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Posted 9/16/2012 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone...I am new to this site, first wanted to say after reading some of the posts, Ionger feel so alone&this is my very first time talking about my situation. I was born with sickle cell disease&have been battling this illness all my life and recently got to a point where I could somewhat deal with the pain and get through&sometimes avoid crises. As of this summer, I now have new health issues to deal with. I was bitten by a tick in July and became aware of the symptoms&effects of lymes disease, however, when I did research on it, I noticed I had previously had some of the symptoms,even right down to something that resembled a bull's eye rash,that the doctor at the time thought was just a ringworm. Now, I have an appointment to be tested for lymes. On top of all that, I just became aware that I had sex with someone that may be HIV positive. He later told me he purposely took off the condom, so I am left wondering if these are lymes or HIV symptoms. I am scared and angry@the same time, if I am HIV positive, it upsets me to know a human being would purposely do that to someone else, especially a single mother. I fèel like either way I'm doomed!
Posted 9/16/2012 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
Nacole34. Get yourself tested ASAP! There are medications they can put you on to keep AIDS at bay. It's very important! Do that first! If you are not, in fact, HIV positive then you deal with the other health issues. But getting tested should be your first priority. You say you are a mother, well your children need you to take care of yourself! Please do it. I believe there are tests you can send away for anonymously, you don't even have to go to a clinic. YOU ARE NOT DOOMED! But you could be if you don't deal with this ASAP!

Keep us posted. You are in my prayers tonight. Stay strong and keep us posted.
Posted 9/16/2012 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
How long ago did you have unprotected sex?

I'm no expert but I think you can get tested about 6 weeks after you think you might have become infected.

Shabbychic is right,get the HIV TEST sorted at once,you owe it to yourself and your children,if you don't act you might be doomed,but with the propper treatment,done quickly there is no reason why you shouldn't live a reasonably normal life.

Your concerns about Lyme are justified but the HIV should take priority for now.

Don't panic---act!
Posted 9/16/2012 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
I completely agree with the others on your getting that HIV test!! Please do that as soon as possible!!

Once you have the results, and if you are all clear, then you can proceed with finding a treatment that is right for you for the possible tick-borne infections. We aren't turning you away, I promise - we just can see what must take priority right now.

I would like to say something about the testing for Lyme & other tick-borne infections though. The testing for these infections leaves a lot to be desired. The tests only look for 4 or 5 different strains of the bacteria - with Lyme, there are over 100 different strains of the bacteria in the U.S. and 300 world wide. The tests for the other infections have these same issues, although there are less strains that have been found.

The Lyme bacteria can actually "hide" from our immune systems, and since the tests are looking for a reaction to the bacteria, many times the test will come back as a false negative simply because these are very complex infections - not because that person doesn't have the bacteria in their body.

The best way to be evaluated for a tick-borne infection is to go to a LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor), as a good one will evaluate many things to determine if you have any tick-borne infections.

You can start reading through the information in our "New to Lyme? Start here!" thread that sits at the top of our forum though! It's packed full of great information, symptom lists, links to important research papers and more.

Please do let us know how your test turns out!!
Posted 9/17/2012 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the support &advice everyone. I've decided to see about looking for anonymous testing tomorrow. It has been about 5 years since I got the rash that looks like the bulls eye rash. I didnt think twice about it because I didn't know about lymes disease at the time, so I took the doctors advice and put cream on it thinking it was a ringworm. Since then I have had a baby, who I think has been showing a few symptoms of lymes also. I also went through a phase where I vomited at least 2 weeks a month,resulting in having my gall bladder removed&pancreatis. I also caught pneumonia a few times after drinking, it took me a while to link those two together. Once I got bit in July, I went to the doctor and he put me on 100mg doxycycline 2times a day assuming my symptoms were from lymes, without testing me. I had unprotected sex in march2012. I was also put on flagyl500mg a few months later for a bacteria infection that showed up in a pap smear.....I don't know how much more I can take, I feel so stupid for being so careless&unaware& depressed cause I've already been sick my whole life...I am taking therapy&on cymbalta for my depression, does anyone know a good LLMD in Salisbury, MD?
Posted 9/17/2012 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
Hi!
I just wanted to let you know that if he told you that he took the condom off on purpose, you can sue him and win for a WHOLE bunch of stuff. Especially if he knew he had HIV and risked passing the infection on to you. I was in law school and there are a bunch of similar cases that have been won and in none of those did the guy outright tell the lady that he did it on purpose.

