Lyme Disease

[sb123]

Posting this here as it’s a funny comparison to the current shitstorm what is going on. REAL LONG POST.. sorry !!

 

About 3/4 years ago I moved to Wales. There was a bit of a late Summer, about end of September, and I went for a walk with my mrs, we walked from the west of Cardiff down to Barry; down a lot of fields, country lanes etc.

Spent a full day there, came back home and the morning after, I was putting on my shoes/socks when I noticed a little fleck of something attached to the top of my foot; I mentioned ‘that’s weird, it’s like a tiny spider or something’ and managed to remove it, it had been lodged into my foot biting me, but wasn’t painful or anything, and I didn’t think anything of it.

a couple of days later, I got a funny rash/mark around the area, the classic ‘bulls eye’ rash when bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease, but coming from a big city in Northern England I had no idea what a tick even was or ever seen one, I just put it down as a must have been a nasty bite off the ‘spider’ lmao

 

Now about 2 weeks later I came down with the most insane shivering, shaking, chills and flushes ever.. I remember having to go lay in bed feeling horrific, like I had a bad flu coming on. My head was banging, I spent the next week or so in the same position, I was so dizzy I could not go anywhere, stand up for long periods of time. I lost a stone and a half over about 10 days. Could not keep food down; it really was like having flu!

 

so the point of why I am posting this. I went to my doctor, a few weeks later, as the dizziness would not stop and I started to get tingling, neurological problems, these weird sensations all the time. He suggested it could be an ear infection; I thought whatever, non the wiser I just took the tablets prescribed which helped the dizziness a bit, but everything else was still off.

Strangely some time about a month later, I happened to see a news feature about Lyme disease. A picture of the rash etc came on, started going through the symptoms on TV; I was sat with my mrs and just had a total ‘holy shit’ moment as I had the exact same rash, onset of symptoms, remembered what had bitten me and the fact I’d been walking through a hotspot area of these ticks. I thought surely, this must be what’s done me in!

 

now anyone who knows anyone who has ever had this disease; or has had it themself; you might know about how shocking the NHS handles, diagnoses, treats people with it; effectively stating that it doesn’t exist in the UK, or that not many people get it, or you don’t get ticks in the UK etc.. heard them all.

I presented to my doctor and stated how I’d been feeling, how I couldn’t place what had caused it, then realised about the bite I’d had and what had actually been attached to me must have been a tick, because of the target rash I’d received round the bite and the onset of all my symptoms. Immediately he tried to shake it off, stating that it was very rare to catch this in the UK, and it was highly unlikely anything was wrong with me. Instead he prescribed me more anti-dizziness tablets which was not helping my fatigue, zoning out, tingling etc. 
 

i learned to just cope with the symptoms for a while; but I was just so drained all the time and I couldn’t do anything I used to do, I was young and loved going out drinking, going to play poker, going to house parties. I felt robbed of my life because I was just so drained and could not even last getting out of bed for more than maybe an hour or so.

 

as the months went on, my condition got worse; I would get horrible tingling, hot and cold flushes, I could not bear light at all; if I went outside I needed sunglasses even if it wasn’t sunny as it was just so hard to keep my eyes open, it hurt so much. One night I was out playing a game of cards down the local casino. I was about 3 hands in when my body was just totally on fire. The left hand side of my face just totally dropped and I just got up, grabbed all my chips and pocketed them; I said to my mrs we need to get out now, it was like a total panic attack. I felt like I was dying, I was so dizzy, my body was tingling everywhere, and all I remember is getting outside and that was it; I woke up and had an ambulance pulled up by me in the middle of the city. I was so pale, my face was dropping, I was still tingling in my hands.

they started interrogating me saying what had I taken, what was I doing, asking all these questions. I told them I didn’t take drugs, I didn’t even drink anymore, I just felt this horrific feeling and had to get out and that was that. My mrs was terrified, she knew something was wrong.

we spent 3 hours at the hospital where I started to feel a bit better; it always came in waves, but never this bad. Before which a nurse came and saw me, saying all my blood tests were fine, I had a CT scan of my head and all was okay; they said I had just fainted because I stood up too fast and these things happen, and I could go home. Of course I knew that was bollocks! I was going to pass out well before getting up. How did it explain everything else I was feeling??

