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Originally posted by minimonkey:

Good news is that I don't test + for any co-infections, [/QB]

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Just be aware that MANY of us here did not test positive for babs, but we found out we DO have it. The tests are not very accurate.

Congratulations on a clearly positive test! At least there is no doubt in your mind!!

Now onward forward to GET WELL!!!!

[ 08. March 2006, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: Lymetoo ]
 

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Posted by SForsgren (Member # 7686) on :
 
I would not bet that you don't have coinfections. If you look at the percentages that they find of each one, the odds are against that being true. Some estimate Babesia 60-70% of the time, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, etc. all have their percentages as well. So do mycoplasma, chalymdia, and all sorts of other things which may not be tick-related but are still co-infections. No one has just Borrelia in my opinion. There are many different things going on by the time someone gets sick. Be sure you don't stop looking for the other issues which are undoubtedly there.
 

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Posted by minimonkey (Member # 8693) on :
 
Thanks for the replies....I know the testing for the co-infections is rather iffy....

I have a *great* LLNP -- I'm pretty symptomatic for babesia, so we are going to treat for that if the sx don't go away with the initial Lyme treatment.

I'm just assuming I *do* have mycoplasma, as it appears that nearly everyone does (lyme or no lyme)-- darn stuff is everywhere.

I'm doing everything humanly possible to strengthen my immune system -- taking so many (well-researched and doctor-sanctioned) supplements and herbs that I'm surprised I need to even eat anymore...(I've even quit smoking,
G-d help me, and I was an *inveterate* smoker! Oh, the pain and the loss! Sigh... )

So, I'm hoping that will help knock out whatever other nasties are lurking around in there.
 

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Posted by shazdancer (Member # 1436) on :
 
Hi minimonkey,

You may want to keep a copy of that Western Blot, just in case you need to show it to any other doctors. 'Course, they'll just tell you you USED to have Lyme, but you're all better now.

Good news that you are healthy overall. A good immune system may mean that you will respond well to treatment. I did!

Looking forward to you haveing some better days,
Shaz
 

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Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
 
Welcome MINI as an official member of our lymies club! Glad you finally got your results back; goodness; you did light it up, didn't you? lol
 

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Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
 
I was almost 3 yrs into this nightmare before I had a positive western blot from Ingenex. That positive test came 2 weeks after doing 6 weeks of IV rocephin. The antibodies were flowing then.

I'll never forget the day I opened that envelope and read positive. I burst out into tears. It was like confirmation that I wasn't crazy, I really had a test that no doubt showed lyme antibodies.

My husband asked me why I was crying, you've known for a long time it was lyme. It's was so hard to explain.

Like so many of you that are new to all this...I would have doubts. How in the world could someone be so sick one minute and then an hour later feel perfectly normal. Back and forth.

So many specialists had told me not or laughed at the idea of lyme. I knew in my heart it was lyme, but the idea of now I had confirmation scared me even more.

My GP was so excited because he had been treating me for all this time with abx and even stuck his neck out for IV with a negative ELISA. So he was happy that I had a LLMD and positive test so he wouldn't be questioned about his treatment.

All that time I didn't realize he was treating me and worried about his career. Needless to say I call him one of my angels. Today he fully supports me doing alternative treatment and tells me he admires me for going out and finding treatment that works for me.

Pam
 

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Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
 
Hi Mini. Welcome to the crazy disease where patients are actually glad to finally get a positive result -- so their ducks will stop calling them crazy. I'm right there with you!! A sip of champagne! Carb-free, of course.




Michelle
 

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Posted by bpeck (Member # 3235) on :
 
Map1131:

Your sentance quoted below I think is the hallmark of late stage untreated Lyme.

Before I knew I had Lyme - I used think someone out there had a zombi doll of me and was practicing VooDoo on me.

Barb

MAP1131 wrote in part:

"How in the world could someone be so sick one minute and then an hour later feel perfectly normal. Back and forth."
 

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Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
 
Hi Mini,
You just had the "Oh S--t!, Hallelujah!" moment a lot of us experienced.

Keep focused on the Hallelujah! reaction.
I danced around saying "It's got a name! It's got a name" - and I don't dance!

Just keep reminding yourself that you have Lyme cornered and are going to win!

Good luck!
Ann - OH
 

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Posted by Gretchen P (Member # 8403) on :
 
I know exactly how you guys feel. When I got official confirmation from Igenex and my llmd I was shocked!

I knew I had it but it was different thinking I had it versus knowing I had it. My 13 yr old daughter was diagnosed in Jan felt the same way also. But I think deep down she is happy her Mom has it too so we can go through this together!
 

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Posted by minimonkey (Member # 8693) on :
 
Yeah -- I'm more on the Hallelujah end of things... this means I can expect to heal, rather than living with a "mystery illness" forever!

Plus, my therapist has finally stopped looking for emotional causes for my pain... that's a plus!
He's actually a great guy... and I think he was more than a little embarrassed by having done that...
 

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Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
 
Mini,

I'm glad you finally have something you can actually point to...I found the same sort of relief when I tested positive after years of inconclusive MRIs and other tests.

To me, this was an incredible relief.

Glad you're keeping an eye out for co-infections. Although my Lyme test was strong positive, I also tested negative for the co-infections.

But 7 months into treatment, all my symptoms pointed to Bart, and now I'm being treated for that.

As someone else mentioned, just be sure you keep copies of the test.

Take care!

Andie
 

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Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
 
bpeck that was funny. Maybe you should let someone practice voodoo on you. I call my muscle testing chiro doc my voodoo doc. People look at me like I'm nuts when I say my doc does voodoo.

They wouldn't understand if I told them the name of his treatments, that would blow their mind too. Until they've walked in my shoes........

I'm happy to say today I have long periods of almost normal health. Well I call it normal, because it's not lyme hell anymore. Then I'm disappointed when it's not so good. Oh well back to the drawing board. I mean back to my voodoo doc.

Pam
 

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