Hi there:

I just read your post about antibiotics. I've been sick going on 8 years now with a whole host of symptoms nobody can figure out. I've just about been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but have also read about Fibro and Fatigue Centers, and also about the doctor you mentioned in your previous post. What were your symptoms and what led you to this doctor? I'm pretty sure I will be making an appt. with one of them--just not sure where yet. I live in AZ--so I'll have to travel no matter where I end up going.
Did you see Dr. Powell? If you did--what was he like? Do you know if he has a long waiting list? Did insurance cover anything?
Any advice you can give me would be great!!

schao

Hi Jojo:

My fibro specialist is Dr. St. Amand. His office is on California. I live in Colorado - so you can see I have to fly there. It is well worth it. You would have a 6-7 hour drive to reach his office - his clients come from all over the world. His appointments are covered by my insurance.

Blessings,
Kirstee

:wave: [COLOR="Purple"][B][I] Hi Schao! Sorry to hear you have been feeling ill for so long...well what brought me to him is a long story so I will try and make it short....

I was bit by ticks back in 1987 that I can recall....lyme was not known about in my county at the time ...except my vet knew about lyme and would give my dog lyme shots...then in 1989 started seeing doctors had a blood test...it was positive for lyme but shoot for some reason that I can't remember I was never treated for it....Still continued seeing doctors...then in 1989 got bit by 3 ticks and those really knocked me down...still lyme was not known in my county and I got poo-pood quite a bit..by then my test would not come out positive...sooooo...for 15 years or so I was told I had fiibromyalgia by M.D.s...crazy...up until 1999 when I was literally at deaths door...so got treated for lyme for about 5 years then that doctor retired and I had to look further for more help...I was told time after time you have fibro...so I went to doctor Powell....he tested me for this bacteria that Dr. Charles Stratton and others have been doing research on and I did this protocol for 7 months cause my test for that bacteria came out positive....I will say I personally talked to other ladies at his office in the waiting room and they were bouncing off the walls with happiness cause they were getting cured...back to work and had their life back! Anyway I moved and quit and now live about 3 hours away from him...just made a trip back to see him this last week...now weather I still am having problems from Chronic Lyme or from the C.P. bacteria or both I don't know....but I know that the protocol that he is treating people with is helping....and he would not say ...it is all in your head.
I would suggest you reading about the research that Dr. Charles Stratton is doing for fibromyalgia....and the protocol he has for fibromyalgia sufferers...also is treating people with M.S., and getting great results from what I have learned....Dr. Powell information is also something you would greatly benefit from reading....check out what people have written with their results from being treated there....It will also tell you I beleive anyother information you might want to know...

Yes does take insurances......
Hope this has answered your questions....
And I hope this will help you find answers!
Let me know if I can help you any further!!! What kind of symptoms do you have?
Talk to you soon....
:D

Hi Jojo:

Well, I made my appt. with Dr. Powell. I am very excited! I'll be flying there--but I will do anything to feel better. I'm not getting my hopes too high--but I am going to keep my fingers crossed. He takes my insurance too--which is wonderful!
My symtoms are:
Spacey/disconnected feeling in my head--feels like I'm drunk all of the time
Severe fatigue
Severe hair loss
All over muscle pain
Low back pain
Chronic sinus infections
Severe, and I mean severe brain fog
Shortness of breath
No sex drive at all
Unexplained breast and pelvic pain
Floaters in my eyes
Sweat for no reason, feel like I'm running a fever all of the time
Leg pain, legs give out on me sometimes

My symptoms started back in 1999, I woke up one morning and had the drunk feeling and my hair started falling out in clumps--and everything else has just come along the way.

I recently just got done with the Mayo Clinic--I had such high hopes they could figure out what is exactly going on--but now I just owe them thousands of dollars :(
Oh well.
I did get tested for Lymes disease through Igenex twice, but it came back negative both times.
My appt. is Oct. 30th--cross your fingers for me :)

schao

How is he friendly wise? Is he easy to talk to?

:bouncing: OH I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED TOO!!! :bouncing: I wish I lived closer so that I could pick you up and take you there....my next appt. is on the 25th ...I am sure we will cross paths sooner or later....I am smiling from ear to ear...you know the time I got bit by ticks in 1992...MY HAIR FEEL OUT IN CLUMPS!!! I was crazy....and within a few months the color of my hair changed...Went from a real pretty strawberry blonde to a ummmm....guess you could call it a mousy blah color...so now I buy it in a box....anyway....

