posted
Hello everyone, I am new here. I have posted a new topic "Is there any hope"? For those of you who would like to read it.
Honestly I can not sit and type forever. My neck is hurting me now. Plus my hands starting getting really cold. Been diagnosed with Raynayd's Disease. Another lovely progression of Chronic Lyme.
Also afraid I my stomache issues and hormonal issues are now a latent effect of the Chronic Lyme. I think it has finally sent my Endocrine System into a wirlwind of problems. ...diabetes being one of them. Which runs in my family. As well as heart disease. Those two things worry me.
At any rate, if anyone can give me some advice on how to get help outside the VA please let me know. Twelve years of spining my wheels has left me down. I told them it is NO wonder the number of suicides amoung our VETS has risen.
They don't give a crap! Take the money and run. Oh, wait ...we aren't paying them. Yet we already did with our time and service. It's a CRIME the way us VETS are treated!!!!
GWV, I noticed you posted. I read your post. It amazes me how the Govt. wants to deny or not except responsibility. I was medically discharged after 6yrs in service for "Fibro, Lower back pain and Severe Depression.
Was even told it was stress or hormones. Hormones my butt! Or the emphamis "It's all in your head diagnosis"!!!! Being a female, I think it is even HARDER. I think they thought I was being a slacker. Well, I didn't max my pt test by being a slacker!
I didn't even get one single award when I PCS'd. Very sad....
My Rheumo here even put in my records that "pt. was speaking in complicated medical terms". A way of signaling to other docs that I'm a hypochondriac or surf the net for symptoms".
They HATE for you to be literate at anything. They want to diagnose you and keep you dumb!!! I was a medic for nearly 7yrs. I am not an idiot that they take me for.
If I don't think they are right. I will tell them so. They don't like it but TOO BAD!!! It's MY HEALTH. Not theirs. Someone has to care about me, and it sure is NOT THE VA!
I was only given 20%. The neuro doc from Walter Reed diagnosed me with Severe Degenerative Disk Disease at that time. Which was 97. I was only 27! I have degenerative joint disease in both shoulders. Along with severe bursitis and osteoarthritis. Joint spaces in my sacroiliac joints (hips) are narrowing. No one knows why. Gee, I wonder?
Was given Methadone in 05-08 for the SEVERE neck pain and headaches. I used my Imitrex injection and it sent me screaming in pain. I NEVER in my life had that much pain inside my head...EVER!
I finally came off of the Methadone myself. Figured it wasn't helping the head or neck. Then I really could feel EVERY muscle ache but I am better off without it!
If I get better from my Lyme, they are going to get some negative publicity they never saw comming!!!! The VA that is. Audie Murphy here in SA,Tx has already been in the news 3 times.
I've gone to Urgent Care there in the ER at 4pm and did not leave till 2am! I was also Imediate Urgent.
Please help!!!! zephyr
Posts: 109 | From San Antonio,Tx | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
daise
Unregistered
posted
Hi Nora,
Welcome! I hear you loud and clear. OK? I HEAR YOU.
Go to the VA = get worse. The VA hires doctors who take orders and their orders come from hell.
Especially for women. Women can not have wombs. Women can not have breasts. Women can not have hormones. And that's an order.
For a time some VA's thought we females might be women. They tried an experiment, to see. Some VA's accepted that we had wombs. But all of that has drastically changed, with only a small number of VA's thinking this. New orders: Women vets are to be men vets.
It's the military thing: ill vets are shirkers. And if you have Lyme disease, it's a horror.
They love prednisone: for those with various diseases and conditions it ensures they'll sell lots of painkillers, statins and antidepressants. Crooks compiling the list of VA brands and types of meds have fat wallets ... getting fatter.
I never took prednisone, an antidepressant or a painkiller. I was a very bad vet who did not take orders from stupid VA doctors. (Though some really do need an antidepressnt.)
