Hi all --

I'm a bit new here, and my infectious disease doctor, neurodoc, and I have been trying to profile some unknown bug that's been biting at me in many places.

By bug I mean micro-organism (though it's possible I got bit by a tick and contracted Lyme!).

The bug has temporarily ruined my life (and my brain in the process, and some of that brain ruination isn't so temporary!).

My IDdoc seems stumped as to the mystery bug. It's not just gotten into my nervous system (a decade ago, it was peripheral neuropathy, and it recently exploded in my CNS, causing mild hydrocephalus and micro-infarcts leading to a parkinsonian syndrome with fun dementia) -- the bug's also having fun in my GI tract (episodes of severe diarrhea, occasional projectile vomiting), and yes, in my respiratory tract (I've had a perpetual cold the past 3 months).

Also been having a low-grade (about 101F) fever all day, every single day, the past 12-15 months (!) and recently some abdominal lymph glands were swelling up to the point that it'd get hard for me to breathe (in the meantime, I'd gain 5-10 lbs. without looking any heavier).

My current guess based on my own research (I'm a researcher by trade anyways!) is Aspergillosis, a fungemia (systemic fungal infection). Most of the literature says that it's only present in the immunocompromised, though cases in the immunocompetent are seen. (For what it's worth, my WBC count is a hair below normal and my ANC is at the very bottom of the normality barrel, though this could be due to the infection!)

Anyways, I'm not seeking a diagnosis here, since that's not what these forums are for. I would, however, like some ideas on which bugs to discuss with my doctors. They're stumped, and we're still waiting for me to come off the waiting list and into an appointment at a tertiary care clinic.

Thanks in advance!

(Other notes -- I did have a blood transfusion in 1984, before HIV screening was done in blood banks... BUT I'm negative for that as of last year, when my symptoms were nonetheless in full force.)