Hello again,
Below is another fine article which describes another's battle with Lyme disease. It is another testimony that progress is slowly being made but that there is a long way to go to finding a cure.
Be well,
Richard
Begin quote"
News
Long road back: Shippensburg girl’s battle with late-stage Lyme disease
Photo by C.J. Lovelace
Documentary to be shown this weekend details dangers, research
By C.J. LOVELACE
Associate Editor
Published: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 8:24 AM EDT
A tiny creature carrying an immensely devastating disease could be found right in your backyard.
According to the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC), Pennsylvania has recently become to most endemic region for Lyme, a cureless disease that in its late stage, carried by the bite of a tick, is very difficult to diagnose and treat because its symptoms are so diverse.
If caught late, it becomes more and more difficult to understand and defend against.
Four years in the making, one Shippensburg family, just one of many, has experienced the difficulties of battling Lyme first hand.
By the age of 16, Barry and Diana Holtry’s daughter, Heather, was progressively becoming more ill at the hands of this disease. Heather said her family remembered removing the first engorged tick from the top of her head when she was 5 years old in the mountains of Massanutten, Va. She wasn’t exactly sure if this was when she became infected, but what they experienced over the next few years was difficult to say the least.
Lyme disease is bacterial infection, complicated when co-infections are involved, which cause inflammation pain and swelling all over the body if not treated. It created confusion for the Holtrys, their doctors and great amounts of pain for Heather.
When the root answers to her physical symptoms were not able to be determined locally, the family was forced to travel long distances, as far as Connecticut and Washington, D.C., to meet with doctors and specialists in efforts to figure out what was affecting Heather’s body.
For Heather, when she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, it was a relief.
“At first, I was relieved because my journey had started when I was very, very young and we didn’t know what we were dealing with,” she said. “A diagnosis, to me, meant we could move forward … but that was kind of before we understood the whole picture and how deep it goes in the treatment and the effect it can have on your body. I have only been able to come as far as I have because of my faith and the way the Lord answered our prayer for guidance.”
If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated and managed in a fairly effective manner, but if it’s caught late, like in Heather’s case, it allows the disease to disseminate into vital organs, tissues and it “becomes a multi-system and multi-symptom involvement disease,” explains Diana.
It affected every single body system inside their daughter’s body, from her brain and nervous system to her cardiovascular system. Heather’s case was complicated by several co-infections and the Holtrys did not see evidence of two of the co-infections for the first year of her treatment because of the suppression to her immune system.
Heather began to have difficulty managing even every day tasks, such as walking, eating, sleeping. She was unable to string a sentence together and she developed short-term memory loss. Her mother and father recall several episodes when Heather suffered seizures, temporary paralysis and an endless list of symptoms because of the spirochetal load throughout her body.
Heather endured swelling of the lining of the brain and lost her vision until the swelling was brought under control. Migraines, joint and muscular pain, extreme fatigue, and the list goes on, said Diana.
It left the Holtrys with few places to turn for answers.
Because of the current time in history of Lyme, a politically driven disease, and the fact that science and new types of treatment are continuing to emerge, Heather’s parents said that the family became more like researchers.
“Barry and I did not know anything about Late stage Lyme; could not imagine that this disease could cause so many life-threatening complications, so much pain … but we prayed, we researched and we were led to our answers,” said Diana. “It is a long, journey home, but, Heather’s doctors tell her she is ‘stellar.’ We know her to be a beautiful role model of strength and faith. She is a warrior and our come-back kid. She is not alone; we have had the humble privilege of meeting many young people and people of all ages and walks of life across this nation who have suffered in similar ways because of the missed diagnosis.”
With the help of a diversified unit of doctors and specialists working together and constantly evolving information, Heather slowly has been gaining ground. She is on a long-term treatment regiment to include several physical therapies each week. Their goal is cleansing her body of the deadly pathogens that had affected so many of her body systems and a rebuilding of her nearly destroyed, severely suppressed immune system.
Today, Heather seems like your normal almost-20-year-old girl. She is in her second year as a part time student in the Fashion Management/Retail Bachelor’s program at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and is planning a Lyme disease charity runway fashion show in September that she plans to put on as a fundraiser to benefit a much needed grant funded research project through the Lyme Disease Association (LDA).
Diana says her daughter is on an anti-inflammatory diet and, because of a Lyme-induced chemical sensitivity, her doctors have determined her drug resistant. She is on a specific and intense protocol targeted at pathogens, toxicities, detoxification and laboratory identified deficiencies. Over time, Heather’s protocol continually evolves under the watchful eye of her medical team to keep her late-state Lyme under control, but because of lack of a cure at this stage, the fight against this disease has a long ways to go.
Heather’s case may seem unique, but it truly is not. According to CDC, only about 10 percent of reported Lyme disease cases are true diagnoses.
For this reason, the Holtry family now serve as volunteer national Lyme disease educators and on the invitation of the Shippensburg Church of the Nazarene and the Shippensburg Evangelical Free Church will be presenting a documentary entitled “Under Our Skin – The Untold Story of Lyme disease” this Saturday, June 26, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Premier Events, 429 E. Orange St., Shippensburg. Doors will open at 2:45 p.m.
The documentary, illustrated through several case studies, details the science and politics of the disease, teaches the viewer more about the disease, but does not instill fear.
“We do not educate by fear; we equip,” says the Holtry family. “We support what we present with science. We work with top ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) Lyme doctors, researchers, molecular biologists … this is what a parent will often have to go through in order to understand the right approach for their child, or if it’s a personal case, for their individual care.”
