Posted 7/5/2017 7:37 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you again for all of your messages.
I went to my usual doctors surgery but saw a new GP at random (walk-in).
He listened intently but quickly held up his hands and said it indeed sounded like an infectious disease and that he would like to refer me. ("However, I don't think you should wait for my referral - try going to the walk-in tropical disease hospital today.") So I did.
The tropical disease hospital was incredibly busy however the nurse(s) took their time writing down a list of most of my endless symptoms and after about an hour a doctor examined me. They took bloods, stool samples, a urine test and sent away one of the transparent worm-y looking things (potential strongyloid?) that I'd that morning pulled out from my nose and saved in cellotape. At the end of my appointment I asked about Lyme disease:
"None of your symptoms to me say Lyme disease. However, if the consultant who will see you in 3 weeks wants to look into it, they can always order you some tests. A lot of people get a lot of anxiety around Lyme disease and I think the important thing is to not become one of those people. Keep it in the back of your mind, but I think the worst thing that can happen is for you to start worrying about something like that. If you have an infectious disease, we'll find it and we'll treat it."
So yeah, now just to wait 3 weeks (almost inevitably to be told that all of my test results are normal ...again). Just to reiterate: I'm not sure what they decided to test for but I know it didn't include Lyme.
In the meantime, I've been struck down with the worst sore throat / cold / fever type illness and the anxiety / general feeling of utter hopelessness is dramatically intensifying to the point where yesterday I was considering checking myself in somewhere "safe". (I can't really put it into words but those feelings of intense anxiety come in waves and the thoughts like that really don't feel like my own. Mentally I'm absolutely fine writing this right now, though. Anyone else experienced something similar?!)
Going forward, I'm still considering testing with Armin but at this point I'm just not sure of what use it will be when I can't find / afford a local LLMD / treatment protocol and the NHS just think I'm nuts. What an actual nightmare.