Happy New Year

[monotreme]

Hi everyone.  I wanted to say Happy New year and best wishes for 2008.  I mised the forum but admittedly am a changed person after what happened on Christmas Eve and Christmas.  The pain was horrible and felt like a tractor trailer was sitting on my ribs and from my T12 area to both sides of my ribs and across my stomach was so tight and squeezing I could hardly breathe.

This whole experience scared me horribly and I am not bouncing back this time too well.  this has happened before but only for an hour or so every few months.  This time the spasms took off with a mind of their own.  Now I still have prickly stabbing feeling in my T12 and my left foot has been in a spasm for a few days with no let up.

My children are very subdued about this holiday.  Seeing their dad suffer was especially  quite traumatic to our younger children.  We seem to be a changed family.

I have no primary doctor.  I found one in nearby Pennsylvania that is accepting new patients but his family practice centers on some kind of spirochete theory.  Quix, do you know anythng about this?  My wife is not too enthusiastic about this.  Something about spirochetes moving in and out of cells causing disease.  I will take Elaine with me but I am without a doctor and pickings are slim, believe me.

So I will call in the morning.  I am tired of having pain and spasms and having doctors who will give me nothing.  however, my former primary and Elaine had a "discussion" about this.  She thinks my symptoms should be managed.  The doctor says he is not responsible for treating symptoms of a disease that is not diagnosed.

So I am stuck and will go to this PA family practice and see if he is at all decent.  I would love some kind of anti-spasmodic drug to get me through to the end of january and my appt in Oregon.  Elaine won't buy into some strange spirochete theory, but maybe he will give me drugs for spasms.

Wishing everyone peace in 2008.
Craig

[grannyhotwheels]

Don't nobody tell me there ain't no God.  If that where true then he would not have already answered my prayer about this situation you almost got in.

Yipppieee!!

I'm so happy that you have Elaine in your life.  I'm sure you already know how fortunate you are but I thought I would tell you any way.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[monotreme]

Hi Carol.  I showed Elaine the note from Quix.  She said to stay away from the PA doctor and she will keep looking for someone who is accepting new patients.  

Thank you for your concern.  I also got suspicious when I saw that he does not accept insurance.  You pay cash and then hope you get re-imbursed from insurance.  So forget that.  if he was legitimate, he would take my insurance money.  Elaine said we will get stuck with a big bill and stupid medical care..again!!

Thanks for looking out for us.  

Craig

[grannyhotwheels]

Craig my main prayer for you is that God will give you peace from all pain until you get to Oregon.  I truly pray that you don't even waist your time at the PA Clinic.  Surely to goodness there is another doctor who doesn't believe this way you can go see until the Oregon trip.

I know it's none of my business but just like everyone else here, I feel like you, Elaine, and the children are my own family.  I care what happens to you.  I don't want you going to a doctor that is going to only waste valuable time.  The sooner you are treated for your monster the sooner you can start having a more functional life.

The time Quix is talking about is all to familiar to me and I pray that you don't get involved in any way with that ****.  That's the nicest way I can put it.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[pennst8r]

I have been so worried about you. So happy you have Elaine - what a gem! I'm so glad to see you back on the forum. I have been and will continue to keep you and your family in my prayers

I pray that you will have a healthier and happy new year, and that you will find the answers that you deserve.

Take care

Hugs

Penn

[mokibear]

I'm so sorry that you had to go through that and at Christmas time to boot. You sure have had more than your share of problems. I pray that you feel better soon and that you get a doctor who will give you something for the pain and spasms. It is not right for you to suffer so.

I pray for you to have the best year ever in 2008, everything from getting relief from your symptoms to getting answers. Your family sounds incredibly supportive and although they worry about you, they too will get through this. I wish all of you peace and happiness. Take care of yourself.

Moki


Moki

[gooddays]

Craig and All.  I think that the doctors that are trying to come up with diffrent ideas or theories of hidden diseases are not experiencing what you are or do not have a family member who is going through the whole ordeal.  That is the sad part of the deal, you know why? because if one of their family would have at least one of many symptoms we face every day, they will provide them with medications for whatever it is they are feeling. (sometimes such medication is even free because they have representatives from the pharmaceuticls visiting them and they leave samples)

I am sorry that your are feeling so bad, specially this time of the year and that your kids are seeing you which causes suffering to the whole family.  It happens to all of us.

