Part 4: Hushed Truth About Lyme Disease, A Lyme Disease Recovery Story Continued

If you've read my previous articles Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, then you know I've been fighting the good fight of Faith against the dreaded tick-borne disease called Lyme. I started intense antibiotic treatment July 7, 2010. I've been keeping a video diary & writing about my journey here on Hubpages.

Now, over seven weeks into treatment, I finally see the light! Wow! What a relief. It's been a long ride, but I can see the finish line in the distance. I'm now officially 70% improved with my fatigue. It's amazing. I can jog to the mailbox, play with my grandson, & complete my strength training without becoming exhausted. This is a total turn-around from 4 weeks ago. I'm very thankful to be getting my life back.

Before I get into the 'meat' of my recovery, there's something I'd like to explain concerning the testing for Lyme disease. In order for the reader to reach a full understanding about how complex & difficult the disease is, I need to briefly clarify the test results so you can have a clearer perception of the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

What? My LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor) explained my test results in detail. With his guidance, combined with my own research, I was able to get a better idea of why the testing cannot be relied on for accuracy.

The best test is the Western Blot. Tests for borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme) aren't even close to accurate! That's why all LLMD's send their test results to a Lyme specialty lab, Igenex. Igenex lab tests for more antibody bands than the standard labs used by most of the medical community. But with all these factors in place, according to Igenex, "Unfortunately, not all Lyme patients have similar immune systems: only approximately 70% of those with Lyme disease generate a strong enough antibody response to appear on a western blot. "

My original test for Lyme came back an actual negative, but positive for one band of the antibody. My new test from Igenex told a different story. Although showing "Negative", I was positive for many more bands. As follows:

Lyme IgM Western Blot.

**34 kDa. - IND (means Indeterminate. Band present with intensity > weak).

**41 kDa. - + (Positive).

In order to be considered an actual positive for this section of the test, 2 or more bands must be positive. In other words, it's a weak positive...the other band was there, but was weak in intensity. My doctor suggested it may be because I'm in the early stages of the disease (thank God!).

Lyme IgG Western Blot.

**31 kDa. - IND (means Indeterminate. Band present with intensity >weak).

**41 kDa. - + (Positive)

Unstarred bands 45 & 58 kDa. were + (Positive).

In this section, 3 postives & 1 inderterminate.  To be considered actual postive, I would need 5 positive bands.

Again, the IND result on a test means the antibody is there, just weak in intensity. Igenex states on their lab results the following: "......INDETERMINATE DOUBLE STARRED BANDS IN A NEGATIVE REPORT MAY INDICATE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE." The most significant statement on the test is at the bottom: " Diagnosis should not be based on laboratory tests alone. "Results should be interpreted in conjunction with clinical symptoms and patient history. "

In other words, Lyme is a clinical diagnosis. Based on my symptoms & history, I have Lyme. But do I really have Lyme? It's possible I don't have it but probable I DO have it!

Learning to release & give this thing over to God has been the main factor in this fight, so far.  Without that, I'd be back to square one.  Now I know a lot of folks out there may not believe in God, as I know him, but He's been the rock of my foundation from the beginning.  This is not a sermon, this is a testimony.  Regardless, applying my Faith first in this struggle has been the glue that's held me together. 

I had to do something. I was exhausted at the end of every day. My anxiety level was through the roof & I was having difficulty concentrating. So I had to take a 3 week medical leave from work. I know I made the right decision, though I had to use all my Paid Time Off & Sick days. I knew it was time.  Getting plenty of rest is essential to recovery; and I wasn't sleeping much.  As each day passed, my energy slowly returned.

Boy, oh boy. That's when the energy came back. I found an amazing program of chiropractic care called Maximized Living. I walked into the office the first day, foggy-brained, exhausted, confused, & anxious thinking I'd be going into a traditional doctor's office. NOT! What I found that day was a room full of positive, uplifting staff members who greeted the patients with a hug, smile, & pat on the back. There was an honest sense of compassion & care present, along with much positive reinforcement.

I got my first treatment that day, and I must say, no doctor has EVER moved my neck the way that this one did. The top bone in my spine, I forgot the name of it, was pushing against my brain stem. When he pulled my neck into place it felt like a rush.....of something. I was quite jarred. I continued my treatments 3 times per week. After about the 5th treatment, I started noticing my energy level rising. It has steadily gotten better, week after week.

Correcting the alignment in my spine has enabled my whole body to heal. It's like God gave us this body that is perfectly capable of healing itself without interference. When the spine is out of line, crooked, or damaged by trauma, or when we pollute our bodies with things is doesn't recognize it causes a malfunction. Being that the spine affects our WHOLE central nervous system, it became clear to me that maintaining balance within my whole body was going to set me on the right path. It was a good choice.

So here I am.....well over 5 weeks of treatment & still not completely cured. Remember, the IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America) says Lyme can be cured easily in 4 weeks. Oh, really? If that's the case, why do I still have symptoms? Why are my elbows & arms constantly hurting? Why do I continually switch letters around while typing & writing? I never did this before I was bitten by that disease-infested tick in the mountains of Arkansas.

I wish I had the answers. The controversy will continue until the volcano finally erupts. I would advise anyone who wants to know more about the Controversy, to view the film "Under Our Skin". It will shock & amaze you.

Hopefully, there will only be one more installment in this series of "The Hushed Truth About Lyme Disease". I will totally recover.

Read Part 1 of my story

Read Part 2 of my story

Read Part 3 of my story

Read Part 5 of my story, the final chapter.

"Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence....."Psalm 91:3