march 17, 2007 02:51pm
Two Little Known Facts
As I am getting more and more feedback, there are 2 issues that I see as the most important when discussing Lyme.
People not only need to be educated on Lyme, but also on the fact that there is no accurate diagnostic test. People are under the assumption that if their Lyme test is negative, they don't have it or are better. This is directly off the CDC website - "Several forms of laboratory testing for Lyme disease are available, some of which have not been adequately validated. Most recommended tests are blood tests that measure antibodies made in response to the infection. These tests may be falsely negative in patients with early disease, but they are quite reliable for diagnosing later stages of disease." In fact, everyone agrees we don't have an accurate test. Educating people about that is very important so they have all the facts when trying to take care of themselves.
The second issue is the co-infections. Most people have never heard of babesiosis, bartonella, mycoplasma, or ehrilichiosis and most doctors don't test for them. These can really complicate a Lyme patient's recovery. My Lyme was first treated and then I started getting sick again. Mycoplasma then showed up in my blood work which needed to be treated differently then Lyme. My mom had bartonella which again didn't show up until she was treated for Lyme. That is why it is important to see a doctor who knows a lot about tick-borne illnesses.
Keep signing!
