I live in Alabama. My husband, my three children, and myself all have lyme. I have been infected most my life, and the rest of my family got infected when we lived in Connecticut. I tried a doctor in Alabama that was supposedly lyme literate, but he did not want to treat until all symptoms were in remission, i.e., ILADS way. So we went to NC to see a lyme literate doctor, and unfortunately, I don't think he is going to be able to continue to help us. Now we need a new doctor for the entire family that will treat aggressively, and continually until we are in remission. When we lived in CT, we did see Dr. P in Wilton, and Dr. K in Orange, and then Dr. H in New York. Should we return to Dr. H, or is there someone closer? Is there someone that you think would be better. Dr. H takes insurance, and that is helpful, but the traveling for the entire family is going to be a financial killer, and the kids will be missing school each time. Please all the advise you can throw at me as this is a very stressful decision. "Turn the Corner" has mentioned some doctor in Pineville, LA, but I know nothing about this person. Help please.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I can give you info on two drs.
Check your PM.
Posted by hshbmom (Member # 9478) on :
Hi Lymewreck,
I assume you tried the doctor in your own backyard.
Have you considered getting an Angel fight and staying in a Ronald McDonald House?
I'm in a similar predicament with our family.
Nancy
Posted by Ange647 (Member # 9771) on :
We currently live in Louisiana. The "Pineville" dtr is our dtr. We absolutely adore him. He is wonderful. Not many in the South understand lyme. He does. I would recommend him highly. If you need further info, please email me
Posted by lymewreck36 (Member # 4395) on :
Hi folks. Many very kind people sent me private messages, and there are the ones here as well. I have not had time yet to reply to all of them individually. I can say generally that yes, I did try the doctor in my own backyard, until he started suggesting that I was making up symptoms of my children to get them antibiotics!
The thing is, he says he treats until the symptoms are gone, but he is so afraid of being nailed again by the medical liscensing board that he makes his medical records say that your child is well when you report that she is not. You and your child report knee tenderness and he writes down that the child is in remission. Then when the next visit arrives, he suggests going to one week of medication a month since the child is in remission. You point out that you have continued to report symptoms, as well as the child, and he denies that you did. Then he says that you need to bring your spouse in to confirm what I have said. And he even, yes, goes as far as to say that he has no intention of spending another $10,000. of his own money to defend himself, and he has to explain himself to the insurance carrier. Then, he jumped on the fact that I let my child play soccer when she has lyme disease. I explained that MANY children in the northeast have lyme and continue to play soccer as they are able, and he points out that he is NOT aware of that practice and what kind of parents let their kid play soccer when she is sick.
So yes, I tried the guy, but he is nuts. And during Hurricane Katrina when I had to leave Mobile, I had a terrible adverse reaction to my medication and was HORRIBLY sick. I wrote him a two page email (he was very open to email) beginning with "I am in crisis," and he responded that I wrote too much and was very angry because I had been inappropriate. I recently got my medical file copied from him, and he even mentions my "rant" of email in the medical file. He even told my husband that it was just too long and he can't put up with that.
The man is NOT compassionate at all. His main concern is himself. I know of lyme patients that go to him that he tries one combination of antibiotics on and then abandons them to alternative therapies.
And it is very hard to get his office to return a call. Once I mentioned that I was not getting calls returned because I was desperate to get a precription refilled, and he replied that if I was not satisfied with his office, maybe I should take my family's care somewhere else.
I know that his name is given out as lyme literate by some lyme communities, but it should not be. He is a lunatic, and the poor individual that is not lyme savvy is going to get lost between the cracks for not knowing better.
That is my experience in my own back yard.
Posted by marks (Member # 6965) on :
Hi Lymewreck, I too tried your backyard dr. Everything you have said about him is so true.
I advise you to stay as far away from him as possible.
I have used Dr. C for 18 months taking abx and just returned from Seattle where I saw Dr. K who takes a look beyond abx.
Do a lot of research and make the best decision for you and your family.