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Little rant on dog with Lyme

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Posted 12/29/2015 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
There are four of us in the family ages 14 to 80 yrs. with Lyme, plus our Yorkie. I already had seen how quickly our dog was diagnosed earlier this year but merely found it to be an interesting fact that dogs have Lyme vaccines and quick BB diagnosis.

Here is the kicker: Yesterday my mother in law asked us to take her puggle to the vet because she was lethargic over Christmas, not eating or drinking water and her joints hurt. While waiting for the vet, my husband commented on the number of warnings posted on every bulletin board about ticks and Lyme, and complained that the human docs laugh at you when you mention Lyme. The vet came in and a blood test revealed within 10 minutes that the dog was positive for antibodies to BB. She was promptly given a pain injection and a subcutaneous medication for dehydration, was sent home with a month of abx, and get this....two week's worth of one pain medication and a month of another pain med. We told the vet how stunned we were because we were never treated this compassionately through the human medical system and she said "Don't get me started on that..." She has diagnosed 150 cases in her practice over the last year and 1/2 and said 3 died because of kidney or liver failure. She kept stressing the importance of the dog's comfort and pain relief while she is on the mend.

Compare this: In July 2014 when I was waiting for my blood results to come back, I lay at home in a sobbing, desperate mess unable to climb stairs or use my hands to do things as simple as turning a door knob. I had the classic chills, flu-like symptoms and crushing fatigue which hit me all at once. I was supposed to be on a much-anticipated family camping trip but I insisted they leave me behind because I was too sick and I wanted to just curl up in a ball and not move.

I'm fortunate that my antibodies were active and my results came back 10 long days later as CDC positive and I got an Rx for Doxy then. (I got itchy hives all over from the Doxy so I was a double mess then.) I didn't eat anything for many days at a stretch and drinking water was abhorrent to me. I bet I was very badly dehydrated but nobody asked me about that. I see a LLMD and am 90% better, but back then I was a wreck, as many of you can identify with.

So just a rant on the state of our medical system here in Western Pennsylvania, one of the Lyme hotbeds of the nation..... It's better to be a dog!
Posted 12/29/2015 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Wow. Does anyone ever think this denial of lyme and its (brain fog) uh, seriousness and underreportedness is deliberate at some level? In 2011, the year I got 'lucky' there were over 2400 cases reported in Wisconsin. THEN, the state changed its reporting method and wonder of wonders, in 2012 there were almost a thousand fewer cases reported!!

Now my LLMD tells me that the requirements for reporting are becoming so stringent that he wonders how anyone ever gets reported anymore.

I guess that's one way to get rid of lyme disease: make it difficult if not impossible to report.

Why does anyone think they want to get rid of it? Makes the story about Plum Island seem not ridiculous maybe? Liability? Agenda 21 depopulation anyone?

As big of a deal as 'they' make about medical 'non-issues' then there is a huge issue and they all but make it illegal to talk about.
Posted 12/29/2015 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Makes me want to see a vet. LOL!!
Posted 12/29/2015 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
I've joked with my vet about being the one to diagnose me next time! She's only told me that she understands, but would get in serious trouble trying to do so. I told her it was okay, I use herbs anyway. It was a very interesting conversation.

The conversation got started because I have one dog that has had 3 bulls eye rashes - absolutely picture perfect bulls eye rashes. Late last month, a different dog I have showed up with a tick attached, and a bulls eye rash - so back to the vet (they make a LOT of money off me!!!) - but I had called in since I was needing medication for my older dog, and brought pictures of the bulls eye rash on the other one. They didn't even want to see the picture. I was told that they believe I knew what I was talking about with Lyme. :smilewingrin: That makes it a lot easier!!

But my vet was appalled that I had to grow up with these symptoms of Lyme and how difficult it was to find a doctor willing to treat it, and the political fight that Lyme is entrenched in.

