Posted on Aug 3, 2010 in Blog |

Posted in Posh Seven magazine: http://www.poshseven.com/the-quiet-disease-lyme.html I am an “indoors” person, preferring air conditioning to the local humidity. I like to read, needlepoint and write. I thought I was the least likely person to contract Lyme disease. Yet, it happened to me. My diagnosis came at age 46 after six years of chronic pain, varying, migrating symptoms, 21 physicians, many diagnoses and a tenacious uncle who demanded proper testing for Lyme. In less than a year’s time I deteriorated from walking three miles a day to getting out of bed in the morning suffering excruciating pain, saying to my husband, “I can’t go through another day feeling this much pain.” My symptoms were vague and varied: memory loss, clumsiness, back pain, sleep problems, fatigue, muscle weakness, ankle and knee pain, tennis elbow, hot flashes, depression, dry skin patches. Each doctor listened to my specific complaints, examined me, and then offered his/her own explanation and treatment. ‘Middle age’ or ‘emotional’ was mentioned often. Some diagnoses were accurate—hypothyroidism or gallstones—and necessitated treatment, but they are also symptoms of a larger disease process, needing to be viewed through a greater lens. Sharon’s Symptom History: Recurrent sinus infections, night sweats, hot flashes, dry skin Clumsiness, falling easily, muscle weakness, swollen joints, tooth decay Gallstones, H.Pylori/digestive problems, fatigue, hair loss Gastrin level elevated, hypothyroid, vitamin D deficiency, forgetfulness, trouble focusing Stomach atrophy, headaches, daytime sleepiness  and insomnia, elevated heart rate, ideopathic  intermittent right temporal waves, ideopathic hypersomnia Persistent, dry cough, peripheral neuropathy, numbness in hands and feet, chest pains, muscle twitching Occasional blurry vision, incontinence, back pain, cyst on spinal cord Lyme disease is termed the “Great Imitator;” it mimics many other medical conditions. It is often misdiagnosed for years and then often improperly treated. The ELISA Lyme test is the simplest, least expensive, easiest to perform and most common Lyme test ordered. It is an automated test, allowing for faster turnover and less costs. It is also up to 80% inaccurate with false negatives. The Western Blot (WB) test, however, is not automated. It takes time to grow the cultures and it costs more money. Over six years of treating me, the neurologist ordered...

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