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Undiagnosed illnesses leave doctors with bad bedside manners

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Winnipegger Megan Duczminski will never forget the moment when, lying in a hospital bed and waiting for treatment, she overheard residents outside her door talking about her case.

They were laughing.

“They were saying ‘Oh, she thinks she has this symptom, too? And she thinks she has that symptom, seriously?'” she said. “They were ridiculing me.”

Duczminski, 29, said she’s spent close to two years in and out of hospital seeking respite from myriad symptoms, ranging from headaches to partial paralysis, only to get conflicting diagnoses, ridicule or both.

And that, CBC health columnist Dr. Brian Goldman says, is a symptom of a larger issue: how chronic undiagnosed illness is stressful for both patients and physicians.

Bad bedside manners

“I would hope that my colleagues aren’t dismissive” in these cases, Goldman said. “But if I don’t know the diagnosis, I’m getting anxious, ’cause I’m thinking ‘What am I going to say?’ How many times am I going to say ‘I don’t know’ before someone says ‘You call yourself a doctor?'”

In times of stress, the medical community sometimes succumbs to bad bedside manners, he said.

“A lot of the time, people like me are thinking about our own distress when they see people like Megan,” Goldman said. “And as preposterous as that sounds, it’s very hard to be empathetic if you’re thinking about yourself and not about the person that you’re empathizing with.”

Duczminski has unsuccessfully searched for answers since the first symptoms appeared, including going to doctors in the U.S. who now say she has Lyme disease. Doctors in Manitoba say it’s a combination of some mystery illness and fibromyalgia.

None of them are her advocates, she said.

‘Tuck her in’

“I remember on one of my visits to emergency, I was waiting for 10 hours, sitting in a chair and in severe pain, so my mother asked if there was a bed for me to lie down in,” Duczminski recalled. “The nurse said ‘Oh, does she want us to tuck her in, too?'”

Controversial diagnoses — the Canadian medical community is divided over the validity of U.S. tests for Lyme disease — carry added challenges, Goldman said.

His advice for Duczminski and others dealing with similar scenarios is to do some research, find someone in the mainstream medical community who’s well-respected — and advocate for yourself.

“And you hope that you’ve got your physician on your side who can advocate on your behalf and say ‘You know what? Somebody like Megan is a reasonable person,'” Goldman said. “‘I don’t think they’re making this up. The symptoms don’t fit into the usual package of neurological diseases that I see. Could it be …?’ And then you send the patient to a specialist.”

And treat the physician with the same respect you want, Goldman advised, especially once you’ve found one who will listen to you.


Bitten: A Patient With Tickborne Disease Struggles To Find The Right Provider

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For a patient with Lyme disease–like symptoms, the biggest challenge is finding a specialist who understands her condition.

“Back home after three days, I peeled off my clothes for a long-overdue shower. Reflected in the bathroom mirror was a rash the shape of a bull’s-eye, blooming bright red on my left hip. A crimson omen on soft, pale flesh. After dinner I developed a fever that alternately froze and scalded me. My joints turned to piercing shards of glass, and pain stabbed my left temple. My vision blurred, and my eyes became so sensitive that I flinched when my husband, Kevin, turned on an overhead light.

The words Lyme disease flashed through my aching brain. A decade earlier I’d heard the term mentioned ominously on a hiking trip in the White Mountains. Yet despite my years of trail running, hiking, and camping, I’d never done so much as a single check for ticks. And were sick ticks even a problem in the South? As I recalled, only ticks in New England had Lyme disease, and not all of them were carriers of it.

A few minutes on Google confirmed that the bull’s-eye rash was a clear sign of Lyme disease. I read that antibiotics, administered early, could zap the corkscrew-shaped bacteria and prevent their wreaking long-term havoc on the patient’s brain, muscles, and joints.

But, I learned, antibiotics don’t work for everyone.”

Click here to read the full article.

Late stage Lyme disease

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Most Australia’s are not diagnosed with Lyme disease until the disease has become chronic, also known as Late Stage Lyme disease. This is due to the medical profession being untrained and inexperienced in identifying the symptoms of Lyme disease. Additionally, local testing is also unreliable as a negative test result does not automatically exclude Lyme disease as it the majority of cases Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis.

Symptoms and treatment information

The following treatment information is an extract based on an article entitled Late Stage Lyme Disease, Patient Information. The full article provides an insight into Late Stage Lyme disease and is useful for those recently diagnosed.

