Thanks!

Chris
 

Mmmm... I'm getting the feeling it might be time to just cut my losses and move on, if only for the restoration of good karma. I don't really know what the heck happened with this guy, except that the whole experience was bizarre.

But if you wanted to describe a little of what you are going through, it might be possible to discreetly respond. As long as your doctor is treating the co-infections, ramping up to stronger abx if the milder ones don't work, treating in combination, and giving you yeast abx, you are probably okay. Also, a good doctor should be happy to invite other doctors in for a second opinion or consultation, because then they get to exchange ideas.

If you have not seen a change in symptoms for months but your doctor resists trying something new, if your doctor directly or indirectly threatens or pressures you to try expensive products that you can't get verified as reputable through other sources, if the doctor makes comments that make you feel ashamed of your gender, lifestyle, ethnicity, or other personal attributes, if the doctor tells you that no one else will give you these drugs except him/her, or if you are told to visit a local guru, watch out. Gurus are great, they just aren't always the line of first defense against Lyme.

If your doctor tells you that your insurance company said this or that, always call the insurance company directly and verify their conversation with the doctor.

It is totally, totally okay for you to call other doctors' offices and ask them to share superficial suggestions. This way, you can get a reality check.

One other thing comes to mind, too--if you have untreated or half-treated co-infections, you probably are experiencing anxiety as a side effect. So if you can get good co-infection drugs from your doctor and finish up with those, it may be wise to wait until you are feeling better before taking irreversible action.

[This message has been edited by liz28 (edited 09 May 2005).]