If anyone cares about my ongoing effort to (at least) be thorough ... I have been talking with GHayes offline for awhile now. I hope he doesn't mind me referencing the fact that he's about to get a workup that includes Lyme and Bartonella, as well as several other things. This got me to thinking last night, and I had an "a ha" moment. Muscle twitching is a hallmark of this bacterial infection. Last night I noticed it was called "Cat Scratch Disease". Then suddenly I flashed back to my first BFS doctor visit, when the nurse asked me 2 times if I had grown up around cats. I told her yes. I wish she had elaborated...But it wasn't until last night that I realized this Bartonella I've heard so often is also called Cat Scratch Fever. Why is that relevant? 12 years ago I got Cat Scratch Fever. From a fluffy little fur ball at an animal shelter. A week after being scratched to the point of bleeding (doesn't hurt, its just kitten razor claws), I got extremely sick. Swollen glands everywhere. Fluid filled papules on the palms of my hands. Fever. And the doctor told me I tested positive for "Cat Scratch". But she never told me "Bartonella". I can not recall if I was put on antibiotics, but I know for a fact I never did the recommended 6 week course that is prescribed today. Its possible she told me to just let it "resolve on its own" (bad advice). Bartonella can persist in the body for decades just like Lyme, and ultimately it can begin to infect the brain and spine causing neurological symptoms and the well known muscle twitching. Over the years I've had the telltale "stretch marks" (long red lines on my skin) but I had no idea what they were or why they appeared. Bartonella causes these too. Then i did those toxic medications, in February, tore down my immune system, and very possibly reactivated this thing. Naturally no Infectious Disease specialist had the brains to suggest checking for Bartonella - or even asking me ANYTHING about my infectious history. Doctors are a joke and useless as far as I am concerned. So I may have reactivated Bartonella Feb 2012 and been miserable since. Who knows...In any case... because no doctor gives a crap to help me, I went and ordered my own Bartonella test today. Checking to see if its currently active (High IGM). Maybe not ... but like I said ... in the interest of being thorough. I'll post back if the IGM is pos or neg in a few days. And I posted this here in case others run across it some day doing searches. BFSB
My Progress on Lyme Treatment
- Thread starter BFSDiner
- Start date
WindyCityGentleman
Well-known member
How much did you pay for that pleasure ?
queenofthelake
Member
ok, now that you menction it... I do have telltale "stretch marks" since I am like 15 years. I recall going to a dermatologist who asked me why i had that may marks on my skin, she asked me if I was fat before, but I have never been fat.before joining this forum I was not awa\re that the pain I feel in my muscles was related to BFS, now I wonder, are strech marks common as well?How many between us have these strech marks? Cheers.