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Lyme Disease symptoms vary from person to person. (lymes disease lyme's disease lime disease limes disease)
The data and information presented in this web site are presented in good faith and believed to be accurate regarding Lyme disease (commonly misspelled lymes disease lyme's disease lime disease limes disease) and other related diseases. Any and all liability for the content or any omissions including any inaccuracies, errors, or misstatements in such data or information is expressly disclaimed. The web site is compiled for the sole purpose of informing community members of resources and information pertaining to Lyme Borreliosis Disease and its coinfections. Lyme disease symptoms may vary from person to person.
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Consult a qualified Lyme ( Borreliosis ) Disease literate doctor for medical advice if Lyme Disease is suspect to discuss your Lymes Disease Symptoms.
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My son was 16-years-old. A blinding headache for several days preceded episodes of gasping for air, staggering and heart pounding. A rush to the hospital found nothing amiss.
The explosive vomiting and diarrhea then started. The other symptoms remained. 11 trips to emergency in 7 days followed. The 11th trip found my husband carrying our son, too weak to walk, into emergency screaming 'I am not going to wait! I need a doctor NOW!'
IV Gravol and Demerol had no effect on this violent onslaught. Maxeran/panaloc/more and different drugs. Nothing helped.
My conversation with the doctor went like this 'I need to be clear on this. If my son dies it is because you sent him home or because I let you?' I was not being facetious. I needed to know so that when the autopsy was performed I would have a clear conscience.
He was admitted with Norwalk Virus. It took 7 days of IV fluids and maxeran/panaloc/and other drugs to keep him hydrated. I believe the IV fluids saved his life. Nothing else.
He was discharged. The vomiting continued. The diarrhea continued. The headaches continued. He was admitted to hospital again and again. He had Norwalk many times over the next few years.
When he was home I took a toothbrush and a bottle of javex and cleaned my bathroom. I then rinsed it and repeated the procedure with ammonia. We moved a foam mattress into the upstairs bathroom and this is where my son slept for almost a full year. He had a clean container to vomit in and the toilet. I would give him ice cold water on a teaspoon. He lived on Ensure.
We would go to emergency when events would become unmanageable or I believed he would die if we did not. He would be re-hydrated and have blood work. Everything was always normal. Everything was normal except what was happening to my son.
Tests followed. Every bell and whistle and machine that goes ping was used. Nothing was found. He was perfectly healthy according to the lab work.
The following summer, 2003 we were in our condo in British Columbia. Josh's vomiting had accelerated again. He was once again staggering. I was convinced he had a small leak in his appendix and had minor amounts of leakage. Josh had never had a high white blood cell count (WBC). The leakage must be minor, but significant enough for the body to react in such a violent manner.
An emergency laparoscope was performed at the Crowsnest Hospital, by Dr. John Irwin. He is a general surgeon. What he found inside of Josh's stomach he had never seen before. I was told that every single organ was raw and blistered and leaking fluid. He had ascites build up in his stomach cavity. His appendix was pristine.
Josh was given a short course of IV antibiotics but then removed from this treatment after the cultures returned negative for bacteria. The explanation was that it was either idiopathic or viral.| Adhesion formed on abdomen wall |  |
Testing continued. Through continual manoeuvring and finesse I was able to maintain Josh's weight around 159lbs. If he dropped below this mark I would take him in to the hospital for IV fluids or Demerol and Gravol.
Nothing showed on colonoscopy after colonoscopy. Nobody would believe Dr. Irwin's findings. The other doctors suggested that Dr. Irwin, as only a general surgeon, was mistaken in his findings and may not have known what a normal stomach cavity looked like. I could not get anyone to redo the laparoscopic procedure.
In May of 2006 I stumbled on www.canlyme.com. I read the symptoms list and began to cry and called my husband in to read the list. I phoned family and friends and had everyone read the list. I discussed this possibility with our current family doctor and he said Lyme could not cause these problems, nor could you get Lyme in this area. I changed family doctors yet again. I did not care if it was Lyme or some other bacteria. This had never been explored. It was an open avenue. We took it.
After finding out the next procedure we took Josh to a doctor in British Columbia. He tested Josh thoroughly and clinically diagnosed him with several bacterial infections of a zoonotic nature. Josh began treatment. These infections were later confirmed through blood work, even though the results were at a level suggestive of past infection.
The improvements were almost immediate. He stopped vomiting. His disgusting, mucus cough stopped. His brain cleared. He spoke with energy using his hands for accent. It was like the zombie left and my son returned. He had missed 9-11, Katrina, and many other current events. He slowly started to look outside of himself and be aware there was a world out there.
The most debilitating symptom, stomach pain remained. I tried two more gastroenterologists to see if I could get the laparoscope repeated. Neither would do it. I finally phoned Dr. Irwin and begged him to redo this procedure. He said that if our family doctor would recommend the procedure he would do it. It was done one week later.
The pictures on this page are pictures of the second series of laparoscopic findings looking inside my son's abdomen. Dr. Irwin took these photos as proof of the problem. He also found a very large adhesion. The infection in Josh's belly is thought to be caused by the Bartonella infection. The adhesion may have been caused by blistering on his internal organs from the initial infection.
The adhesion was removed. Dr. Irwin said the infection was significantly improved from when he first saw it and he believed the antibiotic therapy Josh was on was appropriate.
Josh was on antibiotic therapy from June 12, 2006 until March 1, 2007. After stopping antibiotics he had a massive vomiting episode that lasted 3 days. He vomited blood and tissue. It was unknown what the cause of this was. A bleeding ulcer was suggested, although not seen. The bleeding and vomiting stopped, but not until Josh ended up with a massive inguinal hernia. He is waiting for surgery as I write.
Hopefully this is the end of the journey into the zoonotic nightmare. If it isn't then we now have a team of doctors willing and ready to help. This was not the way the story began, but we are lucky that this is the way the story is ending.
If I can give one piece of advice to anyone reading this it is to know you are sick. If you know you are sick then you are. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. You will find help and you can get better.
I wish you health.
Sherry
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