walked out.

I now have a good doc and am on IV Rocephin no thanks to her. Oh yeah...I got a questionaire a few days later from the clinic where she works wanting to know about my visit with her. HUM what should I say?

Well I'm not like her so I guess I won't get to down and nasty. I'll just pray....heaping coals of fire on her head.
 
Posted by jjbc (Member # 27661) on :
 
A neurologist told my daughter...

"Drink more gatoraide, the electrolytes will help flush everything out".

She also told her to "stop eating chicken nuggets!" now what does that have to do with anything.

But I guess in the dumb Dr's defense... this was before she tested positive for Lyme.
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
I found out a lot of charts said I had an undetermined amount of functional overlay. When I read that, I had no idea what they were talking about.

Then I found out it's doctor code for the patient is complaining as a way to get out of facing life's responsibilities. Get it? That's the secret function of our complaining.

Yeah, right. I think life's responsibilities are easier to handle than what we've been put through.

To be replaced with "Doctor shows determined amount of nonmedical BS..."
 
Posted by sad1 (Member # 26837) on :
 
While seeing a LLMD...he asked when we would like to come back for the next treatment. He usually waits 3 months but with patients who have an ALS dx, they could be dead by then.

Yup, he said it. and Yes, my husband has that dx.

Without thinking I said, well you could be dead too.

My poor husband didn't know if he should hold me back, say something or what.

We no longer see him. [confused]
 
Posted by DanP (Member # 7501) on :
 
You look great! Go out and enjoy life! versus You live in New York City - how could you have Lymes? (it's the added -s that really made me scream!)
 
Posted by 'Kete-tracker (Member # 17189) on :
 
I asked my PCP, "But what's right There??..."
(I was pointing right at the Constant pain near my lowest rib, just to my right of center)
"...about 1 1/2 inches in?"

"Nothing!" he replied.

(No tests to view the area ever ordered.
No X-ray, MRI, ultra-sound, CT scan... zippo)

But I give him credit for eventually Dx'ing me w/Lyme, based on W.Blots from Quest (Thanx, Immune system!)
 
Posted by 'Kete-tracker (Member # 17189) on :
 
The 'top doc' present in a local E.R. upon being told (by me) that I had recently been diagnosed with Lyme disease...
In a disgusted, highly suspicious tone:
"WHO diagnosed you with Lyme disease?"

"My Primary, Dr. B----- in Dover. CDC+" I replied.
Dead silence... & walked of to check on another patient as I was being wheeled into an exam room.
 
Posted by julier212 (Member # 26408) on :
 
Lyme Disease doesn't exist in Missouri...

Really? Would the thousands living in MO with Lyme Disease agree?
 
Posted by arkiehinny (Member # 26546) on :
 
While seeing my GYN doc for my yearly check up, he noted the meds I was taking (Doxy/Flagyl). I had previously sent my original test results to him for a referral to a ID doc (when I was unaware of the controversy) so he had seen my results. I explained my treatment & that I was seeing a LLMD.
He said,"Your test showed you don't have Lyme. You were only positive for 1 band....you must have 3 or more to be positive."
I replied, "Sure doc...I realize that but the tests are inaccurate."
Later, while in his office going over my exam, I informed him that I, in fact, DO have Lyme & wanted him to be aware of the controversy as I attempted to explain it. He gave me a pompous look.
I said, "Five years from now when the lid blows off this thing you're gonna remember this conversation & realize I was right.....a lot of these women have it....."
He continued to give me a blank stare, looking right though me, no emotion, stoic, unbelieving. He's retiring this year. More power to him.
 
Posted by arkiehinny (Member # 26546) on :
 
Here's one more. I emailed a microbiologist from UAMS who's special study was in Lyme. This is his only part of his reply:
"....there are no Lyme disease specialists at UAMS. This is in large part due to the fact that Arkansas is not an area where Lyme disease is considered to be endemic."
Hahahahah!!! Not an endemic in Arkansas!???!!! What a joke! There's so many people who have it in the NW part that almost all families have at least 1 member affected. No kidding.
 
