My doctor did no inform me about having Lyme disease

[dsh1127]

Originally Posted by averageMOjoe

I've had Lyme disease for over a decade and I never had a bulls-eye rash. My infectious disease specialist did extensive testing on me 1996, only to discover I had mono at the same time I contracted Lyme. The doctors I saw claimed it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to contract Lyme in Missouri. A few years later, I tested positive for Babesia, which my doctor suspects I got Babesia the same time I contracted Lyme. To this day, some people think I'm crazy and it's "all in my head" but I know how I feel.
Lyme co-infections can be easily overlooked and there are lots of false positives for these kinds of infectious diseases. Doctors and insurance companies need to realize this is a silent epidemic that's slowly killing people. Because no one thought to test for Lyme in the beginning stages of my illnesses, I've had to deal with Stage 3 Chronic Lyme disease. This makes leading any kind of "normal" life impossible. My life revolves around treating my symptoms and managing this disease.

Last year, a documentary was made called "UNDER OUR SKIN", which is about several people in all walks of life coping with Lyme disease as well as other tick-borne co-infections. People must see this movie because the word must get out about this terrible, silent killer! This epidemic isn't going away!

Originally Posted by new jersey mike

Do not give up,
Do doctors not realize people travel? I get furious when I here you don't live in an area or even worse a person refusing to consider they may have lyme due to their region. Proper research is not being given to how lyme and the co-infections spread.

I was a stage 3 sufferer but with combined antibiotics along with my acupuncture and anti-parasitics I am currently lyme symptom free.

I am sorry that both of you have had to deal with this condition. My daughter who is now ten, was diagnosed with Lyme disease when she was 8 years old. She came down with a rash that wasn't the typical bulls eye, but kept spreading. After trying to treat the rash for a month her pediatrician decided to test her for Lyme. It came out positive. I didn't recall her being bit by a tick recently, but she had been bit about 8 months before. I don't know what that's about, but I am glad that her doctor was open minded enough to test her, because many doctors around here say that Lyme does not exist in Oregon. The rash seemed to be her only symptom. She was on antibiotics for a month and seemed fine.

A year later her doctor had her blood drawn again as a follow up and it was found that she has Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). Coincidence? What do you think?

Anyways we went through over a year of hell, but after finding a wonderful Naturopath she is doing pretty good. I agree that more information needs to be out about this disease, that it is real and that doctors should not REFUSE to test, no matter where you live.

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by Stac2007

Back in early April my old doctor did my yearly physical and blood work which included a test fro Lyme. After a month I did not hear from him and expected everything was fine. This month I had a change in medical plans and had to pick a new doctor. My new doctor wanted a copy of my latest blood work and I went over to the old office to pick it up. Today my new doctor looked at my blood work results and asked me how I was feeling since I had Lyme disease. I was shocked by her question and told her I did not have Lyme. She looked at my medical records and found out my old doctor never even look at his records because he did not sign off on them. For three months I have been walking around with Lyme disease and would still be uninformed if it was not for a change in doctors.

sorry if this advice was already posted: i don't always read all the posts: so many threads, so little time!

okay, here you go, you poor dear!

1/get the contact info for the AMA & report this as a complaint.

2/contact your insurance & tell them you are making a formal complaint. after they investigate this they will probably take this doctor off the list for accepting the insurance - this is a penalty - it's a disciplinary matter.

3/ask your insurance if you can be refunded your copay since the doctor did not perform contracted services. if there was a lab copay, ask for this also.

4/ask the insurance company about arbitration for this complaint.

5/probably contact a lawyer about this: at least get a consultation: ask about the pros cons of arbitration: you usually sign a paper whenever you go to the doctor waiving your rights & agreeing to arbitration.

at least you should get some copays back & have the doctor professionally disciplined.

kate

[new jersey mike]

DSH1127

Thank you for your concern. Remember, I said I am currently Lyme symptom free, at least for what I can tell.

As for your daughters care and treatment, focus on her health and treatment. I believe proper treatment can only be achieved by taking multiple antibiotics at a single time. With this approach the multiple life stages/cycles of the spirochete and any co-infections like babesiosis or ehrlichiosis can be properly targeted.

Babesiosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ehrlichiosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For example, the first time I was treated the doctor and I decided to a combination Bioxin and claforin to be taken daily. I know this cured me, the only problem I was bitten again and reinfected.

The second time, I had to find a different doctor because mine was AFRAID to treat ANY lyme patience due to the insurance companies going after aggressive lyme doctors medical licences.

The second doctor perscribed zithromax and tindazenal. Again for me a good combo.

Although I am pushing antibiotics there long term use is scarry to me. That is why I have mentiond in other posts natural alternative anti-virals and anti-parasitics. This maybe a foolish approach for me but for now I feel good, although again bitten 2 weeks ago.

Personal reasearch and understanding of LD is vital if not only for the disease but the road blocks within the our medical and political system.

LD cause mimiced sysmptoms of other aliments and your current thinking may be to treat Hashimoto, so if possible make sure lyme is not in the picture or you may not address the core problem.

I continue to mention Igenex lab in ca, I trust them and their test results. If you can not find a doctor who uses them, they will send you a kit to bring to your doctor.

Good luck.

Below are some additional links,

Dr. Burrascano struggle to save his licence
Report from the trial of Dr. Joseph Burrascano, Avon, Ohio

The following is a slide show from Dr. Burrascano

OrganizedWisdom Health - Human Powered Health Search

Plum Poison
PoisonPlum

[dsh1127]

new jersey mike - Thank you for the information! My daughter definitely has Hashimoto's, but it is believed that the Lyme disease is what set up her immune system to attack her thyroid. It seems that her Naturopath is also familiar with Lyme disease, so she is being monitored closely.

She became very sick a little over a year ago, and she ended up testing positive for Mono. This was before we found the Naturopath. Then later we found out that even though she had a positive result for Mono, she did not test positive for the Epstein Barr virus, which means she probably didn't have Mono after all. So we are wondering if that was maybe a "flare up" of Lyme.

Regardless, she is doing great now, and I hope it continues that way.