I feel like I want to curl up in a ball and cry.

Not only am I in pain, but my parents don't even believe me.

My dad is convinced that this is all in my head. He even said that the doc is likely to think I'm a hypochondriac.

Hang in there. I hope you get some answers tomorrow.

Remember, no one can see pain or fatigue. It's hard for others to believe us sometimes, but you have to get a diagnosis so you can begin to get well.

Can you get your Mom or Dad to read this board ?

Check my profile, and you'll see my e-mail.
Have them e-mail me, as I'm a parent with a child who has lyme.

My 14 year old son has lyme and we went months without getting him diagnosed. We heard all the "it's in his head" garbage as well.

Never gave up, as I knew he was truly hurting.
His symptoms were similar to your's, but it is difficult to diagnose.

If your Dad is so sure it's in your head, then he can definitely e-mail me, and I'll be glad to tell him our experience and ultimately treatment for our son.

Contact Igenex labs and order their lyme test kit. Their number is 800-832-3200.

Call the local hospital, and schedule a blood draw at their lab. Have their lab person do the blood draw and put it into the Igenex vials, and then Fed Ex the whole thing to Igenex.

Shouldn't have a total cost of more than a couple of hundred bucks.

With a positive lyme result from Igenex it would be pretty hard to argue that your a hypochondriac !

Remember it doesn't matter what they think. If you have it, you have it. I know what you're going through. My work is still harrasing the heck out of me. You kind of wish it on them but then think, no way it's just too unkind to even think it. Why people believe someone would make this illness up is beyond me. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Find some folks to support you and will stand with you to see you well again. We all care about you and a good LLMD will stand with you through it.

If you can get your doc to prescribe some pain medicene and a TENS unit, that seems to work the best for me. If it's joint pain maybe Flagyll will help.

I have lived with this for 20 years. I was diagnosed back in '85, but told I was cured, so ever since then I've had my whole family thinking I have been a hypochondria. They believe that I want to be the sick one in the family....because that gets me some extra attention.

I don't want the exta attention because it's usually negative attention anyway. What I am learning to do now is to find new friends who I consider my new family. I'll always love my real family, but I just don't look to them for the support that I need to deal with this disease.

I look to my girlfriends to talk me through the really bad moments. I don't have a lot of friends who are able to do this, but I do have just enough to get me through the days. I always thought I would be able to count on my parents, but they just can't be there for me the way I need them...at least not right now.

I won't give up hope though. My mother now wears one of the green lyme bracelets, even though she told me she would not be a lyme advocate (that really hurt). For whatever reason (and I think it is ignorance...most people have no idea how complicated and painful and confusing lyme disease is) you will have people who can't deal with it.

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Originally posted by threefries:
. . . my parents don't even believe me.

My dad is convinced that this is all in my head. He even said that the doc is likely to think I'm a hypochondriac.

I don't know what to do.

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You're not the only one who goes through this. Unfortunately, many people lack empathy for those who are sick, but not with an "approved" illness. When I first got sick my doctor even told my parents that I was malingering in order to get out of school. What a quack - but certainly not one that was alone in this thinking.