[fabsroman]

Thanks for the well wishes guys.

Jack,

No cause has been found yet, and the more I think about this the more I think I might have been suffering from it in mid June. I got sick in mid June for about 2 weeks. I went to a clinic and they told me it was a virus and it had to work its way through my system. I started riding my bike again in July and after a month of riding/training, my power numbers/speed was still terrible. People were able to ride away from me that never could before. I should have known something was wrong then. It is when my joints started swelling in late August, and hurting in early September, that I knew something was definitely wrong.

Anyway, after 5 visits to the doctors and giving 5 blood samples in the past month, with every test coming back negative, and waiting on the most recent blood sample results which includes the 3rd Lyme test which should be available Thursday or Friday of this upcoming week, my infectious disease specialist decided to prescribe to me some antibiotics for Lyme. I started taking them on Thursday night and I am actually starting to feel better. I can stay awake longer. The swelling in my ankles and feet has gone down, but the swelling in my knees remains. The overall amount of pain has decreased significantly too. After being told by two doctors that antibiotics for Lyme do not have a downside if they are taken and I don't have Lyme, I want to strangle my Primary Care Physician that told me she never prescribes antibiotics for Lyme unless the test comes back positive. She told me that the Lyme test always comes back positive if I have had the symptoms for 2 weeks or longer and I have the disease. Well, that isn't what the other 2 doctors told me and it isn't what I have read online. Needless to say, if it clears up with this antibiotic, my PCP is going to get a nasty letter asking for a copy of my file and a refund of my copay. The difference in my health over the past two days has been incredible. In fact, the only time I have been happier this year is when my son was born in May.

BigBrother, sorry I hijacked this thread, but this illness had me scared and depressed. It was so bad that I could hardly walk and could hardly pick up my kids. Now, I'm pissed at my PCP and trying to catch up on my work.