posted
Okay -- it's official folks -- I am now a government statistic! The CDC has been notified....
I got my labs back yesterday, and I am positive on 8 bands of the IgM -- I had a +++ on 23-25, and several other ++.
Good news is that I don't test + for any co-infections, and my overall lab work wasn't too bad... liver enzymes ok, no ANA antibodies, etc. And the fact that I am producing all these anti-lyme antibodies is good, too -- my immune system is still fighting (I've had this since at least 1988). On, now, to the process of healing!
It was actually a huge relief to see it right there in black and white... I felt really vindicated against all the silly and often damaging diagnoses I've had over the years....
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
Glad you got laboratory confirmation of your health issues.
Good luck and God speed on your healing journey!
Do you have a lyme doctor?
Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
I would not bet that you don't have coinfections. If you look at the percentages that they find of each one, the odds are against that being true. Some estimate Babesia 60-70% of the time, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, etc. all have their percentages as well. So do mycoplasma, chalymdia, and all sorts of other things which may not be tick-related but are still co-infections. No one has just Borrelia in my opinion. There are many different things going on by the time someone gets sick. Be sure you don't stop looking for the other issues which are undoubtedly there.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Thanks for the replies....I know the testing for the co-infections is rather iffy....
I have a *great* LLNP -- I'm pretty symptomatic for babesia, so we are going to treat for that if the sx don't go away with the initial Lyme treatment.
I'm just assuming I *do* have mycoplasma, as it appears that nearly everyone does (lyme or no lyme)-- darn stuff is everywhere.
I'm doing everything humanly possible to strengthen my immune system -- taking so many (well-researched and doctor-sanctioned) supplements and herbs that I'm surprised I need to even eat anymore...(I've even quit smoking, G-d help me, and I was an *inveterate* smoker! Oh, the pain and the loss! Sigh... )
So, I'm hoping that will help knock out whatever other nasties are lurking around in there.
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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shazdancer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1436
posted
Hi minimonkey,
You may want to keep a copy of that Western Blot, just in case you need to show it to any other doctors. 'Course, they'll just tell you you USED to have Lyme, but you're all better now.
Good news that you are healthy overall. A good immune system may mean that you will respond well to treatment. I did!
Looking forward to you haveing some better days, Shaz
Posts: 1558 | From the Berkshires | Registered: Jul 2001
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Welcome MINI as an official member of our lymies club! Glad you finally got your results back; goodness; you did light it up, didn't you? lol
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
I was almost 3 yrs into this nightmare before I had a positive western blot from Ingenex. That positive test came 2 weeks after doing 6 weeks of IV rocephin. The antibodies were flowing then.
I'll never forget the day I opened that envelope and read positive. I burst out into tears. It was like confirmation that I wasn't crazy, I really had a test that no doubt showed lyme antibodies.
My husband asked me why I was crying, you've known for a long time it was lyme. It's was so hard to explain.
Like so many of you that are new to all this...I would have doubts. How in the world could someone be so sick one minute and then an hour later feel perfectly normal. Back and forth.
So many specialists had told me not or laughed at the idea of lyme. I knew in my heart it was lyme, but the idea of now I had confirmation scared me even more.
My GP was so excited because he had been treating me for all this time with abx and even stuck his neck out for IV with a negative ELISA. So he was happy that I had a LLMD and positive test so he wouldn't be questioned about his treatment.
All that time I didn't realize he was treating me and worried about his career. Needless to say I call him one of my angels. Today he fully supports me doing alternative treatment and tells me he admires me for going out and finding treatment that works for me.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Hi Mini. Welcome to the crazy disease where patients are actually glad to finally get a positive result -- so their ducks will stop calling them crazy. I'm right there with you!! A sip of champagne! Carb-free, of course.
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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bpeck
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3235
posted
Map1131:
Your sentance quoted below I think is the hallmark of late stage untreated Lyme.
Before I knew I had Lyme - I used think someone out there had a zombi doll of me and was practicing VooDoo on me.
Barb
MAP1131 wrote in part:
"How in the world could someone be so sick one minute and then an hour later feel perfectly normal. Back and forth."
-------------------- Barb Peck (Elder LymeNet user). Lyme since 1975 Transfusion Posts: 1882 | From VT | Registered: Oct 2002
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Ann-OH
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2020
posted
Hi Mini, You just had the "Oh S--t!, Hallelujah!" moment a lot of us experienced.
Keep focused on the Hallelujah! reaction. I danced around saying "It's got a name! It's got a name" - and I don't dance!
Just keep reminding yourself that you have Lyme cornered and are going to win!
posted
I know exactly how you guys feel. When I got official confirmation from Igenex and my llmd I was shocked!
I knew I had it but it was different thinking I had it versus knowing I had it. My 13 yr old daughter was diagnosed in Jan felt the same way also. But I think deep down she is happy her Mom has it too so we can go through this together!
-------------------- I'm gonna get that lyme !!! Posts: 61 | From Erie, PA | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Yeah -- I'm more on the Hallelujah end of things... this means I can expect to heal, rather than living with a "mystery illness" forever!
Plus, my therapist has finally stopped looking for emotional causes for my pain... that's a plus! He's actually a great guy... and I think he was more than a little embarrassed by having done that...
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
Mini,
I'm glad you finally have something you can actually point to...I found the same sort of relief when I tested positive after years of inconclusive MRIs and other tests.
To me, this was an incredible relief.
Glad you're keeping an eye out for co-infections. Although my Lyme test was strong positive, I also tested negative for the co-infections.
But 7 months into treatment, all my symptoms pointed to Bart, and now I'm being treated for that.
As someone else mentioned, just be sure you keep copies of the test.
Take care!
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
bpeck that was funny. Maybe you should let someone practice voodoo on you. I call my muscle testing chiro doc my voodoo doc. People look at me like I'm nuts when I say my doc does voodoo.
They wouldn't understand if I told them the name of his treatments, that would blow their mind too. Until they've walked in my shoes........
I'm happy to say today I have long periods of almost normal health. Well I call it normal, because it's not lyme hell anymore. Then I'm disappointed when it's not so good. Oh well back to the drawing board. I mean back to my voodoo doc.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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