A DEBILITATING CONDITION FORCED MELANIE TO LEAVE HER JOB BUT BEST DOCTORS WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE THE MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE SHE NEEDED TO PAVE A PATH TOWARDS RECOVERY.

Melanie was leading a successful career as a banker but began to struggle with the demands of day-to-day life when she started experiencing bouts of memory and attention loss. The situation progressed and became more difficult to handle when her fatigue, “brain fog” and myalgia (muscle pain) became constant and debilitating.

Her symptoms were not improving and her local GP scheduled Melanie in for several tests in the hopes that the results would help carve out a treatment plan. Her results were alarming; testing positive for Ross River Virus and Epstein-Barr Virus. She was subsequently treated with vitamin B12 injections.

Melanie was also referred to an immunologist who also gave an additional diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, secondary to the various infections her doctors had already diagnosed. She began antimicrobial therapy to combat the syndrome but further investigation by Melanie’s immunologist was also suggestive of both Lyme Disease and co-infection with Bartonella.

As her symptoms became progressively worse she had to make the decision to stop her work as a business banker as the demands of her young family and her career were proving all too much to handle in her condition. It was at this point that Melanie wanted to ensure that she was receiving the appropriate treatment regime for her conditions.

She contacted her insurance company to learn more about Best Doctors’ second medical opinion service to which she has access via her policy. A call with a member of Best Doctors’ medical team kick started the process. Melanie was able to discuss her medical journey in great detail and received the guidance she needed to carefully formulate all of the questions she wished to present to the expert that was chosen to review her case from Best Doctor’s database of over 50,000 world-leading specialists.

Melanie, who lives in a rural area, was relieved that Best Doctors was able to collect all of her medical records on her behalf and that the entire process could be carried out from the comfort of her home. Her Best Doctors expert analysed all of her records and tests results and prepared an in-depth report for Melanie to share with her local medical team.

The expert concluded that while he agreed with her diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, he also informed her that her records were not conducive to those of someone who had Lyme Disease. He recommended that she stop her course of antibiotics as no evidence of infection was present. Melanie’s expert also advised that she continue taking her calcium and vitamin D supplements as well as commencing meditation to assist with sleeping. Above all, Melanie learned from her report that she needed to gradually increase her exercise regime to control her symptoms and increase her quality of life.

I live in a rural area and therefore, was very happy that I got a great response from the team throughout the process.”

She had the opportunity to go through the entire report with a Best Doctors nurse who helped her further understand the expert’s recommendations. Although she felt disheartened that there is not a quick-fix treatment available for her condition, her nurse provided the support and time Melanie needed to help her gain strength to tackle her path towards recovery.

Melanie has followed through with the expert’s recommendations, stopping her course of antibiotics and is visiting her fatigue specialist for a monthly review to control her symptoms. She is immensely grateful that Best Doctors granted her access to an expert who was able to review her case and modify both her official diagnosis and reveal the unnecessary treatments that needed to be stopped.

She now feels more in control of her medical journey and informed with knowledge she needs to pave her way to a full recovery and ultimately, get back to work and her family demands.

 
 

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This is a real Best Doctors case. In order to respect and maintain the patient’s privacy, personal details have been modified. Photographs are used for illustrative purposes only. A second medical opinion is not intended to substitute professional medical advice or provide a medical diagnosis or therapeutic recommendations on its own and the outcome does not represent or guarantee that anyone will obtain a similar result, as the case will vary depending, among other circumstances, on the information provided to Best Doctors. It is prohibited to copy, use or publish the content or parts of the content of this case story without the express permission of Best Doctors. Best Doctors and the star-in-cross logo are trademarks