Question about testing.

If money is tight I would do an igenex western blot ($200) and have your LLMD do a clinical diagnosis for co-infections.

Hi Memri, Just want to tell you that I had every test available and all were negative. The only true way to confirm Lyme is with a blood culture. Advanced Labs, Sharon Hill Pennsylvania, is a CDC approved company. They do not look for antibodies, dna, they culture your blood and actually grow the lyme spriokeets from your blood. I spent three years and a lot of fighting with doctors to prove that I had lyme, and was finally vindicated after a two month culture from the lab. They not only send you the report, they sent pictures of the bacteria cultured in your blood. The culture cost $600.00, which is alot, but it will confirm your lyme. You can call then and they will send you a draw kit and shipping instructions for the blood draw. You do have to have a doctor draw and sign the papers, but it is proof positive for lyme. I went the Igenex route and only had two markers specific for lyme, but CDC protocol requires six. Save the $200 and spend a little more and get actual pictures of the demon inside you. The lab sends a preliminary report 10 days after receipt of the sample, and in many cases they will have already cultured the beast, but in other cases it takes longer. They continue the culture for two months, which it took my culture to reveal the lyme, and then they send a final report. Believe me it is well worth the money to finally show these doctors that they really need to listen to their patients and stop the tunnel vision.

Hope this help

Hmm, $600 is a ton of money, and the people who are helping me get the blot done are already skeptical. Sigh, they're all skeptical. I hate it. It makes me come to tears actually. You try to tell someone how badly you need help, how much you're suffering, and they just don't get it, then try to downplay it like you're fine. I'd really like to get that test, but I don't think I'll be able to. :/.. I wish mainstream doctors would just wake up, and stop ignoring this crap. Insurance help would be awesome. I mean, if.. if the tests are so accurate, why aren't people up in arms about how the regular doctors are neglecting to properly diagnose/treat people for it, why aren't people exposing them for it? That sort of thing needs to be brought to everyone's attention. I've had a lot of doctors basically deny that Lyme even affects people the way it affects me, that their antibiotics will treat it in a month, and that the tests they have for it are 100% accurate, an that independent labs are liars. If what you said's true, how could they deny it? If you can actually see the spirochetes or whatever..?

Life is f'd. I wish more people cared. Well, more people in positions of power, people that could make changes. I know you guys are here to help. I'm not trying to.. um.. idk, make it seem like your assistance isn't.. useful. I just mean that.. I wish someone who could change the way the industry handles Lyme cared. So many people suffer, and don't get the help they need. What's worse is that some actually fall for the doctor's bs, and live with Lyme for a few more years until it's completely ruined their body, then get diagnosed, and are like.. ***? Anyway, I'll try to come back around. I'm pretty.. hopeless and stuff atm. Tired, giving up. Bye!

Hi Memri,

This of course is just my opinion, but I think it's sad that you have to waste precious time and resources trying to prove to others that you're sick, when your symptoms are so obvious. You need to start fighting for your life!

Whether you choose to take antibiotics or an herbal protocol, you've got to start killing the bacteria that are making you ill. Then you need to detox to rid your body of the dead toxins. Please read the first post on the forum.."New to Lyme?.. start here". It's filled with information as well as resources to help you understand Lyme.

I chose to use Dr. Jernigan's protocol and after only two months, my head symptoms, which were almost identical to yours, have cleared by more than 80%. This certainly doesn't mean I'm cured yet. I have many other symptoms that I have to deal with on a daily basis. But through the wonderful advice and encouragement on this forum (special thanks to Deejavu and Traveler), I've been given the tools to heal.

Don't give up!!

