Can Lyme Disease initiate MS?

I have Lyme Disease. I live in Mississipp and 2 Western Blots are positive for Lyme. Weeks were spent under care of neuro who suspected MS. MRI's show 3 active lesions on the brain. One on the brainstem (pons). All of my symptoms arrived in this order:stiffness of muscles in back an neck (feel very tight) eye muscle weak, drooping of lid, facial tingling around lips and cheek, fainting spell, toes numb over intervals of 6 months with the last occurence of numbess in my chest and abdomen, encircling my upper half and more prominent when I flex my neck ever so slightly. (This upper body numbness began Nov 13th,07 and in the past week-Jan 6th, 08 has become almost unnoticeable). At times this week Ive had a burning sensation stream thru the same spot on the same foot that has numb toes at times. Gets real hot then subsides.
I have great concerns that my Neurologist who was initially confident that I have what he called the beginning of MS -relapse/remitting and even went so far as to discuss the medication Copaxone with myself and husband while we awaited results of Spinal tap. He said diagnosis of MS is 90% MRI  and such lesions, particularly the brain-stem lesion but that the spinal could tell us more. When results arrived there were no 'bands' present in CSF and he completely dismissed his initial believe of MS. - Also, Lyme not present in CSF at time of spinal. He wants to see me for follow ups and sent me on my way to an Infectious Disease doctor because although no lyme was in spinal, 2 blood serum test reveal positives for LYME and also ANA positive. The Infectious disease doctor treats with Doxycycline/amoxicillin as well and says I DO have lyme. Been taking the meds since DEC 5th 07 and am feeling more energy and overall well being increased.  I have had long term fatigue that increased in the last 6 months of 07 with lots of joint/body pain. Knees, elbows, shoulders, shoulder blades, neck stiffness, etc which has reduced as well but still flaring up at times.
My concern are obvious:
Multiple lesions on brain--went from 2 to 3 in 5 weeks on MRI"S (in sept/oct 07)- symptoms indicate clinically MS, with positive MRI"S and radiological interpretation indicating possible MS as well on reports dictated. highly unlikely at age 41 I have small vessel disease...so these things that come and go as if going in and out of remission are tale tale signs that indicate I have MS, why would SPINAL tap be used as his definitive decision maker and him go from saying 90% of MS diagnosis is from MRI? Since no bands present: POOF, NO Multiple Sclerosis. Isn't that a bit incorrect in the present day school of thought---Isn't it possible that there were no bands present because it just hasn't gotten to that point where they are showing up? And do they have to present to diagnose? Or would it just make him more comfortable if the bands were present in order for him to make a definitive diagnosis?
Sounds kind of crazy to me. The infectious disease doctor was speechless upon learning of my lesions on brainstem and reading the reports from radiologists. He is the one that mentioned there are many cases where MS patients are positive for lyme and vice versa....but what do we do, remain sitting ducks, waiting for a disease to progress, what will the next lesion bring? How serious is this? Share any information you would like with me. I'm all ears! Thanks.

[zombie32]

