May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

"Later symptoms, also called chronic Lyme disease, include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, hormone irregularities, soft tissue and joint pain, muscle twitching, sensitivity to light and sound and chemicals, difficult digestion, difficulties with concentration and memory, heart problems and more.

Since not everyone has symptoms right away, anyone with a known tick bite is encouraged to get triage antibiotics of a sufficient dosage to knock out any chance of a Lyme infection. It’s important to see Lyme-literate medical professionals who are used to treating Lyme patients. Referrals to Lyme-literate medical professionals can be obtained at www.lymenet.org; post for referrals in the Seeking a Doctor section."

http://synapse.ucsf.edu/articles/2013/05/01/may-lyme-disease-awareness-month



May Is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Submitted by steve on May 1, 2013 - 13:10
Staff Report
Lyme disease is a cruel illness, brought on in the United States by a spiral-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferiand usually transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of infected ticks.
May Lyme Disease Awareness month brings national attention to the springtime emergence on vegetation and wood of nymph ticks, the second life-stage of ticks. As small as a period at the end of this sentence, they can be very hard to spot! That is why everyone needs to pay attention to this spreading health danger to our pets and us.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans, or EM rash. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.”
The key to managing the disease is early detection; the CDC says many cases, if caught early, can be successfully treated with a heavy dose of antibiotics. But prevention remains the best course to follow: You can’t get sick if you don’t have the disease.
The CDC website (www.cdc.gov/lyme) has several helpful methods to help you prevent catching Lyme disease.
While not as prevalent as they are on the East Coast and Upper Midwest, ticks are a major risk factor in California, particularly because of our mild climate and large amounts of wooded areas populated by wildlife.
However, birds and small animals such, as mice, rats, squirrels and others, can carry and deposit ticks anywhere, including in parks and yards.
Symptoms of Lyme disease are divided into early and late symptoms. Early symptoms, usually starting within a few days of exposure, may include an expanding red rash called a bull’s eye rash, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, numbness and tingling, or pain. Early symptoms may fade away or persist.
Later symptoms may not develop for weeks or months, and may even be the first indications that someone has Lyme disease — i.e., some people have no initial symptoms for awhile.
Later symptoms, also called chronic Lyme disease, include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, hormone irregularities, soft tissue and joint pain, muscle twitching, sensitivity to light and sound and chemicals, difficult digestion, difficulties with concentration and memory, heart problems and more.
Since not everyone has symptoms right away, anyone with a known tick bite is encouraged to get triage antibiotics of a sufficient dosage to knock out any chance of a Lyme infection. It’s important to see Lyme-literate medical professionals who are used to treating Lyme patients. Referrals to Lyme-literate medical professionals can be obtained atwww.lymenet.org; post for referrals in the Seeking a Doctor section.
Tests are not always accurate. There is a culture test available now through Advanced Laboratory Services inPennsylvania. If the test is able to grow the bacteria from the blood sample, that’s 100 percent indicative of Lyme disease. A negative result, however, does not mean someone doesn’t have Lyme — it could mean there weren’t any Lyme bacteria in the blood sample.
Antibody tests will test positive only 60-70 percent of the time, even when someone has Lyme disease. This can happen if there are no bacteria in the blood sample, if there are not enough antibodies, or the bacteria have gone into cyst form, etc. 
That is why experienced Lyme-literate medical professionals treat clinically, based on history and symptoms. Often a person will test positive after some antibiotic treatment, when they have a stronger antibody response. Many other kinds of treatments may also be done.
Ticks can also transmit other infections, including Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia and others. Anyone is encouraged to look up symptoms of these infections as well. Testing is not perfect for these other infections, so treatment for them is often clinical as well.
Our pets can get these infections too, as well as bring ticks inside. Vets are familiar with these illnesses and treatments for them.
The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control outline several suggestions to minimize your exposure to ticks and tick-borne infectious disease:
  • Avoid wooded and grassy areas, particularly in the summer months, or areas such as fields that have wild rodents (ticks often live on these animals).
  • Wear appropriate clothing—always wear long pants with tall socks, if possible tucking your pants into your socks, long-sleeved shirts that are tight at the wrist and a hat. The hair is the most difficult place to find a tick.
  • Spray clothing with insect repellent. 
  • Always check yourself for ticks immediately following possible exposure.
If you have pets, check them for ticks after being outdoors. If you see a tick on your pet, do not remove it with your bare hands; use tweezers or go to a health facility for immediate removal.
In addition to the above-listed instructions, it is also a good idea to have skin tick repellent on, such as various essential oils. And it is very important to have tick repellent on pets, for their health’s sake and so they won’t bring ticks inside. Vets and pet stores offer options.
Even though May is recognized as Lyme Disease Awareness Month, ticks in California are active year-round, with nymph ticks biting in the spring and summer, and adult ticks active November through June. Thus we all need to be careful throughout the year.
The best prevention is to know what to look for. Go online to see what ticks look like and how to remove a tick that you find. Being pro-active and careful during time spent outdoors can have a significant impact on your ability to avoid a run-in with an infected tick.

