[Note: A group asked me to write an article especially for Lyme Disease Awareness month, but I have not seen it, so I am putting this out (first or not) on my own blog. It's slightly re-edited from what I sent to the LDA group member who contacted me.]
There is so much I could say to my younger self that may have avoided Lyme et al. altogether or would have given me a real chance to be appropriately treated.
Many people with Lyme and/or co-infections think that they did something wrong initially and at least sometimes chastise themselves that had they pursued Lyme etc. from the beginning, they never would have had their debilitating conditions. Frankly, I am not certain of this. I was treated and at a point that was considered early at the time. The inadequacy is beyond question.
Of course, when that insufficiency happens and Igenex says you are CDC level positive 12 years later, the CDC/IDSA find an excuse to say it's a "false positive." It's funny how those groups can openly admit the inadequacies of present diagnostics yet use those tests, when negative, to say "You don't have it" and still say "You don't have it" when you test positive. I call that convenient and talking out of both sides of one's mouth. It's as if when they don't like the result, the test is wrong, but when they like it, the test has to be right. As Dana Carvey would say "Well, isn't that SPECIAL?!"
The other, related point is that doctors used to always tell patients to take all of a medication, because stopping just when symptoms cease can cause mutations and greater difficulties down the road. Isn't it soooo odd that this concept is never even suggested about Lyme et al. (or just con-veeeee-nient again)?
Given all the above background, here is my letter to myself and I'll choose to send it for receipt the day before I believe I got the tick bite that derailed my life.