Think I've got Lyme's disease.  Starting to read tons of information
on the web.  Symptoms began Tuesday, extreme fatigue and muscle
achiness, pain in hips I never felt before, worse at night.  Same
thing Wednesday.  Thursday started in afternoon, went home from work.
Notice rash Thursday evening.  Dizziness, mental acuity slow.  Was in
deep NY state woods prior two weekends and was not as precautious as I
normally am in NJ (why I can't say - didn't think it was as much of a
problem there!).  Hiked in NJ on Monday.  Things are adding up.
Supposed to go to my doctor today who is my primary care doc in HMO.
I feel like I need to be as informed as possible.  I know antibiotics
are the recommended course of treatment.  But any information anybody
can offer to someone in this region would be greatly appreciated.
Much thanks!
Kelly

I think you should read and print out this document. Then give it to your
doctor and pray he will get you on antibiotics (probably Doxycycline)
immediately.  If the initial treatment is not enough, you will probably
have to find a Lyme Literate doctor (LLMD).

http://www2.lymenet.org/domino/file.nsf/UID/guidelines

If you also want an idea of what others have gone through dealing with
less-than-literate doctors, check out this site:

http://www.geocities.com/LadyJewel218/LymeComments.html

These would be really funny, if they were not so tragic!

Thank you ABXJunkie.  I'm new to these types of groups.  So bear with
me.  I went to the doctor today - I have a classic EM he said
(erythema migrans).  He put me on doxycycline, 3 week course.  I kind
of steared him in that direction based on what I read here today.  So
that's good.  I didn't spend too much time today on the web, but I did
read a lot of sad stories.  Are there any good stories out there?  Or
is that a no news is good news kind of thing?  Trying to keep a
positive mindset and outlook, and boost my immune system.  Rented a
funny movie (anyway I HOPE it's funny) for this evening.  Kelly

Frustrating, huh?

I was asking that question several months ago, and I never really found
the kind of encouraging news on the internet or in the literature that
one would hope for.  As with most illnesses or conditions, the internet
is typically the domain of the worst-case scenario, as those who recover
and do well tend to move along and get back to life.  (My older son had
Lyme years ago, and it was a non-event, with two months of antibiotics
... he was fine.)   My younger son has been normal and healthy for
almost two months, after six months during which he was so sick, I
thought he may never be able to complete his primary school education,
much less high school or college, in spite of his high intelligence and
previous academic performance.  He spent up to two weeks at a time in a
darkened room, unable to tolerate movement, light or sound, and with
icepacks wrapped around his head to deal with the crushing headaches.
He was on morphine and many other pain relievers.  Today, he seems to be
cured.  He is still on mepron, zithromax, plaquenil, and depakote, so I
won't really know how he's really doing until we reduce all the meds.  

The same "no good news on the internet" situation was true of Tourette
Syndrome, in the bleak days when my son was diagnosed.  It was very
disproportionate to the truth about the condition for most people.  So,
when I found out that the other side of the story was just never told on
the internet, and that the good news applied to the vast majority of
persons with TS (contrary to the impression given on the internet), I
wrote my website.  

If I become convinced that what my son had/has was actually
Lyme/babesia, I would like to write the Lyme equivalent of my TS-Now
What? website, where a less-than-negative side of the story is also
presented.  The fact is, most people do well, even though it's a rough
course for many people.  Every one needs hope, and there isn't much of
it on the internet.
--
Tourette Syndrome - Now What?
http://members.home.net/tourettenowwhat

I am confident yours will be one of the good stories. You were bitten recently and you are
getting early treatment. You will more than likely have a full recovery.

My story is actually a good one, considering the fact that I have had Lyme disease for
more than twenty years. Since I started on antibiotic treatment, I have felt better than I
have in years. I still have my ups and downs -- whether they are flares or herxes, I am
never quite certain -- but this past week has been a good one, even though I can't feel my
feet (peripheral neuropathy). This a relatively new symptom, but is a piece of cake
compared to the many neuro/psychological symptoms I get!

<< I went to the doctor today - I have a classic EM he said
(erythema migrans). >>

    Lyme is frequently eradicated when Doxy is administered immediately upon
observing the rash.  However, in the unlikely but possible event that symptoms
do persist and you require further treatment, there is an excellent chance that
the {*filter*} tests will be "negative" due to your body's not producing antibodies
because the Doxy was administered before antibody production began.  IT MAY BE
VERY IMPORTANT for you to get a copy of your doctor's record of the EM rash,
which is accepted as indisputable evidence that you were infected.  Hopefully
you won't need it, but if you do it will be critical.  Good luck.  Bob

I htink there are many positive stories at Lyme Alliance- they have a great
story section.
http://www.lymealliance.org/

Again, most people caught right away and treated appropriately get well!!!  

