Dear Robert, Did you see my request to Walt on Oct. 7 re: Lyme Disease? He wrote me a very succinct answer, which confirmed the way I already felt. i.e.: that it's necessary to hit it hard with antibiotics, as well as do all possible to "live right" and repair damage that's been done. If you'll remember your letter to me on Jan. 30, I'm the one who expressed such frustration at being jerked around by all kinds of medicos and practitioners. Your answer was so very "right on", and now I want to make sure you know about this continuing saga. I FEEL VINDICATED. Thanks once again for your insights. Not one doctor in 29 years ever mentioned Lyme Disease; I had to diagnose it myself. Isn't this curious?
Follow Ups:
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Susan Mierswa on October 15, 1998 at 21:37:31:
In Reply to: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Dianne on October 15, 1998 at 17:11:27:
Dianne,
Would you be so kind as to list your symptoms of Lyme disease? Did you think you had chronic fatigue?
Thanks,
Susan
Follow Ups:
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Robert McFerran on October 15, 1998 at 21:57:36:
In Reply to: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Dianne on October 15, 1998 at 17:11:27:
Dianne,
To be perfectly honest I don't remember your specific situation, but I'm pleased that you have a real diagnosis. If you had to lead a physician to this diagnosis you've come a long way in understanding how to be healthy.
I do have some specific experience (not mine) with Lyme. It is a good model of a weak micro-organism that can wreak havoc if it finds a host with an even weaker immune function.
What/how are you doing?
Bob
Follow Ups:
Re: To Susan
Posted by Dianne on October 16, 1998 at 17:24:41:
In Reply to: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Dianne on October 15, 1998 at 17:11:27:
Dear Susan, Out of one list of 46 possible symptoms (and this is by no means exhaustive) I have/had 22. Yes, I'd been diagnosed with CFIDS, Fibromyalgia, TMJ, IBS, Migraine, etc. etc. Those are all garbage-can diagnoses, as you may know. email me and I'll tell you how to find the Lyme sites and lists of symptoms. Don't keep suffering like I did, endlessly. Find out!
Follow Ups:
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Dianne on October 16, 1998 at 17:29:32:
In Reply to: Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Robert McFerran on October 15, 1998 at 21:57:36:
Thanks for answering. I'm interested in your opinion that the lyme spirochete is a weak organism taking advantage of a weakened host's immune system. Would you also say that the syphilis organism is weak, and only attacks weakened people? Gee, I think I'm pretty strong to still be alive after 29 years of all this illness! The other funny thing is that I NEVER get sick with colds or flu or anything. My immune system seems to be up-regulated and always on red-alert, from all these years of trying (without success) to do battle with this monstrous organism.
Follow Ups:
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Robert McFerran on October 16, 1998 at 19:07:51:
In Reply to: Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Dianne on October 16, 1998 at 17:29:32:
Diane,
We've learned a lot from HIV and AIDS in this area.
HIV is a strong virus yet we know that there is a bell curve (like everything else) showing that some people are MUCH more susceptible than others.
We know the same about syphilis and we certainly know the same about the spirochete responsible for Lyme.
If you really want to look at things from a more global perspective you'll see the 'bell curve' of immunity in the E. COLI crisis. This bacteria has been around longer than mankind yet now we have to cook hamburger differently and there is a move on to gamma irradiate all meat -- all just to stop this DEADLY KILLER -- E. COLI.
Of course nobody has stepped forward to explain that e. coli hasn't been such a deadly killer in the past. Of course in some very immuno-suppressed individuals it was -- but hardly a threat to the poplulation at large. So what is going on? The REAL answer is that we are losing our immunoligical reserves. It's been happening for generations but now we are finally getting to the place where these weak, previously innocuous micro-organisms) are now becoming disease causing pathogens.
Another thing that has to be taken into consideration is that whenever a micro-organism obtains a foothold in it's host it sets up defensive mechanisms to make eradication more difficult.
The best chance to win against Lyme is to try and do everything to improve your natural immunity and then properly use the antibiotic therapy.
Bob
Follow Ups:
Re: To Susan
Posted by Susan Mierswa on October 16, 1998 at 19:29:57:
In Reply to: Re: To Susan posted by Dianne on October 16, 1998 at 17:24:41:
Dianne,
I would love to e-mail you, but I don't have your address. Mine is above or give me yours and I will write you. Thanks,
Susan
P.S. Yes, I know chronic fatigue is a bogus name for this.
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Walt Stoll on October 17, 1998 at 09:24:34:
In Reply to: Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Dianne on October 16, 1998 at 17:29:32:
Dear Dianne,
In comparison to a healthy HUMAN immune system even Rabies Virus is weak. Go to the FAQ page and read the article titled "Stress & Immunity".
Humans have the most advanced immune system on the planet. NOTHING has a chance to invade IF it is healthy.
Questions?
Walt
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Walt Stoll on October 17, 1998 at 09:38:18:
In Reply to: Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Robert McFerran on October 16, 1998 at 19:07:51:
Thanks, Bob.
As usual, GREAT STUFF!
Namaste` Walt
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Dianne on October 17, 1998 at 16:06:49:
In Reply to: Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Susan Mierswa on October 15, 1998 at 21:37:31:
Susan, my symptoms are: (the main disabling ones only) Killer headaches which occur cyclically, and which require me to go to bed for 36 hours straight and throw up for 12, and for which no drug touches the pain, many severe body aches and pains, scoliosis and backward neck curve, which I now believe were caused by the Lyme bacteria invading my bones, blurriness of vision which glasses do not help (this is scary!) swollen and tender sublingual glands, liver dysfunction (detox pathways screwed-up) chemical sensitivity, and way too many others to list here. LYME IS THE GREAT IMITATOR/IMPERSONATOR, as Syphilis was in the last century. It can cause most any symptoms. I did not have the "typical" ones; hence no doctor ever picked up on the pattern. I think if I had not done enough diet and environmental things right that I would be dead.
Follow Ups:
Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme
Posted by Susan Mierswa on October 17, 1998 at 23:38:19:
In Reply to: Re: To Robert McFerran; On Lyme posted by Dianne on October 17, 1998 at 16:06:49:
Thanks Dianne.
I am the person who sent you an e-mail that you didn't know how I found you. Thanks for the symptoms. It sounds like everyone is different with Lyme symptomology. So the great imitator it is. It is diseases like this and others that get chunked into that waste bin of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a term I hate using because it means nothing.