This is my story:
Well this all started sometime in March of 2007 with numbness in left pinky finger. That was the only symptom back then and I never really paid attention to it. It would stay numb for a few hours in the morning and that was it. After that I really I used to get fatigued regularly so I thought it was because of work and since every new day I was fine, I just did not care about it. I have had IBS for 10 years or so, and I was using immodium very regularly (like 2 tablets every second day for 3 years in a row, until I started to use fiber and the I quit immodium). Anyways, on July 27th 2007 I had pain in my left arm. It was shooting pain from under my arm pit to the hand. I would have tingling in chest also. So I went to ER. Next day my PCP referred me to a Cardiologist. They did the following tests:
1. Blood Work
2. CT Scan
3. Stress Analysis Test using some kinda liquid
4. Ultra Sound of Heart Valves
Everything was Normal. I was told its in your head. May be it was. For the next 3 weeks, I was fine. No fatigue no pain whatsoever. Then in late August I was in washroom taking shower when I felt severe weakness again. Went to the Cardiologist again and this time they checked main arteries connecting to the heart. Again result was ok. Then I was referred to a Neurologist. This time I felt fatigued for almost 3 weeks. There was no tingling sensations at this point. Only fatigue, weakness in legs and arms and pain ONLY in left arm, same general area. No chest Pains. I was told to do the following tests by neurologist:
1. Evoked Potential
2. MRI of Brain and Cervical Spine
3. Lyme disease check
During this time I had been to the ER twice and seen my PCP like 5 times, in a period between Aug 28th 2007 to Oct 30th 2007. Everything came back normal was waiting on my MRI results when I again felt pain in left arm and went to Johns Hopkins on Nov 5th 2007, to see a Cardiologist. He suggested  he is 100% sure , that my heart is fine. He thought its your neck may be, but don’t do any tests, may be you will never find out what’s wrong.  Just chill.
3 Days later MRI results come and my PCP called me. Now I am again in some kinda remission mode, as no symptoms at all. No fatigue nothing. Anyways, MRI showed a 5mm lesion in my cervical spine. So I go back to my neurologist and he says it may be very early stage of MS. I was like whats that and he said we don’t have a diagnosis yet, so he cannot explain. I was like OK. I was asked to do LP and another MRI. I did the MRI on Dec 3rd 2007 but didn’t do the LP until today.
I wanted a second opinion so went to the 2nd neurologist also at Hopkins. (Hopkins is like 2 hrs drive from my house). The neuro said, after looking at my new and old MRI films that he thought the scar on 1st MRI is artifactual and he proved it by showing a line going through the spinal fluid area. He said you are fine. Your Brain looks beautiful and your cervical is absolutely fine as well as your thoerasic. He said in worse case situation come after 1 year and we will do MS testing, if even needed. Right now, he thought I don’t have any MS related symptoms. MRI is clean and there is no need for LP.
After that I felt ok for a few days, I did not have weakness or fatigue as I used to have, however, I had new symptoms. Like everything was loud to me at times, people talking around me made me uncomfortable, then I would have this one ear close suddenly for a few seconds. Tingling started to happen, mostly in arms and hand and feet. Sometimes in abdomen also. In late December 2007, my neck would feel tight. I would feel severe tightness in my neck. Then this weird sound in left year as if I am sitting in a plane. It would come and go. Again, fatigue was not there. I would go and work and do everything. Right now as I type my symptoms are:
Left arm pain, Tingling all over body, Today I had been typing in office for like 10 min, and as I moved my hand my right arm below elbow felt very weak and with severe pain I could not lift anything for like 10 min. Then everything was just normal. I still have that slight pain, but I can lift things easily. I still feel that my both arms are very weak, just comparing with what it was in July, back then I never had weakness in arms. Doctor’s say I don’t have MS or one said, just wait and see. See what???  My symptoms are with me very day nowdays, whether it is tingling or tightness in neck or pain in arm or weakness in arm. However, NO TWO SYMPTOMS OCCUR SIMULATANIOUSLY , MEANING IF I AM HAVING LEFT ARM PAIN(FROM WHERE IT ALL STARTED) I WONT HAVE RIGHT ARM PAIN, TINGLING COME AND GOES, I ONLY FEEL IT FOR LIKE 5 SECONDS and then  its gone. I am doing an LP on Jan 14th and see a spine specialist on Jan 17th. I have also felt lately that I have ZAPS, I mean those electric shock like things in my arms.
Could all this be due to some neurological changes in me, e.g may be new nerves, damage to nerves(but how, if not MS). I thought Doctor’s would eliminate very other thing and then talk about MS, here its just the opposite. Are these symptoms, totally insync with MS.  But if no lesions and even if LP is ok then what can be wrong. I’ve heard that in medical science human body’s neuro system is only 25% understood by medical science as compared to Heart which is like almost 100% understood by doctors. Is this true? Could you please tell me, what other diseases, these symptoms suggest? Are there any other diseases?

My understanding is use Mcdonalds criteria and thats wat ur neuro will use. If you have +ve MRI's showing lesions in the right places and also +ve symptoms you are pretty much certain to get probable MS or may be MS by ur doctor. However, if you dont have lesions at all and ur LP is also normal and just symptoms then 99% of the doctors will not diagnose MS.