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Random Quote: The Liver is Evil.....It Must Be Punished!
Has anyone here suffered from it. I am currently awaiting my test results after already having a spinal tap, CT Scan to rule out meningitis, mono and everything else. I should have test results Thursday. Fevers, headaches, dizziness are starting to get to me
Sure hope you don't have Lyme's disease - that's a nasty. Boy you must really be feeling bad if the docs have a list of possible nasties like you've indicated.
Back in public school I contracted Mono BIG time, three and a half months worth of full blown Mono; being horizontal.
Mono victims need catheters. The single biggest problem for a Mono victim is, getting up and moving. Below is what any given day was like when I had Mono.
Even though I had been laying down doing absolutely nothing for the past 5-6 hours, I'd have to rest up to get the strength just to sit up. Because if I didn't, I just wasn't getting up - before I figured that part out of having to rest up to get up, I don't remember how many times I wet myself, but it was numerous.
But once I did manage to get upright from a horizontal position, I'd have to take a 10-20 minute rest while draping myself over the back of a chair that was there to aid me. From the time of thinking that I had to take a leak to actually taking a leak I had to figure on a hour.
Once done, then I'd have to rest up to get back to the sofa or bed. That generally took 45 to 90 minutes of resting on the throne. From the sofa or bed to the bathroom was nothing short of a struggled. A struggle to minimize a floundering motion of not more than 25/30 ft. - it was common to fall on my face like a plank falling. While resting up in the bathroom for the return trip I was not sitting there like I was reading a newspaper, but instead my upper torso, head and arms were draped over my legs like a wet tea towel hanging over a drying rack. Rest while on the throne was always hard fought for. The pilgrimage back to the sofa or bed was always at least a 10 minute arduous trek of mammoth proportions that left me DEAD TIRED. The whole deal of going to the bathroom had me so tired that upon reaching the sanctuary of the sofa or bed that I'd plunked myself down like once again a falling plank. If my legs didn't make it on top of, so be it, because there they stayed for the next several hours. And whatever position my arms ended up in as I came to rest, there they'd stayed as well. I literally and physically didn't have the strength to right myself, in fact, I couldn't have remove myself from a burning house if it so happened to have caught on fire.
Eating, now that was a picture of joy. Aside from I didn't have the strength nor the endurance to stabilize my own head, if mon didn't put a T-shirt on me and the back of the chair as one, I'd fall over of sheer exhaustion from sitting up. How about being so fatigued you can't even close your mouth to chew food nor the strength to suck up fluids from a straw - I can recall times when a funnel was used.
Sleep, now that's the best part.......or was that the worst part??????? I was always so tired that it seemed that I never slept, and if I did, I could never recall doing so because I was always so tired - day after day, month after month.
Apparently I was lucky in a few different ways. One, my 3 ½ months could have been 6 to 10 months. Two, others can get it worse than I had it - having to be hospitalized. Trust me, you don't want Mono.
I had it last year. For how long, no one can say. It took several doctors several months to diagnose it. Meanwhile, the swelling in my knee caused my left quadricep to deteriorate to a mere shadow of it's former massive self. To make a very long and totally disgusted with doctors and the entire medical establishment story short, I ended up with a PIC line in my arm for six weeks followed by about four months of oral antibiotics. My insurance wouldn't cover it because I refused to get a spinal tap. If it turns out to be Lyme, RUN don't walk to a specialist. I learned the hard way that most doctors know SQUAT about it, even though many are willing to pretend that they do.
I'm okay, now. I've got my leg back to about 95% after a year. Most of my problems were caused by the passing of time while the doctors diddled. I had good success with accupunture for aleviating the symptoms, but it can be difficult to find a competent practitioner.
My wife found a great book at the library titled, "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lyme Disease." Get it.
It's a bit of a haul from Annapolois, especially considering you'll be going once a week, but here is the doctor I used. He knows his stuff.
Philip W. Paparone, D.O.
Lyme Disease Center for South Jersey
609-652-2240
In talking with people who have it or know someone that has, those with recurring problems are most often those that did not take the antibiotics long enough.
I stopped drinking completely while on them, as I did not want ANY of their effect to be compromised. That was a pretty big sacrifice for me, 'cuz me likes me beer.
Evidently, it paid off.
I sure hope you don't have Lyme.. Not trying to scare ya, but I hear that is one of those things that can really tear a fella up.. Prayers on the way brother..
Chris
__________________ - Chris
Guess What?? I got a Fever.. And the only prescription is.. MORE COWBELL!
-2011 Blue Wave 2400 Pure Bay / Yamaha F300 4.2 with Command Link Plus
-2003 Sea Fox 195 Bayfisher - Mercury 125 Saltwater Classic (Sold)
-1994 Wellcraft V-20 Step Lift (Sold)
You will hear plenty of horror stories. My advice is to ignore them and just be sure that you get proper treatment. You CAN fully recover from it. I and a few of my friends are living proof. A good diet and exercise also seem to be key to a full recovery, not surprisingly.
