Hi Jondavis,
Welcome to our community!
If you haven't already, 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 (as Lyme rarely occurs by itself), helpful links and pdf's, how to detox when one has these infections, and a list of questions that you can ask any doctor that you are seeking treatment from!
I too would question why you will be testing again - it's unlikely things will change in that short amount of time. These tests are not all that accurate, as they depend on a response from the immune system. Lyme and Bartonella are both well known to compromise our immune systems so that they don't respond like they should.
As for the interpretation of your results:
The ELISA is only correct about
30 - 40% of the time. It has many false negatives.
The Western Blot from Igenex:
One of two most accurate labs for Lyme testing. They train their technicians to use the proper testing materials and how to properly read the results.
IND means that there was a response, just not a strong enough one to be able to be considered as "fully positive" - but the bacteria is very much there.
It doesn't matter what each state has to say about
these results - positive is positive, and that bacteria had to get inside somehow.
31 kDa - OspA (Outer Surface Protein "A") - specific to Lyme disease (does not cross react with anything else).
34 kDa - OspB (Outer Surface Protein "B") - specific to Lyme disease.
39 kDa - BmpA (Bacterial Membrane Protein "A") - specific to Lyme disease.
41kDa - Flagellin B - this is the tail end of the bacteria, known as a spirochete (due to it's spiral shape). This will cross react with other spirochetal infections such as Yaws, Relapsing Fever, Leptospirosis and a few others.
83 - 93 kDa - each one of these refers to something different, but are specific to Lyme disease.
Even the CD has this part right:
"Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods." - Although they get the rest wrong! Not just ticks spread these infections either.
You will need to find a well qualified doctor - one that has been specifically trained to treat these infections properly. For information on finding a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD) in your area, you can start a new thread titled something like:"Looking for LLMD/LLND in the _______ area." Although 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 email Stephanie at:
[email protected] You can also go to:
www.turnthecorner.org/ if you want to learn a little bit more about
Lyme Disease.
You can also 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=74 You will want to find an ILADS (International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society) trained doctor, as ID Docs (Infectious Disease Doctors) believe Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat, and don't believe in the reality of chronic Lyme. The ILADS site is another great place to read to get you started on your Lyme journey.
www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines_clearing_ilads.html