Chevy Chase, MD
Infected: 2008
Diagnosed: 2021
I was bitten by a tick in 2008 and for some strange reason the bite area persisted for several years. It was an annoying itchy bump under my left breast. I was tested and they found no infection. I got another bite in the same area of my body in 2010 and again was tested for Lyme and the test result was negative. In 2013 I started getting very sick with rashes all over my body.
I sought help with an endocrinologist and he tested me again—because the bump was still there. My white blood cell count was thru the roof and he put me on a platelet infusion and gave me a diagnosis of select immune deficiency. This doctor had me on a regime for three years of monthly infusions. It was a full day off work with a nurse coming to my home to administer the platelets. I started getting reactions to the plasma and went into convulsions several times after two such infusions and then decided to stop it altogether. It turns out that this doctor was unethical. He tried to get me off the infusions and into giving myself stomach shots. I declined this and we went our separate ways. I still felt tired all the time and am not sure if the platelet infusions did anything for me. My white blood cell count went down after an infusion and I felt more energy for a while but the brain fog continued and so did the aching in my body.
As the years since 2013 have gone by I have continued to feel aching in my joints and tired but attributed it to arthritis and old age. Last summer was when everything in my body went off the rails. I had bladder infections all year —taking mounds of antibiotics and then I got interstitial cystitis. By August of 2021 I was in so much pain and the bad news is that my doctors said there was nothing they could do for me. I was devastated. I did not want to live with this constant pain in my bladder and genital area. I tried every kind of medicine both over the counter and prescription but nothing gave me relief. The antibiotics had turned on me and I now had a raging yeast infection.
Help finally came in September when I saw my chiropractor. She recommended I see a functional medicine doctor and gave me a referral. I am happy to say I did see this wonderful doctor who tested me for everything to include: Lyme, viruses, toxoplasma, chemicals and food allergies. My bloodwork came back and I was astonished to find out I had six different strains of Lyme, toxoplasma, and multiple other yeast and mold type of growths in my body. This woman saved my life. I have been in treatment for six months now—taking drops, liquids, and all kinds of potions to get better. It’s a long road and the drops make me sick but at least I am on the road to feeling better. My aches have subsided, the cystitis is better—manageable- and my brain fog has lifted. I have more energy than I have had in years. I feel hope. For years I could not get out of my own way—I even did TMS brain stimulation to get rid of the brain fog.
Today I have good days and bad days. Some days are full of energy and motivation and other days the treatment makes me sick. I cannot say where I would be today if I did not see this doctor. She told me that most tests in the US come up false for Lyme—and the doctor that was giving me the infusions really did not have the right diagnosis. Looking back I felt in my bones I had Lyme and was not surprised about the results. I would say if you have a bite—get to the right doctor for testing. Don’t rely on the CDC tests. Find a good functional medicine doctor and pay the money for the tests – they are worth it. Good Luck on your journey. I hope someday I will feel like my old self again. At least there is hope now.