Hi all,
Okay, I have calmed down and just wanted to thank you all for your incredible support, both here on the boards and through e-mail. I didn't share this news on the "other" pin board, because this is sort of my "family" board. And frankly, sharing it once was mentally exhausting enough!
Sarah seems fine. Her knee pain was and still is intermittent, and her fatigue and tantrums can just be one of those three year old things. She does not have any of the neurological types of symptoms that Rachel had experienced (loss of balance, uncontrollable motor movements, "foggy brain") I will be bringing her up to the Lyme doc on Wednesday to see if any other joints besides knees are affected. If after six weeks on orals she has no more symptoms, then we will take her off the meds and we will watch carefully for any relapses. It was just such a shock because if anyone is super careful, it's me. I won't even let my kids in the woods! But there is so much Lyme around here that it is not unheard of for more than one family member to be affected. If you catch it early it can be cured, and the doc also said that different strains and different immune systems yield different responses....and this does not mean she is going to progress into what happened with Rachel.
It's funny...about six months ago I had Sarah tested (it's free at the local school), because I remembered Rachel as being this funny, smart, sharp girl and much of that faded when she got really sick. In fact, sometimes when I tell her teachers about the way she "used to be" I can tell they almost don't believe it (unless they have met my son and then I think can believe it more). Anyway, Sarah currenly tests a year above her age cognitively, and has the verbal skills of a six year old (she is three). So if, G-d forbid, anything ever happens to that brain of hers, we will all know immediately that there is a problem, rather than what happened with Rachel, where she started to fade and no one could see a problem at first until she started losing her balance.
Anyway, if you've read this far, please make sure you read the article I attached in the last thread, and make sure that if you have any symptoms you think are Lyme related, get tested. Treating early can make all the difference.
(Stepping off soapbox....)
Okay, I have calmed down and just wanted to thank you all for your incredible support, both here on the boards and through e-mail. I didn't share this news on the "other" pin board, because this is sort of my "family" board. And frankly, sharing it once was mentally exhausting enough!
Sarah seems fine. Her knee pain was and still is intermittent, and her fatigue and tantrums can just be one of those three year old things. She does not have any of the neurological types of symptoms that Rachel had experienced (loss of balance, uncontrollable motor movements, "foggy brain") I will be bringing her up to the Lyme doc on Wednesday to see if any other joints besides knees are affected. If after six weeks on orals she has no more symptoms, then we will take her off the meds and we will watch carefully for any relapses. It was just such a shock because if anyone is super careful, it's me. I won't even let my kids in the woods! But there is so much Lyme around here that it is not unheard of for more than one family member to be affected. If you catch it early it can be cured, and the doc also said that different strains and different immune systems yield different responses....and this does not mean she is going to progress into what happened with Rachel.
It's funny...about six months ago I had Sarah tested (it's free at the local school), because I remembered Rachel as being this funny, smart, sharp girl and much of that faded when she got really sick. In fact, sometimes when I tell her teachers about the way she "used to be" I can tell they almost don't believe it (unless they have met my son and then I think can believe it more). Anyway, Sarah currenly tests a year above her age cognitively, and has the verbal skills of a six year old (she is three). So if, G-d forbid, anything ever happens to that brain of hers, we will all know immediately that there is a problem, rather than what happened with Rachel, where she started to fade and no one could see a problem at first until she started losing her balance.
Anyway, if you've read this far, please make sure you read the article I attached in the last thread, and make sure that if you have any symptoms you think are Lyme related, get tested. Treating early can make all the difference.
(Stepping off soapbox....)
