posted
Has anyone gone through denial about a diagnosis? My brother was given a tentative diagnosis of Lyme disease by an LLMD and is awaiting results from lab tests (IGENIX). Is it normal for him to be in denial and still trying to come up with alternative reasons for his illness?
Posts: 8 | From Michigan | Registered: Jun 2009
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Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
Yes, it is very common.
There are many threads on here about people who just can't believe or accept their diagnosis.
Especially when the tests are inconclusive--
it's hard to accept that you have Lyme or babesia or something else when the tests are either indeterminate or negative.
But these diseases are often clinical diagnoses, which many people can't fully accept--
look at the controversy between regular doctors and LLMDs.
It just comes down to when you've had every test known to man and everything comes back normal, what do you do?
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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To be honest, it's not bad thing- as long as he's not throwing out the Lyme diagnosis.
It's a good idea to go through and look at other possibilities, and rule them out.
Otherwise, he will always be wondering "what if..."
Also- that way if there is something else going on, they can catch it.
Of course, I think I might still be in a bit of a "denial" stage, so I might be biased!
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
oh yes, after being sick my entire life, getting diagnosis was such a relief.
however, i had become accustomed to thinking maybe this is how i was supposed to feel, maybe i'm making this a bigger deal in my head than what it is, etc etc etc.
I was diagnosed with LD in December 2007. I only VERY VERY recently accepted this diagnosis.
I've been on a PICC line for the past six months and it took almost 5 months of being on it for me to realize -- (since the treatment was making a difference and i began to feel better)--
that it was time to acknowledge & perhaps really try to accept the LD diagnosis.
In any case, it took a year and a half of denial for me.
xoxo ~Green~
-------------------- ...trying to be the coffee bean, not the egg. Posts: 420 | From East Coast | Registered: Jun 2008
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
i too was in DISBELIEF ... chronic lyme disease!!
misdiagnosed for 34.5 years by 40 - 50 drs !!! it was just another DIAGNOSIS added to my super long one.
it just takes awhile to adjust; main thing is to start educating himself about it, and i KNOW YOU can do that perfectly.
does he use internet and savvy to it?
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I actually think that denial is part of Lyme disease.
For me it was after I was diagnosed.
I was sure that was what I had, but couldn't stop
Wondering if it was something else....worse even
Like a brain tumor.
For my husband it wasn't accepting the diagnosis.
It was in believing that he still needs to treat for it.
Trust me.....he does.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
Yes, very common - I still kind of doubt this Dx and any bacteria's ability to withstand 10-11 months of Abx honestly. Totally natural response IMO>
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
Maybe denial should be listed as one of the symptoms?
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
i don't know that it's a symptom that is specific to lyme. denial is something that's common to any adverse event in life.
when people are diagnosed with cancer, for example, they go thru a stage of denial. as do folks diagnosed with terminal illnesses. or put into hospice. these are just some examples.
all these events, just like a lyme diagnoses, are HUGE life-altering events that are beyond our control. and so the normal reaction is to say it's not true - to kinda make it 'go away' in our minds.
i can't say for sure, but i believe it should be very common in lyme.
but it's a stage - and it should pass with time.
Posts: 34 | From Airmont NY | Registered: May 2009
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