You wrote: "I told them it is NO wonder the number of suicides amoung our VETS has risen."
I agree. The suicides lately among vets are truly alarming.
If you don't take a med prescribed for you, that may very well mean you need a shrink. The military has always considered that a troop who doesn't take such "orders" must need a shrink. And if you get angry enough, they will throw you out of the VA. Me, yes, very nearly ....
What I didn't realize at the time was that that would have been a blessing.
You wrote: "It's a CRIME the way us VETS are treated!!!!"
Yes. Our government is in the business of wiping out veterans. That is not an exxageration.
You wrote: "They want to diagnose you and keep you dumb!!!"
Precisely.
And you're a medic!
Lyme is not profitable. Selling us painkillers, statins and antidepressants, is. Guess you know that the VA refuses to properly doagnose and to properly treat Lyme disease, by their nationwide, unwritten policy.
You've navigated the vipers and arrived to where you are now. Again, welcome! You are not crazy--I understand.
You have diabetes. What causes diabetes in women? PCOS, for one. If you aren't aware of PCOS, here's a link:
Stomach issues: You might try "search" near the top of any page for more specific stomach problems, and in the search box it needs to say "Medical Forum."
Hormonal issues: There are many threads here concerning hypothyroidism, sex hormone imbalance and adrenal trouble (including cortisol levels.) Again, try a "search."
Of course, you are welcome to post medical questions--they need to be posted in the Medical Forum.
They gave you methadone? You poor thing.
There are several of we veterans / active military here. We post active military / veteran things in the General Forum. Here are some links:
Is this the one you saw, from GWVet? Surfrider is also in this thread:
Did you know that you can get a VA pension--even when you are not retirement age? (although that may be for VIetnam Era veterans, only) yet a VSO outside the VA system told me that ANY vet, except recent vets, are eligible. It's a pension for being disabled--different than compensation. Careful, because some VSO's will say no. Some of those love to say "no."
May I suggest seeing a VSO outside the VA system, for example, a VSO at The American Legion, AMVETS or the DAV (for both your sour 20% disability and also for the pension.)
In the event you persue Social Security Disability (SSDI):
Near the the top threads of the General Forum is a link for Social Security disability. It's a red-flagged thread. That's different from VA disability in that there are no percentages for body parts. It depends on whether you are able to work or not. Here is the link:
As far as getting help outside the VA, do you know about the importance of getting an LLMD (Lyme-literate MD) who is also an ILADS doctor? You can post under the "Seeking A Doctor" forum. Save your receipts just in case, some day, the VA will actually pay for it.
Have you been here yet? it's essential reading for those new to chronic Lyme: www.ILADS.org to the left menu, click "Treatment Guidelines." That takes you to Dr. Burrascano's 33 pages of tips for 2005.
Good book: Coping With Lyme Disease by Denise Lang and Kenneth Leigner, MD.
PJ Langhoff's new books: "It's All In Your Head." Book 2 has patient stories from around the world, actually written by the patients themselves.
Perhaps, if you are able, you might pay for your LLMD visits and get meds here--called Prescription Hope:
posted
Hi Nora, I share some of your frustrations in dealing with the VA.
I assume you are 20% service connected. Have you applied to increase that? It seems like you would have a difficult time working at all. You might not be that far away from a 70% disability with the other 30% for total and permanent. It is important to get help from the DAV or other veterans organization. A 100% service connected disability would give you income to travel and pay for some LLMD treatment elsewhere.
Having a psychiatric diagnosis (depression) on your disability could work to your benefit. Being persistant with your complaints may either get some medical help or increase their focus on a psychiatric diagnosis that could increase the service connected disability. No doubt that they would prefer to give the disability for that than for Lyme disease.
I really have not been able to tolerate any psychotropics the VA prescribed for me. For example, the antidepressant made me sleep 15 to 16 hours daily, including nap. I refused steroids. My pain decreased soon after I stopped taking the 800 mg. ibupropen 2 or 3 times daily.
