In the case of Lyme disease, unless you were fortunate enough to present a rash and find a tick which requires immediate attention, I would highly recommend educating yourself as much as possible. Take a copy of the Lyme Flyer with you to the doctor. If they spout off “standard testing, diagnosis, and treatment guidelines” or tell you if you don’t have a rash or a positive blood test that there’s no way it can be Lyme, you know they are not properly educated about the disease. Leave the flyer with them and politely request that they learn more about the truth. Then, find a doctor who is Lyme Literate (LLMD). Keep in mind that even LLMDs do not know everything about this disease or have a cure-all. If they claim to, find another one.
Chances are you are here because you’ve already been to a million doctors, specialists, had tests done, been told all of the things it could be, that it isn’t Lyme disease, or even that it is all in your head. If this is you, you are not alone. The good news is there is hope.
Although testing is unreliable at this point, clinical diagnosis has come a long way, and there are several options for treatment. I would like to briefly mention that there are numerous diseases, illnesses, and underlying conditions that share symptoms with Lyme disease. It is crucial that testing and clinical diagnosis take these into account at the same time as Lyme disease. There are many cases where Lyme disease is misdiagnosed as another disease. I believe there are also some cases where patients are diagnosed with Lyme disease when they may actually have another disease or illness, such as Candida overgrowth, autoimmune disorders, or genetic factors.
If you are just beginning Lyme treatment, please be sure to learn as much as you can about different treatment options, the Herxheimer reaction, detox, and diet, diet, diet, diet, diet. I can’t stress that enough.
You may also want to use the Daily Log that I created to keep track of medications, diet, and symptoms. It is always good to keep a record of everything not only to monitor treatment, but if you need it for Insurance or Disability purposes.
If you have undergone Lyme treatment, and have information you would like to share on what has worked or not worked for you, or to share your success story, please go to the Contact page, and send me the information.
Be Your Own Advocate!