Guest guest Posted August 30, 2002 Report Share Posted August 30, 2002 Hi all, Well the lyme disease test I asked for came back positive. My PCP is starting me on tetracycline. RA factor was negative again. There has been much celebrating at work and at home. Funny to hear everyone congratulating me on Lyme Disease! It all makes sense though, the neurological, the arthritis, the fatigue, weakness and pain I've been living with for the past year. I am hoping that this is all there is to it. This is the funny part. I called my old PCP who had done a lyme test one week into the numbness and tingling and she said it was negative. I asked to verify that it was negative. She said I only had three bars of 10 and I needed 5 of 10 for the western blot, and maybe my current Dr didn't know how to read these sophisticated tests. She said my rheumy did a type of lyme disease test she hadn't seen before, a lyme titre, and read the results of IGg and IGm as negative but positive for old infection. I had a copy of my results and saw what she was looking at, it was my Epstein Barr test! Started the tetracycline yesterday and hoping to have a second chance at happier healthier days. I still have an appointment with the new rheumy mid-September and plan on keeping it because I found he spoke on guess what, Lyme Arthritis! happy today, Debbie --------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2002 Report Share Posted August 30, 2002 Oh Debbie, I'm so happy for you. The thought of a complete recovery must be enough to have you dancing in the streets! It certainly sounds weird to say I'm happy that you have Lyme disease, but it certainly beats RA. Celebrate, and get well soon. Much love, Carol [ ] test results - + lyme Hi all, Well the lyme disease test I asked for came back positive. My PCP is starting me on tetracycline. RA factor was negative again. There has been much celebrating at work and at home. Funny to hear everyone congratulating me on Lyme Disease! It all makes sense though, the neurological, the arthritis, the fatigue, weakness and pain I've been living with for the past year. I am hoping that this is all there is to it. This is the funny part. I called my old PCP who had done a lyme test one week into the numbness and tingling and she said it was negative. I asked to verify that it was negative. She said I only had three bars of 10 and I needed 5 of 10 for the western blot, and maybe my current Dr didn't know how to read these sophisticated tests. She said my rheumy did a type of lyme disease test she hadn't seen before, a lyme titre, and read the results of IGg and IGm as negative but positive for old infection. I had a copy of my results and saw what she was looking at, it was my Epstein Barr test! Started the tetracycline yesterday and hoping to have a second chance at happier healthier days. I still have an appointment with the new rheumy mid-September and plan on keeping it because I found he spoke on guess what, Lyme Arthritis! happy today, Debbie --------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2002 Report Share Posted August 30, 2002 Hi, Debbie. I'm glad to hear that you may be getting somewhere on your diagnosis. Just a word of caution though. Lyme disease is very difficult to test for and diagnose. There really is no consensus about what test or tests should be used and how results should be interpreted. Moreover, the best way to treat Lyme disease also is unclear, especially in instances of prolonged infection. I'm glad that your upcoming appointment is with a rheumatologist who knows about Lyme disease. I'm not sure where you live, but maybe a second opinion with someone who handles a lot of Lyme cases might be in order. My youngest sibling lives in NY, has a property upstate, and is a gardening fool. She has removed numerous ticks from her body over the last couple of years. She came here to IL for a visit a few months ago and noticed that a tick came with her, hitchhiking on the back of her knee. Seems as though that one was there long enough to do its dirty work. About two weeks later, she had a terrible rash and ugly swelling behind her knee. She didn't feel so great either. The doctors presumed Lyme infection and treated her for three weeks with doxycycline. She hasn't tested positive so far. She was lucky to actually notice the tick and get early treatment, but she was told that she needed to have several follow-ups and repeat Lyme tests in the near future. There is a great deal that we don't know about Lyme disease, so it would be in your best interest to seek out a physician who has a lot of experience treating Lyme, especially if you suspect that you could have been walking around with the infection for a year. Good luck and keep us posted. http://www.lymenet.org/ http://www.lyme.org/ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lymedisease.html http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/qa.htm http://www2.lymenet.org/domino/file.nsf/UID/guidelines http://www.rheuma21st.com/archives/Cutting_MalawistaLymeMay2000.html http://www.advance.uconn.edu/00041006.htm [ ] test results - + lyme > > Hi all, > > Well the lyme disease test I asked for came back positive. My PCP is starting me on tetracycline. RA factor was negative again. There has been much celebrating at work and at home. Funny to hear everyone congratulating me on Lyme Disease! It all makes sense though, the neurological, the arthritis, the fatigue, weakness and pain I've been living with for the past year. I am hoping that this is all there is to it. > > This is the funny part. I called my old PCP who had done a lyme test one week into the numbness and tingling and she said it was negative. I asked to verify that it was negative. She said I only had three bars of 10 and I needed 5 of 10 for the western blot, and maybe my current Dr didn't know how to read these sophisticated tests. She said my rheumy did a type of lyme disease test she hadn't seen before, a lyme titre, and read the results of IGg and IGm as negative but positive for old infection. I had a copy of my results and saw what she was looking at, it was my Epstein Barr test! > > Started the tetracycline yesterday and hoping to have a second chance at happier healthier days. I still have an appointment with the new rheumy mid-September and plan on keeping it because I found he spoke on guess what, Lyme Arthritis! > > happy today, > > Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2002 Report Share Posted August 30, 2002 Hi Debbie, That's wonderful. I am so happy for you. You should go out and celebrate. Hugs, Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2002 Report Share Posted August 30, 2002 Dear Debbie...It is so wonderful that you have a diagnosis of Lyme Disease so your dr can start you with the proper treatment. I hope you will be improving in the near future. Iris __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2002 Report Share Posted September 3, 2002 Hi Debbie Glad that you have a definite diagnosis and it is something that can be treated successfully. I'm sorry that you have to have any disease at all. I do hope the antibiotics work for you. Keep us posted. Have a good, relaxing evening. Love and Hugs Stacey in PA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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