  • Confusion/Disorientation – Your short-term memory will probably be taking a nice long vacation. You may find yourself confused about where you are and what you’re doing every time the scenery changes. Like when walking from one room to another, or driving (DON’T!). Sometimes even when just sitting or lying around doing nothing. It could also be even more intense, with temporary bouts of amnesia. But it’s a fact of life that vacations do end. This one tends to be about the most disconcerting psychological symptom for most people. Again though, it’s caused by the toxin release from the dying bacteria. It will get better and eventually go away!

Click here to read the full article.

Introducing Results RNA Lyme Support

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We are so thrilled to announce our partnership with Results RNA. This company has gone above and beyond in creating a product that is not only 100% natural and safe but is effective in treating Lyme Disease. If you or someone you know is suffering with Lyme and having difficulty getting any kind of help, I advise you to look at this product. It is recommended by doctors across the nation for treating all sorts of auto-immune issues. This is medical grade treatment that is safe to use and you don’t need a prescription. Let’s stop killing our bodies with these harsh antibiotics and start finding natural treatments that work.

 

Results RNA Lyme Support

I will be interviewing the president of Results RNA David Larson on my show March 9th 11am Pacific time. David will be introducing us to the company and why they have taken this amazing leap in the world of healing to bring solutions to you. You can tune in live by clicking here. Or visit www.thedrpatshow.com, www.transformationtalkradio.com or download the mobile app. Simply search “Transformation Talk Radio” in your app store.

 

on-air-transparent

Our listeners are getting a special 10% discount on their first order. Visit www.resultsrna.com and use the discount code “drpat” when you check out. Many of you know me as the host of The Dr. Pat Show and have been listening for years. Others may not know who I am, but let me tell you one thing. I do not endorse just any product. I made a promise to you the listeners from the very beginning that my show is about personal-growth, healing, and empowerment. I would not try to sell them anything rather, I would educate them on what is available to them as resources and give my honest feedback about it. So I am now giving my honest feedback about this company and what they have done.

Tune in to the show March 9th 11am Pacific or follow Lyme Global on Facebook and Twitter and we will be posting the podcast to listen after the live show.

DrPatBaccili-KKNW-2015

Kelowna Vet Hospital Develops Spray to Protect Pets from Ticks

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“A local veterinary hospital in Kelowna is hoping their creation will help protect pets from ticks and mosquitos.

Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital has developed a natural flower spray that will protect pets against ticks and mosquitos.”

It’s about time somebody figured out a way to help protect our animal friends. Thank you Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital and keep up the good work! To read more of this article continue here:

Legalize Lyme Disease

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“Lyme disease has reached epidemic proportions.

It is the fastest growing infectious bacterial disease in America. Generally contracted by a tick bite, new evidence shows it is also contractible via mosquito, spider, or fly bite [1], via the womb from mother to child [2], or potentially through unprotected sex [3].

The CDC states that it does not know how many people have Lyme disease. Their 2013 estimate shows between 329,000 and 1 million new cases per year. This figure does not include thousands who are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or suffering from Lyme in a chronic state. 25% of all Lyme cases are children.”

 

It’s time Lyme was taken seriously. Lyme Disease is out of control and the CDC must change its legislation and create better funding. This can’t continue. To read more of this article continue here:

10 Must Know Facts About Lyme Disease

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Although Lyme ticks are more prominent during warmer weather, they still exist even in the colder seasons. We’re here with 10 facts that you MUST know.

Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted to humans from tick bites. Ticks infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi cause the disease and are most active from April to September, which means spring and summer are the prime times for infection. With the right steps and regular tick checks, you can prevent Lyme disease. Most cases can be treated and cured.

Here are ten facts about ticks and Lyme Disease:

1. You can only get Lyme disease from a tick bite

2. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. 

3. You can probably remove the tick by yourself if you notice it in time.

4. In most cases, it takes 36 to 48 hours for an infected tick to transmit Lyme disease after it attaches itself to you.

5. There was once a Lyme disease vaccine that was discontinued in 2002.

6. The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a rash that looks like a bull’s eye. 

7. Lyme disease is officially diagnosed with a blood test.

8. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated and cured with antibiotics.

9. Lyme disease doesn’t go away in all cases, even with treatment.

10. You can take precautions to prevent Lyme disease. 

If you like this article,

Visit the original article here

The post 10 Must Know Facts About Lyme Disease appeared first on Lyme Talk Radio.

Lyme Patients Denied Insurance

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Lyme Patients Denied Care and Insurance Because of Missing Diagnostic Codes.

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Global Network on Institutional Discrimination

Feb 08, 2017, 10:04 ET

VERO BEACH, Fla., Feb. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Struck by a duck? Burned because your water skis caught on fire? Have a bizarre personal appearance? Fortunately, the World Health Organization has assigned over 68,000 diagnostic codes to cover these and thousands of other conditions.