LYME DISEASE AWARENESS LYME DISEASE WARRIORS

https://www.facebook.com/NEFLALyme



 LYME DISEASE WARRIORS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z35oeZV5N3M


PART 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Fbkzb2UvWtc

PART 2

LYME DISEASE AWARENESS

NEFLA has electronic billboards up and running with Lyme Disease messaging throughout the month of May.


Northeast Florida Lyme Association
NEFLA has electronic billboards up and running with Lyme Disease messaging throughout the month of May. Locations are: North facing at Blanding Blvd and I295, South facing at Philips Highway and Baymeadows Rd, East facing at Beach Blvd and Aldridge Mall, East facing at I-10W and Cassat Ave.

Arizona finally recognizes people can catch Lyme disease there


NEWS: Arizona finally recognizes people can catch Lyme disease there



 http://lymedisease.org/news/lyme_disease_views/arizona-lyme.html

1st May 2013

 
arizona lyme map
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Thanks to eight years of advocacy work by the group LEAP, Arizona's health department website now provides factual information about Lyme in that state. Among other things, the website says, "Due to the fact that not all cases are reported to state and local health departments by health practitioners and some cases acquired in Arizona may not meet the epidemiologic surveillance criteria, the lack of statistically-counted cases of Lyme disease acquired in Arizona should not deter health practitioners from using their clinical judgment when rendering a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease in patients reporting symptoms from tick bites acquired in Arizona."
.
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The following press release is from the Lyme Education Awareness Program (LEAP):
ARIZONA GOVERNOR
and ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES (ADHS)
RECOGNIZE LYME DISEASE IN ARIZONA
Since 2005, Lyme disease patient advocate Tina Garcia, Founder and President of Lyme Education Awareness Program (L.E.A.P.), has promoted awareness of Lyme disease in Arizona and nationwide.  On July 30, 2009, Mrs. Garcia was selected by former Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (now U.S. Senator for Connecticut) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America to testify on behalf of the worldwide Lyme patient community at a private legal hearing held in Washington, DC.
Mrs. Garcia contracted Lyme disease and Erlichiosis, both tick-borne bacterial infections, from a tick bite in November of 1998 south of Cordes Junction , Arizona .  Without any knowledge of tick-borne diseases, Tina went six (6) years without antibiotic treatment, while the infection ravaged her body.  By the end of 2004, she was disabled from the chronic infection.
Tina sought antibiotic treatment for chronic encephalopathy, dementia and excruciating musculoskeletal pain from two (2) infectious diseases specialists in Arizona , the second of whom, at the time, was the President of the Arizona Chapter of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.  Both infectious disease specialists denied treatment to Mrs. Garcia, with the former doctor inferring she was never bitten by a tick in Arizona and the latter insinuating that she needed psychological examination.  Both ID specialists told Tina there was no Lyme disease in Arizona .
