My family and I have been fighting Lyme for almost 20 years now. I first suspected it was Lyme 18 years ago, but the fallible Western Blot test came up with negatives all around. Six years ago, I had a new Lyme test that looks for the bacteria using bio-luminescence instead of looking for anti-bodies or other traces. Lyme was confirmed.
I believe that I have had Lyme since I was quite small since I have no recollection of a tick bite ever. However, since Lyme is contagious through body fluids, it is possible I got Lyme from my parents, from a beau... lots of people. My son was born with Lyme. I gave it to him. I'll try to track down the links to the papers that explain how this spirochete is passed from person to person. It is a spirochete, like syphilis. Syphilis used to be called "The Great Imitator" and that's what Lyme is like, too. It can trigger or mimic MS, Parkinson's, bi-polar, ADHD... the list is long.
The purpose of this blog isn't to re-detail what others have said better than I ever will. I have chosen to fight the Lyme bacteria more aggressively this summer and I thought it might be helpful to others considering the fight, if I shared how it goes.
I'm tired today, and my hands are slow so I'll stop here for now. Some days are just that way.
Katherine A Minden ©2009
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