No, I didn't misspell the title. I'm not talking about this:
I'm talking about this:
Yesterday, I found out that my 7 year old daughter has Lyme. I only know a little bit about it but the past 24 hours have been very educational. So, I'm going to share what I have learned so far in hope that it will help someone else out.
One of the most important lessons I've learned is that there are doctors who, believe it or not, say they don't believe that chronic Lyme disease exists and that it's all in the patient's head. From my understanding, this is starting to change. But, there are Lyme doctors that are being ostracized across the nation by their medical peers for their belief in Lyme as a real disease!
One of my good friend posted some myths about Lyme on her Facebook page and, for now, I'm going to share these with you.
Myth: You cannot die from Lyme Disease
Truth: yes, you can. People die from Lyme-related illnesses every year.
Myth: Local Lyme tests are accurate.
Truth: No. This is maybe one of the biggest myths. Not only do doctors NOT test for co-infections, they do not look at the details of the Western Blot or other Lyme tests being used. Always ask for a detailed copy of your blood work.
Myth: Lyme symptoms are exclusive to Lyme
Truth: Misdiagnosis is huge with Lyme and tick-born diseases. Common misdiagnosis are: ADHD, Fibromyalgia, MS, Lupus, Growing pains, depression, behavior issues, etc.
Myth: If you don't have a bulls eye appear, you are Lyme free.
Truth: Less than 50% (possibly even as low as 30%) of Lyme patients develop a bulls eye.
Myth: Everyone has the same symptoms; therefore; the same treatment
Truth: Almost every single patient is treated differently. Common symptoms include fatigue, aches and pains, heel pain (especially in children), headaches, floaters (vision spots), forgetfulness, and moodiness.
Myth: Only deer ticks carry Lyme disease and co-infections
Truth: Lyme has been detected in dog ticks, mosquitoes, and horse flies.
Myth: The tick must be attached for more than 24 hours to infect you.
Truth: If it is attached at all or leaves even a tiny mark, it is enough.
I'll be posting more as I learn more. Please feel free to share your experiences.
1 comment:
one of my good friends is in the process of being treated for lyme disease. Took the doctors over a year to diagnose her! I'm sorry about your daughter but so glad they were able to diagnose her quickly and she can begin treatment.
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