Roy’s Story
In 1988 living in Nova Scotia I was stricken with symptoms that I thought was food poisoning…or flu. I waited a couple of days no better and went to Doctors office. Diagnosis…appendicitis, sent to hospital and within a couple of hours the poor little guy was gone.
The patient came out of anesthesia and was fine except for an elevated temperature; was given antibiotics to treat infection and stayed in hospital 5 days.
During these 5 days I was getting sicker. Digestive problems, food intolerances bowel and urinary problems, dizziness, sleep problems, sweating and generally felt very unwell.
This is when the doctor’s visits began, the day following release from the hospital.
Tests and more tests and they tried many courses of antibiotics and I would see some improvement. Finally after 6 months of specialists and off work for 3 months I was informed it was job stress by the last 3 Dr, so, I thought they must be right and resigned and took 6 months off. Continued to get worse and was doctor shopping again looking for help. Hey doctors what are all these worsening symptoms? Why can I not eat certain foods now or drink coffee? I was fine before I went into hospital and what’s that pain still in my appendix area. Sorry, it is all in your head.
In the past only went to doctors if necessary once every 2 -3 years for things like pulled muscles or other accidents.
I estimate I have been to the whole alphabet of doctors over the past 18 years, had every test that could be imagined and some of the same ones so many times I cannot count. Only have so many digits to count with!
Health was still deteriorating like constant flu no energy and numerous symptoms. A few years later I took an article I read to doctor number 8 or 9 (can’t remember for sure), and he gave me course of antibiotics said worth a try. It was for parasites as my symptoms matched. Very sick the second day of treatment then all of a sudden was 100% better all symptoms gone first time in 3 years. Called doctor as he wanted to know if I had any reaction I explained what had happened about being even worse he said to stop taking antibiotics. He said we got whatever it was and for 1 week I was perfectly healthy no more digestive problems, headaches and you know the list. Then it all came back with a vengeance this time even worse.
As many others I was referred to psychiatrist for evaluation after numerous specialists including 2 Infectious Disease doctors at that time and a tropical disease specialist. After 3 visits said there is something physically wrong and referred me to EI specialist, more tests” you have parasites and yeast ” and treatment began after 1 year was a little better but nothing like the initial parasite treatment. This doctor gave me 8 courses of long term antibiotics with many other antifungals and finally said he didn’t know what to do and along came the slide back again.
And the doctor hunt continued for any that would listen. Got a well recommended natural doc and he kept me half functioning for many years. I chased the golden egg…someone is going to listen. Finally one did run more tests and said you have kidney cancer we got to take it out. In I went again, came out minus another body part and 2 weeks later a sheepish surgeon and my gp informed me it was just a plain ordinary cyst. Recovered from surgery, back to still poor health.
Went to one of the top US GI specialists in New York and he thought parasite as well but dozens of samples were negative over the years. He ordered tests through his US labs and he was the first one to suggest testing family as well. Wife has giardia and you have it too even though you are negative on all the tests. Over a dozen Dr’s over these years had told me thinking you have parasites and all you samples are negative means its all in your head. Baaah to you!
Courses of antibiotics and tons of treatments over 8 months left me far worse. He told me many don’t get rid of them (drug resistance) and referred me to a naturopathic doctor in New York City and after eight months of treatment again and still not much better.
Was still hunting with the local specialists one EI doctor referred me to his friend who had lots of connections with top doctors in US and Canada. He called a microbiologist MD and explained my history and within 2 minutes he told him to order more tests; it took months to get the lab results back but finally an answer you have a zoonotic infection and never had appendicitis at all. This took 15 years. Treated with long course antibiotics and antifungals and improved greatly. Then weeks later down hill again . They were stumped.
Called a Dr in US (about Dr number 25) that was recommended to me who dealt with chronic illness he ordered thousands of dollars of tests and we had some answers you have numerous infections and Lyme disease.
What’s that I said? With your permission I will take all your medical history and file to a Lyme MD specialist who is a friend. The LLMD would see me if I flew there and start treatment. Checked out net and found Canlyme and Jim and went to Vancouver instead of US LLMD. Yes you have 2 tick infections here is prescriptions. Developed pneumonia on the way back home and was hospitalized and more serious health problems. Tried antibiotics but they affected the one remaining kidney cannot take them. Numerous conversations with Florida LLMD and Vancouver LLMD And I am stuck. But my goal was to find out what it was before my time was up and I did. Now I can trace it back to Childhood our family friend was the county forest ranger and we spent a lot of time outdoors with him fishing and hunting. He warned us each year that the ticks were heavy and to just pull them off when bitten. I remember in Junior high how my a average went to C as my memory got bad and always seamed to have the flu or something. I have written my story so others may not lose hope and always keep trying to find the answer.
– Roy