How is everyone doing today?

Hang in there Rose! We're with you. I had my first Herx start yesterday. Boy, I wasn't expecting that. I celebrated too soon! I'm pretty miserable at the moment. It feels like everything inside me is going to explode any second. Whoever invented this disease...when I find them...good lord...torture is in order!

On another note, something interesting one of my distant co-workers came to my office and told me today. A Lyme conspiracy theory I'm sure you Lyme Veterans have heard this one before, but it was new to me. She said that there's an island off the coast of NY, a special island that had/has a research center on it. A research facility used to create synthetic diseases. Lyme was supposedly on the list. Anyway, it got off the island and into the insect population somehow to make a long story short. Some interesting food for thought to keep your mind off the misery anyway I'm so sorry we all have this crap. We have to have hope that someone will have a medical breakthrough and find a cure for this soon.

Wow...very interesting...doesn't that make you mad? grrrrrrrrr And to think that I was in the Air Force all my adult life...maybe I was a guinea pig?

Willow,

I hope it's just your stomach too. I've actually had some of the same symptoms recently and it was the acid coming up in my esophogus and an ulcer causing it. I was really short of breath and it was scary. This happened more when I was lying down. My heart would flip flop and then beat really hard. It was very scary.

I literally saw about 20 doctors here in Tampa before one Neurologist at the university here checked off the Western Blot on a blood test. Later after I was diagnosed by a LLMD shortly after, I went back to that neurologist and asked him how he knew to check that off, since no other doctor had....he replied, "I read a lot" I then went around to all the ERs and docs I had seen for the past few years, including surgeons that had removed body parts un-necessarily, and they were all surprised that I was diagnosed with that. They all wanted the name of my LLMD and since then, they have all sent patients to him and he has diagnosed them. So, we just need to keep raising awareness of this and spreading the word. 90% of Lyme patients don't know they're Lymies! So far, I have helped 6 people, all 6 were strangers, get diagnosed with Lyme! Just in 2 months! Isn't that incredible? Now...we just need to find a cure. Anyone good with a microscope?

CG:

Yes, I know you are dealing with your own issues, I was just kidding around about you dissapearing, but yes, I was waiting for your answer on Bartonella. IF I am 100% sure I don't have RA and my soles are hurting, could it be Lyme or Bartonella? What do you think? I got a few answers to that ? already, but wanted to know your oppinion. I hope you will find a treatement combo that works for you. I am doing better since 2 mo into the abx, but my heart goes to all of you including Rose, +Lyme, Trav, nasalady, etc who have been dealing with this for so long! I don't take my improvement for granted but I am humble and careful each day, bec it seems so unpredictable! I will see my dr again on Nov 2nd.

Rose: I think you should see the new GP and see what happens. What have you got to lose? I am glad I switched GPs, and even though the present one is not an A+ doctor (in my book) she is much better than the previous one, who got an F from me, for being incompetent reading my lyme tests.

So sorry you are going through this! I have had this problem last year and I still have it once in a while, esp when I go up the steps and then sit down or lay in bed. I feel like I ran a marathon, everyone in the room hears me breath (embarrasing!) and yes, the heart palpitations!

Simela,

Thanks for understanding:) Sore feet and soles are a symptom of Bartonella. I have Bart and have alot of problems with my feet. Not as much anymore since I took levaquin but they still hurt sometimes. More when I put my feet up for some reason or lay down.

Thanks, CG! Yes, almost everyone seems in agreement ab. this. The LLMD wanted to address Lyme first bec I was BF last time I saw him--I still am, but baby will be 12 mo next month and I will stop bec I have to get this junkies out of me. She is doing well, and I am hoping that if I passed the disease on to her while pregnant and then BF-ing , she will be able to fight it with my antibodies.

I am keeping my fingers crossed! Thanks again for replying to this ?, I noticed you listed Bartonella and that is why I was hoping you'd be able to give me some inside into the sore feet issue.

Simela,

Welcome:) Im not sure if you know this or not but co-infections should be treated before the Lyme. Doctors were noticing that their patients weren't getting any better when they treated the Lyme first and a co-infection was involved. This is what my LLMD did too until I had to completely get off of antibiotics because of my liver.

Way to go Synthkeys, talking to all of the doctors. When I told my chiropractor about the Lyme diagnosis, he started having patients he suspected may have Lyme contact me for more info. I haven't had the courage yet to confront the many, many physicians who misdiagnosed me over the years.

Thanks CG and Simela for the encouragement. I'm rarely frightened by all of this, and rarely negative, but this latest bout has been extreme and I've been worried. In a way it's a good sign. Honestly, a year ago, one reason I didn't worry was because I didn't care much if died. I just didn't want to live like that anymore. Now, after a year plus of abx and feeling pretty good most of the time (60-70%) I'm not depressed anymore and now I care a lot.

I'm calling the LLMD for a phone conference in 15 minutes, then at 10 I'm off to see the GP. CG, you are right, some of this is stomach problems. I've recently added in vit. C and I think it's burning a hole in me.

Simela, I have sore feet and soles, too and am dx w/Lyme, bartonella, and babesia. The LLMD I see told me the sore feet and soles was most likely caused by bart. I'm still treating for babesia, but apparently one of those meds is helping with the bart, too, b/c I haven't had sore feet and soles for nearly a year now.

Rose

Simela,

I'm sure the Lyme can cause pain in the feet but the main symptom of Bartonella is foot pain especially if you have the other symptoms that come with it. I think that the two pains are quite different. For me, Bartonella is more of a stabbing/cramping feeling. Sometimes it feels like I have stepped on a rock and have that bruise at the bottom of my feet. Others experience burning. I would get checked just to be sure.

I hate herx! This is day 3..I'm trying to hang in there! I hope everyone had the best day they could. I go to work everyday and pull off a miracle and make it through somehow. Thank God I have a lot of support there from everyone around me. Is there anyone on this forum who has to work with difficult people and fight Lyme at the same time? I can't even imagine that. That would be almost impossible.

For me, epsom salt baths are amazing on my neuropathy on my thighs. That draws out a lot of poison every time.