I am having an MRI done tomorrow. If it comes back showing lesions, it is likely that they will attempt to diagnose me with MS.

(after all, it is the MS center of atlanta)

Kinda late.. but I will throw some thoughts at ya...

OK?

May I ask.. is there a reason you are having an MRI before seeing a LLMD?

Will that be setting yourself up for problems?

I also have no clue how to make an insurance company do anything.

Unfortunately they tend to do as they darn well please.. and don't allow much input.. only dictating what folks can and can't do concerning their health care.

Anyhow..

If you show any lesions... just show them the Lyme literature where it documents the same type lesions.

Put everything in writing also.

Hope it goes well for you!

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If you get the choice to sit it out or dance...

Regarding expressing your preferences for your medical care to this Neurologist...

Don't feel that you need to have a big confrontation with him in order to get what you need. Sometimes that is necessary, but usually it just makes an enemy.

You are more likely to get results with a polite well rehearsed single sentence like: "I would like to have the possiblity of Lyme Disease checked out thoroughly by someone specializing in that area FIRST, before pursuing MS furthur."

Chances are he will jump at the opportunity to hand you off to someone else, relieving him of responsibility for the present. He just needs to get your case from his inbox to his outbox. Unless he is under pressure to generate more wheelchair sales he won't mind. Just be polite and smile and thank him for his kind assistance.

If you are able getout 2 sentences you could say: "If this is Lyme I would like to know about it right away, while it is still soon enough to treat it with oral antibiotics."

The economic argument carries alot of weight with the HMO guys.

If you get that far...

As far as printed info to back up your request, this one on STARI, the Southern strain of Lyme would be excellent as it covers all the points pertenant to you in a few paragraphs.
http://www.texaslyme.org/stari.html

Print it and take a yellow highlighter to the words and phrases "Georgia", mention of any symptoms you have, the mention that it is not detected by tests designed for Northeast US Strains... and the mention about frequently misdiagnosed as MS.

Doctors have real short attention spans so a couple of highlighted words may be all you can get him to look at.

If you can't muster the courage for that much... Just try to blurt out 'I WANT TO CHECK OUT LYME BEFORE YOU DIAGNOSE ME WITH MS!'

Once you are past today maybe someone here has experience getting what you need from Kaiser. My guess is you want to go through your GP from here for a referral if you need to have one.

We hope it goes well!

If they tell you you have MS, or ichsemic disease take your MRI's out with you and RUN , RUN FAST, to an independent Lyme literate neurologist. It is possible that you do indeed have MS, but the question is what is the underlying issue. Early lyme will not show any lesions, late lyme may appear as MS, persistant lyme may be one of several causes of MS, in some cases proves to be reversable too.

Did you already use the L word with your Kaiser physician. If so, you will go through every test possible to prove you dont have lyme, and any tests that come back positive for lyme will probably be "false" including CDC positive cases.

Do not count on Kaiser to give up their well deserved $$ to make you feel better~!