posted
*Flush* Did you hear that? Another 30 bucks down the toilet.
But she has the actual films and I just have the report, so it might be an informative appt...not to be negative...but I doubt it.
They called yesterday and said that I need to get my Mastoid disease treated right away because it can cause permanent deafness? Cool. That's $100 co-pay that I don't have.
It's it kinda weird when I posted about my MRI results, some people said theirs were clean and some had Mastoid issues. Hmmmmm. Lyme associated anyone? Just weird. That's all I'm saying.
Hey guess what? Now my neck bones hurt. Not make but extra crackly and a little painful...but lots of muscle pain in my neck...who knows why.
Wish my luck at my toilet flushing appt.
I am going to see if she will order another WB through Lapcorp because of my new bull's eye rash. If I could get a CDC positive, that could help a lot with a lot of things, because I will call that ID dr. and SLAM HIM with that along with the CDC'S cases in FLORIDA. Maybe sue him with a malpractice suit. Who knows. jk. kinda.
-------------------- "~*~My smile hides my bite~*~." Posts: 506 | From N/A | Registered: Jun 2008
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hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
Hi Nessa,
If you have a bulls-eye rash, then you should have no trouble being diagnosed as a CDC positive(confirmed) case of Lyme disease. It has to measure at least 5 cm AND it has to be diagnosed as Lyme disease by a physician. These 2 factors are essential for a CDC confirmed case.
Quick, put a ruler beside your rash and take a photo. Write today's date on a piece of paper and put it in the photo. I'd take at least 2 photos a day until the rash is gone...be sure to include a view of your face, if possible so no one can accuse you of lifting a picture of the Internet.
The current CDC case definition says you must have a physician diagnosed EM (rash) OR other symptoms plus lab confirmation. The CDC defines an EM as a rash that's at least 5 cm in diameter.
I hope you have a knowledgeable physician who will recognize the rash as Lyme disease. This is essential.
The following AAFP article recommends not testing someone with an EM rash...the diagnosis can be based on the presence of the rash. Lab tests are not needed when you have "the" rash.
You may want to take a copy of the current CDC Lyme definition which states it's purpose (for surveillance)...and also the July 2005 American Association of Family Practitioner's article about the diagnosis of Lyme disease.
Here are 3 photos from the CDC website: one EM with central clearing (bulls-eye rash), one atypical EM that's solid in color (no central clearing), and a photo of a case with multiple EM's:
Do you know if your county is endemic for Lyme disease? Call your state health dept., the division of epidemiology and ask for the Lyme case count for your county. Be sure to ask for the case counts back to 1990 and older if they'll give them to you.
If the Lyme case count for your county is two or more, your county is endemic according to the CDC definition. See the definition of endemic county in the CDC definition.
I have had problems with mastoiditis several times. Recently I had severe throbbing pain in that area, but it went away without treatment. I wonder if the pain may have been due to neuropathy of that area, since it went away...like other Lyme symptoms that come & go.
[ 18. June 2008, 06:39 PM: Message edited by: hshbmom ]
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
I agree with taking pics every day. I also think you should go to the dr office TODAY so a doctor can see it with there own two eyes.
Even some duck that does not know what it is can document what it looks like, and you can back that up with your pictures.
I had a beauty of a bull's eye. 3 rings 10 cm across. I took a picture of it because it was impressive, but I didn't know what it was.
Nine months later when I was sent to the ID Duck for suspected lyme, I arrived with my photo of bulls eye, a positive elisa, and a neg WB.
The doctor looked at the picture and said "is this YOUR leg?" I said yes and he asked to see my leg, which I showed him even though it was 9 months later, and no sign of rash. (he wouldn't treat me)
Outrageous. My local health department does not count me as having lyme because, though they see the picture, it was not 'doctor diagnosed' when the rash was present.
I now have a CDC positive WB from Igenex, but that does not make me count either, because it was not my county's lab.
At that point, I refused to have the blood drawn to send to county..... they wanted to draw it on a Friday! What if it came back negitive? That could upset my insurance.
Sorry, just had to rant!
Best of luch at your appointment! Get a good look at those films for yourself.
Von
Posts: 258 | From Washington State | Registered: Nov 2005
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hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
Hey Von,
Someone is pulling your leg. The lab does not have to be from your county. It can be from out of state or wherever. There's nothing on the Lyme Disease Report Form that says your results must be from a county lab.
They're using misinformation to keep the case counts down.
Lyme Disease Surveillance Case Report Form -For Public Health Officials Use ( 2 pages, 737 KB) see:
I had photos of my EM rash. The physician wrote "tick bite.rash"...not "Lyme disease" in the doctor's notes. Later I had a CDC positive Western blot from an out of state lab. The county health representative classified my case as probable based on my photos and the lab test.
She said I'd be included in the 2006 case count, but wasn't. I was eventually told they're not allowed to amend the previous year's record after May 1 of the following year.
If they hadn't waited 6 months to contact me I would have been counted that year. They didn't add me to the 2007 case count either. That's how they keep the numbers down.
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
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