My vitals may be normal but I’m a sick, sick woman
July 29, 2008 – 9:28 amAs we step out of the car, CJ takes my hand and squeezes it. “Don’t worry mom, you’ll be ok,” he assures me as we walk into the doctor’s office.
If only.
I try to maintain my calm as the nurse takes my vitals, although part of me is waiting for her to shout out OH MY HEAVENS YOU’RE ABOUT TO DIE!
Because I feel like I’m about to die, truth be told.
But she doesn’t. Instead she tells me that everything is normal.
How can that be?
And who can say what’s normal, really?
The doctor comes in and listens to my concerns with a kind, patient expression.
Sore lymph nodes. Sore throat. Funny pressure in my ears. Racing heart. And then there’s the weird bump on my shoulder that turned into the weird ring around the bump on my shoulder. Only the bump and the weird ring have faded so I can’t SHOW him. Still… my description is pretty explicit.
I wait for him to say it.
But he doesn’t. Instead he looks in my throat. “Yes, there’s some congestion,” he tells me. He starts typing on his computer and I peer over his shoulder to read what he’s writing.
“Complains of sore throat. All vitals appear normal…”
Hmmph.
Clearly I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands.
“Ahem,” I clear my throat and he looks up expectantly. “Well, I was just wondering… see, I was hiking three weeks ago. That’s when I got this bump on my shoulder. And, well, I looked on the Internet and I think I might have lyme disease.”
He shakes his head, “No, I don’t think so. There’s no Lyme Disease in Washington.”
Well obviously there IS Lyme Disease in Washington because I TOTALLY HAVE IT.
I shrug. “Well, but, it looks JUST LIKE the pictures on the internet. I’m pretty sure I have it.”
He chuckles. “Believe me, you don’t have Lyme Disease. I had a guy in here yesterday saying the same thing.”
WELL MAYBE THAT’S BECAUSE THERE IS LYME DISEASE IN WASHINGTON!
I’m pretty sure he’ll feel bad when I die of Lyme Disease.
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By Rabbi's Wife on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Ummm, sorry to contradict your doc, but the WA DOH says there IS Lyme Disease in Washington.
http://www.doh.wa.gov/Notify/nc/lyme.htm
Do to your local branch of the Department of Health and get tested. Lyme disease is nothing to mess around with.
Rabbi’s Wifes last blog post..Better than Bubbe’s Matza Balls
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By MammaLoves on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
I bet real life doctors hate us Dr. Googles.
Get tested. Can’t hurt.
MammaLovess last blog post..If They’re Broke, You Can’t Fix Them
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By katie on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Duh. Didn’t your doctor watch Real World Seattle 10 years ago? One of the girls in the house totally HAD Lyme disease. It made her crazy and she slapped that big rude guy across the face as he got into a car.
Doctors, sheesh. I wish they’d do their research….
katies last blog post..Just stop
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bananas Reply:
July 29th, 2008 at 10:58 am
i totally wish I’d known this when I went in for my appointment. I would love to have seen his face when I started quoting google AND the real world. But it MUST BE TRUE… I saw it on Real World!
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By Ashley on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Gaw, Doctors these days. I mean, don’t they KNOW that we’re smarter, ANYWAYS?
Sorry you feel like poo :( I think that if you really think you may have it, you should go get tested. And, if it comes out negative you’ll know, and you won’t even have to tell your doctor. BUT, if you’re right, you should so rub it in his face.
Just sayin’.
:)
Ashleys last blog post..Giveaway 2 - Books!
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By Midwest Mommy on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
A doctor told my cousin the same thing a month ago when he insisted he had it…what do you know? he is now in stage 3 and in lots of pain because he didn’t get the meds right away.
I would get a second opinion!!
Midwest Mommys last blog post..What do you DO all day?
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bananas Reply:
July 29th, 2008 at 10:59 am
ok this is horrifyingly frightening. Still, I looked up the DOH website and it says of the (very few) cases in WA state, most are from people who got it out of state. KNOCK ON WOOD.
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By Jakki on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
I know you dont mean to be funny or cute but you are. If you are really worried though, I would go get a second opinion. Wouldnt hurt plus you’d get peace of mind.
Jakkis last blog post..
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By Wendy on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Don’t freak. I read most with Lyme disease here got it from out of state.
But perhaps there’s a more exotic disease going around, after all tons of flights come thru here from Asia…. ;-)
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By Jen M on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Helloooo, global warming probably has given you Evergreen staters some lyme disease. Draw a ring around your bump and go back to the doctor.
Jen Ms last blog post..How Long Before You’re Driven the the Brink?
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bananas Reply:
July 29th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Next time I’m totally getting out the magic markers. Love this idea. ;)
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By VDog on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
While I agree that there *MAY* be Lyme disease in WA, you must *ALWAYS* step away from the Google diagnosis. ALWAYS.
My husband’s had cancer, like, five times already, thanks to Dr. Google and Dr. WebMD.
VDogs last blog post..My Child, He Breaks My Heart
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bananas Reply:
July 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
yeah, like dr. google TOTALLY causes cancer.
ha.
