For those of you who didn't read my last post about my husband, Dave going to the ER last week, here is the link...
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/026289.html

*** UPDATE ***

Last night Dave said his hands weren't hurting as badly but his legs were swollen and he felt like a truck ran him over.

He was so tired that he feel asleep on the couch. The ER doc did start him on meds last Thursday for possible lyme, so I was thinking that maybe he was having herx like symptoms and wasn't too worried.

He woke up about 3:00 this morning and had such an incredible headache that it brought tears to his eyes.

Prescription strength Ibruprophen wouldn't touch the pain. Also his neck felt a little stiff.

We called the doc and he is at the doctors as I write this. Unfortunately this is the duck who may know alot about traditional medicine, but refuses to open his mind about lyme.

Unfortunately his hepatitis test and the other testing they did while he was at the hospital still haven't come back yet, so we have little to go on.

I am wondering if maybe he picked up the virus that put me in the hospital for 6 days. I ended up getting viral encephalitis and was down for over 2 weeks, I am just now starting to feel a little better.

They never did tell me which virus caused the encephalitis, as the tests are still out. But with the headache, and stiff neck, on top of all his other symptoms I am beginning to worry.

He keeps beating himself up as he is losing time from work, and we really can't afford it. He thinks he is failing somehow by being sick.

I keep telling him that the important thing is for him to get better, we'll worry about the bills later, but it's falling on deaf ears...

I just don't know what else to do..please keep our family in your prayers..

I'll let you know what the doc says when Dave gets home ...

Thanks for letting me vent..

Can he see a LLMD?

Can he insist on being seen by that LL ER
MD?

Hang in there......

I wrote you a real nice response and Lyme Net decided to dump it when they couldn't figure out my password was THE SAME!

It was going to be my ONLY post today... sorry. I don't have the "energy" or "mind power" to redo it now.

I wish you all well and hope you and hubby are feeling better soon.

Now I am going to contact the moderators....

E-mail me...then call me.....

Your hubby needs Benadryl, Lemon Water, and possibly some baking soda in water.

Keep checking with the Doc....but, I believe this is a herx.

Also, I have something I want to mail you immediately for him...you can pay me later.

Lemon water, Hops in tea (natural muscle relaxer) and charcoal pills helped me. Hang in there.

What did your husband find out today?

When I read your post, I was wondering if he had the same virus you had.

Give us an update when you have a chance. I'll be thinking about your family.

My husband refused to even consider Lyme until he was in terrible pain in the ER.

He was worried about the time missed from work and considered himself to be a failure as a husband and father.

His guilt has lessoned as time has gone on and the pain he was feeling has greatly improved.

We will be praying that your husband will recover quickly!

Hang in there! I know how hard it is to see them ill and deal with their feelings of guilt.

Prayers are certainly flying your way tonight...

Please let us know when you find something out, OK?

Much love to you ALL,
M

I had meant to log on last night with an update, but now my dog is sick!!!!!...will it ever end?????

Okay back to Dave... Update

He went to the duck yesterday as he was the only doctor who could see him and with his bad headaches I felt he needed to be seen...even by a duck.

I too wondered if perhaps he somehow caught the same virus I had or a similar one,as his symptoms were close to mine...but I have lyme too, so it's really hard to tell.

Anyways he went to the duck and as I suspected the duck was a little perturbed that the ER doc treated Dave for lyme even though he had a negative lyme test on file.

The duck told him that the test from the ER for lyme and hepatitis came back negative. He said that this confirmed his conclusion that Dave did NOT HAVE LYME.

He also told Dave to STOP Taking the meds the ER doc gave him for lyme immediately.

I had warned Dave that this might happen, as this is the same doc who originally diagnosed me with lyme 4 years ago, gave me 3 weeks of meds and said I was cured...

So knowing what we know about lyme, and all we have been through with myself and our children, Dave wasn't surprised when the doc continued to believe he didn't have lyme.

But...having said that, Dave still isn't convinced that he does in fact have lyme. He is only continuing to take the meds for the full 2 months to humor me..

I have an email in to my LLMD and will wait to hear what he has to say. I am suppose to fax him Dave's test results and he will call in a different antibiotic if needed.

I am pretty sure he will have Dave continue on the meds he is on for at least 3 months and then have him come in for a check up....

The duck also said that he received a letter from the CDC stating that there were several "serious viruses" in our area. And that he believes Dave has a bad viral illness, and will get better with rest and fluids.

(Having been sick for nearly 3 weeks and hospitalized for 6 days from viral encephalitis, I believe him on this one.)

The doc ran some more tests, but feels that Dave's fatigue and leg pains he's been having since April/May is non related to his latest symptoms.

He said he is stumped as to what is continuing to cause Dave's extreme leg pain and fatigue, but said he is convinced it isn't lyme.

He set up an appointment for him to see a rhumatologist in August.. Maybe this doc will be lyme literate..

I guess I am not 100% convinced that Dave has lyme, but I am 99.9% sure that he does. Everyone else in our family has it, and Dave has so many lyme symptoms that I think it is important for him to be treated, just incase.

Trout I just read this post, so I wasn't able to call you last night, I will email you now and try to call tonight, depending on how hectic it is around here with my dog..poor thing is very sick. Thanks for thinking of us!!

Thank you all for taking the time to post, I sure appreciate it. It's been a rough couple of months around here!

One good thing though, is that even though Dave isn't convinced he has lyme, he is still continuing to take his meds, as he has more faith in my ( and your ) opinion than the ducks.

Will continue to pray for you and the whole family!

Do you suspect that the dog has LD as well? If so, I have numerous articles for you if it would help some.

I am sure you must just be SO overwhelmed right now, with ALL that has been happening recently...

PLEASE, try to take good care of yourself too through all of this, OK? Promise?

Much love to you all,
M

thanks for the responses...

Turns out Dave's latest symptoms were from the same viral infection that put me in the hospital for 6 days.

Now both kids have it as well...

BUT..that still doesn't explain his leg pains, fatigue etc, for the past 3 months.

So he will be going to see my LLMD ( even if insurance won't cover it) in September. In the meantime, he is going to continue to take the abx the ER doc gave him.

If he runs out, I'll call the LLMD and get more or give him some from my abx stash. ( funny I never thought I'd be stashing antibiotics like they were illegal drugs! )

I don't know if my pup has lyme, but I don't think she does. The vet did a test, it came back negative. And as she's outside alot, we opted to give her the lyme vaccine.(We felt the benefits outweighed the risk)

She has been very healthy, no limping etc. I think she just has some type of bug. The vet said they had never seen so many dogs with this type of gastro intestinal illness..

She is on abx, so now the whole family is on meds...

My sisters dog ended up in the puppy ER and spent 3 days hooked up to IV from something suspiciously similar to my dogs symptoms. So maybe something is going around for dogs as well.

On a happier note, we are all feeling a little better. And the kids and I are going to take a break and go to Maine with my sister for a few days...a much needed break.

Thanks for the continued support and prayers, they are greatly appreciated.

~Missy