Well no, the best thing to do would be to tell their family how much it bothers them and find a way to get them to stop. Humour is fine, if it is initiated by the patient, when the joke is at the patient's expense, especially after a recent diagnosis, that's just cruel. I make jokes about my diseases, including the cancer, but if my family had done that straight after my diagnoses I would have been pissed and rightly so. Even now, a lot of 'jokes' people make cross the line into rude and unwelcome. No one should make a joke out of someone else's health condition. Lyme disease is very serious, the family should be being supportive not making insensitive jokes.

Cocainewhore, I can't begin to thank you enough for taking the time to post your thoughts. Very well stated. And advocacy much needed. :)

Thank you. I appreciate people actually reading and taking on board things like this, so it's nice to know it's appreciated in return. :)

I'm in your wife's shoes. (And my husband in your shoes.) Much love and positive vibes to you all! I hope she's able to find something that knocks it out once and for all!

#41 you are right it is a life long battle. I had it for 2, 2 1/2 before I finally got diagnosed. I have never been the same since. It's ironic too because I had lymes disease, my grandma, and both her sisters and we all have a thyroid condition. Don't know if either are connected but it is really weird.

Congratulations, you were treated and are now fine. Other people don't have that luck. Your experience in it isn't everyone's.

Different strains of lymes manifest differently. Some have a bullseye rash. Some don't. Some cause acute illness (such as what you're describing). Many don't. Some people with the acute illness, such as yourself, get incredibly lucky and 1- have a doctor that puts the pieces together, doesn't blow it off as a generic virus, and gives you treatment quickly; and 2- the treatment actually knocks the entirety of the bacteria out of your system. It HAS to be caught very early for much of a chance of a full cure. Those without the acute illness, without the bullseye rash, or who have doctors that write off the illness as something generic and don't test, are quite likely in the majority of people with Lymes. If the bacteria spread systematically (throughout the body), it leads to horrendous symptoms over time. Key here- over time. A patient might see a doctor about headaches...or fatigue....then a year or two later, memory problems, a year or two later, heart arrythmia, a year or two later joint pain (or in my case, a knee that suddenly caused such horrendous pain, I couldn't bear weight on it). None of these symptoms are very specific. And usually doctors will just try to treat each symptom and not even think to test for lymes (which the tests also aren't very good). Over time, symptoms become more and more severe, sometimes to the point of legal disability. Treatment at that point can occasionally help, but very occasionally. The bacteria are spread essentially everywhere. And they also VERY quickly become resistent to the few antibiotics that can help. I am very happy for you, that your lymes was cured. I hope you can feel a little extra grateful, and perhaps humbled, that you were so very very fortunate. Please do realize that doesn't happen for most people that get it.