I am sharing this with all of you, especially those of us with Lupus,
RA, MS, FM, ME/CFS.... ALL of us have had years before a diagnosis, then
it seems we go through more than one most of the time... and then
wonder if "the doctors have it right" or if they are also grasping at
straws, and giving us a "diagnosis" to just calm out fears. I know for
myself that is true. About a month ago, I saw a dear friend from high
school, and am very happy she is back in our hometown. She h
ad
mentioned some information about a particular illness that usually
comes from being around cats, or other animals, or things like fleas,
ticks, than can be carriers of the illness Bartonella .... she was
telling me about a doctor who of course more of them on the side of the
"animal type" cat scratch fever... that just about all of us have heard
of. The "symptoms" can be almost to the "Tee" of Lupus, RA, FM, CFS and
so forth... severe fatigue, low grade fevers, flu like body aches and
pains, joint pain, headaches... many of the exact same issues we have,
brain fog, that are associated with all of these illnesses. Well, I took
what she said to heart, about the doctor now believe that this illness,
can very well be, the great imitator of some of these illnesses.... and
later people have found out, they may not be "ill" with things like
Lupus, or RA, or be manic depressive, or even one woman was diagnosed as
schizophrenic... but they were infected with the Bartonella bacteria.
Thus, it also goes right along with being very close to Lyme disease,
and also I just has mentioned, after hearing from a friend that has
"early onset Parkinsons'" that Lyme disease can be the great imitator of
early onset Parkinsons.... so all of this kind of hit me like a ton of
bricks... it could be that there are "many" or at least some of us that
don't have any of these chronic illnesses, BUT have gotten Bartonella
one way or the other (by the way I've been bitten badly by one of my
cats in 2005 while in CA) and I've also had two dog bites in my life...
so I have to wonder if in fact there is a possibility that all of this
is some how related... I also know if you walked into one of your
doctors offices and mentioned it, they may look at you like you are
crazy and call the nut house to come and carry you away... but I have
one link I am putting here and will put this along with more links on my
blog....
http://www.galaxydx.com/web/human-health/ if you are also interested take a look... it sure does ring bells with many of my symptoms.
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/news/2012-05-04-Uncovering-Bartonella-the-Stealth-Pathogen.html
http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/coinfections/bartonella.html
http://www.cdc.gov/bartonella/
2 comments:
Quite interesting, yet far too vague at this point for me to buy into much. Yet, we just don't know. When we have a cure, we'll know the cause... or at least one of the causes. Tis' rather complicated, eh?!
Thanks Rhia for sharing this, yet I don't want people to jump to this conclusion with so little research to date that is truly proven. I know that you don't either. Just thought that I'd better throw this thought into the mesh.
Blessings, my dear friend!
Anthony
Of course this entire post was "food for thought" Anthony. Whether people want to try and do more research, find out about it, or not do anything, it's all up to them. It was told to me by a dear friend I went through Elementary, Jr. High and High School with about a month ago. She went to college and became a veterinarian and practiced in Houston for many years. Recently she also moved back here to our "home town" to be closer to parents and a sibling, plus a new little niece etc. I had taken both of my pups into see her a couple of times, and through out the years we were not close in the physical sense, both her parents and I either worked together through the years, and we of course knew one another well. So, her and I kind of stayed "caught up" with each others lives via family. I had went in to have Bubba's nails clipped (boy what fun)... and she told me about this situation with the Bartenella, the doctor in North Carolina, at one of the huge Universities there and the findings they are coming up with in regard to the "cat scratch" disease, and for one how close it can "mimic" autoimmune illnesses, and two it could be that some "virus" may lay dormant for years after a cat scratch or bite, and then suddenly awaken for one reason or the other, to become a full blown autoimmune disease. They have been studying it for years of course with animals. But, this Doctor also began studying how much of a coincidence it is to have MANY people that have been bitten or scratched that later DO become ill from one or more autoimmune illnesses. So, her research led her to think of my own situation. Due to MANY similarities I've had in the two illnesses, along with the autoimmune issues, our thoughts were would it be just incredible that after all I've been through to find out the "real" reason I have these illnesses was due to a very severe cat bite that happened in 2005. Now, I am not saying I believe it either, but it does also make sense in some aspects, and I even thought that it may have not really "caused" my autoimmune issues, since even before the bite I did have some symptoms... BUT is it possible that the severe cat bite (he bit completely through my hand) brought on further symptoms and a full blown autoimmune illness due to awakening some viral aspect that I already may have been a "carrier" of. I am still researching this, and I am seriously thinking about emailing the doctor in North Carolina my story and see what he says. It could be that if I can get my blood drawn and sent to him properly, he could at least see what he may find or not find. Anything with these illnesses, that are not "hazardous" to us or others, to me, are definitely WORTH A TRY! So, if this man is willing, and I can get a couple of vials of my blood to their lab for processing, I feel it would be amazing to at least take a look to see.... Rhia
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