Dear Lyme Alliance,

I am writing a short summary of my story, but I am not from Michigan. I am originally from New Hampshire, but I moved nineteen years ago to New Mexico. I visit New Hampshire each summer to see my folks. That is how I got Lyme, I believe.  I was in the New England area and got the rash in August. I went to the hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire, with swollen glands, 104 degree temperature and in a stupor. I had to be driven there. I laid on the floor because I was in such pain.

The doctors walked over me. I was having extreme pain in my kidneys, so they took a urine sample. Because I had blood and white cells in my urine, they said I had kidney infection. I also had pain in my liver and spleen. I was never undressed or examined, so they never saw the bull's-eye rash. I was sent home with a prescription for Cipro, which did little. 

I could not sleep  because I was in so much pain. A friend took me to another hospital. I was given intravenous pain killers and penicillin, and released one hour later with no exam in this emergency room, either.  Three days later, when I called in for my urine culture, they said, "No growth". No more antibiotics. I got in my truck and drove to New Mexico, because I felt New England hospitals lacked hospitality and caring. Kidney tests at a kidney specialist showed they were normal. A urologist sympathetically gave me a cure - Penetrex. I took it for fourteen days and was better for one month, but it came back.

Then my dog got stiff joints. A veterinarian ruled Lyme disease and treated her with intraveneous penicillin overnight. The dog was jumping up and down the next morning.  The doctor kept her on Clavamox, a form of penicillin, for thirty days and then put her on Natacycline three times a day thereafter - since April of last year. Dog seems fine. Veterinarians are more knowledgeable now than doctors! 

After that, I tried until October to get a doctor to believe that I might have Lyme, as the blood test on the dog showed slight liver damage, kidney damage, etc., exactly the same places that I have pain. I thought of babesia, because the Penetrax is a quinalone.

In August, I heard of a Lyme support group in Boston, Massachusetts.  I went and was told to go to see Dr. Sam Donta at Boston University Medical Group. I did, and he tested my blood by Western Blot at North American Laboratories. It came back positive for Lyme.  My Elisa test done in New Mexico was negative. I had four different hospitals tell me that, due to that test, I did not have Lyme. They never considered the possibility that test might have been wrong, even though I had the rash, swollen glands, fever, headache, and a dog that had Lyme. Come on!

Now Dr. Donta has me on tetracycline, 500 mg. 3x per day. I accidentally discovered through a bladder infection that Cipro, 500 mg. 2x daily cured my bladder infection as well as the loose stools that I had all year since the tick bit me. So, if I take both of these meds, I am 95% my old, healthy self.  But, if I skip a dose or get too overtired, my symptoms come back.

I pray only for good health these days. I would be willing to lead a support group and help anyone I could.  (However, as you can see, typing would probably not be a way I could help you!) If anyone would like to come to New Mexico for a visit, I have forty acres and can offer you a free place to park your fanny while you visit the White Sands, Billy the Kid country, Carlsbad Caverns  - or just enjoy the great outdoors in the old west. Please write if you want. I will try to answer all letters.

Jan Boisvert

Jan can be reached by writing to: 146 Heather Lane, Alamogordo, NM  88310, or calling 505-437-7877

For more information on Lyme disease see: Lots Of Links On Lyme Disease

Last updated on 29 December 2000 by
Art Doherty
Lompoc, California
doherty@utech.net

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