Rosa's Story

My story began 7 years ago, in July 1992. We had gone to visit my family in Connecticut. My son and I had hiked to my sister's house through the woods. I never noticed the bite til I returned home to Pennsylvania. I was at work when I felt a bite on my upper left thigh. I'd also had a very stiff neck that morning which I attributed to sleeping wrong. Within a week or two I awoke with large rashes on both arms. Plus, I had been falling asleep at lunchtime and whenever I sat down.

I asked my doctor to test me for Mono, which came back negative. Then I had arthritis in my feet! I never felt right after that and different symptoms kept popping up and disappearing all along, until Dec. 26,1992, when I tried to get up for work. I had severe vertigo, nausea, and fever. I was off work for 5 months battling everything from double vision, heart palpitations, and the whole left side of my body feeling like pins and needles! Still no one would believe that I had Lyme.

I ended up in the E.R. one night cause my head felt like it was ready to explode! I couldn't tolerate light either and I was still extremely dizzy. Their diagnosis: a UTI . The doc put me on Doxycycline for it. Within days I got much worse. His answer was to quit taking the drug. I finally went to a doctor who is 2 hours away. He put me on 2 antibiotics and lo and behold , I began to get better. But within a month or so after finishing the course of antibiotics,the infection started up again with symptoms.

But not wanting to travel I did not go back. Well 7 years to the day, Dec. 26,1999, I awoke with severe vertigo and nausea, fever, and chills. I had all the same tests repeated. They again were looking for Multiple Schlerosis. And as usual all tests came back negative. So I am here in limbo land without a diagnosis, poor balance, poor eyesight(my left eye will not track), headaches, memory loss, poor concentration, and fatigue. Need I go on?. I just wish someone there would believe me.

I returned to work light duty last week. I want to do my old job, but with my poor balance, that is definitely out. I work at an Outpatient Rehab! So I guess it is back to my 2 hour trips to the doc. I told my husband that I have had it with their tests. I hope the doc will still treat me. I felt so much better on the antibiotics and I want my life back! Reading other people's stories helps because you realize that you are not alone. Thanks for all the info and keep it coming!

Rosa Breindel, Kersey , PA.

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