MoreOrLesMe
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In 1989 I found an itchy bump on my left shoulder. When I checked this in a mirror I noticed the classic bull's eye red rash with a white hard bump in the middle where the Tick was attached. I thought at that time that it must have been a baby tick because its size was so small about the size of a poppy seed. I removed and flushed the little guy then went to my Doctor because I thought it had become infected with the rash and all. She took one look at my rash and said you have been bitten by a Deer tick and I’m going to test you for Lyme disease. She wanted to see the test results before she started treatment. On my next visit she said good news your test came back negative so I don’t need to treat you. By that time the rash was going away she said that my system must have fought off the infection. I had never heard of Lyme disease and had been active in outdoor hobbies all my life so I’ve had hundreds of Tick bites. A few months after this I started having headaches, fatigue, dizziness and depression. Up to that point in my life I can’t remember any long bouts of Depression. I lost the Job that I had during the Tick Bite so I went to the primary care physician that my Mom and Dad Used. He diagnosed me with Depression and told me that I should increase my physical activity when I feel bad take a brisk walk. I explained to him that a few months earlier I was active in group hiking, camping & climbing but now I can’t get up enough steam to get out of the chair. Finally he prescribed an Anti-Depressant don’t remember what one I have been on most of them over the years. I started having panic attacks thinking I was having a heart attack I had several normal EKG tests. I finally went to a psychologist and was diagnosed with generalized anxiety depression and was put on Imipramine and Xanax and enrolled in his medication management group I quickly realized that my condition was different than the others in my group and my primary care physician would write the same proscriptions for much less money and give me personalized care. For many years after I would have good and bad spells where I had to fight through the pain and fatigue to get out of bed and keep moving. I started to experience neurological problems such as mild Bell's palsy and paralyzed hemi diaphragm on my left side due to phrenic nerve damage (paralyzed left lung). The Radiologist who did the fluoroscopic test on my lung said to me that your symptoms are similar to his and he had chronic Lyme disease. I told him about my Tick story and he recommended I get checked out. I talked with many physicians most would test me and My test results still show negative antibodies to Lyme disease but my blood tests show signs of an infection but possibly I’m just crazy I finally found a doctor who would treat me and I have been on long-term antibiotic treatment with multiple high dose antibiotics. We switch them every few months for 2+ years now plus a host of other medications. My anxiety has been better I was off Xanax for a long time but I started having panic attacks due to my breathing problems and just got it refilled. The only Psychiatric medication so far that I can say has helped reliably and my list is a long one. I’m also on Prozac at this time. At this time I’m experiencing Depression difficulties with concentration and short term memory Brain fog, Loss of goals nothing is fun anymore, anxiety panic attacks, profound fatigue I have to fight to get things done, migrating pain in muscles and joints most often shoulders, lower to mid back, neck, wrist sometimes legs, Sleep apnea, over weight. I once had a large group of personal friends now mostly work related. |
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