Making a difference

Yesterday I saw my acupuncturist. My GP is actually pretty integrative, and she works in his office. She has seen me since this whole journey started, through diagnosis (finally!), and starting treatment. She has also been an amazing advocate for me and my health. She is a true treasure and is truly, truly interested in getting people well.

My GP, after eliminating everything else, was very supportive of my then self-diagnosis of Lyme but fully admitted that she really didn't know much about how to treat it. That's when I started seeing my LLMD, and got an accurate test and diagnosis. She has also been very supportive. She also takes insurance, so has worked with my LLMD to order certain things so my insurance will pay for them.

Anyway, when I haven't seen my acupuncturist in a while, she always sends me an email checking in on me. She's also immersed herself in becoming more educated about Lyme, who my doctor is, what treatment protocols he's using, etc. She said because of me, and my story, she's now referred three patients she's been seeing for a while to my LLMD. One had been diagnosed with RA and the others with fibromyalgia. All tested positive for Lyme and are now getting treatment.

I almost cried. If anything good comes out of all this, it's that I can educate people and help others finally get well. I am so incredibly grateful for her and all that she's done for me. She has become as much a friend and therapist as a healer for me.

The doctor's office is always playing videos in the lobby. Usually food-related documentaries (things like Hungry for Change and Fed Up). I am gifting my acupuncturist a copy of Under our Skin and Under our Skin Emergence. I don't know if they'll add it to their rotation, but at the very least, she can pass it on to all the practitioners there (there are 10 if you include nutritionists). As I mentioned, they are all very holistic and integrative, but I think they just don't know what they don't know. They just don't learn about chronic Lyme in med or nursing school. It doesn't help that I live in an area where Lyme isn't prevalent, or at least not according to the CDC

I'm sorry this got so long, but after what has been a hard week for me, it was good to remember that we can make a change. Eventually the gov't will have to respond.

That's so very wonderful, MM!! Congratulations on being seen by such a group of wonderful caring practitioners!!!

I hope they take advantage of educating a LOT of people (both patients and practitioners) with your very wonderful gift of those movies!! This is how it works - we reach out to others, and they reach out to others so that we all get the information we need to attain health once again!!!

More than having them play it (because no one is in the waiting room long enough to watch more than a few minutes anyway), I hope all the docs and NPs just watch it. So maybe when they see a patient with mystery symptoms, fibromyalgia, etc., they consider the possibility of Lyme. Since my acupuncturist has educated herself, she has already started doing that. And all three people she referred had Lyme and had been misdiagnosed for years.

I don't think the practice will ever actually treat Lyme, since they take insurance and don't want to be investigated or lose their medical license (can't blame them for that). They also don't want to stop taking insurance, which I think is a good thing. They are one of the few integrative medicine practices that still does so.