[pct-l] RE: [BackpackingLight] Anybody familiar with lyme disease?

[wfcrawford at cox.net (Bill Crawford)]

Maybe it's not too far off topic since Lyme is a hazard associated with
spending time in the woods.

 

Lyme,  if untreated for an extended period of time, is a devastating
disease.  It's fairly easy for the body to rid itself of Lyme if extended
treatment with antibiotics is started in the first few weeks after
infection. Unfortunately, in all too many cases Lyme goes undianosed for a
year, even several years, and then it is very difficult, sometimes
impossible for the disease organisms to be eradicated. 

 

It is especially difficult to get an accurate diagnosis of Lyme in an area
where it is not prevalent.  Doctors refuse to acknowledge Lyme symptoms if
you have them but happen to live in an area where the statistics maintained
by the CDC indicate Lyme is not widespread.  Lyme is very costly to treat in
its advanced stages and there is no doubt in my mind that the insurance
companies have considerable influence on physician's performance in
acknowledging Lyme. 

 

Do your homework and if YOU feel like you have exhibited the symptoms of
Lyme insist on the current best treatment.  It used to be something like 60
days of oral Doxycycline.  Unfortunately, we missed that phase with my
daughter and Lyme went undiagnosed for over a year.  After finally finding a
doctor with the courage (in Louisiana) and expertise to diagnose Lyme it
took about 6 months total of IV antibiotics to cure her.  

 

It's not much fun watching your teenage daughter's life devastaed by Lyme
and watching her administer antibiotics into an IV shunt twice a day for six
months. Believe me, if I felt that I probably had contacted Lyme there is no
way on earth I would not take at least 60 days of antibiotics. 

 

Bill Crawford

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

 

 

 

  _____  

From: BackpackingLight@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:BackpackingLight@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Ben Racine
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:28 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Cc: BackpackingLight@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [BackpackingLight] Anybody familiar with lyme disease?

 

This is not on topic BPL, but I'm soliciting off-topic responses only.



I think I have symptoms consistent with lyme disease.  Any ideas as to
how prevalent it really is?  I'm in central PA.  I have online
information and am visiting a doctor tomorrow morning, but would still
be interested as to whether anybody has any idea as to whether catching
it relatively early can reduce the effects much.  I would greatly
appreciate if anybody intimately familiar with this disease would
contact me off-list.