LymeNet Flash: RDH helps Lyme patient by being "aware"

This is topic RDH helps Lyme patient by being "aware" in forum General Support at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by Magdalena (Member # 6096) on :

Here is an example of how one Lymie educated a Registered Dental Hygienist and the hygienist in turn helped another client get help.

Putting together the puzzle pieces

by Kim Nimmons, RDH

``One of my patients reported on her medical history that she was taking antibiotics -- a yearlong course of Doxycycline to treat Lyme disease. She explained how she got the disease, its symptoms, and how she was diagnosed.

While nothing about this condition affected her oral care, I was able to use the information to help another patient. Several weeks after learning about Lyme disease, one of my long-time patients came in for her hygiene visit. She had not been well for some time so I asked her how she was doing.

As she described her health problems, I realized her symptoms were similar to the patient with Lyme disease. I mentioned this to her, and several weeks later she asked her physician to test her for Lyme disease. Her test was positive and she is currently receiving treatment..."
http://de.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=CURRI&ARTICLE_ID=212619&VERSION_NUM=1&p=56

Posted by Magdalena (Member # 6096) on :

Go, Cave!

You hit the nail on the head!

Your comments are so valid!

Yes! In answer to ALL of your questions.

Now, if we had just "known"...like you said hindsight is 20/20!

Thanks,
Maggie

Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :

Help sometimes comes from strange sources, like the pharmacy tech that told me about diagnosing a bullseye rash on someone in the pharmacy. A person that knew nothing about Lyme and didn't have a clue about bullseye rashes.

On the other hand, people have to be open to this. I have tried to get several fibromyalgia patients to consider Lyme. Nothing doing. One is outdoorsy, prime candidate, well educated. She tells me she has had 4 negative titers, therefore, no Lyme. Doesn't do any good to explain about the pitfalls of testing. My current position is that if people have been coping with the symptoms for a long time and are not disabled, well, maybe that is a viable course of action, given the horrible trouble getting treatment, getting insurance to pay, and the chances that it is too chronic to cure anyway. If I could cope without drugs, that is what I would be doing at this point.

[This message has been edited by lou (edited 20 October 2004).]

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