If you are HIV positive, I would get a lawyer right away and get all you can out of him for this heinous act. No one should be that disrespectful of another human being.

I'm sorry for all that is happening to you in your life right now. Stay strong and we're here anytime you need to vent :)
Posted 9/17/2012 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
Hi jen3785,thanks for the advice. I was wondering if I could do anything legally if I were to be positive. I really think he knew because he also let me know he had the symptoms. I just felt so used&stupid! He knew how I felt about unprotected sex, I seen him put it on but had no idea he took it off,then he kinda threw it in my face that he did that without me knowing. I want to sue but I don't want it to be public if I am positive,I would be so embarrassed if EVERYONE found out.
Posted 9/17/2012 6:32 PM (GMT 0)
Jen is right. What he did is illegal as hell. And you can nail him.
But go and get tested. So it won't worry you. There is no such thing as safe sex. Rubbers break.
He may have just said that you hurt you, and it is. So screw him....lol. get tested and dump him.
First things first. You need someone to put you on the best diet for you. since you have had so many things removed. I can't imagine how that must be draining your system and making you feel bad.
I nutritionist is the most important thing for you first.
And get tested. So when you find out you are fine you won't have that handing over your head.
Then have someone......punch that guy in the face....lol
Posted 9/17/2012 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Nacolek,
What ever mistakes you made in the past, they are in the past. You need to see what you are dealing with now, but don't sit and think on them as 'if I only hadn't' - that just won't help you now. Now you just need to get better.

I second the thought on suing the guy if you end up HIV positive, but hopefully he was just being an idiot and mean.

Best of luck on the test. Please do let us know how things turn out!
Posted 9/17/2012 10:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone, just wanted to let you all know I ordered an HIV test kit&it should be here within a day or so. I just couldn't bring myself to get tested the first time in a doctor office alone, if it were + I probably wouldn't make it back home... @Martha's vineyard...lol...I like how u think, he needs a good punch in the face! I already dumped him though, he stole money from me so I dumped him...I thought I knew him but he turned into a total jerk!@traveler, u are right, "if I hadnts" won't help me now, I'm just so angry at myself for getting in this mess&its harder to deal with cause I've never had any studs and to even think its possible really hurts. Thanks for taking the time to listen and respond, it really means a lot to me...
Posted 9/18/2012 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Good morning everyone,,, I am not doing so well, when I woke up this morning I could barely hear, and an awful headache and a little sore throat. I made a doctors appointment & have to be there@1130, could not bare this worrying and pain any longer. I am asking that everyone prays for me today, I am so scared and depressed right now. I am hoping for the best, but something tells me the outcome will be far from that... I will be keeping you posted. Have a good day...
Posted 9/18/2012 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
Awww, Nacolek!
Hang in there! It's all good! Really!! You need to know what you are dealing with so that you can heal! Now's a good time to get things under control,and to do that you have to know what all you are dealing with - then it can be worked on!!

Do everything you can to keep a positive attitude - I know just how hard that is, but you can do it with a little practice! Every time you realize that you are in a negative mind set, purposefully find something to think on that is positive! Just keep on doing this and you will find that one day, you aren't having a negative outlook very often any more!

Be sure to let us know what the doc has to say!!
Posted 9/21/2012 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone!!! Hope everyone is doing as well as possible,,, I have been experiencing a burning sensation in my thighs and pain in my heals when I put pressure on them...Has anyone else went through this?if so, what helps it? The other day I went to the doctor and was put on z-pak for an ear infection and put in the hospital for a few hours to get iv fluids and pain meds, and it did help, but would still like to know what it came from... unfortunately, my doctor just blames everything on my sickle cell... any ideas???
Posted 9/21/2012 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there.
As far as as I know, heel pain is a sign of Bartonella, which has to be treated before the actual Lyme infection.

I suffer from terrible pains in my feet,sometimes the heels are bad but my pains migrate daily.

Footbaths help alot as does Magnesium.I also find that gentle stretching exercises relieve the pain to some extent.

I guess you have to find out what is best for you.

Hope this helps.
Posted 9/21/2012 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, I'm willing to try just about anything right now.... my pains migrate from day to day too,,, its to the point now where my first thought when I wake up in the mornings is what kind of problems or pains will I have today....I can say the headaches have been a little constant lately,,, right now I'm having a little pain in my right temple, then sometimes its in the back and radiates down my neck.... Sorry to hear you experience the heal pains too though, but glad you have found something that helps you ease it....thanks for responding,,,take care:-) !
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