This is the URL for the personal stories page:
http://www.lymealliance.org/personal/personal.php
Thanks, AramSarah - I had never found that, and I am encouraged to know
that one exists ... but ...

By clicking on the very first link to personal stories, I found:

My Experience With Homeopathy
Nightmare in Jackson County (Michigan)
Child Lost to Lyme Disease
Long Suffering Litchfield (Michigan) Woman Spends Last 7 Years Trying to
Shake Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is More Than a Tick Bite
Ten Years With Lyme Disease for Calhoun County (Michigan)Resident
Lyme Disease is "Rare" in Michigan
Lyme Disease Strikes in the World of Pro Golf
Dangerous Deer Hunting in Jackson County, Michigan
One Familie's Life Forever Altered by Lyme Disease

Since none of those titles were particularly uplifting or encouraging, I
was not inclined to click any further on the website (I know - that's
dumb, but I have a point to make :-).  I'd suggest a better start for
the stories section.  There are SO many (TOO many) websites about Lyme
out there, with conflicting and confusing information, that one simple
site which discusses Lyme for *most* people (not the worst-case
scenario) is needed, and that site would not (necessarily) start with a
page where a child dies, although that information might be incorporated
somewhere for accuracy.  Again, I believe that people want hope
initially, as they begin their search for accurate information and
treatment.  They will eventually encounter the *rare* tales of death,
but my personal orientation is that they do not need to find them first,
when they are still coping with so much.
--
Tourette Syndrome - Now What?
http://members.home.net/tourettenowwhat

Yes, it is a mix of stories there, not all positve by any means, but some are.
I have found, rather, in myp ersonal orientation, that life is a mix - and that
in the world of Lyme there are more than enough, many many many many many many
many more than enough sites emphasizing and educating over and over and over
and over and over how easy it is how simple how easy how simple how easy
to cure Lyme in 3 weeks and live happily ever after.  I don't htink there is a
dearth of that at all but you are certainly entitiled to create a site which is
dedicated, as is so much, to this part of reality.

On the contrary to your view, as a newcomer with Lyme to the Internet world, I
was BEWILDERED and DESPAIRING to find myself SO SICK with a disease that
EVERYWHERE I looked was described as curable in a month of Doxy and just like a
bad flu!!!  There are ONLY a few sites run by we whom have chronic Lyme in
contrast to the multitudes of sites with the endless repetition of a short
course of antibiotics and you will be just fine!!!

I was RELIEVED to find others like ME with LATE-STAGE Lyme and to know that I
was not alone.  The horror stories ARE what my family has gone through and what
I have experieneced!!

EARLY and late Lyme are different.  We always acknowledge on these boards that
early people, if treated appropriately, have
a great prognosis.

Kelly,
   There are tons of good stories, but people usually just want to move on when
they get better.  My daughter had Lyme for 5 1/2 years, but has been well for 4
years. She doesn't want to hear the word "Lyme"!!!
   She was sick for that long because the doctor that first treated her thought
that 10 days of {*filter*}doxy should have made her well.  When she was still
developing symptoms after 10 days, he said it couldn't be Lyme.  If he had
given her 3 to 6 weeks worth she probably would have been fine.  But she did
get very sick and it was a long hard fight, however hers is a success story
which should give hope to many.
    My son, my dog and myself all had Lyme as well, all required repeat
treatments, but all seem to be well now.  
   Since you have done your homework and have gotten early treatment, chances
are excellent that you will be fine.  Just remember to not settle for anything
less than 100% recovery.  If 3 weeks of doxy doesn't leave you completely
cured, insist on another 3 weeks., etc., etc.

Carolyn
___________
Carolyn Cramoy, MS, Nutritionist

   NutritionAtHome.com's Lyme Disease Fundraiser to support research:
    http://www.***.com/

Yup, one of the best success stories I know is a professor friend of my Moms,
M. H.  She was sick for 5 years, bedridden the last 3, we are talking 100%
SEVERE neuro Lyme, then on IV Rocephin for 9 months and orals for longer and is
totally well for years now. NEVER wants to think about Lyme again.  She didn't
even KNOW about the whole dcotor/treatment controversy- she with 9 months of
IV!!_ (just like me*)!!

Hello!
I had full-blown nerological lymes last summer.  I still have some of
the lingering effects, arthritis, fatigue and the occational
hallucination when I'm too tired.  But all in all, I feel I have come a
long way.  I read these posts when I was sick and I was encouraged by
the strength of the people in the group and I feel extremely lucky to
have caught it early enough not to even be hospitalized.  best of luck
to you and keep me posted on how you are doing,  my email is

Neon

"It doesn't matter where a girl comes from, what matters is where she is
going." -- Marilyn Monroe