Lyme Disease, anyone have experience with this?

free2beme

It's weird, but always thought Lyme Disease was something you got from ticks and it was this minor thing that could be fixed with a pill. I had no idea how serious and destructive this disease really is. My sister got bit by a tick about four years ago and thought nothing of it, after all she lives in the country and has animals, and ticks were just common life issues. About six months later, she noticed that she was getting bad headaches and had less energy. Like most people, she thought she had a flu or virus and figured it would pass. It didn't and in time it was not as bad and then a week later it was on again. A year went by from the bite and she went to the doctor and decided to be tested for Lime and it came back negative. So she thought, must be something else, and began a three year search of taking this medication and getting tested for this disease and so on. Even having some small operations to remove items and items doctors thought might be causing her symptoms. She was getting to the point that she could not do anything anymore, for anymore then short periods of time and felt depressed and weak. Finally, with lots of personal research, we learned that Lyme is something that can be missed in test. As Lyme will become part of your cells and just come up with a normal reading, and doctors will do nothing for you. She found support groups online that had doctors who would work with you, and new test that would help locate the problem. In time she found one of these doctors in California and traveled ten hours to see him. He tested her and sure enough, she had Lyme. He started her treatment, which is a 18 month treatment that actually makes you sicker before it gets better. She is doing it now, and has been very ill, but headaches are stopping and she is getting better.

My cousin was diagnosed with Lou Garrets Disease about two years ago and is in his last days. No one knows much about this disease, and treatment is limited. He is very ill and had no idea where it started and what caused it. After doing the research my sister did, she learned that Lime can cause this disease and called my cousin to get tested. Doctors who specialize in this, are so limited, he had to fly to another state near him to get tested. Come to find out, he did have Lyme and it had advanced so far that treatment might not be enough, were still going to loss him.

The thing is, if you did not know about Lyme Disease, you might want to look into it. I have been reading a lot about it with the information my sister gave me and read a lot of support groups. This disease is huge, and not something to be downplayed. It is often ignored by many doctors and if you think you show symptoms and get a negative test result. Do yourself a favor and do not think that is the end. Look into specialist and find out what is really happening with Lyme Disease in this world. It will be a eye opening education for you. Also, if you get bit by a tick and have a ring around it days later ... you have a very good chance that you contracted Lyme. Seek treatment, it does not go away.

funlovingirl

Free,
My mom (a jw who doesn't speak to me anymore) has lyme disease and has had it for about 18 years. She got it in the late 80's and was thought to have 'chronic fatigue syndrome' which was popping up everywhere at the time and whose symptoms match some of Lyme's. Several years later she tested for Lyme's after doing her own research and putting together 2 and 2 about a tic bite she had received earlier in the year she developed symptoms.

So, I'm very familiar with all your sister is going thru. I know they have more treatments now than they did when my mom was diagnosed. My mom, by the way, is doing well. She has a weak immune system and is always worried about catching something because she says it is 10 times worse on her than on others. So she has her bad days but generally feels ok. (as far as I know, now!) She went thru a period of time a few years back of intense intravenious antibiotics which helped. (not sure if that's what your sis is doing) Anyway, I think your sister has a good chance of good health since she caught it and is treating it.

One thing that's important is for people to learn how to correctly remove tics from the body so as not to cause them to regurgitate into your blood when being removed. That lessens the chance of contacting the disease.

I hope the best for your sis. And thanks for posting the info for others.

Lady Lee

Wow talk abput timong

Last week I was violently ill. Sick enough for me to consider calling paramedics and going to the hospital. A couple of days later I started with a very weird rash on both ankles. It seems to be spreading so On Friday I went to the health clinic. One nurse looked at it and said she had no idea what it was and would send in the nurse-practioner. She looked at it and said she would get the docor. The doctor came in and looked and said "Just a minute. I have to go look in my book". Three trained professionals and none of them had ever seen anything like it.

It doesn't look like that was a bit but it is halo like with light in the middle and red ring on the outside. The doctor moved up my appointment to get me to see my doctor asap. So Tuesday I have an appointment with my doctor (who was still on vacation).

I went online to the mayoclinic.com and the closest likeness to it is lime disease.

I'm not thrilled. And I certainly hope that isn't what this is

hubert

I had heard that if you find out you have it early on, it's very treatable, not like if you had it a long time, and didn't know. In other words, the longer you have it, the harder it is to treat. But, I'm no doctor. Try looking it up on "webmd" or something similar, and see what it says.

Hubert

Enigma One

No limes for me, but I do have lemon disease. LOL

I had a friend with Lyme's. It's nothing to play around with. It took him a good year to year and a half to get back to 95%.

free2beme

What amazed me, more then anything, is how unreliable the test is that most doctors use. Which gets people to thinking they have CFS and other things that match the symptoms of Lyme. By the way, I did not know the correct spelling ... is it Lime or Lyme?

Enigma One

It's Lyme. It's named after Lyme and Old Lyme Conn. where it was first observed.

Country_Woman

One friend was treated for Lyme - took her a year.

Point is that, once the red ring has disappeared, symptoms are vanishing too and you aren't going to a med then. While the ring is still showing (and it is mostly a l a r g e ring) a simple antibiotic pil cure will do it.

I have a tick-remover on the toilet, in my car, in my handbag(s).

I was living at the edge of the dunes and the tick was very frequent contaminated over there. I always found / catched several ticks each time after I walked the dogs out (on the dogs).Forest-keepers in the Netherlands are practically as a group contaminated. I am fortunate that I never developed the disease myself.....

Country Girl

Tick's mouthparts have reverse harpoon-like barbs, designed to penetrate and attach to skin. Ticks secrete a cement-like substance that helps them adhere firmly to the host. If you find that you or your pet has been bitten by a tick, it is important to remove it properly.
Tick Removal Procedure:
1) Use fine-point tweezers to grasp the tick at the place of attachment, as close to the skin as possible.
2) Gently pull the tick straight out.
3) Place the tick in a small vial labeled with the victim's name, address and the date.
4) Wash your hands, disinfect the tweezers and bite site.
5) Mark your calendar with the victim's name, place of tick attachment on the body, and general health at the time.
6) Call your doctor to determine if treatment is warranted.
7) Watch the tick-bite site and your general health for signs or symptoms of a tick-borne illness. Make sure you mark any changes in your health status on your calendar.
8) If possible, have the tick identified/tested by a lab, your local health department, or veterinarian.
If the mouthparts break off in the skin - should I dig them out?
We have heard two competing opinions about this.
One viewpoint states that the mouthparts can cause a secondary infection, and should be removed as if it was a splinter.
Another viewpoint was shared with us by a pediatrician in a hyperendemic area. He states that parents can do more harm by trying to hold down a child and dig out the mouthparts with a needle. He instructs his families to leave the mouthparts, and that they will come out on their own as the skin sloughs off.
CAUTIONS:
Children should be taught to seek adult help for tick removal.

If you must remove the tick with your fingers, use a tissue or leaf to avoid contact with infected tick fluids.

Do not prick, crush or burn the tick as it may release infected fluids or tissue.

Do not try to smother the tick (e.g. petroleum jelly, nail polish) as the tick has enough oxygen to complete the feeding.

hubert

Thanks for that info, Country Girl. I printed out a copy for reference.

Hubert

Lyme Disease, anyone have experience with this?

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