I do not know if you have tried this, but sometimes those patches that are sold otc help relieve pain to some extend you may want to try them until you see this doctor or the one in Oregon.  I know that MS pain is very difficult to treat and to endure, but the only thing to loose here is a few bucks, I have done it and in my case, it worked.

In the meantime, do not loose your faith we would be praying for your family specially for your pain to go away so that you can lead an almost real life to spend with your family.

Please keep us posted.

Zulma

[monotreme]

Thanks Quix.  Elaine was just saying a bit ago that she guesses one could use her auto-immune thyroid disease as a spirochete theory too, only that the spirochete invaded the thyroid.  I have had repeated Lyme titers and negative Western Blot.  Elaine is not about to be convinced that I have neuro-Lyme.

So many people we know have come to her in the past six months to tell her that I must have neuro-Lyme.  And I remember Savagek.  However, she usually tells them thanks but no thanks because I have no joint aches, fevers etc and always negative tests.

I am hoping that we can use this doctor to get drugs for the spasms and nothing else till the end of January.  I feel a desperate need to keep working my limited hours, using up all my vacation time also, just to keep my insurance and feel a little normal for my childrens' sake.   Anything I can use to get me through for the next 30 days would be nice.  

Yes, my former primary doc was a real disappointment.
Craig

[Quixotic1]

The "theory" of disease that you are speaking of is likely the "Tick-borne Infection" view that most of what we call autoimmune or CFS or Fibro, or MS is actually deep, hidden infection with the Lyme spirochete, Borellia burgdorferi, and it's close relatives like Babiosis, Erlichiosis and a couple others.   Many practitioners are also including infections with Chalmydia and Mycoplasma in their theories.   It is a quite radically different view of medicine which depends highly on the use of different combinations of antibiotics (sometimes for years) and attempts to boost, rather than subdue or modulate the immune system.

I find the "science" behind it questionable.  What findings there are are often not reproducible and, in my opinion, they have generalized the theory to beyond absurd boundaries.  I have spent hours reading their scientific papers and their claims and, personally, they come no where close to convincing me.  I do believe that these infections can cause deep, long lasting neurological disease.  For example I readily accept the existence of Neuro-Borelliosis with CNS invasion (so-called Lyme-MS, or Lyme disease mimicking MS).  but, I feel strongly that the "Spirochete Theory" has been taken FAR beyond reason. The Lyme believers tend to be quite vocal, as is any group which feels they have found a revolutionary new truth.  The Marshall Protocol is also part of this new view of disease and physiology.

For all people in search of all of the information:  you need to be aware that a group of people believe that MS is, in fact, the result of a deep, hidden and difficult to treat infection.  Many people claim to be in the process of "cure" of their misdiagnosed MS by the use of antibiotics.  In a disease that is marked with spontaneous improvement and remission, I feel it is easy to mislead people.  I guess in 20 years or so, we will know which side is correct.  If any of you would like more information on alternative theories of MS you can go to the Lyme forum here on MedHelp and ask questions about their approach and the science behind it.

My feeling about the practitioners is that they likely run the gamut from excellent physicians to out-and-out charlatans (as we saw here on the forum last fall.)  I, personally, wouldn't put my own health care in their hands, but they have many devoted followers.

Everytime this comes up, we get a lot of these people here and, I'm sure this time will be no different.

Your former primary doc is a jerk.

I hope you find someone willing to treat you symptomatically until everything is sorted out.  Quix

[monotreme]

Thank you so much Heather.  Your prayers are the best Christmas present.  I know they helped.  You are so thoughtful, worrying about me and not having drugs that would give me relief.   What a wonderful friend.

I truly wish you a blessed New year.  Thanks for your friendship to me and my family.  It is very much appreciated.

Craig

[Heather3418]

Believe me...I prayed so hard for you, Elaine and your children, when you went through this recent crisis.  I was so afraid for you.  I was actually ready to drive all the way to your house with the anti-spasmodic drugs that would have brought you relief.  I was THAT concerned for you and your pain.  I am very serious, Craig.  Thank the good Lord that you are feeling a little better. I will continue to keep your family in my prayers.  You have my word.

Be well my friend.  You and your family are so important to all of us.  I know that others join me in prayer....

Craig and everyone one on this forum, I wish you peace, happiness and most of all good health in the coming year and certainly in the years that follow

Heather