Posted by lpass (Member # 26781) on :
 
I have a couple from the same doc:

1st I went to him with heart palpitations, trouble breathing, etc. He told me it was all anxiety and that next time I get that feeling I should pop a xanax. He went on to say that after doing so, if I go to a bar, I should only have 1 or 2 drinks or I will surely wake up in some hotel room naked next to some guy I don't know!

2nd I had mentioned that I was dieting and still having trouble losing weight (I have never had a weight problem) so I suggested maybe it's my thyroid. He said "all women who can't lose weight say that. you just need to exercise"
 
Posted by slcd (Member # 5708) on :
 
Let's see...

1) I had a ID doctor (who was supposedly LL) call me a "drug seeker" when I asked if he thought I should give abx another go...

2) After my stroke my PCP told me it was "all in my head". Once I found out I had had a stroke, I have to admit I found that rather humorous cause...yeah! It WAS in my head! lol
 
Posted by luvema (Member # 26650) on :
 
I will tell you few.
The first time I brought lyme to my primary doctor, he said...
"Listen, what are the chances of finding a zebra in your back yard when you go home."
I said, very low chances. And he said, "Zero chances, that's how it is with lyme."

I went to a bone specialist and told him that I am sure it's lyme. He laughed and said, "If it is lyme that means you got bit by a tick and got a rash on your foot. There are some people out there who call themselves lyme specialists, just to waste your money and time. There have not been one case reported here".

Oh, how much I wanted to punch him.

Another one,
Lyme does not exist in Southern California. Stop stressing out and you'll be fine.

A one my dad told me... "Take a swimming class and you'll be cured. If you think positive, you'll be cured"
 
Posted by slcd (Member # 5708) on :
 
OMG! Luvema...are you my sister my dad never told me about???!!! LMAO! My dad CONSISTENTLY tells me that I rely too much on "western medicine" and if I just "think positively", "lose some weight" and "exercise regularly" I'll be all better and won't have Lyme Disease anymore. I think I DO think postively (hey I could hole up and cry over my fate in life constantly and I only do that like once a year! ;-) lol), I'm not THAT overweight and I was barely overweight at all when he started in on me about it, and I don't know about you guys, but both LLMDs I've been too very much warned me about too much exercise...
 
Posted by BoxerMom (Member # 25251) on :
 
Up for more laughs. [shake]
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
Ha, you retriever you!

How about the one about the doctor saying there's no Lyme in Canada because, drumroll please, "ticks don't cross the border."
 
Posted by tickled1 (Member # 14257) on :
 
My GI doc told me if I had another child maybe it would make me feel better.
 
Posted by tickled1 (Member # 14257) on :
 
I actually have tears in my eyes reading these....


....not from laughter.
 
Posted by debilyn (Member # 35753) on :
 
The first ID doc I saw said to me, "My muscles and joints would hurt all the time too if I was 40 pounds over weight."

I wish I had the presence of mind at the time to retort: "Okay, so I'm fat; what's your excuse?"

But I didn't say anything; I just left.
 
Posted by nonna05 (Member # 33557) on :
 
You're fat , 53 and you're ****ed cause you paid for three invitro's.......

I ask what now

He say's get out
 
Posted by Life+Lyme (Member # 33568) on :
 
Where do I even begin...

-"You need to blow in a paper bag." In response to me passing out regularly and having numbness in my extremities.

-A Mayo Clinic neurologist told me the cause of my nerve pain was restless leg syndrome. I never even mentioned anything about my legs.

-In the ER with extreme abdominal pain--we now know it was liver related--"You know you didn't have to come to the ER to get into the clinic upstairs, right?" Yeah, kind of in extreme pain, and I am not dumb. They then sent me home in extreme pain. The nurse felt awful and said "Y'all don't LOOK like drug addicts."

-After telling one dr I had 9/10 on the pain scale, he said EVERYONE has pain sometimes. Thanks for the head's up, doc.

-Most commonly, it is just the complete arrogance and attitude from them on a regular basis.
Geez.
 