JupiterGma

I'm in Iowa. Also, sorry for taking so long to come back around. I've being forced to help do a bunch of stuff around the house (washing windows, rearranging furniture, and stuff like that lately, and it's really been wearing me down). I know that's no excuse, but.. idk, guess I'm just slow. :(

Thanks for all the help, guys! I hope you're not fed up with me always taking forever to come back around. I do care about getting help, just.. I get caught up in stuff, and I sleep a lot. << ha, this looks cute. I think I'll add it to my post. lol

I know, it's terrible when you can't even say with confidence that you have Lyme. You're just sitting there, somewhat convinced, but not sure, struggling to figure out what's wrong with you by going to a handful of different, useless, skeptical doctors while having barely any of your family backing you up, being just as skeptical as the doctors, and not having the money to pay for the care you need. It's just.. hell, guys. I know I shouldn't be so quick to give up, but I really don't have many other options. I can't afford an LLMD, I have no rich relatives, the ones I do have are so.. in disbelief that there's even anything wrong with me (they're just like the doctors - it's all in your head, you're just sad, you need to get out more, blah blah blah). No one gets how.. badly I need help, how my life is dangling over the edge. Most days, I just want it to be over, and.. atm, there's only one way I know of to achieve that.. death. What am I supposed to do, get a bullcrap, minimum wage job to pay the thousands of dollars I need to get treated? Impossible. I can't function around people like that anymore, I have no energy (these past couple days of being forced to help were.. agonizing..), and.. my body and mind are in ruins. It's weird, 'cause.. sometimes, I can talk through text, but hardly at all out loud. It never comes out right. Anyway, yeah, get a 9 - 5 job or whatever and bust my sick ass to get a puny paycheck to.. attempt to scrape by while more than likely falling short? I've heard it's very expensive, huh? Nah, just not possible, so.. I'm probably just going to end up dying. What fight I had in me got spent struggling to be properly tested, which I've come to find out from the guy who recommend the $600 test that it might not even be.. revealing (the western blot), just so people would know that I had Lyme disease before I died, and not judge me like, "wow, why couldn't he just cheer up - he didn't have to kill himself," and crap like that. No one understands. My grandma just came and told me to take some ****ing tylenol. Hahahahahahahhahaahhahahshsjdjsjshdhsbsnanananxndjsjahsjajsjsjnssnnsjsjzhzsjjsjsjahahaahhaahahahahahah! :D, isn't my life grand!? (Sarcasm)

Sorry if some of you are upset by the profanity. I hope you'll understand, and that this post doesn't get deleted. Please, show some leniency for a... idk.. broken soul, I guess. Thanks again, guys! I'm glad some of you are doin' better. I wish I had the means to be in a position to get some help too. More than that, I wish I had the means to bring more people's attention to this terrible illness, shed the light on how the industry's basically turning their back on people like us while pretending that they know what the **** they're talking about when it comes to Lyme disease and its treatments, and, on top of that, trying to convince people with it that there's nothing wrong with them. It's outright evil, and something's got to be done about it. I don't want to downplay the suffering of people who, say, have cancer, or some brutal disease like that, but this crap (if left to do damage long enough) is one of the worst of them, and hardly no money's going to find a cure, better treatments/testing, or anything, 'cause only a handful of people really understand what it's like, the suffering, and stuff.. while everyone else is being fooled by the devilish industry, and its evil sheep. Sigh, the world is a terrible, terrible place on so many levels, more than can even be imagined, especially when the very people that are supposed to be there to help you are plotting against you. Ha, I read somewhere that the industry likes people with diseases like Lyme, cancer, basically stuff that requires a lot of treatment, 'cause it makes them money, which I can totally see. So.. get this, when I had insurance, I was told that it would cover the cheapest, most unreliable test for Lyme, a titer, or something, and not the most reliable one possible, but they'd give me a $2000 CAT scan just 'cause I told them I was having lots of stuff going on in my head. I mean, that's understandable, for them to have wanted to give me a CAT scan, but the point I'm trying to make is that they'd give me that, but not a reliable form of testing. Why? Because they wanted my crap to get worse and worse so I'd be forced to give them more money for care, expensive tests, and crap. No one truly cares, at least no one in a position of power, someone with the ability to change things. It's all about money, money, money, and we're nothing more than workhorses. Work, work, work, spend, spend, spend, then die. That's all we are to them. I'm sick of it, guys. At this point, I'd almost rather be dead, 'cause.. just looking at the way the world is makes me sick to my stomach, and I see that I'm never gonna be able to get the help I need. It's pointless.

