Last year my husband contracted lyme, with coinfections, now it's my turn. I am just going to tell you the straight story, and I invite anyone to tell me all of the things that are wrong with this story so far...
One month ago discovered a deer tick under my are. Next day, burning, red circle around bite area, about 3 inches. Went away within a couple of days. Attributed it to "allergic reaction" (since I get allergic reactions to bug bite all the time), but made mental note to keep an eye out for symptoms. One and a half weeks ago, another deer tick on my stomach. No swelling, redness, nothing (yet). Almost one week ago, pain in elbow, knee, ankle. Very itch, can't hardly see anything, rash on both legs. Extremely tired.
Went to doctor right away, told them I suspect lyme. Dr. asked a bunch of questions, like what did the tick look like (duh!).
Did not give me any meds. Did Western Blot and have not heard back yet. (Wednesday will be a week).
She put my diagnosis down as "rash" and "arthritis". Said does not want to diagnose me with Lyme (or treat me) because then they need to do all of the paperwork with the health dept. They want to make sure first.
So, here I am, waiting all day for the doctor to call me back, feeling like crap. I can feel the glands in my throat swelling as I type.
Even though I know I have lyme, I almost half expect it to come back negative. I'm not sure why. Maybe it hasn't been long enough. If it doesn't show lyme should I get re-tested? Also, what do I say when she only prescribes 15 days of antibiotics, which I know she will do, because that's what they did to my husband?
Thanks for any and all advice... Teresa
-------------------- Powerful Women's Motto: Live your life in such a way that When your feet hit the floor In the morning, Satan shudders & says� 'Oh ****!...She's Awake!!
posted
Well, first I wish you the best and hope for the best, but your post illustrates the problem with this disease so well. I'm in Indiana and they keep saying Lyme isn't in Indiana, problem is, that will always be true until they admit they're wrong.
Posts: 121 | From Memphis, TN | Registered: Dec 2004
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mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
I just sent you the # of a local llmd. The wait and see method of diagnosis is not the best option. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Take whatever antibiotics your PCP will give. Try to get a month as least.
Posts: 1572 | From Pa | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Please follow MLkeeen's advice and get to LLMD. Antibody response is highly individualized and variable according to each patient. It could be a good long while before you have the " gold standard antibody" showing up to let the ducs say " ah, hah, lyme." By then, your goose could be really cooked. Proactive is the way to go. The sooner help is on the scene , the better your chances are against Lyme and any coinfections. My problem was I was asymptomatic until I woke up almost paralyzed: I now live with parents, no longer drive, have to use an electric shopping cart on the days that I am strong enough to go out, and have severe visual impairments. I no longer work as a nurse, work at all. I never saw a tick or a rash. Your position is different , you saw the tick, you have symptoms. The time to act is now, while time can be kind to you. You have the ability to use the information placed in your hands to take care of yourself properly. I probably had been bitten less than a year before becoming symptomatic: look at the damage it has done in my life and like others here some of the damage may not be reversible or replaceable. That is one heck of a price for any of us to pay, because the medical community , on a whole, has no clue about tick borne diseases. If the medical populations were as half as tick literate as the board members here, we might not have this problem in this country OR not as severe.
Bottom Line; Take Care of Yourself. LLMD ASAP!!!
The absence of proof is not proof of absence
Posts: 719 | From Delaware | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
I lived in Wayne. You are in Royersford. I wonder when anyone in health departments will realize that all you have to do in Southeastern Pa is to breath and you will get bit by a tick?
I was looking at Chester County Dept of Health graphs on lyme disease - they are showing 700 cases per 100,000 population for 2004 and I am sure that is using CDC criteria- if you guys want a real shock go to their website.www.dsf.chesco.org Everything is in their slideshow.
Absence of proof is not proof of absence.
Posts: 719 | From Delaware | Registered: Jan 2006
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cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
thanks iceskater!!! Im almost certain my most recent bite happend in newtown square....the first tick came from my former office in Brookhaven. Sad that going to work caused me to be bit, but i agree with iceskater, you can get bit just walking outside.
Im frustrated as i sit here disabled...severe bladder pains...all because the ducks missed it back in 2000 and again in 2005.
My suggestion is dont even waste time with a duck.....i was off an on abx in 2000, my duck knew i was bit..the lab dropped my first vile for the WB so he called me back for a 2nd. he coouldnt figure out why the abx werent helping me.
Find a good LLMD and get proper treatment.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
Teresa: You said, "I invite anyone to tell me all of the things that are wrong with this story..."