Fortunately, she found two other physicians who diagnosed Lyme disease and a co-infection, Erlichiosis; both Lyme-knowledgeable physicians recommended intravenous antibiotic therapy for her serious neurological symptoms.  Although she had state-run insurance, AHCCCS, coverage for the intravenous antibiotics was denied based upon misdiagnosis by the infectious disease specialists.  Neither Tina nor her family could afford the cost of expensive intravenous treatment, so instead, her family paid for oral and intramuscular injections, which saved her life.  Today Tina’s health has improved, but she still suffers with residual problems.
For eight (8) years, Tina has worked to gain recognition for the disease in the state of Arizona .  Recently, with the help of Governor Brewer’s Deputy Director for Health Care Policy, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) updated Lyme information on its website.  Thanks to language submitted by Lyme Education Awareness Program, the ADHS Lyme disease webpage now provides an accurate and factual description of Lyme disease in Arizona .
Lyme-treating physician and L.E.A.P. Board member Dr. David Korn of Sunridge Medical in Scottsdale, Arizona, is hopeful that this newly-posted information will assist physicians, both in private practice and in hospitals, to be more vigilant in recognizing the varied manifestations of Lyme disease, which he says are similar to those exhibited by syphilis, another long-term, chronic, bacterial infection.  “Lyme disease needs to be exalted to its proper standing in the spectrum of diseases, as it can present as more than 300 different conditions and illnesses, including Multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.  I’m grateful the Arizona Department of Health Services has updated their information on Lyme disease, as Lyme is a serious and chronic infection that causes mitochondrial dysfunction, which can lead to cancer.”
L.E.A.P.’s Founder and President enthusiastically states, “We are extremely grateful for this action, as it is a significant step forward taken by Governor Brewer and the Arizona Department of Health Services, in recognizing the existence of Lyme disease in Arizona and providing that information to physicians.  It is timely in that May has been proclaimed by Governor Brewer as Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and in conjunction with the Worldwide Lyme Disease Awareness Protest, L.E.A.P. will be attending a rally at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale on May 10th from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m.
“The new information will help patients who live in Arizona and contract the disease here.  When a physician says there is no Lyme in Arizona , the patient can refer the doctor to the ADHS website for evidence that there is.  And if a visitor is bitten by a tick in Arizona , returns home and develops symptoms, their physician will have access to information that helps with diagnosis.  Now it is the responsibility of physicians in Arizona and elsewhere, especially infectious disease specialists, to utilize the information on the ADHS website to render diagnosis of Lyme disease, test for possible co-infections and provide timely and adequate treatment to patients.  Hopefully, others will not have to endure the suffering and medical neglect I have experienced due to denial of the existence of Lyme disease in Arizona .”
Lyme Education Awareness Program ~ L.E.A.P.
www.leaparizona.com
International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS)
Connecticut Attorney General Press Release dated May 1, 2008
Infectious Diseases Society of America Conflicts of Interest Related to Lyme Disease

Victor woman discusses her battle with Lyme disease



http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_161ea632-b202-11e2-a7d4-0019bb2963f4.html