I just finished a month of antibiotics thanks to the little buggers. I found the bite on a Thursday, had a perfect bullseye rash by Saturday, got to the doctor Monday morning and was so sick Tuesday and Wednesday I could hardly move. The doctor started the meds in the office and it was a good thing. My temp was 101 Monday morning and 103+ Tuesday morning. Couldn't think clearly. Dizzy. Head, neck, back, and legs hurt so bad I couldnt get out of bed. My wonderful wife spent hours trying to cool me with wet towels and breaking the antibiotics, tylenol,and asprin up in little pieces so I could get them in and keep them down. I told her if I barfed to call the ambulance because I was going to need help. God's grace saw me through next 48 hours. Joints were stiff and sore for the next two weeks. Headache lasted almost a month. I have never heard of the disease hitting this quick and hard. The doc said it's unusual but not unheard of. When I went back after two weeks, he said he had seen four more cases since me. It must be a good season for I guess. Your blood test should give you a clear answer. There is nothing worse than not knowing what to treat.
All this because of a bug smaller than the head of a pin!
I have been on antibiotics since last friday. I am now on 100mg of Doxycyclean (sp?) twice a day. I havent had a fever over 101 in a day now so I hope the medicine is doing something. I still have a pretty mean headache am very sensitive to light (it hurts to look outside) and am a little sore. My main hope is to lose this headache though. I am sick of being around the house. (Did go for a 1/2 hour boat ride the other day though ) Luckily I havent been vomiting or some of the other symptoms that I have read about. My hopes are that it is not Lymes and that by the time I am done my two weeks of this antibiotic I am good to go again.
Doxycyclean (?) is the prefered treatment. I was on 2000mg of amoxycillan (?) a day for a month. I'm told it's cheaper and the hmo wants the doc to try it first! I'm six weeks down the road now and feel OK for the most part but not great.
In simple boating terms Greg, it's like trying to run your boat's electronics on your 24V house batteries with only 1 mV.
I have heard of others getting Mono that was nowhere near as severe as I had. Interpreting their descriptions and symptoms, I'd say it was like dragging a 50-100 lb. anchor around everywhere they went. So the affliction does have a full range.
Have you access to a sauna - sweat it out of your body.
I have never heard of the disease hitting this quick and hard.
I haven't either, but I've heard of some tougher strains being discovered.
The doc figures I had it for at least two years before major symptoms appeared (knee swelling). I was on Doxycycline, 100mg twice a day intravenously, for six weeks and the oral Tetracycline for about four months.
Mike, if you didn't see a specialist, I strongly suggest it. Even if you have to pay for it yourself. This is nothing to mess with. It's a spirokete, which is the same type of infection as syphilis.
Good Luck with your results. My brother in law has what is believed to be Lyme's but apparently the testing is not fool proof. He has most of the sympthoms, but no conclusive test results yet.
did your GP test your blood for thyroid level? I tested "positive" for Lyme. (They get alot of false positives). I went through a full treatment for Lyme disease. No success, same symptoms as you. Low level fever all the time, Headaches, nausea, dizziness, vertigo yo name it. Only to have a specialist in infectious diseases, send me to a rheumatologist who finally tested for thyroid level.
I'm just saying, if you did see the circular rash they talk about, then possibly you have it, otherwise check your thyroid, it's much more likely, apparently about 20 million people have the problem.
Two years of on and off agony until I got the proper medication.
Best of luck, I have found a couple of those suckers on me the last couple years.* Knock on wood, nothing yet.* I hate to think that it may be just a matter of time.* I would also hate for my kids to have to deal with that.* Whatever it is, get well soon.
Doxycycline taken long enough soon enough does a good job...but it varies by individual. I spend a lot of time in the woods so when the Lyme vaccine came out 4-5 yrs ago I ordered it through my pharmaceutical rep and gave it to myself. Then they discontinued due to problems and I got mild symptoms from the vaccine. I hope your treatment goes well...and if you are found to have it at least the medical establishment knows how to treat it and you have a reason for your symptoms.
mpwitte...screw your HMO they cannot deny the accepted and usual treatment for a disease (or infection). You need to be on doxy or at least tetracycline...you need to go after your HMO. Greg
Well fellas I have good news and bad news. My Lyme test came back negative. It is good because from what I have read about Lyme's, I dont want it. The bad news is we are still searching for what is ailing me. I had more blood work done an have the arms of an i/v drug user and they are sending to an infectious disease lab. They are looking into west nile virus and another virus carried by ticks. I should have results next tuesday.
Lyme's Disease 