When your doctor checks off one of these diagnostic codes, insurance billing goes smoothly, your case is recorded, and data is available to guide medical and public health research and health policy, track mortality, and save health care dollars.

But things can go horribly wrong when accurate diagnostic codes are absent. Many Lyme disease symptoms and complications are not found in the diagnostic codes. For example, Dr. Neil Spector, a top cancer researcher at Duke University School of Medicine, was near death because Lyme disease severely weakened his heart, requiring a life-saving heart transplant 12 years after a tick bite.

Lyme disease isn’t rare. More than 300,000 Lyme disease cases are reported each year by the CDC in the U. S. alone. It is six times more common than HIV/AIDS and twice as common as breast cancer. When appropriate diagnostic codes are missing, care is often denied and unreported, leading to life-threatening and debilitating illnesses. Patients become invisible to the medical system and to those guiding public policy.

Without diagnostic codes, physicians are hamstrung in their ability to properly care for their patients, leaving many cut off from appropriate treatment and insurance coverage. This contributes to great personal hardship, pain, disability and expense.

But this may soon change. The Global Network on Institutional Discrimination recently contacted Dr. Ian Smith of the World Health Organization (WHO) to request a meeting to modernize the Lyme disease diagnostic codes.

Jenna Luche-Thayer, director of the Global Network on Institutional Discrimination, is confident that WHO’s policies and procedures requiring engagement with stakeholders will prevail.

To support WHO’s commitment to equal access to health care, medical and scientific experts around the world have joined Luche-Thayer to develop codes that capture the many serious complications of Lyme disease. Lyme disease patients also inform and support this initiative.

With accurate codes, those “bit by a tick” can soon join those getting “struck by a duck” as having conditions worthy of treatment.

SOURCE Global Network on Institutional Discrimination

The post Lyme Patients Denied Insurance appeared first on Lyme Talk Radio.


Tick Season Starts Early This Year

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Lyme Ticks have emerged early this season. Protect yourself and your pets with the right products.

NEWS PROVIDED BY

By The Mercury

A mild winter and early spring in many parts of the country mean ticks and fleas are beginning to emerge, according to a Kansas State University veterinarian.

“The season for itching and scratching is here, and your pets will need your help to ensure they stay healthy and free of infestation,” said Susan Nelson, clinical professor at the university’s Veterinary Health Center’s Pet Health Center.

Last fall season was a bumper year for fleas in Kansas, and although their numbers decrease during the winter months, they never fully go away, Nelson said.

“Wildlife and protected areas around building foundations keep flea reservoirs alive, which means your cat or dog is always at risk for acquiring this parasite, even during the winter months — and this year, even more so with our milder-than-usual winter,” Nelson said.

Fleas can cause uncomfortable allergic dermatitis in pets and are a source of tapeworm infection as well, Nelson said. They also are a source for cat scratch fever and plague, which can cause serious illness, and even death, in people.

The Veterinary Health Center at Kansas State University has already seen a few dogs bothered by ticks.

“One dog was even host to the Ixodes scapularis tick, also known as the deer tick, which carries Lyme disease,” Nelson said. “This tick has not been found in Kansas until recently, but its presence is not totally unexpected as other species of ticks have also been expanding across the U.S.”

Along with the ticks come the tick-borne diseases carried by them, Nelson said. The Veterinary Health Center reported its first case of tularemia in a cat in February; typically, first cases aren’t seen until March.

“This disease is most often seen in cats and can be life-threatening,” Nelson said. “It is also zoonotic, which means it can be passed to people from their pet. Ticks are also the carrier of another, and often fatal disease, in cats called Cytauxzoonosis.”

Two of the more common tick-borne diseases seen in dogs in Kansas are ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever; but other diseases, such as anaplasmosis, Lyme and tick paralysis also can occur, according to Nelson.

“As with the cat diseases, these diseases can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness in dogs,” she said. “It should also be noted that people can also contract several of these same diseases from ticks.”

The bottom line for all pet owners, Nelson said, is to use flea and tick protection on pets year-round as one bite is all it takes transmit these dangerous diseases. She also cautions to never use products for dogs on cats as they could be fatal to felines.

Several safe and effective products are on the market. Nelson recommends contacting the Veterinary Health Center at 785-532-5690 or your local veterinarian to find out what is best for your pet.

Source

The post Tick Season Starts Early This Year appeared first on Lyme Talk Radio.

Removing Ticks With Ease on Humans & on Our Furry Friends





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