We've definitely been as ill as any dog diagnosed with lyme and they get treated.

Now, I know that lyme is a clinical dx and the technology for testing still needs improvement.

As far as my test scores at Samsun clinic with Quest Labs, I was a walking picture of health.

The only problem is that I needed a wheel chair in order to get to the lab.

I was told people come from all over the country to be seen by Samsun Clinic docs.

But, I found the neuro and r doc (sorry, can't think of how to spell his speciality at this time) knew very little about lyme disease.

I feel like crying. I don't even understand why the LLMD bothered to order the Quest testing along with Igenex (which was just done today and I don't know how long that takes) Perhaps he was thinking that IF Quest came up with a positive test, our insurance might be more helpful???

Anyway, I asked the nurse how many bands tested negative and she replied ALL the bands (not that I think she even understands what that means) The test results will go to the LLMD also and perhaps he can make sense of it.

Counting the days til the Igenex lab results come.

Quest is a waste of time, money and blood.

The doctor specifically wrote down WB and it didn't matter. I had to call the lab to get them to re-do the test.

Doctors don't know to look for this and they call and tell you the WB is negative.

Get a copy of the test results.

This is kind of a test...I wanted to know what Quest does as they are the lab widely used in this area.

I tested CDC positive, first time out, by Quest. The good thing is, no one can say I was tested by a lab that "always" finds Lyme.

My son tested CDC positive by a hospital lab in CT that reports all bands. For those of you needing to use their insurance to pay for the testing, this may be a helpful alternative to either Quest or Igenex.

And be sure to get copies of your tests for your personal medical records.

I made my Insurance LLMD say so also.

For those who have tested positive thru quest.......... M I R I C L E !

And everyone here deserves miracles.

Quest is so often negative that we tell people who are found positive by Quest, lock up that test where it's safe -- and be glad you have such a good immune system that your antibodies are floating around where they can be seen.

I have had every test come back negative except for the 96 diagnoses with testing done a week into abx came back with a lot of indeterminates.

Don't even know if I could find the test results from back then.

For those people, they should be going straight to the best labs, like IGeneX or Bowen or MDL, for Western Blots. Do not pass go or collect $200.

Unfortunately, most doctors are clueless about this.

My own quack neuro argued vehemently with me, despite a known tick bite w/rash, MRI with brain lesions, full set of symptoms, claiming "NO, you send it to Quest FIRST and if it comes back positive THEN you send it to a specialty lab."

DUH.

Naturally it came back negative.

Thanks to this Board, I found an LLMD, and IGeneX, CDC positive results, and the rest is history.

A POX on Quest, I say.

I read that the chances of the ELISA test coming up positive are about the same as flipping a coin.

Them's scary odds.

In view of that it seems like some doctor-educatin' oughta be in order but I haven't seen any in progress...

:-)