Welcome to this 24/7 educational & support group board, www.lymenet.org !
Here's TREEPATROL's and TINCUP'S combination newbie links.
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/029917.html

Print off the links then check them off as you read as you could spend several months reading all of this. Treepatrol constantly adds new links as they become available from the members here.

print & read Dr. B's (a lyme literate MD) info first; you will come back to this often.

Also, see Cheryl's extensive web sites on: LD DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT ... wonderful!
http://www.lymeinfo.net/lymediseasetreatment.html

Some guidelines from Betty/others on using this message board:

* Do NOT use all caps when posting; it's hard on our eyes. But I know one of our members has macular degeneration, and all caps is what she can see & read so exceptions like this are acceptable for good reasons.

* We chronic, late-stage lymies can NOT read long paragraphs. So please limit your paragraphs to 6-8 lines max of text and double space between paragraphs.

* You can EDIT your text comments anytime. You can NOT edit your subject line so please make it as specific as possible instead of ``help, question'' etc. in order to have more readers/replies in trying to assist you. There are between 30-40 NEW/replies to post daily so we can't read all the posts on our limited time here...thanks for understanding.

* If you use the ``quote'' icon, please DELETE [B] bold at the beginning & ending of the quote. This makes it easier on our chronic, late-stage lyme eyes.

* To just reply without quoting, go to the top or bottom of screen in the black & white area to reply or post a new topic. Many of us couldn't see it when we 1st started posting. Thank you for helping us all out!
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* LYME SYMPTOMS - http://www.lyme.org/otherdis/ld_symptoms.html

Bettyg, Iowa
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The WESTERN BLOT IGM & IGG blood test nos. 189 and 188, are the only accurate tests for LD. They should only be sent to these 3 USA's Lyme testing labs:

IGENEX LAB:
797 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
1.800.832.3200.

(If the early test, called IGM, is negative; the later test IGG is NOT done!)
Please see their web site: www.igenex.com for their current prices effective May 1, 2005 and

to print their REQUIRED form, which MUST be signed by the doctor, DIAGNOSIS CODE NO. COMPLETED!; Medicare's UPIN no., and your blood taken EARLY in the week so it doesn't sit in post offices!

Write on their forms you want results FAXED to their drs. Office; snail mail paper copy so it's not lost like mine was!

NON-Medicare patients must PREPAY by check or credit card for the tests since they do NOT handle insurance papers.

Medicare patients do NOT have to prepay!
7-24-05...CALL 1ST ABOUT MEDICARE; just read today someone having troubles w/medicare paying!

2. MDLabs from NJ, www.mdl.net
see their site; they too require their own form. NO prices are listed; you must call their 800 no.

3. BOWEN RESEARCH lab from Florida, www.bowen.net 727.937.9077
Dr. must call Bowen for their 13 pages of instructions; patient completes 5 sheets; dr. 1 page.
You pay $250 tax-deductible payment for testing (lyme, babesia, & ehrlichia), and they send you a picture of what shows up in your blood. Dr. gets the results within 24 hours after the blood is received at Bowen. They are also a 501(c)(3) lab and you can take the donation of $250 off of your taxes if you live in the US. They fax the results and then about a week later send the actual pictures to MD.

NOTE: Bowen - I was disappointed in their not sending an explanation with their report showing if you are positive or negative and their number...mine was 1:64!
Lyme should be diagnosed clinically using medical history in addition with the Western Blot blood tests as no currently available test is definitive in ruling-in or ruling-out infection with Ld pathogens, or whether these infections are responsible for the patient's symptoms.

NOTE: Please send a copy of your health insurance card to YOUR insurance comany (mine is Wellmark BC/BS, Iowa) for them to submit to BLUE CARD (handles other states) them to FORWARD to California's Blue Shield health insurance company since they will require that, DRS. Diagnosis Code No., and which date of service is correct (IGX has 3 different dates on their paid receipts....use the DATE OF ACTIVITY!).

FYI - mine was returned to me after 6 wks. After submitting; dr./blood lab failed to show DRS. DIAGNOSIS CODE NO. on their form! It went to 7 people to be returned to me! Disgusting!

Two weeks? I've never heard that one before.

I never saw a tick, but my rash developed around a very obvious bug bite. It actually looked like a generic spider bite or mosquito bite before the rash. So I always assumed it was a pretty recent bite.

I have had back trouble and shoulder pains as my most consistent symptom...it took 17 years for a diagnosis. There is also possibility of other co-infections you should get tested for. Someone will be along soon with a whole listing of links for you.