Raising awareness: Victor woman discusses her battle with Lyme disease

13 hours ago  •  By PERRY BACKUS - Ravalli Republic
(0) Comments
VICTOR – Today is a good day for Brenna Faulk.
Sitting at her kitchen table with her tiny dog named Dino in her lap, the 39-year-old former personal trainer is enjoying the warmth of the sunshine pouring through the window.
She’s upright. She’s not in bed. She’s feeling halfway well.
Today is a good day.
Over the last six years, she has had plenty of the other.
She and her family were still in Louisiana six years ago when she caught strep throat. She’s never been the same since.
Suffering with pain, fatigue, fever and a variety of other symptoms that physicians couldn’t quite put their finger on the cause, Faulk spent years not quite sure what was happening inside her body.
On most days, she couldn’t get out of bed.
“I was a runner at one time,” she said. “At one point, I felt like a truck had hit me when I tried to get up and walk.”
Last August, she finally received a diagnosis that made sense when a blood test came back positive for Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. The bacterium that causes the disease was identified in 1981 by Rocky Mountain Laboratories scientist Willy Bergdorf.
If the disease is diagnosed and treated early, a relatively short course of antibiotics has been shown effective as a cure.
And then there are cases like Faulk’s that have caused a split in the medical community that continues today.
“I’ve been told that I have chronic Lyme disease,” she said. “The CDC says it doesn’t exist.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also doesn’t support the prolonged course of antibiotics that Faulk’s current physician has prescribed. While the CDC acknowledges that people infected with Lyme disease have lingering symptoms, the agency says there are no studies that show that long-term use of antibiotics make a difference.
The CDC doesn’t even agree with the term chronic Lyme disease. It says the condition is known as Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.
Whatever it’s called, Faulk said she’s finally finding relief with her current treatment regimen. Each day, she takes about 50 pills and five times a week, she injects herself with three IVs of antibiotics.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here today and talking about this if I hadn’t made the decision to give this a try,” she said. “It took seven months before I even started to see a real impact.”
Faulk’s struggle caught the attention of state Sen. Fred Thomas, R-Stevensville. He introduced legislation that would allow Montana physicians to offer the long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease without fear of being reprimanded by the state medical board.
It passed the Senate, but failed to get past the House health committee.
“I was surprised in their not wanting to move the bill forward,” Thomas said. “The medical world has a different medical protocol and they somehow got it killed.”
Thomas found Faulk’s story compelling.
“I think it is quite clear by Brenna’s story and many others, that unless the diagnosis for Lyme disease is made early, you can end up just having to live with the symptoms of the disease,” Thomas said. “This made a lot of sense to me. I’ll try to get it done next time around.”
Faulk wants people in Montana to know the dangers behind Lyme disease.
Although there has not been a confirmed case of anyone acquiring Lyme disease from a tick in Montana, the state health department has reported an average of five cases a year. The state and CDC attribute all of the confirmed cases to people who contracted the illness outside of Montana.
Since it’s so rare, Faulk said it is difficult to get a diagnosis.
“It’s not what doctors are looking for,” she said. “I know there are more of me in Montana.”
In an effort to bring more attention to the disease both here and around the country, Faulk has spent the past couple of months organizing a series of flash mobs in 22 different states.
In Hamilton, Alexandra Stuart and her Zumba class from The Canyons Athletic Club will orchestrate their own Lyme disease awareness flash mob on the corner of Bedford and Third streets at the first Farmers Market in Hamilton this Saturday at 10 a.m.
“Not only are we hoping to bring awareness, but we are also looking to educate the public about prevention and detection of this debilitating disease as we approach the busiest time of the year for these tiny critters that spread the disease,” she said.
“Chronic Lyme disease is all too real for too many people,” Faulk said. “But as they say, ‘You don’t get it, until you get it.’ ”
Reach reporter Perry Backus at 363-3300 or pbackus@ravallirepublic.com.

Much better with Lyme treatment


Lymedisease.org
From Montana: "She’s upright. She’s not in bed. She’s feeling halfway well. Today is a good day."





a young performing artist diagnosed with Lyme disease


Based on real-life experience of a young performing artist diagnosed with Lyme disease, as she faces the realization she is losing her ability to express herself through dance.


  1. http://vimeo.com/kristintieche/formsofidentification


when a person undertakes Lyme Disease; they may become estranged from friends, family, or a lover.


It's a process that has a natural tendency to occur when a person undertakes Lyme Disease; they may become estranged from friends, family, or a lover. While not everyone battling Lyme Disease becomes disconnected from the people that they love so dearly, nearly everyone battling Lyme Disease has a difficult time maintaining these relationships. But why?

