Well, I guess I'll be waiting a while longer to test for co-infections...

[Erin]

You would not believe the week I've had.

Wednesday I went to my regular doctor because I could feel a UTI coming on. Got that confirmed...got some Macrobid.

Friday, 3 days after getting the Macrobid, the UTI symptoms seemed to not be responding to the abx like I thought it should. (last time I had it, it worked almost immediately, and certainly felt better after 3 days then)

So, I call my doctor's on-call person at 4am this morning. (oh, I havent slept for 3 days because of all this) She told me to go to the ER because of the chance of a kidney infection. I didnt want to drive there that early, so I got a little sleep, took a shower and went to the ER around 3pm.

They started checking me to see if I still had the UTI (or at least to see if the abx was working on the bacteria) Nope...they said I was close to a kidney infection.

They asked me more questions about my symptoms. Doctor felt, based on my answers that something more was going on. So...I had an embarrassingly embarrassing exam (ick, at least he was quick!) where they took a bunch of samples and ran off to culture them.

They came back and said that they figured it out. (my body is a wasteland of bacteria and fungus apparently) and they gave me some of the new abx's in the ER. (I have problems with allergies, so they observed me for a bit)

So, now there's a little world war III going on in my body between the THREE antibiotics (or is that 2 abx's and 1 antifungal?) that I'm on now and the invading army of bacteria and fungus.

So, yay...now I have to wait forever to test for the Lyme co-infections.

*banging head on desk...repeatedly. Now I need a Band-Aid*

Would someone tell all the bacteria and fungi to PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE FOR ONCE!!!!! (the fungi thing is new...never experienced that one before)


I wonder if the pile of abx's that I'm taking now will wake up some spirochetes and make them visible to the co-infection test when I'm finally able to get that done? Anyone know? (I'm taking Macrobid, Flagyl, and Diflucan)

2nd Edit: Oh, forgot to mention that I said something in the MS forum about going to the ER because I felt that something was very wrong and I was in pain (very painful pain) because of what was going on...and now someone in the MS forum went off on me because she didnt think possible kidney infection and a raging, flaming, about to explode and cover the wall with squicky goo of a yeast infection (both of which were causing me great distress) wasnt "important enough for an ER visit". Gosh...I wonder what would qualify as to be important enough to qualify for a ER visit...perhaps if I was bleeding from the eyeballs and every orifice in my body (well, I was close to bleeding from at least one orifice). Or maybe if I were impaled on 5 knitting needles in a tragic crafting accident?? At least I didnt ask them to take care of my hangnails while I was there.

[uvamomb]

Hi, Erin. I hope this finds you feeling some better. You know, I hate it when people who haven't walked in our shoes have to stick their noses into our business. It's just uncalled for. Why would anyone need to comment at all on whether you needed to be at the ER. Of course you did, look at all the blood work, cultures, etc. they did.
Sorry, I just had to take up for you.
I hope you feel better very, very soon. Please keep us posted.
Kathy

[Erin]

Well, the person who whined about ER's being only for "real" emergencies, has probably walked in our shoes. I dont quite understand why she went off on me like that. I considered that being in a lot of pain and not knowing what was causing it to be a bit of an emergency. For all I knew, my kidneys could have been shutting down or something.

I had been searching thru Google before I left for the ER, so I had about 3 ideas about what was causing my problem, but there's only so much Google can tell you, and diagnosing by Google is not always a good idea. Google doesnt have a medical degree and neither do I. I had to have someone who had all those extra letters at the end of their name examine me.

Why I was getting kvetched at in that forum for going to a doctor is beyond me. I cant blame everything that goes wrong in my body on the MS (or possible Lyme). When I told the ER doctor that I was diagnosed with MS, he said "dont worry, this probably has nothing to do with that."

I'm just happy that they figured it out and added the other meds to the one that I was already taking.

[tangye5]

Keep moving and take the antibiotics, diflucan and INH this disease is what we are and if chronic it will be with us til our last breath. It has been 17 years for me and it took ten to finally find out that I had two borrellia's and two Babesia's. Also Clamydial pneumonia found in my DNA. My chest catheter has been infusing for 28months now and every time I go off my three IV's the damn Lyme comes raging back. At least when I am on the IV therapy the brain fog is gone. The fatigue is what really gets me with the fast degenerating arthritis. My tumor necrosis is off the charts and am looking forward to a spinal fusion soon because of disc ruptures L5-S-1. Had cervical spine done last year. I know the tumors and the disc problems are related to this damn disease as well as the massive floaters in my right eye. Also having a large tumor removed from lower spine that now is wound around my SI joint and spreads to my hip. The joys. Not alone in this fight. Maybe we can all get in on a class action suit. Plum Island and Eric Traub is a good read. He helped bio-engineer ticks for the US. Take a peak at "Lab 257" It will explain why!!!!

[lymebytes]

Hi Erin. I am sorry you are going through so much.

I suggest calling IgeneX and asking about the effect of the antibiotics you are taking and the test results. Some Lyme doctors want patients on antibiotics and some do not (although likely it would be different antibiotics and dosages).