Aimee W's Story
It was the summer after my Freshman year at West Chester University that
I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease(1996). I was working for the Girl Scout
Camp in NJ. They warned us about Lyme Disease and that it was a
possibility in these wooded areas. Within 2 weeks I found a red rash on
the back of my leg...not a bull's eye rash...just a red raised one. I
didn't think much about it that day.
A couple of days later I could
barely stand up because my lower back hurt so bad, I had a fever of 103,
I had night sweats, etc.
My parents were away so I had to drive myself
to the doctor's rolling the windows down on the way since I felt so sick.
She didn't even give me a blood test....she said you definitely have Lyme
Disease.
I was treated...however, only for 12 days. All the symptoms
seemed to go away so I thought it was gone...LITTLE DID I KNOW! The next
year at college my friends noticed that I slept most of the
time....specifically after ANY physical activity which could just be
stretching.
I noticed that my heart started beating irregularly and I
was just totally out of energy. So I went to a "specialist" for Lyme,
however, I think he was just a professional at being an @#*hole....excuse
my language...however I think we all were thinking it. :-) He told me
that I caught my disease right away and treated it so there was no way it
was Lyme Disease again!
So needless to say I never paid that
doctor....however, he never came after me for the money. Maybe he found
out later that he was wrong. So, I went to a different doctor and was put
on antibiotics again and felt better. Then two years late...my senior
year...I felt tired all the time again....I had aches and pains, loss of
short term memory, joint aches, etc. So once again I went to the doctor.
I was treated once again. And I felt better again.... for a short
period of time. Because now it is a year later and I think I can check
just about every symptom on the checklist. I really have lost short-term
memory,and I have difficulty with word recall, random night sweats, random low
grade fevers, joint pain(in my knees, elbows, ankles, and in every joint
in my fingers), pelvic pain, *fatigue*, heart palpitations, *stiff
creaky neck*, muscle pain, poor balance, confusion, *mood swings*,
exaggerated symptoms from alcohol, etc.
I have not been to the doctor
yet because even after having this disease come back three different
times, I still keep trying to say that I am just crazy, I guess because
sometimes that is what the doctors say. I can't imagine that I have to
feel this way my whole life. I am just 23 years old, going on my second
year of teaching and I feel like I am already ready to retire.
I am
scared to have children for fear that I will pass this to them or just
for the simple fact that I may not be able to keep up with them. I am
planning to go to the doctor's as soon as I find a good one in this area.
I keep all of you that have Lyme Disease in my thoughts.
Aimee
FYI: I don't know what oral meds I was on all three times, I just know
that I wasn't treated for more than 12-30 days each time. I was never on
the IV however I think that is my next step.
The Lyme Disease Quilt Page
Please click on the mailbox to send me your comments
Lyme Quilt main page
Lyme Disease related links
Copyright ©1998-2001 The Lyme Disease Quilt Page
