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This blog is another opportunity to feel grateful and thank you dear Universe: You continue to bless me with recovery and overall health.
When I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Isaacs’ Syndrome in 2016, my life underwent a drastic change. Following that diagnosis, I also discovered I was suffering from Lyme disease, Glaucoma, and Membranous Glomerulonephritis.
Lyme disease is not as rare as Isaacs’ syndrome, although its diagnosis is not straightforward as patients experience flu-like symptoms when they first contract the disease. A bullseye- or target-shaped rash seen in a few patients is an important symptom of Lyme disease, which is caused by a bacterial infection transmitted to humans by certain species of insects called ticks. Many patients do not report rashes, and only get diagnosed with Lyme when they suffer muscle, nerve, and joint pains, body aches and headaches, irregular heartbeat, and arthritis. Facial palsy, which causes drooping of facial muscles, dizziness, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord is also seen in some patients.
How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
Testing if someone has contracted Lyme disease involves checking if their body is producing the antibodies needed to fight the infection. The human body typically develops these antibodies over many weeks. To confirm a diagnosis, a two-step blood test is prescribed, with the second step only required if the patient tests positive (for the presence of antibodies) in the first step. Once the body starts producing these antibodies, they continue to survive for a long time, sometimes even years, meaning that an antibody test cannot help check if a patient is cured of the disease. Also, patients who have contracted other infections or diseases that also trigger antibody production may get a false positive diagnosis.
In my case, I don’t recollect being bitten by a tick but that doesn’t make me wired. Though my symptoms overlapped with Isaacs’ Syndrome however they seemed quite intense. Even after consuming enough supplements, I was feeling quite fatigued the entire day with lots of cramps and pain in my joints & muscles. I often noticed a stabbing pain in my calves, was slowly getting prone to daily headaches, was always ready to sleep, and had nil participation in any social activity. Simultaneously, I was falling easy prey to infections with no appetite which percolated to creating more toxins in the body, with drastic loss in body weight and excess inflammation in the body.
My Allopathic doctor sensed that there was much more going on within me than only Isaacs’ and therefore I was tested for Lymes. Both my Ayurvedic and Allopathic doctors were of the opinion that healing from Lymes could only start when the foundation of the body is corrected. Therefore, I was put on some antibiotics along with traditional ayurvedic & homeopathic medicines which helped me restore my immunity to a lot extent.
What treatment is prescribed for Lyme disease patients?
As Lyme disease is a curable bacterial infection, patients are prescribed a course of antibiotics for up to a month. Patients usually respond to antibiotic treatment faster if the disease is detected early but antibiotics also help treat the disease in later stages. Some symptoms may continue even after the course of treatment, especially if patients have suffered significant neurological, muscular, or joint damage due to the disease. However, continued antibiotic treatment is not recommended in such cases as the human body can develop antibiotic resistance.
Is Lyme disease contagious and is there any social stigma associated with it?
Lyme disease is only transmitted by the bite of the black-legged tick, also called a deer tick, and, even then, if the tick has attached itself to a person’s body for over a day. It does not spread from one person to another, so it is not contagious. However, since patients can suffer considerably for a long time, it can reduce their quality of life and affect their ability to interact socially. Accordingly, apart from clinical treatment, they may need additional therapy to manage their physical and mental health.
Though Lymes is not a rare disease, yet it needed much extra attention and care in my personal experience. I was constantly having high fevers, low immunity, a lot of muscle pain, and extra fatigue, easily prone to infections, inflammation, and regular visits to hospitals. Though my neurologist was trying to put his best foot forward however my condition was getting bad to worse with immense body weakness. There was confusion in the air as the symptoms intermingled with Isaacs’ Syndrome however, he decided to do some blood tests with the thought to reach closure.
It was announced as ‘the Lymes day’, I tested positive for something that no one in the family was aware of. I was put on two weeks of antibiotics however after the course I again started to nosedive as many symptoms became vague and got even worse.
I remember taking almost 38 pills those days with Isaacs’s Syndrome, Glaucoma, Membranous Glomerulonephritis, and another four strange-looking pills added to my daily platter because of Lymes. This went on for months together until I was introduced to some Ayurvedic treatments which headed me outside to breathe a little easier. Today, I feel better about my symptoms and hope the same for my fellow mates.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed above in this article are the author’s own and do not represent any kind of medical advice.
