Can Lyme Cause elevated Hemoglobin and Hematocrit levels?

I know Lyme can affect virtually any part of the body, but my Dad was diagnosed with polycytemia vera out of no where. very weird. He also has had tinnitus and weakness in the legs, itchiness when taking showers, bloodshot eyes, an enlarged spleen, had his gallbladder removed last year...... When I was sick with lyme he had a really weird looking bug bite, just wondering if lyme could be a possibility here. Usually with PCV, you develop it in your younger years, not at the age of 78. Thanks for any input, I guess I want to rule out lyme as a possibility.

Chapelle - how many of those symptoms can be attributed to his diagnosis?

That's enough symptoms to be concerned, for sure.

I'm thinking get an Igenex test done?

i know, that's my thought. bc of the blood thickening, he had 5 pints removed over the course of 1.5 weeks. he also developed a foot infection during all of this, and the dr prescribed minocycline, and things got better. This is why a red flag went up for me and i said to myself, omygosh, he had that bite!

i have 2 igenex kits here - but believe me, i can't say a word yet. everyone will think i am paranoid and crazy. thats what they all thought initially when i suspected that my kids had it.

my dad and mom spend alot of time in pa bc they have a second home there, and although he is older, he still works on the lawn in the back. pat and i dont let the kids go near that lawn bc of all of the bugs and possible ticks that could be in the grass

what i decided to do was, wait and see what the blood results come back as. there are two causes for polycytemia vera - gene mutation or leukemia. if both of those tests come back negative, then I may be on to something. But if one of them comes back positive (i hope the gene mutation), then I will stay quiet for a while. thanks for your input.