Jumping from the MS board
 

OK. This may take a while....

At 17 I was dx with a rare form of colon cancer. After a resection of the colon I continued to have SEVERE diarreah and ulcerations in my mouth. At 20 I was dx wtih Crohn's disease in 1990.

In 2004 I began to have neurological sx. I had extreme fatigue but I also began to trip. Then began tingling, numbness, muscle spasms, short term memory loss, confusion (I put my shoes in the freezer), and the list goes on and on.

I was first dx with CIDP because EMG and SSEVP was abnormal but MRI was normal. A lesion appeared on my MRI in 2006. DX changed Transverse Myelitis w/possible MS because I continued to worsen. Later MRI showed brain lesions. DX was changed to MS.

I was not tested for Lyme because they could not access a vein to draw blood (all the IV steroids for Crohn's ate them). Two weeks ago they were able to get a vein using a handheld sonogram. They went ahead and tested for Lyme disease. It came back positive.

She feels that I have an extreme chronic case. I am starting the oral antibiotics and after a few weeks we will do IV antibiotics.

I am confused but excited that I do not have MS.

What can I expect after treatment?
Can I have hope that life will return to normal?

Thank you and I am looking forward to getting to know the board members.

Make sure you're tested for co-infections before you start treatment because in some cases, they need to be treated before the Lyme is. In some cases there's been very ill people with an 'almost' full recovery (some things simply cannot be reversed). You have a long road ahead of you but it's going in the right direction and that's what's important!

Make sure they prepare you to 'herx' - If you're not given anything to stay comfortable (like pain pills) and you herx bad, you're going to end up in the ER.

Read up on Herxing: http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/herx.html

You should ask about detoxing, too. I don't know what meds they will put you on so it's hard to tell what they will do to your GI system and/or your liver.

You should make sure most of all you were checked for at least Babesia, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Brucella. I could have butchered spelling there but I'm half asleep and speed typing.

Good luck on your recovery!

I sent you a Private Message, too.