This is very important. It's not *just* because I have Lyme.. although I do, and feel that it's wise to share this information.

Alan, Sylvia, Michele.. not sure who else might be reading this, but check out these maps. Here is a map of California, with regard to the incidence of Lyme. Here is one for NC. Areas in pink are "low risk", however it does not mean that ticks can't travel from areas of higher concentration, or that Lyme Disease does not exist in your neck of the woods. Lyme infected ticks have been found pretty much in all 50 states.

If you were ever to get bit by a tick (and certainly, not all ticks carry Lyme), you need to remove it properly- dousing it with alcohol or pulling it off is not how to do it. You can still contract Lyme, even if the tick has not been on you for a long period of time. And not everybody who is bit (by a tick infected with Lyme or other tick-bourne diseases) will see or develop a bull's eye rash on them. If you get bit, and you do notice a similar type of rash, know that this is the tell-tale sign of Lyme.

If you go to your regular GP, chances are that he or she will not be familiar with Lyme. If they're an infectious disease doctor, you're probably even more screwed. If they bother to test you, you'll get an ELISA/titer test. This initial Lyme test is fairly inaccurate, and gives a lot of false negatives (and a lot of doctors do not properly read the results). Also, if you have this test done less than 2-4 weeks after being bit, you're almost assured a negative result (as antibodies don't usually show up til after that period of time). A doctor should follow up with a Western Blot test. Get copies of your results! If the test still comes back negative, but you start feeling like you have the flu (or develop swollen lymph nodes, or feeling joint or muscle pains, or even develop Bell's Palsey- often associated with Lyme), then you really need to get tested via the Igenex Lab in Palo Alto, CA. They're one of the best labs a "lyme literate" doctor will use for testing. So. If you've been bit, and develop a rash, you have Lyme. If you have the rash, but test negative, you've been tested too soon.

Why the heck am I telling you all of this? First off, if you have Lyme and don't get it treated, you will almost certainly begin a course of poor health. It may take years to notice, but it will happen. Secondly (and more to the point), I had a conversation with my aunt this weekend.. she lives back home in Los Angeles. She said that she was bit by a tick, and that she developed what she thought was a bull's eye rash on her elbow. She went to the doctor, however was told that Lyme does not exist there (in CA). She was also told that her rash was most likely from the bite being scratched at. Not only is this irresponsible, but it's completely ignorant on this doctor's part. I'm willing to bet that my aunt probably took the doctor at his/her word, and left it at that. I can only hope that she doesn't end up in a situation like thousands of other people, who end up going to doctor after doctor, wondering what the hell is wrong with them.

I have wasted so much money on exams, tests, etc.. and could have been treated years ago. Of course I didn't really have the knowledge about Lyme, that I do now. I never once thought about my tick bite, until March of this year.. after almost a decade of physical decline. I'm just saying, don't always trust the doctor, if you feel they're not quite seeing the same picture. Trust your instincts. Read up on your health problems. Don't just let a doctor (no matter how many years of schooling they've had) tell you "You have this" or "you don't have that", and be ok with it. Second opinions are your right.

Oh.. while I'm at it, your pets (even cats!) can get Lyme. Your vet doesn't have a clue if they tell you otherwise- many believe that cats cannot get it. Just make sure to look out for weird symptoms, if you've discovered a tick on them.

I'm not trying to scare anybody here, or trying to preach. I'm trying to help. Honest!