mysterious illness

[Rev. Elizabeth]

Usually it is a  course of antibiotics accompanied by dietary changes.  It can last for years.  My sister in law thought she needed a knee replacement, had trouble with her shoulders, and finally was tested by an alert doctor and has lyme disease. She was fortunate in that she hadn't had it very long.  She has limited range of motion in her shoulders, but is otherwise okay.  The longer it takes to diagnose, the more difficult it is to treat.  I have a friend whose husband finally went to Dartmouth Hitchcock and was properly diagnosed and is now being treated and his quality of life has improved.

Good luck!

Not being silly, but our lab has lyme disease and periodically it shows up as stiffness in the joints and once on meds he is better. He has had the shots. 

There is an increasing amount of lyme disease around here, unfortunately.  We always check ourselves and our dogs for ticks.
Someone in my exercise class, in the early spring, twice went to the doctor and got the medicine for lyme disease as she found the characteristic bite on her arm..

[sdogallen]

Unbelievable. A light in 6 doctors heads couldn't come on to this? Good call on the Lyme Disease Rev. Elizabeth, believe in God every time!

[tfence]

6 doctors. By now I am over 20 doctors, 2 colonscopies, 2 endoscopes, biopsies, 1/2 million blood tests. If anyone feels sick like this go right to a Lyme specialist. The local tests are useless. email me for my specialist. 

[townmemberX]

I have a feeling you went to Fletcher Allen... they would screw up that like.

Glad it's figured out though and I wish you the best.

[Rev. Elizabeth]

Lyme disease isn't easy to diagnose; it's symptoms are like many other maladies, and it isn't something doctors would readily consider since it is just beginning to creep north. However, it is around, and people should be careful to check themselves out after tromping through grasses and woods. 
 

[tfence]

I must say I had the worst Primary at the time. He was so arrogant and did not listen to anything I had to say. He treated me and talked to me like I was a kid and he also without my consent gave me a drug test. I was very insulted of his suspicions. My history is that I have worked installing fence for 18 years in Ma, Cape Cod the Islands, RI, Conn, New Hampshire. They really should have looked into it a little better than they did. I changed my Primary and she suspected Lyme and told me the test around here are useless. We sent it to a special Lyme lab in CA. Now that I am sick over a year and a half it will take a long time to get rid of.