It is a good idea to get a copy of your medical records (including psychiatric) to get a better handle on it. They may not verbally give you an accurate picture on testing results, etc.
posted
daise, lou b is on vacation; wait until next friday and then send him a PM asking him to do this ok!!
i suggested nora come here knowing you had many vets posts here and she could read about our LYME BILLS IN CONGRESS and hopefully be able to join the calling/emailing/writing newspaper or the blogs posted by the "enemies", idsa drs. *********************************************
we need ALL THE CALLS we can get in the next 6-7 DAYS!!*******************************************
get family, friends, neighbors, church members, to help us call!! they are keeping tallies daily of calls.
IP: Logged |
daise
Unregistered
posted
Nora, hi!
I've read your thread under the Seeking A Doctor Forum.
You've been in pain and frightened for a long time. Some here have had chronic Lyme disease for decades. It's very sad.
I have no medical training. You do!
The ELISA (Lyme Titers test) Is a bogus test used by doctors and some insurance companies AND THE VA to deny treatment. Lyme patients don't often test positive. A negative on your record is bad news.
You actually got a VA PCP to run a western blot?
Wow, that's an accomplishment! But was it a western blot sent to IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA? That's the gold standard. But regardless, your western blot was positive. Forget CDC stuff. It was positive!
You have Lyme.
Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis. The test should help get a diagnosis from an LLMD.
Fry labs in Scottsdale AZ is said to run more accurate tests--especially for coinfections. I don't know.
I've read about your signs and symptoms. For example, you can barely lift your arms without being in horriffic pain. The hearing aides, for hearing loss. Tinnitus. The insomnia, nightsweats, muscle twitches, painful neuralgias, heart palpitation, jitters, headaches, neck pain, fatigue and so on.
I don't know what your knowledge of Lyme is, but here are threads for some of your signs and symptoms that may help:
TINNITUS: Ringing Between The Ears; Vestibular, Balance, Hearing with compiled links
Insomnia: That's common with Lyme. I take Fatigued To Fantastic Revitalizing Sleep Formula, by Enzymatic Therapy. If you try it, you need to try a dose for 4 nights and on the 4th morning, if you feel better in the morning, that's your dose. It needs to be taken consistently.
Shop around for the best price. It comes in 90 count.
In herx I take Source Naturals Melatonin liquid sublungual (1 mL )or spray sublingual (1/2 a spray) to help put me to sleep. I gave it up for awhile, due to the expense of so many supplements, but found I really do need it.
I just began taking 300 mg of vitamin B1 and yes, that makes a difference. That helps me to let go.
Because I have light that comes in through the window at night, I also made a black headband to go around my eyes. I bought black ribbing.
I sleep in a cool room in jammies that are lose.
I get to go to sleep with whalesong! And ocean waves hitting the beach. Jungle sounds. Thunderstorms! Crickets in the grass near a stream. And more.
I bought CD's, but I also download these off the Internet (i.e. Limewire) and that gives me the advantage of continuous play all night.
Nightsweats: Possibly babesia (babesiosis; babs) a coinfection (which in Lymeland means a tick disease other than Lyme.) Coinfections with Lyme are very common.
Neck and head pain: That's real common in Lymeland. Under the thread link above, for my tinnitus patient journey, perhaps this might help with your head / neck pain. Maybe not. We're all different!
[Edited paragraph] If you have dizziness and balance problems the rest of the tinnitus link above provides a checklist. You have hearing problems, so I'd certainly suggest it!
Under Dr. Burrascano's 33 pages of tips for 2005 that I told you about ( www.ilads.org ) you'll find a supplements list.
In his guidelines you'll also find a referral order for physical therapy that you can put in front of your VA doctor for their signature. Or they may very well throw a control fit!
WARNING: the physical therapy at my VA was horrible. The therapist actually caused me harm.
