quote:

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Washington lawyer Andrew E. Falk said he noticed the bull's-eye rash on his chest in the bathroom mirror late last August.

"Then I started getting really spooky pains" in his hip, knee and wrist, he said. "It was almost like invasion of the body snatchers."

The blood test for Lyme disease came back negative, but his doctor suspected that that was the problem and prescribed the normal three-week course of antibiotics.

"But after three weeks, I didn't feel particularly better," said Falk, who spends a lot of time outdoors at his Davidsonville home. "I couldn't go out. I couldn't exercise even a little bit. It was like somebody had taken my battery out."

He went to a Lyme disease specialist, who said he should consider an extended course of antibiotics. But Falk's brother, an emergency room doctor, persuaded him that spending months on antibiotics wasn't the answer.

Seven months later, without additional antibiotics, Falk feels fully recovered, but he worries about encountering another black-legged nymph this season.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703716.html
 

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Posted by Leelee (Member # 19112) on :
 
Not good at all.

There's a pretty good discussion going on at LymeFriends about this.

Also at www.washingtonpost.com one can read a lot of reader's comments.
 

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Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Yes, a lot of reader comments. I read them all.

I wrote a letter today... doubt it will be considered... but I did try.


 

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Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
 
i read them all and left mine there ....

I have had chronic lyme disease for 39 years last Christmas! 34.5 years MISDIAGNOSED by 40-50 DOCTORS !!! WHY?


It's because 300 other illnesses mimick lyme disease; ALS, MS, Parkinson's, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, mental illnesses, Bell's Palsy, ALZHEIMERS, etc.


Lyme has been around for over 100 years but was in early 1970s that Polly Murray, Lyme, Conn. pursued why all the kids in her neighborhood were getting sick and brought scientists in and it was diagnosed LYME disease then.


All 50 states have lyme and co-infection diseases; meaning the tick that bite you may have bartonella, babsiosa, erlichia, rocky mountain fever, & list goes on!!


1980 - Jan. 2008 ...all 50 states broken down by years!

http://www.lyme.org/resources/1980-cumulative.htm


Dr. Burrascano's most recent "Diagnostic Hints and 2008 Treatment Guidelines for Lyme and Other Tick Borne Illnesses" @

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines.html


Our lyme disease bills in congress have been there 10 years and haven't gone anywhere.


Please contact your federal house reps to ask them to Co-sponsor, HR 1179, tick-borne disease research/education bill, and this years senate no. NOT assigned yet, but was S 1708.


But who is stopping us from getting our bills on the house/senate sub-committees? It's the IDSA, iNFECTIOUS DISEASE SOCIETY, who have patents, grants, and other conflicts of interest who have paid almost $500,000 to NJ's house chair, FRANK PALLONE.


Now who are YOU going to listen to when you receive that type of lobbyist money??


We chronic lyme/co-infection patients pay ALL OR ALMOST ALL OUR LYME/CO-INFECTION EXPENSES OUT OF POCKET since the CDC has stated they are following the 2006 IDSA lyme guidelines which only IDSA 14 drs. had any input.


Our chronic lyme literate mds, LLMDS, were not permitted to be on the panel and have input although they treat for LONG-TERM antiobiotics vs. the IDSA who treat from ONE pill up to 3 weeks max and you are "cured"! HOG WASH BIG TIME.


They do not believe in CHRONIC LYME; yet by undertreating lyme, you will end up chronic!! That's the facts!


Also, SSDI, social security disability insurance, benefits are extremely hard to be approved for since on the outside we do not look like we are ill and can't perform physical work.


They can't see the 24/7 "construction zones" in our bodies fighting the lyme spirochete invading every oriface of our bodies especially our minds, hearts, lungs, & kidneys!


Unfortunately, MANY ERs are notorious for disbelief in chronic lyme, and will NOT discuss this issue. They don't do thorough testings and getting medical history; they are just in a hurry to get rid of you.


One of my friends has been in the hospital for 1 week. His dr. there will NOT speak to his treating LLMD about the meds he is on, etc.


This same friend also was recently in ER for 9 hours saying they would admit him with mitral valve problems, and yet another dr. comes on duty, and RELEASES him!!


His wife called his llmd, and dr. stated TAKE HIM IMMEDIATELY TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT FOR HIS MITRAL VALVE HEART PROBLEM. That's where he is today!


Please call your federal senators and house reps asking them to CO-SPONSOR HR 1179 and the SENATE VERSION, no. not assigned as yet.


We just want to be TREATED EQUALLY LIKE CANCER, AID/HIV, etc. patients .... no better; no worse ... just EQUALLY.

BettyG, Iowa lyme activist
 

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Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Wow BG... another grand job!

Thanks!


 

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Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
 
tinny, well thank you; happy to take it from this "old' timer who uses her cane to hobble around" ... hehe

to others reading, this is a personal joke from late last night and NOT meant to be offensive to anyone but her sense of humor ok.
 

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