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By followthatdog on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
If you do die of lyme disease may I sugest instead of a more traditional burial, you have your ashes FedExed to his office. Maybe in some kind of orgami box shaped like a tick. Just a suggestion.
followthatdogs last blog post..And what do we discuss while binging on papusas?
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bananas Reply:
July 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
macabre. totally.
(I love it)
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By Soliloquy on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
You just let it all out, honey.
Let that inner-hypochondriac out, get it all out in the open…. You’re going to feel so much better.
Too many more visits like that and they’re going to treat you for something psycho-somatic.
Ha! Loved it!
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By Queen of Shake Shake on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Are you sure don’t have the BlogHer funk that everyone and their sister brought back from San Fran?
Were you licked by Mrs. Flinger?
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By Mrs. G. on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
I hope you feel better soon.
Mrs. G.s last blog post..It is Never too Late
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By Rachael on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Katie’s comment about the slap on the Real World almost made me pee myself just now. So funny.
If you’re REALLY worried, just get tested. No harm done.
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By The Diaper Diaries on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Ah, the Real World. Even when your sick that bitch slap can still make you smile.
The Diaper Diariess last blog post..I Have Moved
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By Polka Dot Mommy on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Dr. Google can be helpful… but can also convince us we have every disease known to man. :)
That said… it wouldn’t hurt to get tested if you have the symptoms.
Though I’m going more along the lines of all the nekkidness and drink sharing at BlogHer…
Hope you feel better soon!
Cheers!
Jamie
Polka Dot Mommys last blog post..Things NOT to Do After Conscious Sedation
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By McSwain on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Dr. Google must be taken with a grain of salt–however, I’ve also gotten great info from him/her that’s KEPT me from freaking out.
And if I were you, I’d be looking for a new Dr. if mine said there was not Lyme disease in WA. ‘Cause as others have noted, according to Dr. Google, he’s wrong.
McSwains last blog post..
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By dana on Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Oh girl….I hope you start feeling better soon! Being sick in the summer is like hell on Earth.
BTW, it was so great to meet you at BlogHerCon this year. Just wanted to pop over and tell you. :)
danas last blog post..Enter to win a Coach bag!
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By Beaman on Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
I totally can identify with you. Not that I think that I may have Lyme’s disease, but that when I am usually feeling rotten, and I go the the Doc’s office, all my vitals “appear normal”.
In fact, I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and its usually close to normal EVERY time I go to see the doctor.
I take it at home. I take it at work. I use a digital monitor, or I have some one use a stethescope. It doesn’t matter. Anywhere but the doctors office its 145-160/90-105.
As soon as I get in the office, its 117/74.
Like you, vitals are normal, but there is something wrong.
And to reassure you, I feel for you. My sister had lymes disease and I remember the ring and the swollen area on her leg. It didn’t look fun for her either. Hang in there. I hope you are able to corner that doctor and make them look a little deeper.
Best wishes.
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By World's Greatest Mommy on Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
I would insist on a test. It’ll make you feel better to know one way or the other.
Doctors can be like that. You have to remember that they work for you.
Hope you don’t die of lyme disease…that would really stink.
World’s Greatest Mommys last blog post..Life Is Like a Snow Cone Stand
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By Dr. Mom on Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
Also, a negative test doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have Lyme disease. It’s rampant here in Virginia and several members of my immediate and extended family have had it. My adult son is getting over a high fever, joint pains, headache, etc. He was given antibiotics because he had removed several ticks about 4 weeks earlier. He did not have the rash. I think you should stay on the lookout for symptoms because it can be very serious if not treated. Also check yourself, child, and pets for ticks when you have been in tall grass or woods.
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By Heather on Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
I got tested for Lyme Disease because I was experiencing arthritic symptoms and no one could figure out what was going on. I had a couple of the indicators so got a course of antibiotics. I took several doctors to think to test for it. Get tested - better safe than sorry. Hope you feel better soon.
Heathers last blog post..The Great Outdoors Revisited
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By Lynette on Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
WebMD is sort of a crapshoot. Sometimes they give GREAT advice that can save your life, and maybe your sanity… sometimes, they turn you into a hypochondriac crazy with Prostate Cancer (even if your a woman…or maybe that was just me).
Lynettes last blog post..Proof!
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By Honey Mommy on Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
As a reference librarian, I just LOVE Dr. Google… almost as much as enjoy Wikipedia. They CAN be useful, but not always correct.
It also reminds me of when I was taking Psychology in college and the professor had to tell us NOT to diagnose ourselves with all the disorders we were reading about.
So I won’t tell you what I think you’ve got. (hehe)
Honey Mommys last blog post..I want to ride YOUR bicycle!
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By Chris on Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Most of the docs here in TX say the same thing… no Lyme Disease here. The TRUTH is, Lyme Disease has been found in every state, and NOT just in people who traveled to the northeast. Also, the CDC stats are not good indicators, by their own admission. Because of very stringent markers for *reporting*, the CDC says the # of actual cases of Lyme Disease is likely to be 10 times what their #s report.
