Alicia Cashman

A tiny tick changed my life.

Most people do not know that a tick can contain hundreds of pathogens. When it bores into your skin it can infect you with things you never knew existed. My husband and I have been in a three year grueling battle fighting MSIDS or multi infectious disease syndrome, which is a far better name than just Lyme Disease as it is almost always far more than just borrelia, the causative agent of Lyme Disease. Due to the synergistic effects of these pathogens, treatment is often far longer than the CDC's treatment guidelines of 21 days of doxycycline - and that particular mono therapy rarely works unless you are lucky enough to see a tick dangling from your body with the classic bulls-eye rash. We saw neither tick nor rash but we tested positively on the Extended Western Blot from Igenex Labs in CA - one of the few labs that uses a far more sensitive test. Please know that if you go to a regular GP they will treat you with the dangerously limited CDC guidelines and diagnostic tests where few test positively. You will be sent home with a false sense of security and very well might have multiple infections which will rock your world.

I head the Madison Lyme Support Group in Wisconsin, an epicenter for all things Lyme related. Please visit: Madisonarealymesupportgroup.wordpress.com for educational materials.