TX Lyme Mom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3162
posted
The following notice was posted to our TxLDA Yahoo group by the Houston area Lyme support group leader, Teresa Lucher, who asked me to repost it here for y'all at LymeNet. (Teresa's e-mail address is listed at the end of the article.)
(I did not attend the meeting because I do not live in Houston, so I will be unable to respond to discussion comments here at LymeNet. Perhaps some other Texas Lymie who did attend the meeting will be able to respond instead though.)
======================================
FYI - There was a Russian women, with Chronic Lyme (her 3.5yr old girl has Lyme also) who attended the Houston Lyme Support group meeting this past Sat. She told her story of going back home to Russia and receiving good Lyme care for both of them.
She said in Russia they acknowledge Chronic Lyme, you can walk into any clinic (no appointment) and receive Lyme treatment, no hassle, no cover up, no talking in low voices, etc. She was there for 6mos, on Sat she was showing us her bag of meds and supplements. Her and her daughter are much better now, enjoying life.
When she got to Russia, the doctors ask if she was from a remote village, she said "No, been living in Houston, TX where the Big Medical Center is" Isn't that a joke!
She asked if she needed to stay in Moscow, the docs said "No, go see you Mother (smaller town) the docs will know how to treat you" And to her surprise, the docs in her hometown, knew all about Chronic Lyme, how to treat it and how it affects a person.
She said "In Russia they want to get you well so they can treat the next person, they don't won't you coming back alot" The meds she got from the local pharmacy cost between 3-5 dollars. Her doc was 7mins away, her daughter's doc was 5mins away from her Mother's home.
For a US citizen to see a Russian doc cost around 15-20 dollars, a round trip to Moscow is around 700.00. You don't have to stay long, just a couple of days, she had her script and brought a suitcase full of meds, she had no trouble at the airport.
She will be attending the Houston meeting next month also. If you are interested in attending, please contact me at: [email protected]
posted
If you get a chance to go and ask her questions see about how they test for lyme in russia. I know most doctors outside the U.S. know what blood looks like (doctors here sadly don't), but still lyme doesn't show up in blood often so i'm wondering how they do it there.
Posts: 499 | From Indiana | Registered: Oct 2007
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
To be honest, I'm highly skeptical of this account. I can't see how her bag of supps would be any more effective than my bag of supps...
The Russian health care is so good yet she ends up in Texas somehow
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Just popping in to say hello! Miss you!
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
howdy txl mom! my we used to talk regularly
hope you/daughter are doing much better now.
it is awfully hard to believe!
1 question i thought of while reading this, can russian drs. speak ENGLISH? or will there be a language barrior?
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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I can certainly see how Russian doctors could better understand and treat this, compared with most of our typical doctors here.
I'd love to learn more about this. -
[ 06-16-2009, 03:07 AM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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I am originally from Belarus, the country neighboring Russia. I have been living in Canada for 9 years. I was just diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease this past Friday, so I am glad to hear that Russia and most likely Belarus acknowledge the existence of chronic Lyme. I actually do not know where I got infected - in Canada or in Belarus. I would really like to find out whether I have North American Lyme or East European Lyme strain.
The treatment / drugs would definitely be cheaper in Russia / Belarus. The doctors usually do not speak English though. Also a lot of medications are available freely over the counter, including some of the antibiotics.
The Russian health care has its drawbacks, however, I can believe this story. There are some diseases that are commonly treated in Russia / Belarus and here doctors don't even acknowledge their existence.
Posts: 8 | From ON, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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pamoisondelune
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11846
posted
Wow! i could go, i read Russian!
Getting a LLMD and antibiotics here is such a hassle and so expensive, it's really great to know of a back-up! A whole new back-up horizon.
Spasibo! Thanks!
--from Polly Polygonum
Posts: 1226 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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TX Lyme Mom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3162
posted
Pryorka, I had some of the same thoughts that you did about what antibiotics were prescribed and how effective those antibiotics might me.
Nevertheless, I posted this topic because it is important for us to be aware that chronic Lyme is apparently non-controversial and is widely accepted in Russia, especially now during our current political climate when the IDSA is fighting so hard to deny antibiotic treatment to chronic Lyme patients.
Kive, I forwarded your PM to Teresa because I do not have the information that you requested. (Teresa's e-mail is displayed at the end of my original post, above.)
Posts: 4563 | From TX | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
I have a social worker who is a licensed gp in slovakia (he is studying to get his licence here).
He is shocked at how far behind we are especially in how little use is made of intravenous antibiotics.
I told him people don't usually sue over taking a pill and it also saves doc's time. So sad.
regards maps
-------------------- 1999 CFS, 2002 CMV Myco pneumonia 1 year antibiotics on and off 2002 EBV, 2009 Positive Igenex Borellia and Babesia, Brain mri severe white matter disease Monoclonal Gammopathy. On and off antibiotics since sept. March 9 started iv antibiotics Posts: 328 | From somewhereelse | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
txlymemom i'm the one that asked about seeing how they test for lyme there. I'm thinking you were writing your last comment about something someone else said, not sure who though.
Posts: 499 | From Indiana | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Any idea if they treated her for co-infections as well?
I hope someone from TX who attended this meeting posts. I would love to hear what meds are commonly used there and what supplements she was given.
Maybe the competitive feud that lingers between Russia and US will be to our benefit for a change?
Thanks for posting this, and I hope we get more details.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
Wouldn't it be funny if we all packed up and went
to Russia for a couple weeks. Bought all our meds
there and came home to get well. How much $ would
big pharma lose from all of us in those 2 weeks/x
200.000 patients/x 1year?
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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