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Another day...Another doctor

I went to my primary care provider for the first time since the episodes started today. When the episodes started I was at school so I was using the health center's practitioner as my primary physician. I told my doctor the same story I have said about a million times: when it started, how often it happens, what it feels like, what medications I have tried, what tests I have done and so forth.

Then came the question I knew wouldn't go well. Luckily, my mom took it this time.

"During all of our research we are seeing an increasingly obvious overlap of her symptoms--GI, IBS, syncope, vertigo--with Chronic Lyme disease. She was diagnosed as a kid so...what can we do to investigate this?"

Now to clarify, I really do like this doctor. I have had her for a couple years and she has really helped me with a lot of my GI symptoms. But, all we have ever done is manage the symptoms without really investigating a cause beyond Chrohns or Celiacs.

BUT! Here it was. Her response was identical to all the others.

She sugar coated her denial with a long explanation of the complex nature of Lyme and how the false positives can lead to unnecessary medical actions, but at the end of her run on sentence was a big, undeniable "There is little proof that Chronic Lyme disease exists."

Just another day reminding me that when it comes to finding an advocate for my own health, I really can't do any better than my mom.


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