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
 
Someone should make this a book!

So the internist said, "Your blood work shows you have a chronic infection. However there is no lyme disease in Montana - I just don't see it - so I don't treat it.

I said, " You believe there is no lyme disease in Montana so that is why you don't see it".

He said, "yes that is right. I don't see it".

I said, "here I am in Montana with lyme disease. I tested CDC positive and never left the state. Are you seeing me?"

I am shown the door.

I don't know if we should laugh or cry. Maybe both.
 
Posted by ktkdommer (Member # 29020) on :
 
When I first started getting really sick, a rheumatologist told me I was allergic to soccer after I explained I feel so sick after being outside in the sun watching my sons play soccer. He changed his mind when my ANA came back elevated.

My son's pediatric gastroenterologist told me that my son would be fine now that I knew he was fine. He showed me pictures of his nice pink colon. Wow! I couldn't even respond.

ER said we needed to get on with our lives and that sometimes this helps. Thank you ER!

Recived a certified letter from PCP stating that she was dropping the family after I inquired about IgeneX testing. She stated we no longer had a two way communication. I knew that long ago.
 
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
 
The first ID doc that I saw said that I was "too young to be sick" (I was 21yrs old). I remember telling him that I was concerned because of my symptoms and that I had lost about 30lbs in less than a month, he said that I was "too pretty to be sick".

The ID doc said if I ever needed to talk with him to just pull him aside in the hallway at the hospital where we worked, no need to make another appt. (I was too sick to work at that time...)

I was too shocked to know how to respond to all of that. My PCP, GI, neurologist, and surgeon had all thought that I needed an ID referral. Surely an ID would be interested in a previously healthy young person who fell ill right after returning home from a foreign country? Wow!

I thought that I had started getting used to the rude comments about Lyme and such but every now and then a doctor surprises me.

Not too long ago I had a hematologist write in his report that I did not make eye contact with him at all during the appt. It was a report full of inaccuracies and inappropriate comments. My LLMD sent me a copy because he was shocked, he knows me well, that hematologist didn't take a second to look or listen to me either.
 
Posted by Summer3 (Member # 35286) on :
 
I had a family doctor tell me that I had a negative attitude towards food. I don't know how he determined that since he never asked me any food related questions...........


A rheumatologist told me that there has never been a case of Lyme bacteria surviving past 28 days of antibiotics. He said I had been over treated and he wouldn't have even given me a week of antibiotics. This was after many known tick bites, a rash, high fever and almost every Lyme symptom possible. He also told me there are no co-infections in my state. He didn't seem to care that I had recently traveled down the entire East coast of the US by car.

I asked him "So what can I do for all of these symptoms? They have been getting worse."

"Nothing" was the reply.
 
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
 
GI doc, after I'd mentioned that my Husband had a rare GI disease: "Don't research things that don't concern you." -- Huh? My husband's disease isn't my concern, even though I'm his caretaker???!

Hospitalist: "We know you can't fake these blood test results" (blood gas test showed ketoacidosis...because I couldn't swallow even my own spit for 5 days) - yet they still insisted I had somatoform (i.e., faking)!

After I got a CDC positive Western Blot (drawn at local hospital & sent to Mayo), I was sent to an ID duck:

ID: "There is no Lyme in Wa. The test is false positive. If you were in Oregon, then it would be Lyme. The positive bands are cross-reacting with something else."
Me: "What would it cross-react with?"
ID: "I don't know."

Allergist (previously, I'd respected this dr. a whole ton because of how outside-the-box he was with allergy stuff): Yells at me for at least 5 minutes about how Lyme isn't chronic, there's no Lyme here, etc.

This same Allergist sent me to a GI doctor to get a feeding tube placed. When he sent records to the GI doc, he sent 1 report, filled with ranting about how I couldn't possibly have Lyme and all the cr@p he'd yelled at me in the appointment. I couldn't believe it when I saw it!

Needless to say, the GI doc didn't want to have anything to do with me and promptly told me there was nothing he could do for me and referred me to Mayo.

