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Hi Chel, welcome! How long have you been getting treated and what meds are you taking? Are you seeing a Lyme knowledgeable doctor? Have you been tested for the co-infections that ticks can transmit--Babesiosis, two types of Ehrlichiosis (HME & HGE), Bartonella, and Mycoplasma? This is very important. It is estimated that 60% of people who have Lyme are co-infected. It may affect treatment and progress. If you think you were infected during your pregnancies, you should have your children evaluated by a knowledgeable doctor. Lyme disease can be passed through pregnancy and breastfeeding. It may help you to write down when you take your meds. You definitely do not want to take more than you are supposed to. It is important to learn as much as possible. I recommend reading Dr. Joseph Burrascano's 2005 Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines For Lyme and Other Tick Borne Illnesses at http://www.ilads.org/burrascano_0905.html He is one of the top Lyme doctors in the country, and many Lyme doctors follow his protocols. I also recommend the book "Everything You Need To Know About Lyme Disease (2nd edition)" by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner. I know it can be scary to have so many symptoms. With proper treatment, you can get better. Hang in there okay? |
"I am so happy to be a part of the MDJunction family! Where I used to be alone, I now have friends whom inspire me, comfort me, support me, and do not judge me. My new life began October 17, 2008. I weighed in with severe depression, social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder. I was born with complications but I am fighting for my life and I will survive!!" (apieceofwork)
) but I'm going to write it again. My first symptom was just generally feeling icky...then I noticed the weird rash on my arm. It was a bullseye type rash that quickly took over my left arm. I was treated with whatever the popular treatment was at the time. Since then I've developed a lot of distressing symptoms. I have, at times, pretty severe joint pain in my elbows, especially when I'm carrying something. I also either phase out the rest of the world or I'm hyper sensitive to my surroundings. I feel sorry for my kids! Sometimes I yell at them to be quiet and they look at me like I'm insane. Sometimes even a fan blowing on my is so uncomfortable on my skin and so loud to my ears that I will sleep in a hot room rather than endure the fan. I have short term memory issues as well. These especially are distressing, like sometimes not being able to remember the correct word. Usually with typing it's not that big of a deal but with speaking it is. I find myself more and more frequently stumbling over my words and slurring my words together. The biggest and potentially most dangerous problem I have is just remembering simple things...like remembering to call the doctor to make an appointment, forgetting an appointment, forgetting whether or not I took my medication and skipping a dose in fear of overdosing. I have an unrelated blood condition that requires me to take anti-coagulants. If my dosing is off I could suffer from either another potentially fatal blood clot or I could die from internal bleeding. Neither sounds like fun...so...I'm looking for ways to get around my memory blocks. Any suggestions are extremely appreciated! 