I find happiness in nature....no matter what the cost!
In July, 2008, four years after I was first diagnosed and treated for Lyme Disease by a CDC doctor, I sat down and wrote him this letter:
Dear __________,
It has been several years since you treated me for Lyme Disease, however, I sit here, buried in deep frustration that I am still feeling pretty terrible. Since my antibiotic treatment for Lyme Disease ceased four years ago, I am now being treated for Fibromyalgia, Depression, Anxiety, GI Problems, Ulcers, Anemia, Chronic Pain, Chronic Fatigue, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Restless Leg Syndrome, and Severe Headaches…just to name a few. I have many other symptoms which have not been addressed yet either; ie: Short Term Memory Loss, Brain Fog, Confusion, Weight Fluctuation and several other things. I have done things that I don’t remember doing, honestly. That is pretty scary. I have gotten lost driving in my own neighborhood, forget where I am going, or what I am doing. People laugh and say, “That comes with getting older, however, I know ‘this’ is different.
I have seen several doctors. Two of them told me I needed to see a Psychiatrist, stating it was “All in My Head.” I haven’t nor will I go back to see them. I am on numerous daily medications which I am beginning to believe are simply putting a band-aide on my situation. I believe there is something else that lies deeper within this 45-year-old body of mine causing such havoc in my personal life as well as family and social life. For the past several years, Vince and I have scoured the internet looking for possible other diagnosis’, since we have had very little luck with the doctors we have seen. They just will not listen to what we have to say.
Close friends of ours have been aware of my health issues since my Lyme Disease Treatment in 2004. They have friends with a son who has been battling a war. Just recently, our friends told us of a book that we might find VERY interesting. ”CURE UNKNOWN- Inside the Lyme Epidemic” by Pamela Weintraub. I have it sitting beside me now. I began reading it last night. The first several pages were such a relief to me! I am not alone in this battle! I continued to read it today, finding more and more similarities. Are you familiar with the book? I told Vince I was going to contact you right away regarding this and your thoughts. How strongly do you believe in Lyme Disease? What about other diseases that ticks carry and co-infections? What about the use of many different antibiotics and medications to kill all of it off? I was only treated for Lyme Disease. My blood test never tested positive for Lyme Disease, however, the information in this book is leading to other possibilities as well as reasons for negative results. Could all these symptoms I am having, causing me to live many of my days in bed, be due to a bacteria that still exists in my body? I haven’t been the same in over 4 years. I AM NOT THE SAME! I am ready to feel good again. Would you be willing to discuss this with me? Are your views on Lyme Disease an open and shut case or will you think a bit further? I need to find a doctor I can trust. I need a doctor who will take me seriously and not refer me to a Psychiatrist.
Thank you for you time,
Debbie LaBarbera
Within a few days, I received a call from my CDC Doctor. We made an appointment to discuss my concerns. He did not believe I still had Lyme Disease. I had been on oral antibiotics for 2 weeks and IV antibiotics for 4 weeks. According to the CDC guidelines, I was no longer infected with Lyme Disease. According to him, I was experiencing residual effects from the Lyme Disease. My immune system was weakened and traumatized triggering many different ‘problems’ to arise………….But I NO LONGER HAD LYME DISEASE……
…..And that was that
….but ‘that’ was NOT the end as far as Vince and I were concerned. It was really only the beginning of a long journey. We were going to find some answers once and for all. We continued to research. We weren’t going to give up.
