In the last couple weeks, I've talked with 3 mothers locally. Same sad story with each one:
Child had suspected tick bite, bull's eye rash, and/or symptoms of Lyme.

In all 3 cases, the pediatricians made similar comments:
We don't have Lyme disease here.
We don't test for Lyme.
Must have been a spider bite.
Symptoms aren't Lyme, it's her age.
etc, etc, etc. You've heard it all before.

Absolutely drives me crazy to hear these comments, so I put together a Lyme packet with pediatric info included.

My children are grown, but their pediatrician was a neighbor for 20 years & I still see him regularly at our grandsons' games.
He knows my 12 yr old grandson has LD.

I thought a casual chat with him about Lyme would be helpful.
Hoping he would make the other drs in his group more receptive to reading my Lyme packet.
Saw him at the post office this morning, so
I had the chat &, frankly, I'm feeling very nauseous now.

He was so polite & smiled a lot, but disagreed with about everything I said.
His comments (with my replies) included:

"You know we really don't have much Lyme disease here...."
I smiled back & gave him the facts about why statistics here are so low.
Quoted Dr in NC who said LD is reaching epidemic proportions in the Carolinas.
Told him many people are having to go out-of state for diagnosis & treatment.
Grandson goes to Dr Jones in CT.

"You need to be careful about taking Thomas to a dr out-of-state; we have lots of good drs here."
Gave him Dr Jones credials, & the fact he's treated over 6,000 children with Lyme.

"Dr Charles B----- at the Medical University here is an excellent Infectious Disease Dr."
reply- My rheumatologist was going to treat me for Lyme unless Dr Br--- at MUSC talked him out of it. That's what happened & it delayed my treatment another 6 or 8 months.

"You know, part of the problem is there's no good test for Lyme disease."
Well, I agreed with this statement.

I could see I wasn't getting anywhere, so I didn't prolong the conversation.
Thought it would have been very unladylike to "throw up" on the sidewalk, so I came home.

[This message has been edited by cbb (edited 12 October 2004).]
 

I hear you and right now about the only thing I can think of to say is "too bad you didn't throw up on his shoes!"

This is the kind of stuff that causes one to think that SOMEBODY does not want these "health care providers" to address certain illnesses. That perhaps they have a lot of "fear" about acknowledging Lyme disease and tick borne illnesses.

Having said that I am aware of a case in another state (not your's) in which a woman is suing the head ID MD at the leading university teaching hospital because he DELIBERATELY denied her tx for Lyme and had been TOLD to tell patients that "there is no Lyme disease in this state."

Because he "feared" for his job and his position he complied.

Well, well, well...

Certainly I empathize with you and can imagine how it must have been difficult to not give in to intestinal woes!

Maggie
 

Cave just posted this over in Medical and I think you may find some helpful info here that you may want to add to your "packets".
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/028371.html

Just a thought.

Maggie
 

"Thought it would have been very unladylike to "throw up" on the sidewalk, so I came home."

And I guess it is illegal to shoot them, huh?

Actually... you behaved well.. had wonderful intentions.. and were slapped in the face for your heart felt efforts.

You were NOT listened to... and were argued with, by someone who does NOT know... when you were trying so hard to help others.

It hurts. It really does.

How many folks actually take the time to work through their own problems.. and then go on to try to help others.. like you have?

I, for one, appreciate your efforts...

And... I THANK YOU.

In MY opinion...

After facing this same thing over and over..

I have to remember.. and I don't like it... but I have to remember..

You can lead a duck to water.. but you can't make him drink.

And yes.. that hurts too.

I have decided to re-focus my energy and efforts to try and educate patients who WANT help... who NEED help.

And... along the way... I HOPE that the LLMD's we now overwhelm can handle the load until more doctors drop the evil attitudes.. and ..

DO WHAT THEY ARE TRAINED TO DO!

DO WHAT THEY ARE PAID TO DO!

AND...

DO WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO DO TO HELP MANKIND!

I do continue trying to educate SOME doctors.. but with so many of them running around with their butts in the air... as if that is where their ears and brains are located...

I don't waste as much time and energy on those toad heads.

I am convinced that until it happens to THEM personally.. they won't listen. And even if it DOES happen to them... many still will not listen.

I have even heard of doctors who were either REPORTED to the higher ups (some multiple times over this)... and or SUED over this stuff... and they still REFUSE to educate themselves and do what is needed to help Lyme patients.

Sooooooooooooooo.... dear cbb..

Try to remember that every word you type here... every hand you touch.. and every efoort you make IS helping folks who need it.

Don't let the idiot ducks win!

Don't let them ruin your day.

You are TOO important to too many folks to let a web foot here and there stop you from what you do so well.

We WILL win!

There's no way I'm giving up.
I'm just going to Plan B.

One of the pediatricians who needs educating will receive a packet of info about Lyme disease along with a very sweet letter from me. My grandmother always said "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar."
Will try to get the letter written & in the mail right away.

Maybe he'll be interested enough to read the material, maybe not.
If not, I can feel like I gave him the opportunity, but I didn't give up.

Thanks again for all your kind words.
I feel like I've had a great big hug!!