But perhaps you can go to a therapist at the VA and not let them lay a hand on you. Tell them that! Then get another order for their pool (only if it's warm) and for weightlifting machines.
Before you get on weightlifting machines you need physical therapy for range of motion exersizes that you can do at home. Have the therapist teach you these. But if the VA therapist is worthless, you may have to go outside the VA.
I don't mean to scare you off, in your hurting condition, however, think of it this way: we exhausted Lymies get to sit down on a weightlifting machine. (Does your VA have a gym with weightlifting machines?)
We use one muscle group at a time. We don't pant, sweat or get our heart pounding--or do grunting! That would be counterproductive because we need our energy to fight Lyme. Yet, we also need to get our whole body working better and to try to build strong muscle cells.
Three sets of ten. (with 30-45 minutes in between, to relax.) Just enough of a challenge--and then all we have to do is make it to the next machine and then we get to sit down again!
I was pretty shaky and wobbly, in the beginning. That's OK. Really! Just keep at it. But rememebr: you need range of motion exercises, first, to prepare for weightlifting and warm pool.
If you have a bad reaction to exercise, that could indicate:
1.) Trigger points in your muscle fascia. PM me.
2.) It may be a problem with adrenal gland inbalance, for example, low cortisol and high adrenaline. PM me.
The above is not a complete list!
WARM pool feels wonderful on muscles, but especially when we stretch. I make up my own stretch dances. I had to hang-out at the low end of the pool, at first, because with my neuro stuff, I was afraid I might drown. I'm a water baby from Minnesota!
The effect of the weightlifting machines, also, was that my head pain was better! I went home and rested. When I started stretching in the pool, too, that was when things really came together for me.
I've been in the warm pool for almost a year, 3 times a week. I've been using weightlifting machines for almost a year and a half.
No aerobics, because that will weear us out and give few benefits, for what we need. Again, see Dr. Burrascano's information on this.
The other things--arm pain when you lift your arms (yes, I know!) twitching and so forth, you can post about too, or look under the "search" using "medical forum" in the box.
Financially, if worse comes to worse, there are such things as places for "homeless veterans" to go live. There aren't many, but there are some. Often it's OK to go to another state to live in one. I live at one and I am termed "homeless veteran." See:
I know what it is to be exhausted. I know full well what it is to have a stiff, painful neck and shoulders. That goes right up into the back of my head, behind my ear, and brings constant head pain.
There are alternative protocols and things like rife, however, my advice, and the advice of nearly all on here is to get multiple, high dose, prolonged antibiotics and take them for a few years or even more--that's not unusual. Then if you want, try alternative protocols.
Also, the medical forum has people selling stuff (though it may not be obvious.) And pushing protocols that are theoretical only. There are a lot of these. Just so you know ...
There are some alternatives that go along with antibiotics--therapies and supplements. Dr. Burrascano recommends excellent supportive supplements. I bought these locally.
I have improved by leaps and bounds with high dose, prolonged, multiple antibiotics. I see myself eventually going on a low dose antibiotic for life, to keep at bay any Lyme germs still lurking.
Have you figured out the IDSA--ILADS battle? IDSA stands for Infectious Disease Society of America. They represent your local infectious disease doctor--even VA. They say chronic Lyme disease does not exist. (But for a wee handful.)
It's profits over patients: some insurance companies and the painkiller, statin and antidepressant industry, for starters. Follow the money.
They have no experience treating chronic Lyme because when they give us a few weeks of an antibiotic and we do not get well--why would we go back?
The Connecticut Attorney General recently found IDSA members of the roup that drew up the phone IDSA Guidelines for Lyme to have conflicts of interest. Therefore, the guidelines are fraudulent.
ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) doctors help us while they are in danger of losing their license to practice. That's because they are hero doctors!
I hear you! Keep posting on this thread (and this thread may be moved to the GENERAL FORUM, for you.) Or on another thread in medical.