Well, what I find very wrong and absolutely appalling is that you have a history of a tick bite, a rash, and lots of Lyme symtoms, but the doctor is unwilling to make a clinical diagnosis because it is inconvenient for her.
She doesn't want to do the paperwork for the health department?
She has just sentenced you to a lifetime of health problems.
Carol
Posts: 6949 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Teresa,
My personal opinion is that I would never go to this doctor again. She does not want to treat you because she doesn't want to do the paperwork?
Would you allow your kids to go to a school where the teacher didn't assign homework because she didn't want to put the work into reviewing it? What if your house was broken into and the police officer said you shouldn't file a complaint because she doesn't want to do the paperwork?
Maybe you should tell her that you would pay her but it's just too much work to write a check
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Thank you all for your information and comments! I know I felt the same way. I mean, I told them I do wildlife photography at Valley Forge Park almost everyday. If anyone is familiar with the overpopulation of deer at the park you would be like "this is a no brainer".
Anyway, thanks again, and I will contact a lyme doctor for both me and my husband.
-------------------- Powerful Women's Motto: Live your life in such a way that When your feet hit the floor In the morning, Satan shudders & says� 'Oh ****!...She's Awake!!
cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
oh my that is a big NO brainer!!!! Sigh.
Im glad your making an appt with an LLMD!!
Just an FYI where i used to work they had a deer population shoot to thin the deer population (leaving more ticks to bite the humans) another no brainer.
Good luck.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Valley Forge Park is a hot bed for our little stealth critters. You could have gotten bit there, but , the sad reality is most tick bites , in an article I read recently happen within a short distance of the home. Great pleasure in knowing I got bit under several sceanrios like taking trash out , groceries in, or going to car to go to work. I never thought patio would be my doing in.The other super hot spot is the mall area too. Go Figure. Just get to LLMD. Stay strong and get treatment. Posts: 719 | From Delaware | Registered: Jan 2006
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Welcome to this 24/7 LYME support group board!
Here's TREEPATROL's and Tincup's combination newbie links.
Print off the links then check them off as you read as you could spend several months reading all of this.
print & read Dr. Burrascono's 2005 info first; you will come back to this often.
Extensive info in Treepatrol''s newbie links about the meaning of WESTERN BLOT IGM/IGG test results from Igenex! Be sure to read or print this info IF Igenex tested you ok!
Also, see Cheryl''s extensive web sites on: LD DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT ... wonderful! Read the area on CO-INFECTIONS! You could have from 1-12 other illnesses that tick is carrying...lyme, malaria, etc.
If you are showing symptoms of co-infections, I would like to suggest being tested for co-infections when you have LYME western blots done. It isn''t cheap!! But if you are positive, you can treat the co-infections first, and then work on LYME symptoms.
mention you have lyme and marshall protocol, they will give you 20% off!
Also they have been kind enough to replace the SCRATCHED LENSES & BROKEN BOWS! How's that for service?
I don't drive often at night, but I can wear NOIR's 901 lenses at night while driving; it creates soft candle lights coming at me...tolerable. NOT to wear in town with all the action of people crossing where they shouldn't be, etc.
from LOU to Betty on LONG web links and Thank You Lou!: "If you hit the return key in the middle of a link, I don't think it will be clickable anymore. An alternative that maybe Betty should be telling people about is the tiny url website. I have it on my tool bar at the top of the page and use it for those incredablylongwebsiteaddresses.
All you have to do is ask tiny url to produce a short version, which it will do with a unique address, which you then use instead in your post. Works just the same when clicked! Here is the website, spread the word!
3-1-06, fyi, I tried dragging tinyurl to my toolbar without success, so that''s why I currently have LONG addresses vs. short tiny ones! I''ll keep trying.
Tincup posted March 8, 2005, 2218 Lyme Disease Survey Responses February 27, 2005 - March 9, 2005 1. How many doctors did you have to see before being properly diagnosed? 112 responses Average number of doctors consulted before being diagnosed- 14 Answers ranged from 1- 120 different doctors 2. Have you had problems getting insurance to pay for doctors or treatment? 87 responses Yes- 63 No- 24
3. Have you lost income because of Lyme disease? 106 responses Yes- 99 No- 7 4. How much does it cost you (average) per month for Lyme related expenses? 61 responded Average cost per month per patient- $4,472.49 Low- $500.00 High- $21,492.00
5. How many different medications do you take per day? 77 responded Average - 14 different medications per day Low- 3 High- 25
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