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New member here from central Mass. USA

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:40 am
by ROLLER BOLT
Pretty much a newbie to this.
I have been at this challenge for about three months now.
Never had any formal school classes in bio or chem.
i have two series 10 A/O scopes, one for bright field and the other for dark field.
Working on a phase contrast one as a school surplus.
Trying to learn about Hematology and lab analysis, pathogens plus some other bacterial ID.
I am building a incubator out of a toaster oven and then an autoclave.
The only scope use I have ever had was with a toolmakers scope at work, yes a toolmaker.
My daughter had Lyme disease two years ago and myself a year ago.
It took three trips to hospital for her before they found it three weeks after first visit.
For that time she suffered with an average temp of 105 degrees,
which has caused some permanent complications.
I want to be my own second opinion in the future.
That has already happen with the Vet and one of our dogs.
Not that it matters, but this old dog is learning new tricks, I am 78.

Re: New member here from central Mass. USA

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 7:15 am
by 75RR
Sorry to hear about your troubles but Self-diagnosis is not a practical nor recommendable course. Perhaps you could change your doctor/health specialist.

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Re: New member here from central Mass. USA

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:05 pm
by ROLLER BOLT
I was not asking for any medical advice, just expressing my thoughts.
Further, it was not our PC doctor but the lab that fell down.
As far as self diagnosis is concerned, if that needs to be done,
I will send my brother the slides for review, he is a medical doctor in NC.

Re: New member here from central Mass. USA

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:21 pm
by zzffnn
Sorry to hear your trouble with the condition.

I am a microbiologist and have some concerns about your intent.

As of 2013, culturing and identifying Borrelia burgdorferi is not an easy task even in a professional lab (that may be why it took you 3 trips):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl ... po=76.1682

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrht ... mm6315a4_x

Most bacteria ID requires professional lab equipments and some bacteriology knowledge.

You may try to self-monitor your disease severity, but a clinician may not be willing to accept your own test results or make treatment changes based on that.

Edit: I did not suggest this, but your brother may or may not be willing to prescribe medications for you if you have to go that route.

Re: New member here from central Mass. USA

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:30 pm
by zzffnn
Member @apochronaut may be able to provide you some microscopy help related to Lyme disease.

Re: New member here from central Mass. USA

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:25 pm
by ROLLER BOLT
zzffnn wrote:Sorry to hear your trouble with the condition.

I am a microbiologist and have some concerns about your intent.

As of 2013, culturing and identifying Borrelia burgdorferi is not an easy task even in a professional lab (that may be why it took you 3 trips):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl ... po=76.1682

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrht ... mm6315a4_x

Most bacteria ID requires professional lab equipments and some bacteriology knowledge.

You may try to self-monitor your disease severity, but a clinician may not be willing to accept your own test results or make treatment changes based on that.

Edit: I did not suggest this, but your brother may or may not be willing to prescribe medications for you if you have to go that route.
Thanks for the input.
I do have to clarify some points here.
I am really not going to be self diagnosing and self medicating,
but looking to back up in my mind whatever is found or not by the labs.
I don't intend to present any findings to anyone other than my brother if needed, just for self satisfaction.
I don't expect or intend to have my brother pass out scripts for anything, just x-check any findings or not by me.
Yes I could have him prescribe anything I would need if asked, never have though,
he is retiring in two years but is keeping his license.
He spent almost a decade in the distant past working for the Worcester foundation for experimental biology before deciding to go into private practice.
I have a long way to go in learning, if I live that long.
My lab won't be complete for about 6 months, I already have a lot of equipment and consumables I did not list.
I also have access to a complete bio lab and an electron microscope at U-mass after hours if I need it.
Over three decades I have built to include the engineering custom lab equipment for research labs of national recognition.
Originally I got my first scope to test my well water for various things, but ended up with town water so the scope has sat for the last 15 years.