You wrote: "I need help fast before things take a turn for the worst. It that is even possible...."
I've been there. I'm listening.
In the General Forum we can try to help figure out how you're going to get care and meds outside the VA system.
Actually, the military and VA threads are under General, except for one from Dig/me. Did you know that?
You're right, Betty: Nora!
See under this forum--the activism forum--where all the threads are calling for action from us to call Congressman Pallone's office, and so forth?
Betty is asking you to call and to email (or fax,) please. We have two bills sitting in committees in Congress. House Bill 741 (Palone will not bring our bill up for a hearing) and Senate Bill S-1708. Please see:
posted
I hear you, I was in the Navy. One of the things that baffles me about how the gov't wants to act like this disease doesn't exist. When I joined, my recruiter lied on my paperwork and told me NOT to put down I had Lyme Disease otherwise they wouldn't take me.
Hmmmmm....... interesting isn't it? The disease doesn't exist, but if you've had it or were diagnosed with it, we won't take you. Wonder why?
And, it's not just the military believe me. All doctors are like that, hence the reason the hospital diagnosed me with Conversion disorder.
I told them all about it, brought up web pages with the info on it, showed them my Aunt's book "Coping with Lyme Diesease", and apparently as a result I was depressed so subconciously my brain created these problems.
Very wierd for someone who was about to get married, and the only source of marginal stress was paying for school. Go figure.
-------------------- C.D.C = "Country Doesn't Care" Ticks are like Snipers, you don't know they're there, until you see the bullseye. Posts: 86 | From Upstate New York | Registered: Jun 2007
| IP: Logged |
daise
Unregistered
posted
Hi slappy!
You're a vet! Maybe some of those links above could help you, too.
Colleen Nicolson is bringing us together under Military Lyme Support at Yahoo Groups. I get very informative daily emails from her.
In the service, my roomie / best friend was a recruiter and she hated that they made them lie--they had no choice. To disobey orders was insubordination and punishable.
It would be on your record, they were told. She was 19 years old. There was no way out for her.
They claimed you dreamed-up your signs and symptoms? Well ... then un-dream yourself out of them. Tell us all about it! Tell us how you dreamed your way right up out of your wheelchair!
Could you kindly dream away other peoples signs and symptoms?
Seriously, are you able to find your way to a great LLMD and meds--paid for by insurance? I sure hope so. I really do.
I think your aunt's book downright provides a great service to patients in Lymeland. I've been recommending it all over the place!
(Psssst ... do you have inside information on when her next edition will be out? )
posted
I'm here. Had a bad couple of days with my RELENTLESS back pain. I sware it's inflamation in my liver that is causing it, because I have SEVERE muscle pain right over that area over my kidney on the right side in the back.
My therapist could feel it yesterday. Said it was like my Kidneys are trying to detox themselves. Well, I wish they'd HURRY up.
My sister flies in this Sat. for 8 days. I just hope I am NOT sick the entire time! I have my Urology appt. this a.m. Not looking forward to that. They have to insert a foley cahterter in my private area as well as the back 9! NOT fun!
I can tell them why my bladder is spasming and not fully emptying. LYME or one of the Autioiume Disease's they are NOT finding!!!
I made an appt. yesterday at a place called the Fibro and Fatigue Center in Forth Worth. Not sure if they send there labs to IGenex or Fyre but they do a FULL screeing.
You spend an hour with the doctor ,an hour in the lab and another hour doing something else. I forgot now. You can go to www.fibroandfatigue.com
Yes, it amazes me as to the length the military goes to, to cover up our illnesses. I was told so many things. From it was in my head to it being psychosamatic. I sware if I heard that word I was going to scream.
Without sounding crass, I think if you are blonde and have boobs....you are doubly screwed!! Oh, and the fact that you have brains on top of it. I was even accused of trying to seek attention.
