Will someone please believe me?

August 5, 2002

Madeleine,

I think it would be a great idea for you to print off Dr. Skip's wonderful

message, as well as all the others, and maybe share them with your mother. I

do not for the life of me understand the amount of crazy denial that goes on

with this disease! My son has days that are so terrible -- anyone with a

heart would just want to lay down and cry for him. And yet, there are members

of my family who seem to think he should " snap out of it... " I just do not

understand this way of thinking AT ALL. Who would want night fevers, aching

joints, all the other awful stuff...it just can't be " snapped out of... "

I agree that you need a different med and maybe a different doctor...you have

been on just doxy for all this time? I know it's hard because you are so

sick, but you need to find a way to stand up for yourself and ask for changes

in treatment.

I agree with the CFS/fibro diagnoses...it all seems so hopeless. We, too,

have heard so many different " thoughts " from doctors, such as ankylosing

spondilitis, Crohn's disease, sero-negative juvenile arthritis, colitis,

irisitis or eye inflammation, hormone changes and heat rash and on and on.

None of these really seemed to " fit " (mostly because we knew Cort had been

bitten by a tick in July, 1998 and his health problems all started after

this!) in the same way that Lyme did. To this day, there are doctors who KNOW

our son's case and still deny that it's Lyme disease. They say it just can't

be because there is NOT Lyme disease in Ohio. What is to be gained by

sticking heads in sand?

My heart goes out to you, Madeleine, and to all the others who have had to

fight not only this horrid illness but the denials of others in their lives.

Stand up for yourself and keep fighting to get better! You have the support

of many....

~Judie

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