I was in a vehicle accident late last year and an MRI was performed on my spine and head. The doctors noticed non-specific white matter in the brain and decided to perform a test for lyme since I have been dealing with many symptoms that could be attributed to lyme. She wasn't expecting much but when the results came back she referred me to an infectious disease doctor. I should say that my medical is through the VA system and I don't really have the option of going to another doc right now.
Elisa came back at 1.1 and the western blot popped IGg bands 23, 41, and 93. The ID doc said that the test said negative so I do not have lyme. When I explained that, as I understood it, 23 and 92 are specific to B. burgdorferi and he said that all of the bands were specific to the lyme bacteria. From what I'm understanding that is not correct.
I have had exposure to ticks while in the military(over 20 years ago now), performing tick drags at several locations across the US including near the Minneapolis area which seems to be a hotspot for lyme.
Unfortunately I'm fighting a battle right now because of the range of symptoms I'm having, which is one of the reasons that he didn't diagnose me.
I've been dealing with these symptoms for over 2 decades now BUT I also have other conditions which could also explain the symptoms.
I have joint pain, specifically knee/ankle/foot pain including cramps in the arches of my feet and elbow/wrist/hand pain. Joint issues are not a surprise for veterans particularly since I've hit middle age so that was explained away.
I also deal with insomnia, chronic fatigue, brain fog/ADHD-like symptoms/lack of focus, and severe memory issues. But I was diagnosed with PTSD in the military (non-combat related) so the doc didn't really take these seriously.
I'm sure there are more symptoms but these are the most severe and the ones that limit really limit me in daily life. As I said, I've been dealing with them for over 2 decades now though they seem to be getting much worse in the past 5 years and even more so since the accident.
The things the doctor said made me believe that he was not really up for lyme disease and he seemed to dismiss the diagnosis entirely when he heard the reason that I was there. So I guess the question is: is it possible that the doctor is wrong or am I suffering WebMD syndrome?