So it gets a little nuanced, but the point is, is that In order to try to make a more accurate diagnosis, we now will look at antibodies to different parts of the Lyme that gives us these Western blot bands.

Exactly.

So as you said, each of those bands represents a different protein, like a different Borrelia burgdorferi protein.

And there are some proteins that are specific to Borrelia and some that are not.

So we've talked about there are certain bands that are considered Lyme-specific.

So bands 23 to 25, band 31, 34, 39, 83 to 93, those are Borrelia-specific bands.

I think 23, 25, 31, 34, 39 all represent outer surface proteins of Borrelia.

Right.

... why that, and then how we address that in someone who you're giving antibiotics to or whatever, and they're feeling horrible.

Okay.

So a Herx reaction, I think sort of historically or characteristically occurs when somebody's treating an infection, and you have, you know, lipopolysaccharide and protein fragments and stuff floating around from the stuff that you're killing, and the immune system is seeing it all and reacting.

So it's immunogenic.

And so sort of based on that immune system response to all of those fragments and pieces that are kind of floating around, you have a worsening of symptoms.

Often it feels like flu-like symptoms, but I tell patients, like any symptom that feels familiar as part of your infection, if that worsens, that could be, um, a Herxheimer reaction.

And Dr. Shaw would say people were toxic, and part of that was, you know, you've got the Herx response or you have the Herx reaction, and then on top of that, you've gotta be able to like clear that stuff.

Like, how would you navigate that or recommend people navigating that for a patient with Lyme disease?

Talk about it being a great imitator and why misdiagnosis is so common.

I think largely it has to do with the way that Lyme presents.

So, and for a variety of reasons, which I know we're gonna dive into a little bit more in this podcast, but Lyme can present as fatigue.

Lyme can present as pain.

Lyme can present as swollen joints.

Lyme can present as neurological deficits.

Lyme can present as so many different things that if, especially in a, a medical culture where we're so focused on specializing, people will look through their lens and say, "Oh, you have swollen joints that are painful.

Summer flu.