Doctors could never explain the strange spikes of fever to 105 degrees Fahrenheit that hit me in hallucinogenic waves for more than a week that summer, or the gullies of sleep so black that, except for the nightmares, I thought I might be dead. When the fever broke and I noticed the sweating, it seemed just a consequence of summer. It was after the sweat leveled off that the headache-without-end licked its first noxious path through my brain. I would suffer that headache --an inexplicable migraine-- for seven long years, until I was treated for Lyme disease and its malarialike cousin in the tick --babesiosis.
Human babesiosis presents just like malaria --but you can catch it in your own backyard in California or the northeast. Today thousands of cases of human babesiosis are diagnosed each year in regions known for Lyme disease. But due to ignorance on the part of primary care practitioners, it can also go unrecognized and untreated for years as was the case for me. When Lyme patients don't get well, babesia is often the cause.
Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
posted
Thank you for another educational article! I read all of your information and your book is my bible. I gave a copy to my sister too b/c her teenage daughter was diagnosed with Lyme.
You do so much to enlighten society about Lyme and the co-infections. We are grateful.
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
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sizzled
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posted
Up!
Posts: 4258 | From over there | Registered: Jul 2001
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Dekrator48
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18239
posted
Great article again, Pam, thanks!
-------------------- The fibromyalgia I've had for 32 years was an undiagnosed Lyme symptom.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". -Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 6076 | From Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
pam, i looked to see if you had posted your latest one, and didn't see your name/title here, so i started one; just deleted it since seeing this one here.....
my reply to your post there ....
my reply ...
Pam, another outstanding Submitted by bettyg on April 4, 2009 - 9:43pm.
Pam, another outstanding article educating all of us about the CO-INFECTIONS that you get also from ticks, etc.
I learned a lot from your above post as I don't have bart or babs as co-infections.....lucky me!
I broke it up above but I need to enlarge the font to largest size for my LOW vision, so could not reply without having a post where I can read the entire line vs. 50-60% of it only.
I've had chronic lyme for 39 years; 34.5 years misdiagnosed by 40-50 drs. In the last almost 5 years I have educated myself galore about lyme and the "normal" coinfections that you can get: babsesiosa, bartonella, ehrlichia, rocky mountain spotted fever, and the list goes on and ON!
Since then, I learned my late Dad had UNDIAGNOSED lyme and co-infections for 80 years of his life of 86 years! I witnessed the symptoms and diseases that mimick lyme/co-infections; oh brother, over 300 of them overlap!!
He was bitten by a tick then at age 6; his Mom drove him to Mud Springs, Minn. where he spent 1 month there in their hot mineral waters helping the severe arthritis he had gotten.
Twice in his life, he was paralzed from the neck down! Twice he came OUT OF IT being able to use his body fully.
Once was another co-infection, BLASTOMYCOSIS, that paralyzed him, and he was in the hospital for 1 month. I remember Mom sneaking us in the back door of hospital so we 3 kids then could visit a little with him.
When he came home, he had to drink pure iodine several times a day for an unknown length of time since I was only 6-8 years old then.
He couldn't reach across the table to even get a raw cut up carrot to eat.
Over the years, more advanced lyme/co-infections hit him and not ONCE in his 80 years of being a chronic lyme/co-infection patient, NO DR. MENTIONED BEING BITTEN BY A TICK and possible lyme/co-infections! He'd seen over 100 - 150 drs. during his lifetime.
I'm sorry, Pam's writing above brought back memories to me now, so I decided to share them with you all as well.
Pam, please keep educating US ALL; those of us who have these diseases, and the large medical profession.
We affected patients need to be taken serious and not chided and told, "it's all in your head"! It's not ...the spirochetes have invaded our entire body!!
Pam, thank you for your well-written words and thought-provoking observsations !~! We are truly blessed to have you as a lyme/co-infection spokeswoman [Smile] xox
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