Before Lyme Dx, I was constantly being told my symptoms were all in my head.
 
Posted by DanP (Member # 7501) on :
 
"You can't have Lyme, you live in New York City" despite the fact that he knew I grew up in Maine and had a weekend beach house on Fire Island, NY!
 
Posted by joanthebone (Member # 38407) on :
 
Latest remarks that have been told to me by my PCP
~you gave gained a lot of weight, look at this graph!
(I mumble something about how hard my life has been with all these symptoms and my feet hurt so it is hard to exercise while i am in pain)
~You mean you can not control yourself and what you eat?
~I will not give you a referral to that (LLD) doctor because I do not respect his work.
~you do not have Lyme, but I will give you the name of an infectious disease doctor for another opinion. (I declined knowing that the Infectious disease doc would fight with me too. All I have been asking for is a Western Blot. everyone says no!
 
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
 
Gotta love this thread!! I'm sure this will be an immensely long one.

The last doc I saw said only 1 in 1000 people who have untreated lyme become chronic and that chronic lyme was rare even up in Massachusetts and that we didn't have it here in NC.

He basically called my llmd a quack and practically forced me out of his office.

Other doctors have said: You don't have lyme, you are spending too much time online. (Thank God I did spend so much time online or I would never know what is wrong with me)
 
Posted by Dogsandcats (Member # 28544) on :
 
The last rheumy doc I saw looked at my records and only could talk about my pain meds, I said yes, I am in pain.

Second appt, lasted less than 3 minutes. " how are you doing on one plaquenil ". No difference. "ok, then stay on that"
After..of course the discussion of my pain meds. Didn't examine me or look at me.

Oh and yes, I was told I couldn't have Lyme living in California. Does a doctor realize how stupid that sounds? Does no one ever leave their state?


Off topic, but same: I am in charge of HR. Male employee in California gets a garnishment for his 5th child, third partner.
The garnishment came from Virginia. He replies " They can't be my children, I have never been to Virginia". I tried to explain without sounding too astonished, that his partner obviously did move to Virginia after the consummating event.....
 
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
 
Dr. S. from Zurich, THE tick born disease specialist of Switzerland:

'Don't imagine things. You can't have babesia because you still have your gall-bladder. Only people without gall bladder can fall sick with babesiosis. Buy my book, I explain everything there.'
 
Posted by twicebitten (Member # 5412) on :
 
I have many, but will share two:
Neurologist: After watching me walk and asking me about why I took IV Rocephin at such a large dose, and me explaining my llmd gave it to me for lyme...
He says,"there is nothing wrong with you and I will not waste time or money testing you"..further he began asking me, "where are you now?", "who is the president?", and other ?'s you ask psychotic people.
Needless to say, I had to control my anger for fear of him placing me in a padded room. I was still shaking from anger when I returned home an hour later.
My 1st PCP: "IF you do have lyme, you may as well go ahead and apply for disability now"..this was before I ever was treated..I soon left her care. Although in retrospect she was right, just not what I needed to hear at the time.
 
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
 
Infant daughter, with hospital visits for unexplained fevers, constant crying, late to sit up, never crawled, walked late:

Pediatric Dr.s: *shrug shoulders* wait and see, she's fine, and if you stop vaccinating you can't stay in my practice.

Now daughter 4 years old, raving OCD up at night, sensory issues, rages, anxiety.

Head child psychiatrist:
'she does not have autism, can look me in the eye and speak, does not have ADD as she didn't throw all the toys around;
it's your parenting.'

Me: I am in my 40's, educated, have 2 other neuro typical children who don't have any of these issues.
It's not my parenting! Something is going on!

Psychiatrist: Can give prescription for anti-depressant- otherwise, we can't help you.

(She is currently 7 and in treatment for Lyme and co., with me.)
 
Posted by ShakespeareMama (Member # 19170) on :
 
I was 16 y/o. Went to see PCP.