This is in part because their criteria for reporting only fits a portion of Lyme Disease patients and in part because their #s rely totally on doctors filling out a ton of paperwork TO report… and that means it is “too troublesome” for some docs, so some cases get missed that way.
Do NOT rely solely on the doc saying “there is no Lyme Disease in WA” and low #s reported. Lyme Disease can totally incapacitate or cripple you. Think of these diseases: Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Alzheimers.
Lyme Disease has been MISDIAGNOSED as all those and more. It is a VERY nasty bugger! and it requires aggressive and TIMELY treatment.
If you had a bullseye rash you have Lyme Disease. It is a definitive symptom in and of itself. The testing is unreliable regardless of where you have it done, but far and away the best place is Igenex Labs out of CA. Google them, call them for a test kit and get a doc to sign the orders for the blood draw. (You need to do test #s 188 and 189- Western Blot IgM and IgG for Lyme)
Don’t be surprised if the results are negative, though. That does NOT mean you don’t have Lyme. False negatives are fairly common, while false positives are next to impossible to get. (So if it comes back positive, you know you’ve got it.)
I’ll tell you right now there IS Lyme Disease in Washington. And I’ll also tell you that if you had a bullseye rash you NEED to see a doctor who is “Lyme Literate”… that is, one who is not so close-minded as to say “there is no Lyme Disease in ____” (as if the infected ticks hanging onto the birds jump off at the state border!), and one who knows how to diagnose (clinically…that is based on symptoms and history) and treat (we’re talking LOTS of antibiotics, here….LOTS) Lyme Disease and the numerous possible co-infections.
Here is a (partial) list of Lyme Disease symptoms… http://www.canlyme.com/patsymptoms.html
PLEASE look it over and see if any are familiar to you.
I was in your shoes last summer. I had a few strange symptoms and I hit Dr. Google up for answers. Lyme Disease came up a couple of times, but I dismissed it as a possibility because I did NOT have a bullseye rash (which, as it turns out occurs very RARELY, but is very specific to Lyme). A few weeks later, after a friend of mine told me you did NOT have to have a rash I started actually looking at Lyme as a possibility.
I discovered I had over 60 symptoms (you do NOT have to have that many to have Lyme… I just did…probably because I’d been undiagnosed so long). Many of which I had NO idea was a symptom of ANYTHING, let alone connected to the problems I was currently having.
I thought I had a few ‘new’ problems, but in looking at symptom lists and so-forth, I found I’d actually had signs and symptoms since childhood. Past ‘odd’ problems that I’d never figured out could be explained by Lyme.
Basically, I ‘diagnosed’ myself before I got the testing done. (Which, unfortunately is what most chronic Lyme patients have to do in order to get diagnosed, as so many doctors are mis-informed about Lyme and where and how you can get it, etc.)
I finally got the testing done through Ignenex in April. I’m positive for Lyme. I’m also positive for at least 2 other co-infections, and have been clinically diagnosed with a third. I have babesia, erlichia, and bartonella infections also.
I am entering month 2 of treatment now. My son has since tested positive as well. He is entering his 3rd week of treatment, and we’re testing my daughter now. She will likely need to start treatment soon, too.
Doctors who actually know what to do for Lyme are few and far between, but I HAVE heard of at least one LLMD in Washington state, so you probably would not have to travel out-of-state like so many do.
Another place you need to go (I would suggest posting your history of symptoms/problems and asking if they sound familiar to anyone…I suspect they will…) is http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php
You can also post in “Seeking a Doctor” to try and find a doc who can help you determine (for sure) whether you do or do not have Lyme Disease.
Feel free to email me with any questions, and I’ll help however I can.
I’ve been reading your blog for months, by the way. I LUV ya stuff! =)
Chriss last blog post..This is my brain on Lyme Disease…
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By Marcy on Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
Find a new doctor. My aunt has lyme disease, she lives in Ellensburg.
Im pretty sure you’re not going to die tho, either way! ;)
Marcys last blog post..See ya!
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By Tasha on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
I love conversation blog posts! Great one! New reader here. *WAVE*
Tashas last blog post..The Housewife’s Weekend
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By Kristin on Sep 16, 2008 | Reply
OMG i thought i was taking crazy pills, I KNOW i have lyme disease too. I was bit when i was about 11 yrs old, Starting getting wierd symptoms a few months later. I have been to about 20 different doctors and 6 specialists. Last week my PCP said “you dont have lyme disease” flat out.. and wouldnt test me… not that i want her too anyway.. the lyme test drs do right now is less than 50% accurate. So its not reliable anyways. Then I went to the nuerologist today for the 4th time and she said “there is no lyme in washington state..” i said yes there are cases of lyme she said “those people have been to foriegn countries or lived in other states”
I found two LLMDs but they are so expensive. Insurance isnt used for LLMDs.. first visit will be $400.. ugh…. i feel your pain.
Hang in there.. and THERE IS LYME IN WASHINGTON!!!!!!!!!!!!
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By Kristin on Sep 16, 2008 | Reply
another thought… Washington DOES however have one of the highest MS rates.. but what if most of those people actually have LYME!?!? since lyme mimicks alot of MS symptoms??
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