I had horrible anxiety, depression and I could not think. I would start a sentence and just stop.... I completely would go blank about what I was talking about or what I was going to say next.

I am not a depressed person at all. Never have been. I managed the death of my 38 year old daughter without medical help, but with lyme I had to cry "uncle" and go for help.

I went to my GP and told her what was happening and she explained to me a lot of things. She gave me a prescription for something and I put that on my desk. I looked at that prescription as a buoy and if I was really sinking, I would go get it filled. Finally about 6 months later I shredded that prescription slip. But, it was so nice having it there. It was a huge comfort for me in my healing.

It never hurts to ask for help. Sometimes just talking to someone new helps a lot.

I think that the doctors writing and understanding of these infection is amazing. It was by reading his writings, the article that you linked to in particular, that helped me understand the most about what was going on in my brain and why I was struggling so much.

With that said, an MRI or PET scan may or may not be that useful. With a PET scan, they usually inject a radioactive dye that shows up in the imaging, so do be aware that you will have to detox that out and may feel pretty miserable until you do. This differs with Lyme patients though, some feel bad and some don't after one.

Do you see a good LLMD? If so, I would encourage you to talk to them first, but if you are not satisfied with what you hear from them, then by all means go see someone else that may be able to actually help!

And, let us know what you find out! We like to keep track of you and what you are going through!

Well, YAY!! for your body being better!! Although I do understand how the mind and nervous system issues can be very difficult as well - but at least you aren't dealing with both right now!

Considering you don't have a LLMD, then reach out to either the doctor you mention, or find another one that can be of help.

Best of luck!!

pmm sorry to hear about your cognitive problems, but great to hear your body feels better.
Did you try Gingko? It increases brain circulation. Maybe it can help you.

Truth be told, I've had three or four MRIs of my head since I was infected (2008), and they've all come back normal, apart from one in 2011 which showed that I had a very "mild" or "small" lesion, something or other, but nothing that the doctor seemed worried about.

It scared me, of course, but this was before I knew I had Lyme, so I just accepted it. Doctor knows best, right?

Though, whatever it was didn't show up on the most recent scan. But, not sure what that is worth, considering I still experience unsettling symptoms upstairs.

Kind of like this with a lot of things, as many have found. Aches and pains all over, think you're dying, and then you go to the doctor, have a diagnostic test, scan, or two, and are then told you're fine.

Brain, abdomen, colon, testicles. Those have been problem areas for pain and dysfunction, and there were times I was swearing I had cancer or something, but all the machines say I am perfectly healthy. In fact, I just weaseled another MRI of my abdomen/pelvis area the other day. I say weaseled, because I was almost positive it'd come back normal, as usual, but you never know, and might as well get the normy doctors to do *something* for me.

Lyme/co for ya.

edit: best wishes, everyone.

Thanks everyone!
Jenny...I live in northern NJ, about 30 minutes outside of New York City. It would be easy to just find an LLMD in Manhattan, but I don't think I'd be able to drive in or take public transportation - I get confused easily. There are also some located in southern NJ, but I really don't think I can drive 1-2 hrs by myself to a place I've never been before.

I was looking into going to a lyme literate psychiatrist - like the one in the link - since most of my problems are neuro/cognitive. I just didn't know if they would order any type of scan first.

I'm going to start a new thread with an update!