Had my yearly physical (it's been about 1 1/2 years) today. I live in an endemic area where everyone has an opinion about lyme and chronic lyme or knows someone or many ones. Anyway, my doc (a P.A.) out of the blue made a comment about my LLMD that some people had trouble with him or something like that. But, she wasn't telling me what to do, that she heard some negative stuff. Well, there I am defending him. I think the discussion started because I had complained about nausea and heartburn. Her comment was something like it's amazing that I can tolerate these drugs at all. Whatever. It just isn't her business to tell me what she thinks of my LLMD's reputation. Something about two sides to the issue, which I took to mean that she is skeptical about chronic lyme. I am pissed. She is very laid back and gentle, so I don't expect a very opinionated response from her. I'm there defending my choices....this sucks....

and I HATE their new nurse who was inappropriate in sharing a dirty joke with me. A man. I am a woman. I am not completely dressed.. what an asshole.

thanks for letting me vent. this happened hours and hours ago and I have vented some at work, but still am fed up with people who offer opinions about that which is none of their business and which they know NOTHING.

GEEZE!!!!

thanks again.

"Who gave you this picc line?"
"My LLMD in NC"
"Why do you have it?"
"I have Lyme Disease"
"Who told you that?"
"Most recently? My LLMD in NC"
"And where did you get the line?"
"MY LLMD IN NC!"
"For Lyme Disease?"
"Yes, I have it chronically"
"There's no such thing. Who told you that?"
"Oh my god I must be cured then! MY LLMD IN NC!!!!!! Are we done with the who's on first! Check the CDC website and then tell me there's no such thing as chronic Lyme Disease!"

That was fun!

I really appreciate your comments and can't beleive that anyone would think that you chose to get a picc line for a nonexistant illness. Duh?

In a way, lyme is like politics, in that you sometimes want to dance around the issue with strangers because you really don't want to find out that they totally disagree with you.

Thanks again. Still steamed. I think because I am not doing well and it would be soooo easy to stop treatment and try something else (although I don't know what I would try)......

this disease sucks

1) Lyme, you do not have Lymes. You have fibromyalgia.
But, doctor, my Elisa is positve and I have reactive bands on my Western Blot.
You do not have enough bands to qualify for Lyme, and Lyme is not chronic.

2) I have had this very stiff neck now for a week or so and feel extremely fatugued. I ran a low grade temp also.
The doctor says that I may have menigitis and checks me and tell me that is tight muscles and Lyme does not cause that!!!!
I had tonsilitis that day and the amoxcycillin was a terror to be on for 10 days!

3) Nurse Practioner says to me, "I do not want you to think that all this little spirochetes are just running around in your body going here and there." She referred me to her "boss" doctor.
"boss" doctor understands Lyme when treated immediately, but does not understand chronic lyme at all. He is leaving that to an LLMD.

4) But. Doctor, your were my doc for 19 yrs. How come you never put 2 and 2 together with all the symptoms I would come to you with?
Well, Jean, the doc says, "I treated you many times for lyme with antibiotics for your tonsillitis, bronchitis, bladder infections, and gave meds for imflammation of your muscles and ligaments. All that has already gotten rid of your Lyme. You do NOT have it anymore...it is gone."
But, Doc, I say, "Then how come I still feel so lousy and the fatigue and anxiety and panic attacks, and tingling skin is really bothering me.?"
"Like I said, Jean, the Lyme is gone and you have moved out of state and I am retired, so I cannot help you."

5) Jean, this ID doc says in 2001, "I cannot treat you anymore. I am very sorry., but I have done all that I can,:
Doctor, I say, "Is this for real? All you can do is 3 weeks of doxy and 3 weeks of IV rocephin and you let me go. I am stunned."
We,the doc says, "There is nothing more I can do." And, while he saying this to me, he never came into the room, just stood inside the doorway..no door closed or anything. My sister was with me, she said what about pain management or follow ups.
He, said, yes pain management is a very good idea. Why don't you try that? Oh, let me listen to your heart while you are here.
Come back and see me in 6 weeks...make an appt at the desk.
You know what I did? I came home, called his office and cancelled the appointment. He is a duck of all ducks.

Yes I understand and relate to office procedures for the professionals of the duck world. They can be hurtful, insulting to my intelligence, uncaring and afraid to learn more. So uppity in their own world!! I am angry also. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the key is finding a good LLMD. Hang in there, hopeful, and you are not paranoid intentionally..it goes with the Lyme...

Hugs, Jean

Second, how far do you want to pursue the PA's lack of professional ethics? If you need this practice for your routine medical care, you might not want to push it too much.

If you decide to stick your neck out a little, I'd write a letter to her and cc the practice manager and/or lead MD, stating, very diplomatically, that you feel it's unprofessional for one provider to denigrate another, to a patient. You recognize that differences of opinion exist related to persistent lyme disease, but it certainly does not elevate that practice in your eyes when one of their PAs makes disparaging remarks about another of your physicians.

I can't even talk to my GP about lyme, he doesn't get it and rolls his eyes when I talk about my LLMD. I don't push it-- I do get ocasional things that are not lyme related an need a basic GP. Plus I think they'r ALL the same, so even if I switched I'd be in the same boat.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I believe there are some doctors who really believe they are helping you by expressing their opinions on lyme. My pain specialist went out of his way to meet with my LLMD in order to find out her methods. He was basically checking up on her for me.

When he talked to me about Lyme, he expressed a concern of patients who have spent all their savings chasing cures for their pain and not finding relief. My response was that I needed to try this, and that I would give the treatment a year. I also told him that it was covered by my insurance.

I actually did stop seeing him somewhat because of his refusal to believe I had Lyme. But I waited until I had my pain under control from his treatment. And I still do believe he had my best interests in mind.

I went on a first date with a doctor last week. It went really well. But if it works out, at some point I'm going to have to tell him about the Lyme.

I really won't want to hear that chronic lyme doesn't exist from a date!

quote:

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Originally posted by hopeful123:
and I HATE their new nurse who was inappropriate in sharing a dirty joke with me. A man. I am a woman. I am not completely dressed.. what an asshole.

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Report him! I would ask to speak with the dr personally [phone will be fine] and report this idiot. You could also sue him for sexual harrassment.

Your doc is a loser. Sorry you had to go through this!

I agree....what a frustrating thing to have happen.

I am a guy...and I apologize from the rest of us GOOD guys for this person's bad judgement.

I would ask you to mention it to the PA also...it is important to nip these things quickly...it may have have been an unintentional moment for the fella...just a slip....not everyone knows when they are offending others.

(I'm NOT condoning the action..I was actually groped by a female manager at a job ---ONCE--- and she also said out loud in front of the other employee...I've been wanting to do that for a LONG time.)

Trout