Finally an Medical Answer

The other day we got a phone call from our pediatrician that our son tested positive for Lyme's Disease. It was a bittersweet moment. A treatable answer to why our son seems to always be sick. Like sick, sick, high fevers...horrible sore throats that don't always test positive to strep but sometimes do. We go on antibiotics and he gets better then he's sick again.

I think our pediatricians had pidgeonholed us in a slot that was for kids who didn't go to preschool and then get sick often catching all kinds of bugs that they missed being around earlier. Hmmm.

I had asked our doctors on several occasions "Could it be Lyme's?" They would always ask the same question, "Did he ever have a rash?" And I would have to answer, "No." And then they would say, "It's just a virus. There are lots going around now." I could always hear that last phrase coming as soon as they started with "It's...."

Finally after this last week of fevers I asked the doctor if we could please test for mono and Lyme's and they agreed. At last. I don't feel I know everything, but I do know my child better than they do and after hearing many "virus" and "allergies" and such I began to feel demanding. Did I have to go to medical school I asked myself? Don't wait around is the advice I give any concerned parent. I had asked at one time if we could be referred to an infectious disease doctor. One of our doctor's said, "I know you are worried, but he looks great." She couldn't say the same about me because I had been up the last 100 some hours trying to manage his fevers that tylenol and motrin could not keep down at times.

The good news is that Lyme's is treatable in it's early stages with strong doses of antibiotics for 3 weeks. It can also cause eye inflamation, trouble concentrating, and knee pain. Lyme's is not something to take lightly it can affect the brain, heart and lungs if it goes untreated.