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My wife and i are relocating to c.r. in january, she has been diagnosed with lyme and is on antibiotics….we need a llmd (lyme literate m d)) to continue her treatment..I know there is no recorded lyme cases in c.r. and that it may be difficult to find one..so far the lyme internet organizations have come up empty..IF anyone has a .m.d they can ask..it might be helpful..thanks for your time and consideration
FRANK& ANNA
What’s the specialty you’re looking for? If you need an infectious disease specialist, a rheumatologist, a virologist, etc, someone may be able to help.
Rheumatologist is what is needed. Deer borne tick bacterial illness primarily in the NE US and curable with antibiotics, unless untreated to the point it affects nervous system = intravenous drugs such as Rocephin. Bsides the tell tale bulls eye skin rash at tick bite, the major symptom is inflamation of the joints–>arthritis–>rheumatology.
Frank & Anna, It might serve you to have a doctor from the US in contact with a CR DR. for the antibiiotics needed to treat Lyme disease. We live in NY and it is common here. I believe Doxycylene is used in the early stages. CR may not have the type of drugs needed to fight Lyme, and I think you should check this out first. You may be able to have the antibiotics shipped to a DR. or hospital in CR if you can’t get them there. If the condition is chronic it may be hard to be away from the US and treat it.
Lyme is a tricky disease. I took a short NY State seminar on it years ago. It likes to hide in the body for weeks or months. That’s usually the reason they can keep some people on the antibiotics for an extended period, if I remember. Our son had it once, and it was cured with one cycle of antibiotics.
We know well what problems you can have dealing with serious diseases when there are no doctors available who are well versed in its treatment. My wife was recently diagnosed with one of the rarest forms of skin cancer, and there are only two real experts in the entire US that know enough about it. We’ve seen one of them. We will have to remain in the US for the forseeable future. There isn’t even any chemo that has been developed for it yet. Retirement outside the US would be iffy for us at this point, but we’re still hoping.
I wish you the best for Anna’s speedy and complete recovery.
an infectious disease specialist will do..but only if he is literate in treating lyme..a disease that is NOT common in C.R. he would have to have been trained in the u.s. or perhaps as another here in the forum said, be consultated by an american doc..do you have one that can be asked?
much thanks for your help. they people here in this forum are really great!DEAR ALFRED,
So sorry to hear of your wife’s illness.If you are not satisfied with her treatment in the states you might internet GERMANY’S cancer treatment program..I hear they use more alternative meathods and aren’t as quick as the U.S to prescribe the most expensive patented synthetic drugs
with reguard to ANNA,I was thinking along those lines..might have to settle for a good G.P. willing to take direction from the states..I heard of a HARVARD doc there who even makes house calls…(saw it in this website somewhere) but they neglected to say who..might also have to send for test kits from california..
I hope you are able to make the change to C R….it sounds as you , your wife, and C.R. ARE a great match
sincerely,
FRANK & ANNAThere is a very good rheumatologist in Clinic Biblica, but I cannot remember his name. If you phone the reception desk, they will give you the information. He was treating a friend of mine for Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Dear Frank & Anna,
Thank you for your concern. We have been using some alternative measures. Presently we are using immune boosting mushrooms to augment the only form of effective treatment known today, which is radiation. Her cancer is very immuno responsive, and also very responsive to radiation. We haven’t looked into Germany, but will check it out. We’ve researched all of this for about six months now, and have a support group that keeps us up on all the latest alternative, as well as conventional treatments. The problem is, with only 1500 new patients a year it almost guarantees no research money, and therefore very little in the way of new treatments. She caught it early, so the prognosis is good. She just has to be careful of recurrence, and has to be protected from UV exposure. Limiting the UV will be a tough task in a country like CR.I really think your best bet would be that Harvard doctor, and a contact doctor in the US. I know there are some specialists in Weschester county, NY that have extensive experience with Lyme patients. I believe one of them is in Mt. Kisco. I can’t remember his name, though. If you contact Northern Westchester Hospital, I’m sure they can give you his name.
We can think the medical field has it all figured out. Until you are up against a rare or unusual disease, you believed they could cure anything. We’ve found that you have to do your own research, and be responsible for your own health, particularly in these instances.
You are moving on the right track toward treating Anna’s Lyme disease. I wish you both a happy, healthy, and successful transition into your new home in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida
maybe she can start off living in C.R. during the rainy season, and if she feels better tolerate the dry season..thanks again for your wishes and we will be in touch..
FRANK…
THANKS for your help…might have to settle on a rheumatologist..but a llmd, or infectious disease doc would probably be best…maybe even a top neurologist since her lyme bacteria seems to be effecting her feet and spine..then again 4 neurologists in ny couldn’t find a thing wrong..only after she tested positive for LYME were we on the right trail…anyway, thanks again..everyone here has been so nice
FRANKThat is one option we’ve thought of, but we both can’t stand the winters up here, so we will have to make some provisions to be down there in dry season.
Best wishes again.
Scara, if the medical help is limited in the USA the chances is, that in Costa Rica there may not be help for her here. I would advise, an extended visit before you make the final move here.
There are alternative ways of treating cancer through nutrition and diet. Naturopath
and Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist David Getoff might be able to help you.
He is located outside of San Diego and acquaintances have had very good results with him for all kinds of ailments, so I would try him for the Lyme disease as well.http://www.naturopath4you.com/ca.htm
http://www.naturopath4you.com/IfYouHaveCancer.htmI have also heard that cancer cannot survive in an alkaline body. There are water purifiers that change the tap water into alkaline that you can try, and also by changing your diet.
Just passing on things I’ve heard works, but I also know how overwhleming it can be when you have a health condition and every single person you meet throws their solutions at you, so look into it if you want and try it if it makes sense to you. I know I would prefer changing my diet to invasive medical treatment if it was me! Specially since it sounds like there isn’t really any for the special type of cancer that your wife has.
Best of luck!
Union,
Thanks for the links. I just checked them and they do look interesting. We do know someone that did do an Alternative-nutritional therapy, and went into spontaneous remission. He was one of two people that this was documented happening to. We had gotten a link from a relative of his for a nutritional program. My wife was diagnosed early, and it was removed. So we’re still not sure we need to do heavy alternatives yet.My wife has been using host defense mushrooms, and intestinal bacterial suppliments, and we did some juicing in the beginning. But juicing is hard to stay on. We’re hoping for the best by doing what we can without making too many life changes.
I didn’t mentioned the name of the cancer before. It is called Merkel Cell Carcinoma. It is more serious than Melanoma. I’m sure most have never heard of it. I would also like to tell everyone, there is a higher incidence of this type of cancer as you get closer to the equator. Although they really have no idea of the exact cause, sun exposure is suspect.
If anyone is interested in seeing what it is, and reading what it can do, here’s a link http://www.merkelcell.org. It is a scary disease, and most doctors have never seen it, and it is misdiagnosed frequently.
Alfred,
I think I passed my doc’s name on to you in another thread. Dr.Kokayi, He is located on West 57th street and may be of some help to you, google Him her is quite an amazing man. Give him a shout and tell him Keith sent you. We have been in CR for about 3 weeks…it’s getting harder and harder to leave!
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