SJ, could you tell us how your parents came to the conclusion that LLMD's are scam artists? Where did they get their information? Have they done research on google about
lyme disease and the controversy behind it? Obviously your parents care for you and are wanting to watch out for you like all good parent want to do for their kids, even when they're adults. There is a lot of politics involved in this disease. Because of the controversy, politics and money involved in this disease, there's been an ongoing battle taking place between the ILADS and IDSA. See these two links for more information about
this.
www.ldsg.org/index.php?id=71lymemd.blogspot.com/2009/02/war-idsa-vs-ilads.htmlDue to this controversy that's been going on for many years, lots of valuable time and money has been lost in scientific and medical research of this disease, as a result, many Lyme patients have suffered needlessly with this disease. In fact, just this past few weeks three lyme patients have committed suicide because they were unable to get the treatment they needed to get well. The IDSA has made it impossible for many LLMD's to treat this disease with long term abx because they don't believe in chronic lyme disease (which is what I had for 15 years). The medical profession, AMA, and the insurance companies have done more harm to lyme patients than anyone else, all because of the IDSA guidelines.
I suggest your parents spend some valuable time researching this disease. Lyme disease is the fastest growing infectious disease in the country, with as many as 200,000 new cases every year! Your doctor means well, and he/she has probably told you (or will tell you) Lyme is no big deal, or there is no lyme in our state, etc, etc. Sadly, many PCP, and other specialists are ignorant about
this disease, and many just don't want to accept the truth about
it.
Here's an excerpt of what one person expressed on their blog:
"The most important fact I can tell you and that you must remember and be aware of is that your current primary Md (no matter how much you may trust or love him) likely doesn't know the facts surrounding this disease and is most likely totally uneducated about
Lyme Disease. He/She will likely tell you Lyme is "rare", "easy to cure" or you simply don't have it, because "Lyme doesn't exist in this area". Please be aware, all can be untrue statements. Your doctor does not know the never ending symptoms of Lyme and all the ways you have likely been exposed. This includes "specialists", Neurologists, Infectious Disease MD's and Md's from all fields of medicine, remember, they know very little regarding Lyme Disease, if anything at all. Follow your gut instincts, your instincts will never fail you. If you are symptomatic, get tested through Igenex and see an LLMd, why go on wondering?
I wanted so much to believe a mainstream Md could diagnose me, I put off seeing a Lyme doctor for a long time, precious time that the infection grew. After seeing 12 doctors and having to research my symptoms online, I realized I likely had Lyme Disease and sad but true, none of the Md's I was seeing would ever be able to diagnose me and they never did". Source:
www.truthaboutlymedisease.com/As much as your parents love and care about
you, and as much as you may trust your PCP, you need to do what you feel is best for you. Read the stories on this forum and see how many people, like you, who came here years ago thinking their disease was not serious, because the PCP told them so, or that they could get by with two to three weeks of abx treatment and get well. They trusted their doctor and followed his/her advice. Sadly, as time went by they got sicker and sicker and eventually the disease took over their body and it became harder to treat.
The thing about
this disease is, the sooner you get treated by a LLMD the better your chances are of overcoming this disease. If your tick bite was recent, you have an excellent chance of recovery, but not with the typical two the three weeks of doxy treatment that most non-Lyme doctors will recommend. That's not going to cut it. My advice is that you forward this information (this whole thread) to your parents and tell them to do their own research and come to their own conclusions. You too do your own research. I think the evidence will convince you that LLMD's are not con artists, these people are you best chance of ever beating this disease.
I pray that you will come to the right conclusion after doing your research. What I would give to be able to turn the clock back fifteen years with the knowledge I have now. If I knew what I know now, I wouldn't even be here typing on this forum. The people here who are answering your questions have nothing to gain by telling you to see and LLMD. We are speaking from experience, for many of us, painful experience. Our only desire is to help educate you so that you don't have to go down the same painful path that many of us had to go through. You are still young and have a lot of life ahead of you. Don't mess it up by listening to people who may have good intentions, but have wrong information.
If you have any questions feel free to email me, or have your parents email me if they'd like. I'd be glad to give you my phone number too if you click my email icon and ask for it. Both my wife and I have this disease, I hope and pray you don't have to go through what we and so many others here have had to go through based on false information from so called "specialists".
Keep in touch with us and know that we here at HW are here for you.
Gary