OT: Lyme Disease?

Anyone been diagnosed?  How long did it take?  How'd you make it happen?

After nearly nine months, I am still sick.  I get good days and bad...good hours and bad...some symptoms are still recurring...new symptoms continue to pop up.  I am still without health insurance, so have not pursued further testing.  I had not considered Lyme because I did not have a "bulls-eye" rash and I was tested early on and was told it was negative.  However, I am still researching new and recurring symptoms and I have seen them point to Lyme quite a bit recently.  I also read on more than one medical site that that rash only occurs in about half the Lyme patients and that tests are not conclusive.

I've done quite a bit of research now on what I believe to be reliable sites (American College of Phys, CDC, etc) and I believe I have Lyme disease.  I have had or still have so many of these symptoms.  I did have some bites around the time this all started, huge red welts, one that stands out in my husband's memory as particularly large, red and raised in the center.  Early on, when I took antibiotics, I felt better, but the symptoms returned the moment I finished the courses.

I have also read some first hand account stories.  Very scary.  So many people suffering for years, their bodies ravaged by the time they get the proper diagnosis of Lyme disease.  Naturally, I want to avoid that.

I am seeing my doctor tomorrow and have printed out my findings, along with the website url's, so she can see I had not gathered it from crackpot sites.  I am hoping she begins treating me right away.  Hell, if it will make me feel good for two days in a row (now, I can't go to the gym or take a long walk without feeling like crap by night time or the next day), she can hospitalize me and pump me full of antibiotics till they're coming out of my ears.

I'd be interested in hearing of others' experiences with Lyme...or other problems they had trouble having diagnosed.  Thanks.

Lisa

Lisa,

I had pains in my left arm that came and went. Sometimes they were so bad, I thought I was having a heart attack. My doctor did an EKG and sent me to a cardiologist - all the tests came back fine. Then I got Bells Palsy and the doctor did a CAT scan of my head. That came back negative. He then decided to run some blood tests for Lyme. One came back negative and one came back positive. He put me on antibiotics for three weeks and all my symptoms went away.
I never had a bulls eye rash either. Hope this helps you.
Tammy

Thanks very much, Tammy.  I've also had really bad left arm pains and all my heart tests have shown no problems there.  Also had a brain MRI, which came back ok.  I appreciate your input and will add it to my lists!

Lisa

Lisa,
I think the hardest thing about Lyme disease is being able to get it diagnosed. The symptoms can vary so much from one person to the next. Maybe the doctor could put you on an antibiotic for Lyme and see if u feel better? Hope you find some relief.
Tammy 

Lisa, I have not had any experience with this, but I just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and I hope you get some answers very soon.  Once you find out some answers, I hope that you will be on the road to recovery very, very soon.  I'm really sorry you are going through this. 

Thinking of you, 
Lisa :)