And then there were Two...

My husband who also had mysterious ailments throughout last year was tested for Lyme per my Drs. recommendation and Voila ! both his tests ( ELISA & Western Blot ) came back highly positive for Lyme.
We had a stone walk and wall put in last summer and i recalled pulling a tick from his scalp behind his ear .He had been to the stone quarry earlier in the day and remarked that it was 'loaded with ticks' .
He woke me in the middle of the night sensing something crawling in his hair. I found two ticks crawling and another already embedded deep in his skin. I never felt my tick bite - never saw it coming. I don't know why that bugs me but it does.
I pride myself on being an 'aware' person. I don't like the idea of something so creepy being able to sneak up on me.
I remember at the time of my husband's tick bite quoting my then 'official' knowledge " Relax , hon - it has to be embedded for 48 hours before it can do any harm. We'll watch for the bulls-eye , anyway you are fine if you don't have it.
I rue that day now.

It turns out ( regardless that the NIH & CDC and IDSA still tow the old line) there is new evidence ( scientific lab-based studies AND documented patient histories) that anytime a tick starts to feed transmission of tick-borne disease can occur . It turns out that in reality , only about 50% of people ever get what is termed as a classic bulls-eye rash. If Lyme Disease is not caught in the first few weeks ( maybe less depending on the individual) BEFORE the bacteria disseminates through the body , then a standard 'cure' of 10-28 days of doxycycline is likely not to reach all of the bacteria. You have a VERY good chance of staying ill or relapsing if that is the case.
If the Lyme bacteria ( Borrelia Burgdorfii) has entered your central nervous system or other tissues and organs the doxycycline will be unable to reach it all.

Now considering that Lyme Disease is caused by a Spirochete similar but actually quite a bit more complex than syphilis and syphilis is routinely and aggresively treated for months- doesn't it cause one to pause and wonder why , when people continue to exhibit the SAME symptoms after a short course of treatment , they are still sick if 28 days of Doxycline is such a sure cure ? I have read in some studies that unless you maintain blood levels of 400-600 mgs of doxycycline , borrelia will survive. Yet , the standard - what i am on right now - is only 100 mg twice a day. My husband is on the same . Why is this the standard ?
I am in my third week and no better than when i started. I fear i am going to be one of those people who gets lost in the Lymelands of medical controversy and policy.
This is why after an exhaustive search i am going to see a specialist who TREATS Lyme Disease UNTIL they get better . I have had this for more that six months and only diagnosed in the last few weeks - i am not willing to take a "wait and see" approach with my health. Sorry.

Yes,it is true - some people get better easily - IF caught early .
Most late diagnoses are not so simply cured- regardless what the NIH & IDSA would like you to believe.
There are THOUSANDS of sick children and adults to attest to that fact.
The powers that be would have you believe they are all under some mass delusion or have " Post-Lyme " which is an unexplained set of symptoms present after the bacteria no longer exists in the body. You guessed it - there is NO treatment for it. Chronic Lyme simply does not exist according to these 'experts'.
Inconvenient for them that there is a growing body of evidence to the contrary. Now if somebody would do something about it that would be great.
To be fair there are a number of brilliant scientists and doctors without a personal agenda who are willing to take on the status quo and the current mainstream view towards Lyme DIsease. They are more concerned with human suffering and healing than prestige, power and the almighty dollar.
Unfortunately there is a great deal of pressue out there to " tow the party line' as more people continue to be ill . I can only hope and pray that this changes soon . People have a right to know and to be provided proper health care .
This is but one very important issue in the National Health Crisis .
It has hit home for me and my family.
i for one , will fight as long as i can and as hard as i can until someone listens. Lyme Disease is NOT going away . And yes, you SHOULD be afraid.
Be VERY afraid.

Please read my first post "ticker tape parade for my story of discovery.

see links on sidebar for more info on Lyme Disease.
To be fair -go to the CDC and NIH, IDSA sites and see how vague and concise they are about an illness that is agreed by everyone concerned to be 'complex'. Then talk to people who have it.
Who do you believe ?