Did you check out the information on the internet? Did you read about C.P. and how it affects people? Did you read about Dr. Powell and the great results he is having? It takes about a couple of months to start seeing improvement...but you will...ohhh...I have you in my prayers. 8 years is such a long time to be ill...trust me I know...I know longer have fevers...pain...but soemthing happened to me in 1999 when I was still not being treated for lyme...there are places on my head between my scalp and skull that raise up...They use to make me litterally crazy ....I met another girl that this happened too...she had lyme also...but we lost contact and I have no clue what ever happened to her...anyway so I still deal with these things on my head...BUT during the last bout of antibiotics they moved to the back of my head...and I have a hard time with my thinking at times...why I bring this up is cause I had to giggle when I read you went to Mayo! SO DID I!!! because of these things on my head....I was so pissed by the time I left there...flew out the the one in Arizona....they had the gal to put me through phsyciratric...mis-spell....crap...then proceed to tell me it was either....ALSHIMERS....A>D>D or it was because I partyed when I was younger....:dizzy: I swear....THEY DIDN'T LISTEN! Then went to the infectious disease and they poo-poo'd the treatment I was on...and because I was on antibiotics they wouldn't look at me....wanted me off of them and come back and stay a month there .....:rolleyes: OH AND THEN she felt my head and said " DID YOU BUMP YOUR HEAD???" this was after I told her I had been having that problem since 1999....no I was not impressed with ANY of the doctors or the way they did the medical stuff there....it was a complete wasted trip...they do not deal with fibro...nor lyme....soooooo.....

I do believe you will like him....it is very comfortable surroundings...you do NOT have to put on a gown...and you will not hear...IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD! I can't remember the first time I went to see him...but as you know paper work...and I think (don't quote me) that it will basically be get to know you and him and then have some lab work done....
Did you mention to them you'd be coming from Arizona? Annie (upfront lady) is soooooo very nice! He also does med's plus supplements....little combination of both...He truly is a super informative person....and I really have a feeling this is going to help you....My fingers are crossed also....:)

I also had test done at Igenex for Lyme...nothing showed up either for lyme or co-infections....it is a very tricky thing to diagnoise....but I knew I had it...and so did the Doctor that I finally found in 1999 to treat me.... He SAVED my life litterally!!!

So I am thinking ....MAYBE THIS NEW YEAR WILL BE A HEALTHIER ONE FOR YOU;)

Time to go outside and do something before it rains.....
HUGS TO YOU!!!
:D

don't remember if I already said this...but another Lady I know she is going also on the 30th I think...she's been sick a very long time too.....boy I am so happy inside....I LOVE HEARING about people getting well....and LIVING LIFE again...yahoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:wave: Good Day Sherrie! Say I thought I had remembered you over on the lyme board...So I read some of your past post....I see you also have the scalp tenderness....with the hair falling out...and negative lyme test...and Mri's ect....yep you been having tons of fun too.....:rolleyes:

Do you EVER remember being bit by a tick? The hair falling out sounds soooooo much like lyme....my test from Ignex came back negative also...guess no test weather it be for pregnancy...cancer...whatever......there is no test that is for sure for anything....

Dr. Powell also treated Lyme patients at one point....when he was in his other office....not sure if he is much into that anymore....never really talked to him about it...at this point...I really don't give a hoot which bacteria I am dealing with....AS LONG AS I CAN GET RID OF THEM....:rolleyes: hahaha....

Well will yack at you soon......

Hugs!
:D

Hi there:

Yup, I was on the lyme boards for a bit. I never remember getting bit by a tick at all--so who knows about that one. I wonder if that is something Dr. Powell will test for? From reading his website it sounds like he covers pretty much all bases--I hope! :)
Quite honestly I've been on many of the different boards here--thinking I may have this, then that--who really knows---I'm hoping and praying soooo much that Dr. Powell will be able to help me. I went to my ENT doc again today--and I may have to have my 3rd sinus surgery-this is nuts! He's a great doctor but he has no idea what is causing me to have all of these infections that don't clear up. In my heart, I know there is an underlying cause as to why I'm constantly with a sinus infection--we'll find out soon.
I'll definitely mention lyme to Dr. Powell and see what he says about it. I'm so anxious to see him--I wish I could see him earlier. If he can't find anything then I'm at a total loss and I've done all I can do--you can only have so many tests till you're just pooped out :yawn:
Thanks for thinking of me and I'll keep you posted!!!!

schao