It says a lot about the political fight when our dogs can get tested and treated for the same condition without any of the hassles or delays.
Posted 12/29/2015 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad to see my outrage is shared. Today my husband asked me if I agree with him that it's time to sue the government over this travesty. That's how angry he is. I see that as a losing proposition. What do you guys think?
Posted 12/29/2015 7:49 PM (GMT 0)
There are groups that are actually working on that - in a way. Trying to force the CDC to change the recommendations, and pressuring state legislators to create and support Lyme bills and other things.

We aren't allowed to post those thing here, unfortunately, but there are groups like this one: www.themaydayproject.org/ and others that are trying to make those changes happen.
Posted 12/29/2015 7:54 PM (GMT 0)
The day will come when it's all suddenly "discovered" by the govt. (what a big surprise) and revealed, ... like HIV in the 80's... I'm sure of it.

Just not sure if it will be in our lifetime and what mass chaos and panic it will cause when so many with 50 (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little) other diseases and ailments suddenly want to be treated for lyme and co.

Something is def. off with this disease that "does not exist"...
Posted 12/29/2015 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
I took my little corgi in one morning after she had severe joint pain. We were living in Vermont so they diagnosed her with lyme immediately and put her on 2 month of antibiotics. She got better! (at least, for the moment!)

Fast forward a few years, and my beloved dog is acting very strange. Suddenly, her story became very similar to my own, after I became sick. Either she never was cured, or she was reinfected....or hey, maybe both! She'll be limp in one leg, then the other the next day, then the other. Some day's she perfectly healthy. Other times, she's screaming in pain and hiding in corners, under beds. As I did for myself, I brought her to vet after vet. They ran some tests, did some X-rays, and then literally told me it was 'all in my dog's head.' SERIOUSLY?

Realizing I had to be her advocate no matter what, I finally demanded a lyme test. "no, we don't test for that down here." (I live in NC.) (Sound familiar??) I demanded. "You'll have to pay extra." Alright, I'll pay extra.

Ah, the sound of her voice when she called and said, "actually, she DOES have lyme!" So similar to when the doctor, who had tried her best to deny even testing me, called me with the exact same results. One month of antibiotics, she's happier and healthier than she's been in her life. Sometimes I hold her and tell her how sorry I am that she had to suffer for so long until I thought to ask for another lyme test.

Of course, more often these days, she's lying with me, comforting me as I go through this. Anyway, I hope your pup remains in wonderful health her whole life!!
Posted 12/29/2015 9:07 PM (GMT 0)

PeteZa said...
Makes me want to see a vet. LOL!!

This is exactly what many of us with thyroid disease say!!!

Vets "get thyroid" better than human doctors.

Such a pathetic state of affairs this thing called "healthcare". It's sick care IMHO and Big Pharma is the one promoting it.
Posted 12/30/2015 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
"Such a pathetic state of affairs this thing called "healthcare". It's sick care IMHO and Big Pharma is the one promoting it."

Once again, we are on the same page, Cd. Something has to change.
Posted 12/30/2015 9:50 AM (GMT 0)
Ticks no longer die when they should. Just look at our latest Christmas in US/Europe. No snow, very warm, some people went to the seaside in my country... +15C/60F ?! We used to have a lot of snow and subzero temp.

Because of this , doctors still consider lyme as a rare disease when it is no longer rare. Dogs are more likely to have it because they have a lot of hair and ticks hide there easily. I dont blame MDs, they are just clueless, you just dont have to listen to them when it comes to lyme, that's all. And they are really really frustrated because of this, they never say "whoops i need to read a few books and studies, and ill get back to treat you when i'll learn more".
Posted 12/31/2015 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
I agree, they don't even attempt that. In my experience, they would rather tell me that Lyme isn't even in the area and argue with me than learn about it - or just let me die because I'm "too complicated of a case" even when I don't mention Lyme.

Sorry, I do blame some of those doctors that I saw. Especially ones that thought I was the idiot that didn't know I had organs in my abdomen. I found out later it was my spleen that was swollen and hurting, but they refused to do anything more than tell me I had "organs in there", and want to write me a script for an antidepressant. I do blame them for their willing ignorance.
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