Lyme Disease, after a conscious understanding of its requirements becomes the main focus and priority in a person's life. If it doesn't, a person's health may continue to decline and may even result in death. This small bit of logic provides the foundation that those battling Lyme Disease use to justify their willingness to engage in a contentious manner with Lyme Disease, which then may naturally lead to estrangement. It's a justification that has every reason to exist. So why does it become so difficult for a person to maintain an active social life while battling chronic Lyme Disease?.......

1. Mental and physical symptoms
Just being a biological organism requires the use of both physical and mental attributes in order to survive. If any of these attributes become compromised or hijacked, being a human being can become very difficult very fast. The symptoms those with chronic Lyme Disease experience are highly likely to be unprecedented. Severe fatigue, pain, inflammation, the biological hijacking of the systems of the body, and mental and cognitive degeneration; all just don't allow for a person to be a social butterfly. They may attempt to continue to be social, but doing so is no longer the walk in the park that is was before Lyme Disease. From a simple conversation, to skydiving, the body of a person with Lyme Disease simply just does not allow for, or easily welcome, social activities.

2. Fear of ridicule, embarrassment, or misunderstanding
It's hard enough for a person with Lyme Disease to track down and attain all the answers for themselves regarding their own state of health, and then to be questioned about their battle with Lyme Disease from another person? Forget about it! Lyme Disease, in a nutshell, temporarily hinders and collapses the life a person knew. They lose their ability to work, go to school, and even perform their once indulging hobbies. It's not easy for a 45 year old woman to tell her friends and family that she no longer works because of an bona fide illness that may appear delusionally to others as pure laziness. It's surely no self-esteem booster for a 14 year old boy to tell his friends that he can't come out and play for the fourth week in a row because he's too tired. And of course it's a crushing blow for a 21 year old junior in college to unwillingly bring his college endeavors to a halt. The raw nature of Lyme Disease is unusual and bizarre to a mind that has never embraced or experienced it, and surely will breed misunderstanding in conversions. The misunderstanding or ignorance of Lyme can lead to ridicule about the person with Lyme Disease, giving them all the more reason to not only isolate themselves, but justify their disconnection from socializing.

3. medicine
Depending on their treatment protocol, a person battling Lyme Disease may be taking an extensive amount of medicine to help themselves heal. Extensive is by no means an exaggeration as the amount of medicine that needs to be taken in a given day, the method for application, and the rate at which it must be taken, tend to dictate a person's daily schedule. While a person may be able to turn their treatment protocol into a mobile protocol once in a while, doing so time and time again can be very frustrating, and be a burden. It can be so frustrating at times that the social activity a person with Lyme intends to engage in doesn't even become worth the effort. The ease of taking medicine at home becomes more appealing, and further crushes the chances a person with Lyme may take to become socially active.

4. Herxing
While herxing could easily fall into reason number one, it is its own entity when it comes to battling Lyme Disease. A person may have physical and mental symptoms deteriorate, but the cause is not always bacteria die off. Herxing itself, which is the result of treatment (i.e., bacteria die off), can be generally agreed upon as being worse than having Lyme Disease without treatment. This is why many people refuse to restart their treatment after starting and then stopping it - they felt better before its application. Herxing is very unpredictable, can be lengthy, extremely debilitating, and even harder to bring under control. While normal Lyme Disease symptoms cause severe physical and mental symptoms, herxing really allows symptoms to reach their maximum power and prominence on a person. Symptom unprecedentedly manifest to the most unbearable levels. And it's not uncommon for a person to feel as if their IQ level had dropped 50 points. The tools that allow the human body to become socially engaging become hijacking during a herx. The prevailing desire is to simply avoid all human contact.

