August 20, 2004
Lyme Disease Rash
In June 2004, after a great round of golf I went into the clubhouse to collect my winnings. I noticed I had a stiff neck and felt very weak. It came on strong. I went home into bed with a temp of 103. I stayed in the fetal position for 3 days, then the headache came on. In fact headache is an understatement. It was more like an axe was buried into my brain. OH MY GOD the pain. I could not even open my eyes or think. Fever 103 still. My wife had taken my children out so I could rest. I called my doctor and was able to go in. I called my dad so he would drive me, for I could not even walk.
My wife at this point was seeking answers for what was wrong with me. Many of the answers from friends and colleagues were Lyme Disease. Naturally when I arrived at the doctors I was asked, "So, what's the matter with you now?" My reply was "I think I have Lyme Disease." "Ha, what makes you think you have that?" "Well, I live in an area prone to ticks and I golf a lot and go into the woods to find my partner's golf ball." She (the nurse practitioner) began to examine me. Within 5 minutes she stated she needed to get the doctor on call because she felt something was not right with me. He came in, checked me out, looked at the nurse, and then told me I needed to get to the ER immediately for something was very wrong with me. "We will call ahead for you so they take you right in."
Off I went with my dad. Into Triage I go, and a mask is placed on my face for fear of Viral Meningitis. I'm now put into isolation from the rest of the world, a special room so no airborne viruses will be spread. NICE!! "I JUST WANT THE HEADACHE TO GO AWAY!!!! Oh it hurt so badly! Spinal tap time. "This won't hurt a bit." Yeah, right if you don't mind needles the size of kabob spikes stuck into your spine. I guess the level was elevated but not enough to diagnose it as Viral Meningitis. Shift change, new doctor comes in. She tells me it appeared to be a virus and they could not do anything about it so they sent me home. Can you believe it? My wife asked the doctor if they checked me for Lyme Disease and he said, prior to the shift change, "I don't feel that is necessary." Home I went.
That night I resorted to prayer for I knew something was wrong with me. Well my prayers were answered! The next morning I managed to drag myself into the shower and when I got out I noticed an oval circle like red line on my inner thigh. Hmmm what's this? Once again my wife took my kids out of the house. She called me and I told her what I found on my leg "That's it. That's the bullseye. You have Lyme." Back to the hospital we went. They brought in an infectious disease doctor and when he saw the bullseye he knew exactly what I had. Off to cat scan I go to see if my brain was swollen. Sure enough it was extremely swollen. Now the panic sets in. Three bags of IV antibiotics flow into my veins. I was told I had encephalitis and bacterial meningitis so I would not be going home for a while. Well now I was the spotlight in the hospital. Everyone wanted a peek at me for I broke out with multiple lesions all over my body and still had 103+ fever.
It took about three days for me to come around, to realize all that was happening. I was sent home after a week of IV and oral antibiotics. Needless to say that my next doctor appointment was one of a venting period. Not only do I have Lyme disease but also it's in my nervous system now, which is the third stage. "SO WHY DIDN'T YOU EVER CONSIDER LYME DISEASE?" I asked. "We messed up" was his response. That goes to show you how doctors are about this disease.
It is now August 2004 and I have been on doxycycline since. I am going to Greenwich, CT this Friday to meet with Dr. Raxlen so I can begin the road to recovery. I still struggle to get out of bed every day! I have a long road ahead of me but I will get there! So, please be aware of your symptoms. Lyme Disease is the biggest epidemic in this country. Educate yourself about this horrible disease. I leave you with a poem written by John E. Laughlin.
Today I just don't feel alive. So, what's new? No big surprise I look towards Heaven and wonder why? As I lay here in my bed, I try to sort the confusion in my head. I think of how this disease has almost ruined me, and others too. Sometimes it amazes me, the hell I've been put through. I feel empty and heavy, it's very strange. Tears run down my face as I deal with the pain. It's times like this that I wonder if I'll ever be the same. I would love just to feel Good!! To leap up from bed, like a normal person would. Conventional methods just haven't done the job. Now into experimental treatment, I feel I am odd. It's turned from day to night, though I haven't won the battle, I won the daily fight. Well, tomorrow is another day, now it's time to pray. Dear God, I've had enough, my dues have been paid!
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