 

Now I didn’t have an episode like that again til a few months later. I was back home in Yorkshire and I had the same sort of episode as before. Stood outside, then bang, it was like my body just totally shut down on me again. So there I was; on the way to hospital again, getting asked about what I’d been doing, if I’d taken anything, if I’d had any big stress going on. They were totally clueless as to what was happening to me.

 

i saw a doctor in the hospital, and I explained to her I knew exactly what was wrong, but every time I saw a doctor they just dismissed it as an ear infection, or a viral infection, they wouldn’t test me and they wouldn’t prescribe me anything that would help. She said to me it was ‘textbook Lyme disease’ and I needed to get to the doctors ASAP to be prescribed antibiotics before I ended up with permanent neurological damage, given how long it had been going on for. It was like a sigh of relief, somebody who listened to me.

 

i went to the doctors, and they prescribed me antibiotics for 2 weeks and organised a test for me to be sent to the famous Porton Down. I received a phone call a couple of weeks later. The antibiotics had helped massively. It was like my body was just going on a total detox. I was getting my energy back, the tingling and twitching in my face was stopping, the dizziness was gone. I received a call to see the doctor.

i went and saw him, and he showed me the results, that I had a certain level of antibodies in my system and I had a positive result; all I got was “this can be false though; it’s still hardly existent in this country; you might not have it, we need to book you in for more scans”. So I was still even after getting a positive result back, getting pushbacks! But he agreed to prescribe me more antibiotics.

 

i finished up a 4 week course and it was like having all my life back again; I could go to work, I could go out drinking, I could see all my friends, do all the hobbies I used to enjoy again! I was over the moon and mentioned I never wanted to go through all that shit again. It was horrific, like I lost so much of my life. And I was pissed off at the way it had been handled by the NHS, if it were not for the words of the doctor at the hospital, I think I would have been permanently fucked.

 

now sorry for the huge ass back story; how does all this link in with Covid-19?

 

1) I was told I could not possibly have this disease, despite testing positive, despite responding to antibiotics, despite showing all the classic symptoms of this disease 

2) I was denied the correct treatment for months

3) they were INSISTENT that the test is inaccurate and that the positive was most likely a false result

 

now contrast this to what is happening now, and why I have no fucking faith at all in this health system; 

 

1) People are told to self-isolate immediately and take all these measures when they present symptoms that are not even unique to Covid-19! Loss of smell? Cough? Fever? It’s Covid, straight away, no test required, just get yourself isolated. If I had these symptoms and tried to argue it wasn’t Covid, imagine the fucking pushback!

2) people are slapped straight onto ventilators or whatever for their breathing issues, it could be something entirely different, but there’s just no proving or investigation; it’s just straight YOU HAVE COVID 

3) we all know the test for corona is bullshit and throws out all sorts of results; it is inaccurate and not designed to diagnose Covid-19; so even if you test negative for Covid they will make you isolate ‘just in case’! Well there was never any ‘just incase’ for Lyme disease, it took months to even convince these jokers to test me in the first place!! Now it’s ‘test test test’ (to push all the bullshit numbers up further)

 

I am sure there may be people here who have had similar experiences or may have gone through the same as me! but looking at the points I have raised, isn’t it a funny contrast and a total joke how the health system operates! There is just no consistency, it seems these ‘doctors’ and ‘nurses’ the majority of them just follow whatever agenda is pushed out by those from above! there is hardly any real medical knowledge out there!

and then it’s a wonder why I have no faith in the NHS.

 

thanks for the read... all comments welcome.. let me know if you have had the same or similar situation/s...

[HAARPING_On]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal, that sounds really bad.