Without your health, you have nothing
Of course it's not easy to disengage yourself from the people you've surrounded yourself with for nearly your whole life. Being social is part of what makes us human, and to have that ability nearly entirely taken away, it hurts. It really does. It is important to remember that this process of becoming estranged from family and friends is normal. Many people battling Lyme Disease encounter this sociological symptom of Lyme as it's nearly inevitable. But, as social as we human beings are, and as important as socializing is for our minds, you can get through the periods of isolation. You'll survive. It won't be easy to endure but it can be done. Socializing may not even be on the list of objectives to complete in the beginning stages of Lyme Disease treatment, but as healing occurs, you'll find not only the desire to want to be social becoming more prevalent, but as well as the ability to do so.

It's a simple logic: Put your health first! Friends, a lover, and family will likely be there when you've recovered. And even if they aren't, you will possess the ability to make new friends and even repair relationships. It's a reward that will return for the strenuous efforts you put forth to overcoming Lyme Disease.
Why Do Those With Lyme Disease Become Estranged?
www.tiredoflyme.com
It's a process that has a natural tendency to occur when a person undertakes Lyme Disease; they may become estranged from friends, family, or a lover. While not everyone battling Lyme Disease...

: Lyme Awareness Month











Lyme Awareness Month is here! Rise up and have your voice heard: Change your Cover Photo, tell your story, and 
write a letter to your elected official.Tweet to us at @TBDAlliance with your #ReasonToWrite to government, and send our letter here: http://ow.ly/kBw9z

Herbs to help with Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is often treated with antibiotics, however herbs are becoming more and more popular to treat Lyme disease. Herbs are natural and extremely beneficial to the body. Herbs also have 
no side effects. (Just be sure to check to make sure they don't interact with any other meds you are on, always good to check with your Dr before starting anything new)


1) Aloe Vera Juice. Herbs are used to treat many of the symptoms of Lyme Disease and to boast the bodies immune system. Not all symptoms are the same so some patients may not need all of the herbs listed. They all will, however, need the Aloe Vera Juice. Aloe Vera Juice can detoxify your body which is extremely important to begin healing. It is also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. There is a link below this article to a site that sells the best Aloe Vera Juice.

2) Take herbs that boost your immune system. Boosting your immune system will give your body the power it needs to fight infections on its own the way it was created to. The three top herbs for this purpose are Cat’s Claw, Siberian Ginseng, and Echinacea. You can get any of these products at your local health store or from a GNC store or website.

3) Stop the growth of the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. There are 3 herbs that are known for doing this and they should be added to your diet. They are your average garlic (sold in supermarkets), Licorice (you won't mind eating this) and skullcap. These are thought to be especially effective against the specific bacteria that causes Lyme Disease.

4) Treat any abnormal brain functions by taking Gingko biloba. This is not always a symptom so some Lyme Disease patients may not even need this. If you are having trouble with concentration, memory, or any trouble with your thought processes than add Gingko biloba to your diet.

5) Treat fatigue. You can do this by using foods rich in Omega-3 (or buy a bottle of it at your local health food store) and by adding flaxseed oil to your herbal regiment. Treating fatigue with caffeine, which is what is normally done, is not a solution. Caffeine has a natural high, but then causes a crash.

6) Treat muscle pain. You can do this with a product called Sam-e or with Amino acid supplements containing creatine. Muscle soreness is a symptom that most Lyme Disease patients have so this is a treatment that almost every patient will want to work in to their regiment. Why live in pain if there are natural products that can help you feel better.

7) Treat inflammation. Grapeseed extract is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. White willow bark works the same way aspirin does in that it relieves pain and reduces inflammation. It is safer than aspirin, however, as it does not cause bleeding as reported by Dr. James A. Duke, Ph.D. Almost all Lyme Disease patients suffer from inflammation and should consider one of these two herbs.

8) Treat headaches and facial tensions with kudzu extracts. This herb may also help with stiff necks that are common among patients with Lyme Disease. If you find that your headaches are more like migraines than you may want to take supplements containing feverfew instead.

Remember everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another....Just a few ideas to go over with your Dr :)
http://www.ehow.com/how_4431967_treat-lyme-disease-herbs.html#ixzz2S38eShNv
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