Me: My memory is REALLY bad and it worries me.
Doc: Hahaha You're too young to have memory problems.
Me: I know. That's why I'm here.
Doc: You're fine. Don't worry about it.
---------------------
Flash forward to when I was 29 (last time I went to a doc). Not the same doc. Same town, though.

Doc: Chronic Lyme doesn't exist. I have a friend who knows all about it.
Me: Well, there's SOMEthing wrong with me and I want to know what it is.
Doc: It's probably just depression.
Me: I haven't been depressed for FOUR YEARS straight.
Doc: I can't do anything more.
 
Posted by twicebitten (Member # 5412) on :
 
That is exactly what infuriates me.
Sent to specialist after specialist..only to be told the same thing..we can't help you.

I even had some that didn't dispute the lyme, didn't say they thought it was lyme, but didn't dispute..and still said, "nothing can be done".

I was told that I would just get worse and nothing can be done..
NOT good enough.
 
Posted by linky123 (Member # 19974) on :
 
"Vitamin D will take care of lyme. Just go outside and sit in the sun for a few minutes every day."

This man, a pediatrician and deacon at our church, was sitting in my living room when he said it. Too bad you can't throttle the deacon from your church while he is a guest in your home.

My son said he could see the hair go up on the back of my neck when he said it.
 
Posted by SouthPaw (Member # 35229) on :
 
The night before ID appt. I read here on Lymenet that ID will say:

"We followed all the protocols, there's nothing we can do".

I'd already had two rounds doxy and was still sick. Later found I've had it for 10 years (that's when neuro problems tore my life apart).

Sitting in front of ID with numb face, leg pain, burning feet, dizzy, fatigue, confusion, comprehension problems..... I listened to her babble with claims "there's no evidence whatsoever continued use of abx helps Lyme" and "chronic Lyme is a fallacy" and then she stared me right in the eyes and said:

"WE FOLLOWED ALL THE PROTOCOLS. THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO".
 
Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
 
-
I wanted to wake-up this post....I love reading these

Some years ago I went to a (ID, Doc). I showed him all my paper work, scans, blood work etc.

I even had my report from a local Lab here in Boston, that I tested Pos. for Lyme Disease.

Well this is what he said to me> You don't have Lyme disease, what. He didn't care that I tested Pos.

We all learn the hard way when it comes to (ID Docs).

Steve
 
Posted by Haley (Member # 22008) on :
 
I told one doctor that my primary doc said, "this medicine will kill ya". The new doc said, "yeah, it will, that's one less Lyme patient we'd have to deal with." hahahah. I thought it was funny. I think he was making a joke, but maybe he was serious [Wink]

I just couldn't believe I flew out to see this new doctor and that was the first thing out of his mouth.
 
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
 
THE lyme specialist Dr. Satz from Zurich in Switzerland told me, after I came back from the ER, unable to breath or to move:

"Come back in one year for a check up."

His name has to be here. He's a tragedy doctor and probably killed dozens of his patients for negative diagnosis of lyme, if not hundreds.
 
Posted by Phoiph (Member # 41238) on :
 
Response from PCP after my initial report of bizarre and alarming neurological symptoms, inability to digest food, and sudden, rapid weight loss (down to an emaciated 99 pounds):

"Wow...I wish my stomach was that flat."
 
Posted by canadianmama (Member # 36298) on :
 
On bringing my bed ridden son to Children's Hospital when he stopped being able to lift his head:

"There are three children here I'm ACTUALLY worried about"
 
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
 
Me: Can we do a Lyme test?

Immunologist: All the people who think they have Lyme don't have it and the ones that do, don't know it.

[confused]

(he did not conduct the test).
 
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
 
(While on the acupuncture table with a fresh bulls-eye rash)...

Me: Can you give me antibiotics?

Acupuncturist/PA: No, a bulls-eye rash isn't necessarily Lyme. Let's wait 8 months, if you're still sick we'll consider antibiotics...

(Later in the same appointment...)

Acupuncturist/PA: Now you must imagine healing angels or you won't heal (said in a very threatening voice while waving a box supposedly sending "healing rays" at me)

[shake]
 


Powered by UBB.classic™ 6.7.3