First Visit with LLMD Today

I had my first appointment with my LLMD this afternoon and overall I really liked her. She said all the things I hoped she would say regarding the current blood tests being inaccurate, Lyme patients not always producing antibodies to Lyme bacteria, etc...She is clearly an ILADS doctor based on all the literature she gave to me today. With each question she asked and every symptom/result she read, she said, "It is looking more and more like Lyme".

With all that said, my Western Blot test done last month shows I was reactive to 23 IGM and 41 IGG. With the 23 band being Lyme-specific, I was thinking she would just say I have Lyme and start treatment.

Instead, she had a slew of blood tests done (12 vials of blood to be exact!), including another Western Blot test done by LabCorp (my first one was done by Quest). The other tests she ordered were: babesia microti antibody panel, bartonella antibody panel, C4A, C6 B. burgdorferi, EBV Acute Infection Antibodies, Ehrlichia Ab Panel, MTHFR, Mycoplasma pneu. IgG/IgM Abs, Cyclic AMP Plasma, HNK1 (CD57) Panel, TGF Beta-1, and as I mentioned, the Lyme Ab/Western Blot Reflex and Lyme/Western Blot.

She also did a small fiber neuropathy test, which showed I have some impairment.

I appreciate that she is being thorough, but am wondering if this is common practice for a LLMD in your experiences?

I asked her what we do if all these tests come back negative (which is obviously a high chance if it is indeed Lyme)...she said, we will definitely get some answers from these tests.

I have to wait 2 weeks for the results and have another appointment on August 8th. So, more waiting...

Post Edited (jmoore06) : 7/20/2017 7:23:59 PM (GMT-6)

Thanks, Girlie! She used what is called a SUDOSCAN...I had to stand on and put my hands on two silver plate looking things for 2 minutes. Never seen it or heard of it before. It might explain what has been happening with arm for the past month and a half (6 doctors before this couldn't tell me what was wrong). Traveler said she thought it sounded nerve related when I posted about it a few weeks ago and she may be right! =)

Doctor also said (after looking at pictures of my arm taken during that time) that it looked like a symptom of Bartonella.

Post Edited (jmoore06) : 7/20/2017 7:45:50 PM (GMT-6)

I agree dacarte3! I am so grateful she's testing for co-infections. It is just so sad that more doctors are not educated on Lyme and its coinfections. I am so grateful that I found a doctor that is! I just hate the waiting. Ha! In the meantime, I'm going to detox and help my body fight it on its own.