Posted 2/16/2015 9:51 PM (GMT -5)
Hello!
I hope all is well for all of you. Before I begin, I would like to apologize for the long-winded nature of this post; I have admittedly grown a bit desperate for help with my illness and really needed a place where I could tell my story in its entirety. I am an eighteen year old finishing up my senior year of high school in New Jersey. I am relatively new to the world of Lyme and this is my first time ever posting to this website (or any health-related site, for that matter). The past few months I have been suffering from a debilitating illness that I believe to be Lyme Disease. After visiting my pediatrician and notifying him of my suspicions, he ordered an ELISA test. It came back negative.
Despite the facts that all my symptoms are explained perfectly by Lyme Disease and that I live in an highly endemic area, my pediatrician insisted that my test results indicated that I "absolutely, one hundred percent don't have Lyme". A follow-up visit to an internal medicine doctor yielded essentially the same result; he, too, insisted that the illness I was suffering from was either passing or psychological in nature. Nevertheless, my symptoms, including headaches (always occurring the back of my head), panic attacks, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, achy joints, a shortened attention span, and vision issues have persisted for months now. As a result of these issues, my grades have plummeted and this year has been the most miserable of my life.
Like many on this site, I'm ready to get back to my life. This my last year in high school and my last living at home with my parents and siblings. Unfortunately, I feel like I have spent its entirety on the sidelines. Accordingly, I really wish to get well as soon as possible and am seeking another opinion on my health status, preferably from a professional well-versed in the nuances of diagnosing and treating Lyme and its co-infections (I fear I may have Babesia, as well). My parents are absolutely awesome and have been quite supportive throughout the this most unfortunate adventure but have understandably grown a bit impatient with the results of my last two appointments. We are therefore looking for a new doctor.
I live in the Morristown, NJ area and am looking for a doctor in this area. Given my results with the ELISA test, I would really like to see someone who would be willing to give me the iGenex tests, which my parents have said they are wiling to pay for out of pocket. In the interests of finances, my ideal doctor would take insurance (my family has Aetna). I understand that many "LLMDs" do not accept insurance, but if anyone knows of a great doctor in the area who does take insurance, my parents (and their wallets) would be very grateful.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. I am absolutely ready to get back to my life and really do believe seeking an appropriate diagnosis and treatment for Lyme is the next step in doing. Thank you for your time and support and God bless.