Lyme disease

[Quarter]

Well, my mom has been diagnosed with Lyme disease for a few months now and she is getting better with the anti-biotic that she is taking. But, there is a very good chance that I am also infected. I mean, apparently, Lyme disease can affect every person differently. So, for all I know, it could affect my growth and other stuff. Also, since I had it all my life, (all assuming that I am infected) it may be in its older stages thus making it difficult to cure it. Anyways, I am pretty worried and not only myself, my younger sister too that has even more chances of being infected. So, could anyone give me info on Lyme disease that may shed light on it.

[PutYourHeartsUp]

Why, exactly, do you think you have it? I'm almost certain it isn't genetic, and it's not contagious. It comes from a certain type of tick, and if you get bit by this type of tick (I think they're deer ticks) then they have to be infected. I lived a good portion of my life in Connecticut, where Lyme disease is pretty common.

I'm gonna say that I feel like you would have known it by now if you had it. Why do you say your sister has more of a chance? If you're concerned, the best thing would be to go to the doctor. I got Lyme a couple summers ago, but I was lucky and we got it super early (I had a "spider bite" that turned into the whole bullseye rash and all that fun stuff that only goes with Lyme) and a few months of antibiotics pretty much got rid of it. With blood tests, it barely shows I ever even had it.

[snakewhisperer28]

yeah why do u think u have it? i just got tested for it myself and they said if i had it not to worry bout spreading it cuz its not contagious. You get it from tick bites (i was in colorado so i hav reason to suspect lyme disease). but they said i dont hav it, but if ur really worried u should get tested

[Quarter]

My mom was infected when I was in my mom's belly. The virus also attacks babies while growing inside the mom and infects them.

[Quarter]

Also, I would like to get tested, but my mom has no money for that. And me neither so we cannot do so.

[The Morrigan]

Are you sure it's Lyme disease your mum has been diagnosed with? Because if she was infected while pregnant with you then that's a hell of a long time to carry a bacterial infection and not be diagnosed. The symptoms usually appear between 3 and 30 days so how could she not have been diagnosed for 13 years? Even if you mum has late stage lyme disease the symptoms still appear within a few years...

Source - http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lyme-di.../Symptoms.aspx

Also, if you had it I'm almost sure you'd have had some sort of symptoms by now so honestly I don't think you need to worry about anything.

[Quarter]

Yes, she's been sick for at least 16 years. She lost her job in the United States because she was to tired and couldn't keep up with the job. Also, when she lost her job and her marriage (with my dad), she moved to Canada where we have health insurance but since Lyme disease in Canada was not at all common, doctor couldn't diagnose the problem, so they said that it was all in her head. And she had symptoms for all my life. Just the doctors who couldn't diagnose her. Until one day, a doctor in our family helped her get diagnosed in California to get properly diagnosed by specialized doctors and she had it.

[PutYourHeartsUp]

If you DID have it, you said you would have had it all your life. Making it difficult to treat, but your mom has had it for at least 13 years too, and the antibiotics seem to be working.

I don't think it's that hard to get tested for it, I got tested in Florida (although, I did have to go to a specialist because you can't actually GET Lyme here) and it didn't take all too much. If you're in Canada, don't you get free health care?

[Quarter]

That is what I was saying. But, as far as I know, we don't have specialists for Lyme disease here in Canada,especially in Quebec so my mom had to go to California to get tested and, because my mom had to pay, health care did not cover that for what ever reason. And I know the anti-biotic are working because, as I said before, she has been diagnosed for a few months now (months being at least,of what I remember, 6 months) so it took some time to see the anti-biotics do its effects.Though, I do know she stopped taking them a few months back. She restarted work a month or so ago after about 3-4 years of not working (health care was giving money like if she was working) so clearly she is going better. But there is still a risk of me being infected. And I do know not much symptoms have supported that but who knows the effects (maybe some of you know?)on a child that got infected in the uterus.Same effects maybe?

[PutYourHeartsUp]

Any doctor should be at least familiar, Lyme is found in some parts of Canada