Hi Everyone! I live in NEPA too and I was diagnosed Sept. 19th with Lyme disease. I've had extreme joint pain since around April and no one knew what it was. I went to the er and just told me tendonitis because the pain would shift from one side to another. I'm not sure if I got bit a year ago...or in april...I just know I have it now. I'm in the process of getting insurance so I had to go the ER again in West Chester,Pa. They tested me and it was positive. I've been on doxy, they gave me some naproxen too. I'm still having really bad pain and hopefully will be able to see a doctor within the next week. My knees and shoulders are terrible! I'm 25 yrs old and my mom has to help lift me out of a chair sometimes! I have good days and bad days. I just want to keep having good ones! I wanted to introduce myself and would appreciate any help or advice on lyme :-)
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
If you hadn't mentioned West Chester, PA, I would never have figured out where/what NEPA is!!
So do you have an LLMD all lined up?? I'm glad your test came back positive so at least you know what you're dealing with and can get treated!
Hope you are going to see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.
Hang in there.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Hi. Sorry you are sick, but you have come to the right place for help. Lots of nice friendly people here.
What dose of Doxy are you taking? Most Lyme specialist docs prescribe higher doses than regular MD's. If the dose is not high enough you will continue to have symptoms.
Bea Seibert
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
I need coffee*)!*)!! WELCOME*)!*)!! !*)!**!)!*)! Sincerely,
Posted by 2roads (Member # 4409) on :
Hey NEPA!
At first I didn't know what the acronym meant, but I knew it had to be a place endemic with Lyme. Then I remembered where I moved from and got Northeast Pa....West Chester, Pa to be exact.
I'm sorry about your illness. Atleast you know. My family and I all became sick. I sold my home to a contractor, getting less than I should've but much more than you could ever pay me to go back.
People in the Brandywine scuffle about deer hunting, but have no idea how bad the area is. I'm sorry to say you are living in a danger zone. It's so far beyond the beyond. As we all sat inhaling antibiotics, I stared out the window onto my one acre lot looking at the herds camped out on my property. I was a prisoner. I no longer went out there nor my children.
Be careful when you go outdoors.
There is a Dr. C in Mendendall Pa, just a few miles beyond Hanks. Hopefully you know who I'm talking about. If not, let me know. My kids went to see her as well as my husband. I went to Dr. B in New York.
Spread the news. Make your friends and family aware. Tell the Dad who lets his 2 year old daughter crawl on the ground as he cuts wood and gets approached dauntingly by a buck that there's Lyme...I tried too. His wife had been diagnosed with it the year before. They don't listen at first...but soon they will hear. Almost every home in my neighborhhod was affected, and diagnosed, yet still ignorant.
We moved.
Dr. B checked me for Lyme and coinfections. Treated me with an assortment of antibiotics, probiotics and vitamins. The beer and sugar days were over because the bacteria thrive on that. I lost alot of weight. Keep a calender of symptoms until they are 3 months gone-
It will get better, but the lyme strain you have (about 350 kinds in the world, 150 in this country), how many times you've been infected (bacterial load), coinfections, immune system, and genetics all play a part in your illness.
