Not Diagnosed

Hi Melodie - welcome to the forum!

Take a deep breath....we're going to help you.

I am from BC Canada and as you know there are no practicing LLMD's. (Lyme Literate MD's).
I see a LLND in Richmond B.C. and I am fortunate that he is licensed to prescribe antibiotics.
After the initial consult, he does several monthly phone appointments, so the trips to Richmond to see him are few and far between (unless I prefer to travel).

The Canadian test is a joke. I had the first step of the two tiered testing, it was negative, so the Western Blot wasn't done. I then went through Igenex and was positive.
Did you have any positive bands on your Igenex test? I'm assuming you had the Western Blot done?

The tests are not reliable - one reason is if you've had Lyme disease for several years, then your body's immune system may not produce the antibodies to show a positive response on testing.

There are herbal treatments you can start while you wait being diagnosed.
Also, when you have time, please look at the thread at the top of the page titled: "New to Lyme?...Start here." It is full of good information.

So, you have a choice to make...either get diagnosed/treated here in Canada with a LLND, or go to the U.S. to see a LLMD.
I'm thinking there may be some LLND's on Ontario that could diagnose and start treating you herbally while you decide where you want to get treated.

The other option is flying to BC - which is quite costly - to see the LLND in Richmond. Although, after that, you can do several phone appointments which would be reasonable.

Keep reading/posting/asking questions. This is a wonderfully supportive forum...lots of experience and insight here.

Good luck!

The closest ILADS affiliated LLMDs in NY are Dr McS in Plattsburg NY, and Dr P in Buffalo. Dr McS has been featured on CBC's The Current a couple of times:

http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2010/06/june-14-2010.html

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/Shows/The+Nature+of+Things/Extras/ID/2408817950/

We saw Dr P in Buffalo NY, who is a pediatrician but treats adults as well. After 2 years of abx treatment for lyme/bartonella, our daughter has weaned to Buhner's herbal protocols and is doing extremely well after another 2 years of herbs.

Frankly, herbs have worked so well for us that I would consider them as a first line treatment if we ever had to do this over again. I imagine Traveller will show up with the name of the LLND in Uxbridge.

I remember how it felt before I got diagnosed. I so empathize with your situation! I never thought I'd test positive for anything and felt I was doomed to suffer until I eventually died. But, I found this forum and found the support I needed to find a doctor that could actually help me. Life is so different now. And yours will be too!

I'm very close to northern california. I pretty much live on the border between Oregon and california. the tick bite that I got here left with me with multiple infections. So I'd say you are probably very sick, and it probably is because of the tick bite you got here. But you could've got Lyme in Canada too!

All you need to do is get to a good doctor. the right doctor will help you reclaim your life! If you get Igenex testing I'd encourage you to start filling out the lymetap programs paperwork to help with the cost of testing. I'm not sure if it is available in Canada but a simple search will tell you.

You are so not alone, and I'm so happy that you reached out on this forum. These people are amazing! Your positivity will come back. I almost gave up completely, and I'm so glad I chose to keep fighting. You will totally get better. It seems so daunting at first to start out, but if you don't have your health you don't have anything.

Now is as good a time as any to spend money on yourself. It is expensive, I hope that doesn't have to be an issue for you. But if it is there is help for that too.

Keep us posted!

Also, it's important to remember that Lyme is first and foremost a clinical diagnosis based on symptoms and exposure.

Hi Wondering...you will need to add your email address to your profile to allow for private messages.