Alana’s Lyme Journey – Part 9 – Appointment With Another LLMD

Meeting with another LLMD

I met with the doctor whose contact information I received from
a woman I met at the North Texas Lyme Support Group meeting. He definitely seems to be very well informed about Lyme disease! Who would have thought that an LLMD would be practicing medicine fifteen minutes from where I live???

Another round of tests… again

He believes based on his exam, the lab results from IGenix,, and my current symptoms, that I need to try IV antibiotics. He has ordered another round of tests. Insurance companies will not pay for the antibiotics based on IGenix results, so I’m going to have to do another Western Blot through Lab Corp again.

More antibiotics to take

In the meantime, he’s added a couple of more antibiotics to my treatment plan. In addition to the Doxcy and Tinidazole, I will be taking Amoxicillin and pulsing in Azithromycin three days per week.

I won’t know the test results for a couple of more weeks.

What is LLMD?

LLMD stands for Lyme Literate Medical Doctor or simply a Lyme-literate doctor. Lyme doctors have taken time to study this disease and even classes (most of them from their own expenses) to further educate themselves on the nature and repercussions of this controversial illness. That way, they will be able to correctly diagnose and treat Lyme.

Most of the LLMD’s have kept a low profile for fear that they’d be accused of treating “chronic Lyme disease”. The term “chronic Lyme disease” is debated and dismissed among many doctors and is not accepted into the medical terminology.

Where to find an LLMD?

As said, LLMD’s have kept a low profile. Patients who talk about their experiences with the disease on online forums often don’t mention the real names of these doctors. So that’s why finding for a Lyme literate doctor has remained difficult.

For those affected by Lyme, the first thing they deem important is to find for an LLMD. Lyme-literate doctors will not only be able to treat the disease itself but also the so-called chronic Lyme disease.

Here are some of the best suggestions on how to find a Lyme-literate doctor in your area:

  • Contact large organizations such as Lyme Disease Association (LDA) or The International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) that promote awareness of the Lyme disease and other related tick-born illnesses. These organizations are a great place to get a Lyme literate doctor referral.
  • Lyme awareness foundations such as Turn the Corner
  • Online forum or support groups such as Lymenet.org and the Lyme Disease Network.
  • Patients can also learn about LLMD referrals through fellow sufferers during a Lyme support awareness group meetings or conferences (like Alana did).

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