Thread by @danaparish

That’s exactly right.

It happened to me with #Lyme. I was one of the lucky ones who got the right diagnosis (after 5 months/ 12 docs!) & got better.

Many don’t. #LongCovid #ChronicLyme

https://twitter.com/njbbari3/status/1608645245629247490

I was super healthy. At the prime of my life & music career.

Got a tick bite (likely, in my sleep!) at a wedding in NJ.

Initial flu-like illness lasted 2-3 days. Then I saw rash on shoulder around a tiny bite.

Went to urgent care & they Rx’ed 3 weeks antibiotics.

I was told I caught the Lyme infection early so not to worry.

I took the antibiotics and felt ok. This was in July. Went on with my life.

Woke up one morn in Oct. & all Hell broke loose. Swollen breast, severe pain, severe arm weakness, severe insomnia/ anxiety/ ahnedonia.

I had NONE of these symptoms prior.

It was a living nightmare to go to sleep feeling normal & wake up to my brain & body on🔥 .

I was sent from doctor to doctor and not a single one would CONSIDER the tick bite!

They were SO dogmatic & illogical. I was stunned & appalled & enraged.

I even saw 3 @IDSAInfo docs & not one tested me for other tick-borne infections or considered Lyme had not cleared.

Fast forward to December. I felt I couldn’t breathe.

My internist (worked in NYC hospital) walked me down the hall for an emergency echocardiogram.

I was in ❤️ failure.

It was 100% preventable.

I want to point out that my initial flu-like infection was not that bad and resolved quickly.

CHRONIC INFECTIONS LIKE #Lyme, #Covid, #HIV all often start w a “mild” flu-like illness that ppl recover from.

👏🏻 THE 👏🏻 INITIAL 👏🏻 ILLNESS 👏🏻 OFTEN 👏🏻 ISN’T 👏🏻 THE 👏🏻 PROBLEM. 👏🏻

I was lucky to have seen the bite & rash (diagnostic for Lyme— there is NO early Lyme test & most never see bite!).

I was lucky a friend sent me to Dr. #13 @StevePhillipsMD who discovered I not only still had Lyme but a second infection (ticks are cesspools) called Bartonella.

He saved my ❤️. My life.

My heart failure resolved within abt 6-8 weeks under his care. I pulsed multiple courses of antimicrobials & antibiotics. Also took Chinese herbs under care of Zhang Clinic.

I had NO prob on the treatment. I got my life back in under a year.

When I got better, I couldn’t live w what happened to me knowing how many more were similarly suffering—gaslighted & misled by a medical 🌎 who has no clue abt chronic infections, & in the case of Lyme, thinks they don’t exist! 🤦🏻‍♀️

So much literature. So little curiosity.

Btw- chronic, stealth infections cause SO much autoimmune, psych, neuro dz & they’re SO COMMON!

That’s why @StevePhillipsMD & I wrote a book together called “CHRONIC.”

Treatable infections are ignored Bc there’s no $ in cures & tons in chronic illness!

Think abt it.