2 days later I found a very tiny freckle on my hip i'd never seen before.
i picked at it and a small white/clear tick with brown legs came off my body.
I saved it in a ziploc bag.
6 days after we went hiking my dad discovered 3 deer ticks on his waistline
After removing them, we were both left with a tiny red dot at the sites.
Im extremely anxious about the possibility of either/both of us having contracted lyme disease because its endemic in our area and the ticks were on our bodies (especially my dad's) for so long.
I'm very confused on what the next steps to take are.
I've spent the last few days researching non stop about lyme disease and found there are really no simple answers on what to do.
Some sources say go straight to a doctor, others say there's no point until symptoms emerge.
We have yet to show any typical symptoms, but I know it may take 30 days.
Should my dad and I seek antibiotic treatments to be safe?
should we visit the family doctor or go straight to a LLMD?
Any advice on my situation would be unbelievably appreciated.
Thank you for reading this!
[ 06-11-2009, 10:05 AM: Message edited by: caiticap ]
Posts: 4 | From Suffolk County, New York | Registered: Jun 2009
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
welcome caiti,
sorry, i have extreme neuro lyme as many others here, and we can not read your post as is. please break it up into SHORT paragraphs and double space between each paragraph.
also edit subject to: newbie, need LLMD IN NEW YORK or show the largest city name prior to NY ok
use my guidelines below to tell you how to edit ok!
i'll be back tomorrow and see about helping you after i can read it ... meanwhile here's my welcome letter with good links to start reading ok. hug
Welcome; i'm so glad you found us!! You've come to the right place for education and support!
Betty's suggested POSTING GUIDELINES . many of us have neuro lyme where we can NOT read long solid block text and be able to comprehend and read it as is.
please edit your post by CLICKING PAPER/PENCIL ICON to right of your name. that opens up BOTH subject line and body text.
now please break up your WORDY SENTENCES into one sentence paragraphs. Then hit ENTER KEY ``TWICE`` after each paragraph; we need that space for comprehension.
then go to left hand corner and mark box to receive ALL REPLIES, and click EDIT SEND
we thank you for helping us; otherwise, we will SOB, SCROLL ON BY, since we can't read to help you. If I see posts like this, I SOB them; to hard on me. ------------------------------------------------------
People seeking doctors might be able to get help from their state online information and support group. Nearly 3,400 people belong to state groups. Some of the groups are small but more than 20 of them have 50 or more people and seven have over 100.
The groups are moderated and you have to apply. Most don't allow doctor names, but once on the group, you can ask for doctors in a certain area and ask people to email you privately. *******************************************
This explains the medical politics around lyme WHY you need an ILADS-educated or ILADS-member LLMD (and there are also some ILADS-member LL NDs (naturopathic doctors):
You should also be evaluated for coinfections. Not all tests are great in that regard, either, but a good LLMD can evaluate you and then guide you in testing. One of the top labs is:
"With most infections, your immune system first forms IgM antibodies, then in about 2 to 4 weeks, you see IgG antibodies. In some infections, IgG antibodies may be detectable for years.
Because Borrelia burgdorferi is a chronic persistent infection that may last for decades, you would think patients with chronic symptoms would have positive IgG Western blots.
But actually, more IgM blots are positive in chronic borreliosis than IgG. Every time Borrelia burgdorferi reproduces itself, it may stimulate the immune system to form new IgM antibodies.
Some patients have both IgG and IgM blots positive. But if either the IgG or IgM blot is positive, overall it is a positive result.
Response to antibiotics is the same if either is positive, or both. Some antibodies against the borrelia are given more significance if they are IgG versus IgM, or vice versa.
Since this is a chronic persistent infection, this does not make a lot of sense to me. A newly formed Borrelia burgdorferi should have the same antigen parts as the previous bacteria that produced it.
But anyway, from my clinical experience, these borrelia associated bands usually predict a clinical change in symptoms with antibiotics, regardless of whether they are IgG or IgM." ===========
ILADS The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) provides a forum for health science professionals to share their wealth of knowledge regarding the management of Lyme and associated diseases.
yes, get to your family dr. NOW and get at least 6 wks. of antibiotics; doxycycline for your dad.
how old are you? print off dr. burrascano's guidelines shown above ok; if you are over 21, doxy for you.
otherwise, get what dr. b has to say in his printout ok!' ************************************************************
important to get on antibiotics NOW; you have good chance of being CURED since they were EMBEDDED! don't wait for symptoms to appear !! -----------------------------------------------------------------
we recommend 3 months of abx; 2 extra months taking with NO SYMPTOMS at all before you get OFF abx!! otherwise, you'll end up chronic like us; you do NOT want to be chronic ok!
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posted
I ended up getting a rash last night (not sure if it was EM) but I wasnt taking any chances.
I went back to the DR and got the full course of doxycycline. I am 20, will be 21 in a month.
The tick was identified as a lone star and my initial blood work came back negative.
Thanks for your advice, hopefully I was able to catch this early enough to have a full recovery.
I couldn't help but be touched and outraged by all of the personal accounts of lyme disease I have read about.
I'd really like to start an organization or put together a fundraiser on my college campus to help raise money and awareness for lyme disease.
Any suggestions on promising research organizations we could fundraise for?
Posts: 4 | From Suffolk County, New York | Registered: Jun 2009
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
adding:
take photos now of this using a coin or $1 bill to show your rash with TODAY'S newspaper date legible in the photos ok! you may need them later ...
caiti, go to SUPPORT forum, there is a post there that reminds me of what you just asked ok!!
also, check out the lyme disease assn., lda, site on left side; just click on it ok.
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otherwise, we will SOB, SCROLL ON BY, since we can't read to help you. If I see posts like this, I SOB them; to hard on me. 
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