Hi FG!
Welcome to our community! I'm so glad you found us.
Yes, a clear bulls eye means you need treatment - even if it is years later - but especially since you've had what would be considered "odd" health issues all along. That's how I'd describe my life as well, and after understanding that I have had these infections since I was young, I was able to question my Mom (my Dad passed long ago) and realized that I have had these infections at least since I was 7 years old. I was 44 before being properly diagnosed.
If you haven't yet, it would be helpful for you to start with reading through the thread at the top of the forum titled,"New to Lyme?...Start here!!", as it is packed full of important information, symptom lists, helpful links and pdf's, how to detox when one has these infections, information on probiotics and much more. And this is another good list of possible detoxing routines:
www.tiredoflyme.com/detox-methods.html Detoxing for us is an incredibly important part of our healing.
You will want to find a well trained doctor, not one that has self proclaimed themselves as a LLMD or an ID Doc (Infectious Disease Doctor), as ID docs believe Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat, and don't believe in the reality of chronic Lyme.
For information on finding an ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) trained Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD) in your area, you will need to enable your email option in your profile in order to receive any recommendations, as we don't allow doctor's names and contact info to be posted on the forum for several reasons. You can enable your email option in your profile, under 'edit profile'. Be sure to click the submit button to actually save your preference.
You can send me an email by clicking on my screen name or the small blue envelope under my screen name. I may have contact information for some LLMD's in your area as well. Please include your state (or province) and area that you would like to find a LLMD in and I will be happy to share the names I have.
You can email the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance at
[email protected] for LLMD referrals and you can go to
tbdalliance.org to learn more about
these infections.
You can go to The Lyme Disease Association and search for LLMD's 3 times in a month. You have to register first. Here is the link:
www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277&Itemid=74ILADS has their own referral system as well:
ilads.org/ilads_media/physician-referral/And a new resource
www.LymeDoc.org Go to the ILADS site to read the new (2014) Treatment guidelines to get you started on your healing journey:
www.lymenet.org/BurrGuide200810.pdf