I even had a counselor after I was out put in my records " Patient very manipulative and cunning. Here to tell her poor me story". I WAS LIVID afer reading that! I called that office back up at Houston VA and raised Hell!
How dare they think they can put that in my records and think that another doctor will not emediately judge me. If so, they are only fooling themselves. As far as I'm concerned they are worse than the disease that plauges us all.
Posts: 109 | From San Antonio,Tx | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
daise
Unregistered
posted
Hi Nora,
Whether at the VA or outside the VA we call them DUCKS. Quack!
You're ill. A lot of Lymies come to this board with chronic Lyme and they have all sorts of troubles--and fear.
quote: You wrote:
I'm here. Had a bad couple of days with my RELENTLESS back pain. I sware it's inflamation in my liver that is causing it, because I have SEVERE muscle pain right over that area over my kidney on the right side in the back.
Me too. Just started recently. I especially feel it when I exercise with weights. I'm in the middle of treatment. Mine doesn't sound nearly as bad as yours. I'm not sure what it is.
Lyme can get in the GI tract. Just so you know.
It's great you have your sister for a friend. And for comfort.
I never heard of the Fibro and Fatigue center in Fort Worth--but that doesn't mean anything! You might post about it in the Medical Forum--maybe others have heard of it. You may be surprised! Many with fibro and or chronic fatigue have Lyme.
Their website doesn't mention Lyme. Be leary! Some clinics (I'm not saying this one) get you to their door and then try to sell you all sorts of supplements and physical-type therapies.
That means they are all about big profits. We are preyed upon! There are good supplements known to support us for Lyme disease (www.ilads.org and click "Treatment Guidelines." See Dr. Burrascano's 33 pages of tips for supplements.)
It sounds like an opportunity to get many tests done, for example, for intestinal pests or viruses. Often magnesium is low! Those could be important. I wouldn't count on them taking Lyme seriously.
I could be wrong about them, but usually--not always--there is a big divide where fibro/chronic fatigue docs don't take Lyme seriously.
I want to caution you--a good LLMD could also test you for the same things as the doctor at the clinic you're going to. And also to caution you that a lot of us only have a limited amount of money, which we run through real quick on meds and/or LLMD visits!
If they do test responsibly for Lyme, it MUST be a western blot (your blood sample is sent to IgeneX in Palo Alto CA) or Fry Lab in Scottsdale AZ.
The CD 57 count is a simple blood draw sent to Dallas, TX. It's a screener for diagnosis for how far worn down your immune system is to Lyme.
It is specific to Lyme and is for when you've had Lyme signs and symptoms for a year or more.
If it's a Lyme Titers test (ELISA) that is bogus.
If you have fibromyalgia, you might ask specifically what they'd recommend for a physical therapy.
For example, is there a good myofascial trigger point therapist in San Antonio who is very good at helping the "tender points" of fibromyalgia and your overall muscle pain?
Can they recommend what procedures and therapies help from a physical therapist?
Good book on fibro: Living Well With Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. That's the approximate name of the book. It's by Mary J. Shomon. It may be at your library.
You are psychosomatic, huh? You are only seeking attention, huh?
What--they didn't tell you it was all due to menopause? Been there, done that. This place is full of horror stories about Dumb Ducks and they all sound alike: Quack!
It's OK to rant here!
This is summed-up as, "It's All In Your Head." In fact, that's the name of two new books that were just published. Can't recall if I mentioned them to you.
Book 1 is about neuropsychological Lyme and Book 2 has 80 patients stories, written by the patients themselves and that is what's special about it.
It's blood, sweat and tears of their words or that of their children that gets it across.
And the book mentioned above, Coping With Lyme Disease--a very good intro to Lymeland, by Denise Lang and Kenneth Leigner MD.
quote:
You wrote: I even had a counselor after I was out put in my records " Patient very manipulative and cunning. Here to tell her poor me story". I WAS LIVID afer reading that! I called that office back up at Houston VA and raised Hell!