Edited September 4, 2020 by HAARPING_On

[CyprusAvenue]

@sb123 *shakes head*.  It's an effing disgrace.  Will reply further when I've calmed down (I also have Lyme).

[Someone2630]

In Rhodesia it was called Tick Fever. There's a very simple cure. I know, my entire family had it during the years i lived in Africa. I know the symptoms all too well, but back in Africa we used to have PROPER doctors, not these fucking lame-brained spineless wankers we have in the Northern Hemisphere.

 

Doxycycline Capsules (can't remember how many mg), but they were strong) One a day for a week and within 48 hrs of the first dose you are feeling better and after a week, it's gone and it's very unlikely you'll ever get it again (something called immunity).

[CyprusAvenue]

@sb123 am so sorry that you've been put through this ordeal but you're absolutely right in that the NHS do not want to know about Lyme disease.  In 2018 NICE produced new guidelines which stated that an EM rash was diagnostic of Lyme and no testing needed, in any case it takes time for antibodies to form although not everyone produces them or sufficient enough to show.  You would have been given 3 weeks of Doxy and, if still symptomatic, a further 3 weeks of a different antibiotic.  That is all you'll get from the NHS.  Unfortunately for you, at the time you had the EM rash then the guidelines were less comprehensive with only one course of antibiotics being offered.

 

Would be interested to hear how you are doing now and whether the NHS has actually done anything since especially as it will now be termed as Chronic Lyme disease.

 

I don't know whether you're aware but the NICE guideline committee acknowledged that some people still feel unwell after 2 courses of antibiotics and that more research is needed.  Well, when is that going to happen cos there sure ain't no sign of any research despite the millionaire John Caudwell offering up to £1M towards it so long as the Government played their part.  The silence is deafening.

 

I have no faith either in the NHS having experienced doctors and consultants rolling their eyes at the mention of Lyme.  Now completely blacklisted from any hospital referrals by a psycho GP who stopped learning and listening the day he finished med school.  It really is insulting and hurtful to see vast amounts of money being splashed around and wasted on this Covid nonsense whilst those with Lyme are either left to rot or get fleeced for private treatment.

 

 

[CyprusAvenue]

@Someone2630 yes, doxy is currently used but it's most effective immediately after a bite or appearance of an EM rash.  The danger with taking it much later on is that it pushes the spirochetes into cyst form which you really don't want.  You can get bitten again and again and people do, doxy offers no immunity.

[Someone2630]

CORRECT. The difference is there are so many ticks in Africa (and they are being brought here by the "asylum seekers") that once you start any of the symptoms, you guess TICKS and visit the hospital or a doctor or the pharmacy (depends where you live). This was how it happened with me. 

 

I got a king-sized headache, my limbs were aching, I had a temperature. I felt like something you find in brown lumps on the side of the street. I went to the pharmacy. I hate fucking doctors and their medicines.

 

Q : Have you been bitten by a tick?

A : Dunno

Q : Do you have any sore spots?

A : Not really.

 

Come into the back room. take off your pants and underware.

 

The damned thing was still hanging on right under my balls. He dabbed a drop of ether on it, "Brandy works as well" he told me. Gave me a doxycycline capsule on the spot and 9 more in a box. "One a day for a week at least, better finish the lot."  I felt better the next day.

 

My wife wasn't so lucky, she got bitten long before she met me. She suffered for three weeks because they lived so far out of town and then collapsed. She was rushed to hospital. They put her on intravenous tetracyclines and she was on anti-biotics and medication for weeks if not months.

 

We bred dogs, so I used to keep some Doxyvet in the cupboard. Doxycycline back then was pretty new and cost almost $6 each. Doxyvet cost about the same for 50 capsules.

 

My mom got bitten by a tick. she pulled it off and the next morning, she had all the symptoms, so I put her on Doxyvet for a week and she was fine. When she found out that I'd given her dog meds, she hit the roof, but it was actually purer than the human one.

