Hello,
I am Karen and I recently found this group, and am amazed at all of the stories, and can relate. I feel I may have met others I can finally relate to with this monster of a disease, for that I am grateful.
I was diagnosed on November 26, 2008 and actually that morning I was in the frame of mind of getting my affairs in order because I thought I was dying, so I was grateful, they finally figured out what was the matter with me.
In September/October, I noticed that I was very irritable, and really angry for no apparent reason. I remember telling my husband, something isn't right. I would get angry and people close to me for really no reason, and I couldn't seem to get settled.
In early October I came down with what I thought was a head cold. There was a lot of pressure in my head, and my brain was foggy, and it was very difficult on some days to concentrate. I also had a very difficult time speaking and kept mixing up my words and my speech. I would joke with people at work when I heard it and say "it's the head cold." I was also extremely dizzy, which made me sick on my stomach a lot, and normal activities very difficult. My personalities became effected as well. I became very paranoid, and sometimes just downright "nuts." The problem came when it didn't go away after a few weeks.
My family doctor prescribed antibiotics and said it was a sinus problem. I was congested when I first saw him. The antibiotics made the dizziness and vertigo almost unbearable. After two different types of antibiotics, I finally went off of them, because my head was not better, in fact it was getting worse and I was getting scared. During this time, I still went to work, but became more isolated (I am a very outgoing person) more paranoid because I was trying to fake how sick I really was, then I finally decided I needed to take some time off to try to get better. I also had vacation and my son was coming home so, I took some time off to get better, and vacation. After a few days of rest, I became worse. I called the doctor and insisted on a cat scan, which he gave me the referral and I went that day to get the cat scan, and they referred me to a ear/nose/throat specialist. I saw him that day with my cat scan. He informed me that there was nothing wrong with my sinuses. I was really scared now, and felt like everyone thought I was crazy. This doctor prescribed a antidepressant and began treating me for a Migraine without Aura (I believe). It is a migraine without the pain. I was very upset that I was prescribed a antidepressant, I wasn't depressed, I was sick. I did as advised and told the doctor I was giving it only two weeks, by this point we are into almost two months of feeling this way, and getting worse. In that time, I also had a pending appointment with a neurologist to get everything else checked out. I ended up moving that appointment up because, yet again, I wasn't getting better, and got into see her earlier than expected. She gave me the same diagnosis as the ear/nose/throat doctor but also wanted to run a MRI and also a blood test to check for everything. She asked me quite a few times if I remember being bit by a tick, and I didn't. (I later do recall my husband having to remove one from my scalp after a bike ride back in August) She wanted to do a harsh treatment in the meantime of steroids to break the cycle of "episodes" that I was experiencing. I would be ok, feel better, try to walk, to do something normal, and it would bring on the episodes of extreme dizzyness, brain would stop calculating, face would go numb, and my speech would slur. At this point I was willing to try anything. We still didn't know I had lyme, she was treating the "migraine." Day 5 of 7 of the steroids I got the call I had Lyme. I stopped the steroids and she prescribed 100 mg of doxycycline twice a day for 30 days. I was finally starting to feel better. I was getting multiple days in between episodes, and I was finally hopeful that I was not going to die. Then I came down with another cold right before Christmas. Symptoms started all over again as if I had never been better. I called because I was concerned that my antibiotics were running out and I wasn't better. They informed me that they were not giving me anymore, and that they could talk about it at my appointment 3 weeks away. I felt deflated and became irate. I wasn't better and they couldn't get me in sooner. They informed me that that was the treatment, and if I needed anything else, I needed to go see a infectious disease specialist. I went back to my family doctor, and asked him for these antibiotics to try (I was off of them for two weeks during this time) to see if I would get better. I slowly began slipping back to all the familiar symptoms. I have come to know what is Lyme in my body when I feel it and what is just normal (if anything is anymore). I knew it never left, it just took a break. I recently as a few days ago had another episode that was the first one that was as worse as back before I was diagnosed. It left me in bed, pain in my knees, face numb, brain unable to function properly, unable to speak without slurring and crying most of the day. ON this day, I finally got word that the Infectious Disease facility that I had been waiting to hear from, I finally got into, and they are very familiar with lyme, specialize in it, and I go this Thursday.
-I am still currently on doxycycline.
-I read on this forum that (not sure where) that when you have lyme, your body does not absorb normal vitamins and to use raw. I went yesterday and bought some and they are the first vitamins that didn't make me ill, and for the first time all week I am feeling better.
-I am still working, and am grateful, but I do keep to myself, which some have made comments about, but only a few people know that I have Lyme at work. Even the ones that do, do not understand the depths of how I am feeling and what I am going through. How could they, I don't even understand it, and I don't want to burden them? Luckily I am not in a lot of situations that require me to speak in public or a lot of meetings, because that terrifies me due to never knowing how I am going to feel from one day to the next, and if I will have the ability to speak and think properly. I have been lucky so far.
I know Lyme is with me, and do not know what the future holds, but am counting the days until Thursday. I hope you don't mind me sharing my story, and am happy to finally be connected to people that understand what the expression "lyme brain" really means.
Hopefully my babbling will help others as well. This disease is a monster. It's changed my whole way of life, and taken away many things that I use to love. I am hopeful that it's not permanent, but if it turns out to be, I want to reach out to others in the process. It has made me so grateful for things that I should have never taken for granted of in my life, and also has taught me to let go of things, that really do not matter. For that I am grateful, as well.
Thank you for listening. If you would like to contact me, please feel free.
Karen
Now you have your abx back and making headway already .. Good for you! There is a lot to learn and a lot of great people here with a vast amount of experience and many many are getting better every day 
)