Anyone else have anything like this?

Since coming home from my stay at the hospital where they allowed whatever was in my calves to progress, Ive developed a red swelling on both palms between my pinkies and the ulna (wristbone).  The lymph is backing up alongside the ulna, something most wouldn't notice unless they were rail thin like me.  Whatever is in my palms has sealed itself in there, blocking the flow of lymph into my hands at the wrist.  Biggest problem is the darned things twitching and sometimes going into spasms, and burns like fire.  I promise you all, it isn't my muscles either!  There's something alive in there!

I found something that occurs in the European version of Lyme that resembles what has taken place in my legs and hands, not pretty, known as acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans.  It resembles a mild form of elephantiasis in some cases, if you do a google image search.  The ones that were in my calves were impervious to anything I took orally and required injections inside the "bag" they formed to make them move on.  I still don't know if it's spirochetes or some sort of filariasis.  Anxiously awaiting my Western Blot results.

[JackieCalifornia]

Bob,

I just did a search for acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, as I'm sure you have done, and wonder if you have seen the postings at

www [dot] lymeneteurope [dot] org / forum /  viewtopic [dot] php ? f = 6 &  t = 491

[need to take all the spaces out and replace [dot] with a period, as usual.]

Scientific and pithy, but thorough and thoughtful.  Might be of interest --

Be sure to let us know what your test results are --

[nutrinut_bob]

I wonder if any of the labs does testing for this strain?  My Lyme doctor is in Ohio, where I will be moving back to ere long.  She mentioned further testing once I get medicaid.  I've applied for medicaid here in IN, that doesn't cover a doctor or testing in Ohio, will have to do the paperwork again once I move.  Delays, delays...But what the heck, it hasn't killed me in over 40yrs, I don't expect it to soon.

[JackieCalifornia]

I think one of the confusing factors for docs not well-versed in Lyme is that the different strains of Lyme can have different symptoms and effects.  

I kind of had a hazy notion that it might be so, but hadn't focussed on that as a diagnostic and treatment issue until I read the LymeNet Europe post referenced above about B. afzelii, which is not common in the Western hemisphere, it seems.  Wiki says there are 30 *known* species of Borellia ... at least the the part of wiki I could see before the blackout screen descended ... and the symptoms and effects vary signficantly.

A good doc will engage in a discussion of the different effects of various strains, or be willing to learn more about it if you open the door for them, esp. if it's published in medical journals.  :)