Yesterday was the follow-up with the Lyme specialist. I was kind of disappointed to find out that my test results didn't give a concrete answer, considering if I have Lyme, at least it's treatable. But it seems that Lyme is such a tricky disease that you can't base diagnosis on test results alone. Once it becomes cronic (if it's not caught in the first few weeks), it is less likely that the antibodies will show up in blood tests. Thankfully, the doctor was interpreting my results along with my history and symptoms. He is confident that I DO have Lyme, and that I should respond to treatment. The one marker that keeps showing up as positive is a Lyme-specific marker, meaning that there is no other bacteria that would cause this positive result. Some of the other markers could show as positive if you have other illnesses - everything from syphillis to gingivitis. Considering I have a marker that only indicates Lyme, the doctor is willing to treat me.
So the good news is that I'm being treated. The bad news is that this may require 1 to 2 months of antibiotic treatment. For now, he started me on an oral antibiotic and he drew some more blood. I will go back in 2 weeks to discuss how the antibiotic is working (it's already doing a number on my stomach!) and to figure out the plan from there.
Here's to hoping that I've found the right answer this time!
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