 

You MUST diagnose it right away and do like my daughter did. She got bitten here in Europe two years ago and started symptoms. I took her to out local fool (calls himself a doctor) and just told him what to prescribe for her. He tried to argue, but I'm bigger than he is and I lived in Africa for a long time, so he just wrote the prescription. She was fine in a couple of days.

 

There are more and more ticks being carried in by the invaders. The Americans imported it from Vietnam during the war, that's how it got into America.

 

Be especially careful for the Bont Tick or Bont-legged Tick. Ordinary ticks are either big and grey (female) or small and brown. The Bont-legged Tick is greenish brown, with striped legs. It burrows under the skin. If it gets a dog, you can only see the legs sticking out. It then injects a poison into the flesh, which actually rots the flesh. If it bites you, it feels like someone is pushing a red hot knitting needle into your leg and you'll probably grab it before if gets far in, but it leaves a nasty sore.

 

The first time I saw one on a dog, i thought it was eating itself. All the skin and hair had rotted off the entire shoulder blade. Thank God we had an elderly vet. He took one look and knew exactly what it was. He dug it out and just gave me a can of Gentian Violet and Chloramphenicol spray. You can't suture it, the sutures just tear out. You just spray it three or for time daily. It took about 2 months before the hair and flesh grew back. By the following season, you couldn't see where it had been

 

I saw a bont-legged tick in Bavaria when we went on holiday down there a couple of years ago. I can betcha all your "visitors" have brought a few with them.

 

 

[CyprusAvenue]

@Someone2630 that is one horrible pic!!  Can imagine that in Africa you would have seen quite a collection of these creatures and don't they pick some interesting places to burrow.  Years ago my dog had an engorged tick, I'd never seen one before and certainly hadn't heard of such a thing and it was many years after she'd passed that I realised what it had been.  Extraordinary what happened to your dog and that it was eventually able to recover.

 

Tick season in the UK has been getting longer and too many public places fail to put up warning signs.  In fact I've heard of one area where the local council didn't want to scare off the tourists so refused to put up signs.

[Someone2630]

The invaders are bringing all these horrible things to Europe, including malaria mosquitoes, poisonous spiders, and millions of fleas, ticks and lice. I know for a fact that Poland has exported millions of bed bugs to the UK.

 

Lucky that UK weather (like here) is not particularly conducive to these species, but they adapt in time, just like the invaders do.

 

You'll eventually develop a survival instinct, like checking your legs when you've bee walking in long grass, watching for venomous snakes where you are walking, tipping your shoes upside down every morning for scorpions. Making sure that your bed sheets aren't moving or have lumps in them - snakes like to snuggle up in the warmth. Don't put your hands under windowsills, the black widow spider likes places like that.

 

Don't laugh, they are all coming, they are not only on the people, they are in the luggage and so are the eggs of ticks, lice, fleas, spiders and scorpions.

 

Europeans lost their survival instinct a long time ago. Go live in Africa or Central America, and they very quickly come back (or you don't survive).

 

If you ever read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Speckled Band. It was a Fer de Lance. There are hundreds in Central America. I was working on my computer one evening next to the air conditioner and there was a young Fer de Lance curled up, sleeping. I put him into a box (with a long stick) and threw him outside. My wife said "Why didn't you kill it?" Whats the point, he has hundreds of his brothers and sisters out there, one isn't going to make much difference, why kill only one - poor thing!

[Mikhail Liebestein]

Ticks are evil little buggers. There are quite a lot around Surrey /Sussex, I even got bitten by one during the kids sports day last summer.

 

Fortunately I noticed, and dug it out with a corkscrew point I had lying around as we had picnic with us. A Doctor told me it is normally zero risk if you get it out within a couple of hours.

Edited September 5, 2020 by Mikhail Liebestein

[Someone2630]

Your doctor is talking crap. If it's an infected tick, you get it. END OF STORY!

 

Not all ticks are infected, even in Africa.