Trying to Get a Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
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Before the Diagnosis
One day in early September I found myself in a lot of physical pain. I had spent the day being a substitute teacher at an elementary school, so at first, I chalked it up to being on my feet all day and worrying about teaching. As the evening progressed, however, the pain increased. I became worried because I had dealt with this pain before, and when I made the mistake of looking up the symptoms of bone cancer- I had them all. Great idea, self-diagnosis.
An off-hand comment to a friend about my worries made her insistent that I was going to the urgent care center the next day. Eight am came early, and we made our way over to see a doctor. The hip x-rays revealed nothing, and I was in good health other than the pain. The doctor prescribed pain meds and then suggested that I see a family practitioner for more testing.
The next day my sister suggested looking into Lyme Disease as a possibility.
A quick search on Amazon (linked to the above image) shows that Lyme’s is hard to diagnose, hard to treat, and pretty impossible to get rid of. So not a very optimistic diagnosis…
The Process of Getting a Diagnosis
I spent the next week seeing typical medical doctors. And by ‘typical’ I mean a family practitioner, an orthopedic doctor, etc. They all said the same thing: Lyme’s either doesn’t exist or that I couldn’t have it; and they did not know what was wrong with me. As you can imagine, it is frustrating to be told that your pain is nonexistent. Anyone who knows me could tell you that I do not like going to see a doctor. I certainly wouldn’t be faking pain just to see one.
At the recommendation of a friend who deals with Lyme Disease, I went to see a nurse who specializes in nutrition and wellness. This nurse uses electrodermal testing to see how your body is functioning and find infections, bacteria, or imbalances. There are mixed opinions on testing through measures like this. For the place that I found myself in, this testing was the best option.
Diagnosis: Lyme Disease
Annnnnnd, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and a gluten allergy. Cutting out gluten has helped some. Since my body isn’t dealing with foods that it can’t handle, I don’t feel as miserable.
As for dealing with the Lyme’s itself, I have cut out some foods that are inflammatory to reduce joint pain. I am also taking supplements to reduce the Lyme cells and the effects that it has on me. These supplements definitely help with the pain. If you have any type of chronic pain or injuries, it might be worth going to see a nutritionist or someone who can recommend natural relief specific for your pain.
I take these three supplements as of now:
This is something that I will be blogging about more in the future. I would love to explain more of what Lyme Disease is, possible treatments, symptoms, etc. Please share with anyone that you know lives with Lyme Disease!
