I just had dinner w/a friend whose brother has Lyme disease.
She told me that he's scheduled to have back surgery, but that when he had knee surgery and when they opened him up, there was a milky fluid in his knee and the knee problem was determined to really have been due to Lyme disease.
I told her that joint problems are very common with Lyme disease. I had tons (virtually every) of aching joints with this illness, and I wouldn't have back surgery at this point. If the back problems are due to Lyme, the surgery is going to accomplish nothing.
A long course of heavy duty abx and a heavy dose of patience has eliminated most of my joint problems. As much as we'd like to feel better sooner, surgery isn't going to do anything for our joint problems.
He actually started abx when he still had the bullseye rash, and is doing very poorly. I told her that he needs to be treated agressively with abx, and she said she thought he was...that he had a good Dr. in Pittsburgh.
I hope so.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
i can't wait to have my left hip replacement surgery 3-5-07 noon!
have had chronic lyme since jan. 1970; i've hit rock bottom; not contending with this hip/FEMUR pain any more barely able to get up/down and bending over to make bed! Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Don't rush out and get surgery for joint .
I agree and rush means 2 or 3 years in my case its cleared up.
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
Sure as heck don't get a steroid shot either. It was a steroid shot to my knee that activated latent lyme in my body. The orthopedic doctor had no idea why I was falling apart. He also did not recognize the J-H reaction to the antibiotic given to me during knee surgery.
Which brings up the point that if you do have surgery, you might get a good herx to whatever antibiotic they give you! I was in the worst pain in my life after the IV vanco that he gave me!
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)