I have a friend who has twice found a rash, had the flu symptoms, been treated with ABX for a month or so, and is just fine. Not one single complication. He is definitely one of the lucky ones.

How early is early enough? That is VERY TOUGH to answer. If you found the rash and received treatment, you should be okay. The telling signs are if you become symptomatic at a later time. If you don't, then you should be fine. However....

If early is one month to six months after being bitten, then things can get dicey. Yes, you can still be fine with a course of ABX, but there is a possibility of the Lyme going dormant or latent within your body, waiting for you immune system to weaken, at which time it will come out of hiding. That is kind of what happened to me.

At some point I had been bitten, but never noticed a rash or bite mark of any kind. In Feb 2006, I had a dental procedure, got sick afterwards, and have been sick ever since. I was unlucky, to say the least, but I'm not alone. There have been many who have followed the same route.

There is no proof that someone who gets a late stage version of Lyme is ever "cured". Controlled, yes...cured, no. Some people take medications for the rest of their lives. Some have flare ups from time to time. My in-laws have a houseboat in the Netherlands, which is watched over by a care-taker. He has had Lyme and been treated to the point where he has it under control. But, from time to time, he has to take a few days off when he starts feeling bad. In most cases, it's when your immune system is stressed, or you are going through a stressful event in your life. Stress releases cortisol, cortisol weakens the immune system. That is what Lyme looks for...an opening.

My hope for you is that you have caught it early and you'll never have to worry about it again. I'm crossing my fingers for you. Please feel free to send me a PM if you have any further questions. Or, if you prefer, just throw them out here on the boards. Someone will be here to help.

Take care and be well.

Tom