Hope is a thing with feathers...

Today was my appointment with a LLMD.
That's Lyme Literate Medical Doctor to the uninitiated . What exactly is an LLMD ?
It means a brave , caring MD who has decided to go against mainstream politics and help sick people who aren't being helped. They are few and far between and NOT easy to find nor get an appointment with . They are overflowing with desperate men, women and children who need their compassion and even more importantly , their medical advice and treatment for a disease BIG MEDICINE has turned its back on.
They are pioneers and scientists and detectives and THEY are interested not in Lyme Disease as phenomenon but in helping Lyme Disease patients get better.
That was the rumor , anyway.

After much research , run-around and not a small bit of sly detective work ( big pat on back to yours truly and an even BIGGER thank you to all of the kind souls who shared information with me )- i arrived at a name.
Along with the name came rave reviews so i took a chance and called. And called . Kept calling.
A LIVE BODY ! A conversation ensued - "not currently accepting new patients - check back in May "
Another call - begging pleading crying- got the doctor's wife on the phone - BINGO ! A heartbeat !
"I'll see what i can do - no promises- but i will try " That's all i wanted . Someone to try for me.
I got a call back AND an appointment.
That was today . I was nervous and i was just the least bit hopeful - but by this time i was a bit jaded , too.
I pretty much trust no one on this subject. There is no ONE answer and i am wary of anyone who claims there is. I am living proof .
Well , i got answers but no easy answer.
There is no miracle cure for disseminated Lyme Disease. I kind of already knew that but i was hoping for a 'miracle' . Who doesn't when they or someone they love is ill ?
There are different experimental protocols ( aren't they all , really ? ) and no one protocol fits everyone.
After 2 and 1/2 hours of rigorous Q & A - i finally felt heard and validated. My GP is caring and she tried but she couldn't get anyone to advise her outside of " 28 days of Doxycycline" . That didn't work for me .
I got worse. Her hands were tied. She was frustrated and I was left feeling like i was quickly reaching a dead end.
This LLMD unshackled my hope. They will now work together to get me (us) well.

More testing , more wait and see, but a new , more holistic approach with new anti-biotics - in a different combination . Who knows if it will help ?
I just know i am willing to try something new that approaches the disease in a comprehensive and directed way- one that works with my body and not against it.
That means diet changes, supplements , drugs and patience.
I have it all on board except the latter - THAT i will have to work on .
It is a start , though.

Begin at the Beginning ...