Hi
This page is for all of the people effected by Lyme Disease. I hope you find the information here helpful.

This is a little about me and my struggle with this horrific disease.

I have had this disease for 20 years now. It has not only effected me buy also my family.
I am very fortunate to have the greatest wife, son and parents that stand with me in my
battle with this horrible illness. I am disabled and can no longer work. I have many symptoms
and these are just a few. I have memory and comprehension deficits along with vision, speech,
motor skills, tremors in my right hand, light sensitive, severe muscle and joint pain, weakness,
have had several mini stroke type episodes, word finding skills, depression, having trouble
walking due to severe pain and swelling in my hips and knees, using my hands, balance,
bladder control and many more problems that I can go on and  on about. This has made
my life a living hell to put it mildly. I am on very heavy pain meds just to be able to move
and they hardly even help at all. I can't go anywhere or do anything most of the time.
The simple things that folks take for granted have become a major struggle for me.
My wife is an angel who not only works, but she takes care of me and is my voice to
the doctors and handles everything along with daily life with our 16 year old son, 2 dogs
and a cat and balances this with work that has her busy 7 days a week. It has become
a disease-by proxy for her and she suffers and I feel helpless to do anything. I am getting
worse all of the time and have have IV antibiotics through a cathider  that was in my chest.
I have lost my career, hobbies, doing things with my family and am mostly usless.
I am a prisoner inside my own body with my windows being my eyes. The doctors that
I have now are doing the best they can but having been ill this long and with all of the damage
done to my brain and body, they can only try to make me as comfortable as possible which
really is not very good at all, but they are trying. It's been a very hard road but I am still
here. Maybe reading this will help others see that they are not alone. Being a Lyme
sufferer is like being a small fish in a tank of all sharks. There's not a lot of hope.
But you can never lose hope. I tell myself this and I go day to day, love my wife
and son, and keep going. It beats the alternative. Well that's it for now.
Take a look at these links and I hope to put more info on here very soon.
Thanks, your friend with a twist of lyme, Rich

SYMPTOM CHECK LIST

This is not meant to be used as a diagnostic scheme, but is provided to streamline the office interview.  Note the format- complaints referable to specific organ systems are clustered to better display multisystem involvement.

NAME_______________________________________DATE__________________

RISK PROFILE (PLEASE CHECK)

Tick infested area__   Frequent outdoor activities__   Hiking__   Fishing__   Camping__

Gardening__   Hunting__   Ticks noted on pets__   Other household members with Lyme__

Do you remember being bitten by a tick?.............. No__  Yes__  when________

Do you remember having the  "bull's eye rash"? ..No__  Yes__

Any other rash?................................…................... No__  Yes__

Have you had any of the following?  CIRCLE ALL YES ANSWERS

 1.Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills, or flushing

 2.Unexplained weight change- (loss or gain- circle one)

 3.Fatigue, tiredness, poor stamina

 4.Unexplained hair loss

 5.Swollen glands: list areas_________________________________________

 6.Sore throat

 7.Testicular pain/pelvic pain

 8.Unexplained menstrual irregularity

 9.Unexplained milk production; breast pain

10.Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction

11.Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido

12.Upset stomach or abdominal pain

13.Change in bowel function- (constipation, diarrhea)

14.Chest pain or rib soreness

15.Shortness of breath, cough

16.Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block

17.Any history of a heart murmur or valve prolapse?

18.Joint pain or swelling: list joints_________________________________________________

19.Stiffness of the joints or back

20.Muscle pain or cramps

21.Twitching of the face or other muscles

22.Headache

23.Neck creaks and cracks, neck stiffness, neck pain

24.Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, shooting pains, skin hypersensitivity

25.Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)

26.Eyes/Vision: double, blurry, increased floaters, light sensitivity

27.Ears/Hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain, sound sensitivity

28.Increased motion sickness, vertigo, poor balance

29.Lightheadedness, wooziness, unavoidable need to sit or lie down

30.Tremor

31.Confusion, difficulty in thinking

32.Difficulty with concentration, reading

33.Forgetfulness, poor short term memory, poor attention, problem absorbing new information

34.Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places

35.Difficulty with speech or writing; word or name block

36.Mood swings, irritability, depression

37.Disturbed sleep- too much, too little, fractionated, early awakening

38.Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol

Reprinted with permission from ADVANCED TOPICS IN LYME DISEASE Fourteenth Edition November, 2002 DIAGNOSTIC HINTS AND TREATMENT GUIDELINES FOR LYME AND OTHER TICK BORNE ILLNESSES

JOSEPH J. BURRASCANO JR., M.D. Copyright, November, 2002

For complete Burrascano Guidelines:
http://www.lymenet.org/DrB-GuidelinesNov2002.doc