Re: <Lyme> Military Bases & Lyme ()

[Guest guest]

,

Most know this but I'll tap it again. I contracted Lyme while I was

active duty Air Force. I had a big ole rash, though not a bullseye,

and within 2 weeks started having all of these strange problems. I

was

a flyer. Well, I finally covinced them that it was after this bite

and

rash that all my problems started and they finally agreed to a blood

test. They told me it was negative and I continued to develope

problem

after problem. 3 months after the blood was taken I saw the results

in

my records and they were POSITIVE!!!! The lab also suggested a repeat

test in 2 weeks which was never done. They said Lyme didn't exist in

Arkansas and one flight surgeon even called it " Voodoo " because he

didn't believe it existed at all. I got sent to hospitals all over

the

place and AFB also tested me several months later for Lyme. The

doc came in and told me it was positive and I said so will you treat

me and he said " No, we reran it and it came back HIGH negative. The

fact that all my symptoms fit and I had positive test meant nothing

to

them. (Ignorance is one thing but we're talking stupidity happening

here!) Anyway, about 2 years after I got sick I spent my own money

and

flew to CT to see an LLMD. Once again blood, and this time, urine

antigen both came back positive. He diagnosed me with Lyme. I

couldn't

let him treat me because I was ADAF and was still on flying status so

I needed a flight surgeon to treat me. That's when the chief flight

surgeon said it was voodoo and I was still denied treatment. Finally

a

doc outside the fs's office, even though he wasn't convinced, treated

me and I started getting better. (BTW, he did believe it when I got

bit again and showed him the nice bullseye rash around the bite a

year

or two later). It was too late though, I was chronic and I would

relapse. I had also developed seizures which ended my flying career.

Had I been treated after the first blood test I would have probably

been cured. What " ticks " me off worse than anything is that I can't

hold the military responsible for ruining everything I had ever

worked

for!!!

Now, these docs were either very STUPID or there was something else

going on. I have a " Conspiracy Theory " . I wouldn't put money on it

being true but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. It wouldn't

surprise

me to find out that they let it go just so they could see what it

would do to me. After me anyone that went in for a tick bite, with no

rash or anything, automatically went on antibiotics. People would

always come up to me and tell me this. And how could they let a

positive test go with symptoms that fit too?! I knew darn well that

was what was going on and I wasn't a doctor!! It just doesn't add up

and I know that military personnel have been used as guinea pigs

before. I really just wish I could sue them for making me live with

this for the last 11+ years and for taking from me what I worked so

hard to achieve!! It just chaps my hide, torques my jaws!! My father

initiated a congressional investigation on it and guess who did the

investigation? The base hospital!!!! Like they're going to admit any

wrong doing!!!! Oh, I better stop now! My blood is beginning to boil

again and I've worked very hard at gaining some form of acceptance

here. I just can't understand how an entity that employs patriotic

people who are willing to give their lives for the freedoms we all

enjoy (though I see them slipping away from us one by one) can treat

those patriots the way they do! What I found out was that I meant

nothing to them, I was just a social security number to the country I

pledged to defend with my life, if need be. I am still a patriot. I

would still give my life for my country. Not for my government but

for

my family, for my friends, for you and your husband and what you

stand

for. I can still take pride in the American I am and have pride for

all of those in uniform that KNOW what it is suppose to represent.

May

God be with you and your husband as you go to another place to defend

the greatest nation on earth. I, for one, still know and believe in

what you do and stand for and am proud!

Carolyn

P.S. Thanks for sparing the time to read this book!! )

> , Thank you so much for writing the paper and addressing the

> military's responsibilities concerning Lyme.