Every so often, Lyme Disease presents into various forums where I have been a member (perhaps even, here, before I "arrived"...and if so, please bear with me on this). I wonder...have any of you ever had a dx. of Lyme Disease in your "history"? I ask this because Doreen DID have a dx. of LD approximately 11 years ago, discovered quite unexpectedly during a routine physical where the Lyme factor was present in her blood work. Subsequently, she saw a rheumatologist who ordered two specific/specialized/sophisticated tests for LD both of which proved positive for Lyme. This was curious in that, to our knowledge, Doreen had never actually been bitten by a tick, i.e., there had not been the obvious/typical bite attributable to a tick. At this time, she was given the prescribed antibiotic (Doxycycline)...BUT, this was long "after the fact"...certainly not the immediate procedure that is so necessary after one has been bitten by a tick. From the very beginning of Doreen's PD dx, I have questioned the "coincidence" of her having had the Lyme factor present in her system. Although there was no physical evidence of a tick bite, still, THREE separate tests...including the most up-to-date test for Lyme revealed that somewhere along the way, she had been in contact with a tick and had contracted Lyme...certainly cause for me to have questioned the PD dx which had been based on her having been given Sinemet and having had a positive response, i.e., her tremor was eliminated...but I wonder...is it possible that she responded to the Sinemet simply because she was "neurologically" afflicted/infected, but not necessarily was it PD. Was it LD or PD? Doreen's only symptom at the time of dx with PD was a slight right-hand tremor which has progressed very, very slowly to her left hand. I should add that her handwriting was micrographic, but her handwriting had ALWAYS been very, very small throughout the 30+ years that I had known her...letters always very small and tightly squeezed together so that it seems that the micrographia may NOT necessarily have been related to the PD...but, of course, a neurologist would, necessarily, factor this into his dx so that the handwriting was also confirmation of the PD dx. In the past, I have read about misdiagnosis of PD so that this constantly preys on my mind, and I find myself asking the question: "Does Doreen really have PD or is her tremor simply an outcome of the "neurological" Lyme Disease? Or, is this "wishful thinking" on my part? Thankfully...to this day...9 years + since the PD dx, Doreen's only "real" symptom is the tremor in both hands...still more prominent in the right hand as it was initially. All other "symptoms" have been the result of her taking PD medications that have caused the unwanted adverse side effects related to these "meds". I suppose all this is irrelevant EXCEPT that it has occurred to me that she is taking PD "meds" which MAY not be necessary for her to take, especially in that she has had some very severe adverse reactions to these "meds". I've made my thoughts known to both neurologists Doreen has seen and they seem not to give much credence to what I've had to say about all this, but I know that they can and do make mistakes...and from what I've been able to determine, they really have very little knowledge of Lyme Disease. All this having been said and as I sit here typing this to all of you, I have to question my own thoughts...and I am inclined to think that "wishful thinking"could be at the bottom of my inquiry. I wonder what you think. I would appreciate any input that any of you may choose to give me.

As always, thank you for all that you have done for me as Doreen's carepartner.

Therese