Sorry if I brought anybody down - that wasn't my goal. I just.. wanted to say what I had to say. Thanks for reading.. if you did, thanks for caring.. if you do! I hope you manage to make progress on your roads to recovery and eventually live full, happy lives again. Seriously, best of luck!

As for me, I'm about done. :|, ha, what's funny is that I've been telling my family that I'm going to die, but no one believes me, they just act like I'm joking, being dramatic, or something. They don't get that I'm coming from the bottom of my heart with that ****, and they won't until it actually happens. It's sad.

Dunno, I guess this is my fate. I deserve it.

Cya!

I'm smiling for the guy that managed to find an LLMD that takes insurance, really beaming. Lol, lucky (in some ways). I've heard that's a really uncommon thing. Also, glad that.. um.. jupitergma's feeling better. The head symptoms are the worst. I'd love to be free of them. I miss the old me. He was just a happy, outgoing (in some ways), funny, even witty, insightful, and just an all around good person. I used to be able to make people laugh, give them great life advice, make intelligent points in conversations, and just.. stuff like that. It's a shame that I didn't realize how beautiful a person I was until I got sick, and that person got taken away from me. I was going to school to become a journalist (I used to be able to write soooo beautifully without even really thinking (it was like it just poured out from my soul)), I had a beautiful, loving, committed girlfriend who made me feel unlike anyone ever has, dreams together, and.. my life was just going on the right track when all this hit me. I mean, I'd noticed subtle things for a couple years, gradually increasing brain fog, and stuff, but I always brushed it off. Yup, life was the best it'd ever been, and then.. this. I've been reduced to the point where I can barely speak, think, and want to be euthanized. :|, it may seem like I can, but you don't know the old me. Anyway.. lots of love. See ya later.

Wow, is a vitamin D deficiency an indicator of Lyme, 'cause a doctor I went to said that my vit D's really, really low. My bones ache, not just the joints. :|, oh, and I've been having some lung trouble lately (pain when inhaling at times, weird, tingling feelings). I had a scan of my chest and abdomen less than a year ago too, which they claimed was normal, so.. I wonder what it could be. Anyway, I'm gonna go try to eat something, and relax. Bye!

Hi A.Memri!
I'm sorry, but I haven't read all of your posts yet - I've been blessed with a migraine today! Yippee!

Your posts pretty much scream out 'help me' though! Don't give up. There is always hope, although you will have to do a lot of "work" to heal, it's possible.

It does sound like you likely have Lyme, Babesia and Bartonella - the three most common infections from what I've seen over the years.

Please do read the thread that sits at the top of the forum titled "New to Lyme? Start here!" as it will give you tons of information and a placed to start your healing! You will need to start detoxing right away, as most with chronic infections have issues with their bodies being able to detox effectively. Start off slow, as we also often create a herx when we start detoxing.

You will have to have a good, healthy diet - your body needs all the nutrition it can get and the less processed foods you put in, the less your body has to fight through to find some good nutrition. Cut out the sugar in your diet - and no aspertame. Many of us use Stevia instead to sweeten things. It's a natural sweetener that has no calories and won't affect your blood sugar levels.

So you have essentially no money? Lots of us at least start off that way! LOL! There are the natural protocols that you can use that usually cost less than pharma abx. As others have said, Buhner's site (buhnerhealinglyme.com/) is a great place to start. I didn't use his protocol, but I've watched other have great success with it - but you will have to stick to it!

Just so that you know, I was first infected at the age of 7, didn't start effective treatment until the age of 47- and now I am in my 16th week of no treatments to see if any of my symptoms will come back!! I used natural protocols to heal!

That's all I can think of right now due to this wonderful migraine of mine!

Dunno, I believe it's already been activated, but, if you're sill having trouble, just send it to [email protected] (I know, it's weird, but it's from awhile ago, before I was sick). Send whatevee you want there.

Nah, I'm gonna die, guys. It's just too much. I don't want it anymore.

Thanks for everything! Good luck with your battles. Congrats for being a lot stronger people than I.