How dare they think they can put that in my records and think that another doctor will not emediately judge me. If so, they are only fooling themselves. As far as I'm concerned they are worse than the disease that plauges us all.
But there was also a in there.
May I join you?
The VA:
Yes, they are worse then the disease that plagues us all, I agree.
When I had Bell's palsy and was ignored to the gills and deliberately misdiagnosed with a stroke, I kept thinking "Oh my God. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna leave this Earth--and the human race is doomed due to Dumb Doctors. Oh my God!"
That terrified me.
Most of us look more or less normal. So how can we be seriously ill? Well ... that's generally true with cancer, too.
I'm glad you found your way here. When is your appointment at the clinic in Fort Worth?
We are all on a journey. You're gonna get better. You will.
No, sorry I don't have any inside info LOL. My Aunt actually just graduated with a nursing degree two weeks ago, so who knows what undercover info she'll get. Yeah it's a great book, she wrote it when my cousing got Lyme, and everything he went through.
Betty
No I don't think she has, but I can always ask.
V.A.
No offense to anyone but I wouldn't trust the VA to put a bandaid on. Besides, the fact that I didn't put that I had Lyme on my application kinda negates any help I would've gotten.
Yeah I know the recruiters are told to lie. I had a friend when I was in the Navy who was a recruiter. Did you know they have a sheet of paper in their desks with what to say WHEN someone comes back and accuses them of lying to them?
Sometimes I feel insurance has the same thing lol.
Yeah, I haven't found any LLMD's in my area covered under my insurance. Doctors in this area are totally ignorant. I think I should just open up a school or class or something for the doctors so I can educate one for me LOL.
-------------------- C.D.C = "Country Doesn't Care" Ticks are like Snipers, you don't know they're there, until you see the bullseye. Posts: 86 | From Upstate New York | Registered: Jun 2007
| IP: Logged |
Oh BTW, if I could dream this thing away, I would definately do that for everyone! Maybe I should do like Dr. King form a Lyme March on washington.
"I have a dream, a dream where Politicans and Doctors actaully care about the patients, a dream where Lymies and paitients can sit in a doctors room, and be taken seriously, and not treated like a headcase, but be cured. A dream where children can go out and play, and not have to sit inside cause their joints hurt, or are to weak to do anything."
'Cept we'd have to start it close,(I'm sure most of us wouldn't be able to march far) like we'll start at the steps and stop at the steps.
Seriously though, I am trying to think of something to do.
-------------------- C.D.C = "Country Doesn't Care" Ticks are like Snipers, you don't know they're there, until you see the bullseye. Posts: 86 | From Upstate New York | Registered: Jun 2007
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
nora,
personally i suggest you post in seeking drs and show subject:
how FIBRO & FATIGUE CENTERS HELPED YOU? name the CITY TOO OK!
from what i've heard of MY end of things; majority have BAD COMMENTS, BIG $$$$, AND VERY FEW RECEIVED HELP AND SATISFACTION. ***********************************
so put out an inquiry before you go and use your money wisely to get BEST HEALTH CARE YOU CAN AFFORD! good luck!
IP: Logged |
daise
Unregistered
posted
You're a good man, Slappy.
Have you been to Military Lyme Support (Yahoo Groups)?
You might send your brief story to Colleen Nicolson on that site and ask for her advice on dealing with the VA. Even though it seems rediculous that the VA would do anything, at least she can advise who to send your story to.
In addition, you might approach your US Congressperson's local office and ask for their aide who handles VA issues. Make an appointment and give them your history and say that you want to be properly diagnosed and properly treated by the VA.
The VA aide can launch an investigation into your case in particular and why you were turned down.
IDEA: you can possibly be the first banana to accomplish getting diagnosed PROPERLY and treated PROPERLY. Insist that that means ILADS Guidelines--not IDSA!
You could always run to your insurance docs for CBC's (Complete Blood Count) and liver tests.
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/