Positive

So I decided to go to my Rheumatologist appointment despite having very little symptoms of Lyme Disease or any of my diseases such as Lupus, and I want to thank those who commented here and on Facebook who convinced me to go.

I saw the doctor at the Cleveland Clinic and explained to him my situation, that I had Lupus and some other things but would like to be tested for Lyme due to past symptoms, a past positive test and a current symptom of fatigue.

This is really scary but he was the third doctor here to ask me if I had seen a bullseye rash, and I hadn’t. Doesn’t he, a rheumatologist who claims to specialize in Lyme Disease, know that 50% of Lyme patients have never had a bullseye rash, or that they might have not have noticed one since it could have been on their back or scalp?

He also talked to me about my Lupus and judged me not to have it, even after I told him I have tested positive for it many times.

It seems that the Rheumatologists of the Cleveland Clinic, from what I hear from friends and my own experiences, are fond of telling people they do not have any of the diseases that they have been diagnosed with previously. I’m not really sure what’s going on over there but this is the only hospital my insurance company will let me go to.

He ended it with, “I don’t think you have Lyme, but if you insist I will test you for it.”

I insisted.

He said he would also test me for Lupus.

When he called me with the results he was unapologetic but did sound shocked as shit that I was indeed positive for Lyme and was also positive for Lupus. He prescribed a two week course of antibiotics. I haven’t started that yet because I am afraid of a Herxheimer Reaction, which can actually make you sicker before you get better. My friend who has Lyme and is pretty well-versed on the disease, advised me to start taking it on Monday, when Tyler will be in school.

But as I researched further and looked at my test results, more questions arose. What I tested positive for showed that I had been recently infected, and the other test for long-term exposure for Lyme was negative. Do you mean to tell me that I had to move to Ohio to get Lyme? This would mean that all of my past symptoms were not in any way related to Lyme. In addition, the test can be a false positive so do I even have Lyme?

I have a call into the doctor about my results and any future testing. I will keep you posted.

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About mamasick

Emily Cullen is a pen-name. I suffer from chronic illnesses and diseases which include Bipolar Disorder, Asthma, Diabetes and Fibromyalgia. I had battled Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis but there is no longer evidence of me having these diseases and my Rheumatologist has declared them to be "burnt out" of my system. I am separated from my husband, “Grant”. Our son, “Tyler” was born in September of 2006 and suffers from tics and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and is delayed in fine and gross motor skills. In my blog I seek to let sick moms know that they are not the only ones going through this, and to educate people about what can happens when one becomes catastrophically ill. I also strive to break down stereotypes of what a “Welfare Mom” is like. Anything that I have gone through due to being sick, is written on the pages of Mama Sick.
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