A “360-degree documentary,” according to the Holtrys, the film really educates viewers, creating a personal feel that doesn’t just relate facts.
“This is so personal yet, packed with truth,” said Heather.
“We need to be equipped to be able to advocate for our health and wellbeing,” Diana continued. “I think differential diagnosis is imperative because it’s a very confusing disease; physicians and citizens alike simply need to be educated.”
The documentary, which is not suitable for children but okay for teens, is free to the public and reveals the shocking human, medical and political dimensions of Lyme. Recognized nationally within a month of its premiere, it is produced by Open Eye Pictures.
Reservations are necessary to ensure adequate seating for the showing. E-mail SCentralPaLymeForum@yahoo.com to sign up. Be sure to include your name, phone contact information and the number in your party. If you do not have e-mail, call 717-532-7402.
Copyright © 2010 - The Shippensburg News-Chronicle
End quote
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Hi Everyone,
I hope you all are enjoying your summer. I enjoy fishing and I thought you might like to know how to become a better fisherman. I have a great e-book that can give you some tips.
If you are sick and tired of coming home from fishing trips empty handed, having to eat fast food instead of delicious steamed trout, then this will be the most important message you read today.
Let me tell you why:
There is more to fishing than you might have first thought. To be more precise, there’s more to the fish themselves and how they think, than you would have ever even considered. To learn this and more click on the link below.
Click Here!
I hope you all are enjoying your summer. I enjoy fishing and I thought you might like to know how to become a better fisherman. I have a great e-book that can give you some tips.
If you are sick and tired of coming home from fishing trips empty handed, having to eat fast food instead of delicious steamed trout, then this will be the most important message you read today.
Let me tell you why:
There is more to fishing than you might have first thought. To be more precise, there’s more to the fish themselves and how they think, than you would have ever even considered. To learn this and more click on the link below.
Click Here!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Mysterious Lyme Disease
Here is a great article from the Chicago Sun Times. It is another story of another life affected by this cruel disease
Be well,
Richard
Begin quote:
Shedding light on the mysterious Lyme disease
Patient suffered from painful symptoms of 'the great masquerader' until specialist got a handle on disease
May 5, 2010
BY CAROL SLEZAK cslezak@suntimes.com
When Michael Plahn suddenly began feeling achy and nauseous last Memorial Day, he assumed he had the flu. But when the nausea subsided a few days later, only to be replaced by extreme joint pain and a feeling of utter exhaustion, Plahn realized he was dealing with something else. It was time to see a doctor.
What followed for Plahn was a maddening journey through a medical system that was either unable or unwilling to diagnose and effectively treat his symptoms. Plahn, 38, had no intention of becoming a pawn in a political battle between doctors and insurance companies, but that's what he and an untold number of others seem to have become. They are people suffering from a debilitating illness that some doctors recognize as chronic Lyme disease, and other doctors don't recognize at all.
» Click to enlarge image
Chicagoan Michael Plahn, with infant son Oliver and fiancee Sarah Wilde, says impending fatherhood and other stressful events may have triggered his symptoms.
(Keith Hale/Sun-Times)
Plahn, a Chicagoan, lost track of the number of physicians he saw at a major Chicago hospital last summer, but remembers an internist, an infectious disease specialist, an allergist, a rheumatologist -- plus a few trips to the emergency room when his pain became unbearable. No one was able to diagnose his illness, but they all agreed that he didn't have Lyme disease.
"Early on I was given a Lyme disease test ... but I was told I didn't have it," Plahn said.
Plahn, founder of Life Skills Authorities, a company that helps people fight chemical addiction, recalls one ER doctor laughing at him.
"He said, 'I read your charts and you don't have Lyme disease,'" Plahn said. "He was insinuating that I just wanted to get pain-killers. You know, I know the signs of chemical dependency. I was worried about myself, too. But I didn't know what else to do."
Plahn's fiancee, Sarah Wilde, watched her partner go from an energetic, robust man to a sick and frightened one. His joints were swollen, his muscles hurt, his brain felt foggy. He lost 25 pounds, and most of his energy.
"He had been the picture of perfect health," Wilde said. "He'd built an entire business around helping others be healthy. And suddenly he couldn't even exercise."
Wilde, the director of partner management for Yahoo!, began researching Plahn's symptoms online, and came across something called "chronic Lyme disease." The more Wilde read, the more convinced she became that Plahn had chronic Lyme. But there wasn't a single doctor within this big-city hospital system that agreed. One specialist diagnosed "adrenal fatigue" and prescribed steroids. Another hinted to Plahn that his illness was psychosomatic.
Plahn recited the hospital's final words on the subject: "This was a strong virus of undetermined nature. He will have extreme pain for an undisclosed amount of time."
At his lowest points, Plahn remembers thinking, "Let this be cancer, so at least we can go after it and try to treat it."
'Lyme-literate' doctors
The medical profession agrees on this much: Lyme disease is caused by a spiral-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi that's transmitted by tick bites. (The illness was named after the city of Lyme, Conn., where a cluster of the disease was found in the 1970s.) Although it has been reported most heavily in the northeastern United States, Lyme disease has been reported in every state, and across the globe. It can affect the skin, joints, heart and nervous system. Oral antibiotics are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease.
Beyond that, things get tricky. According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, a significant number of people who contract Lyme either are misdiagnosed during the early stages, or fail to seek medical attention, leading to a chronic form of the disease that requires long-term antibiotic treatment. But in guidelines first published in 2006, the powerful Infectious Disease Society of America maintains there is no scientific evidence to support this theory, and that long-term antibiotic use is dangerous.
In a review prompted by an antitrust challenge by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a special review panel for the IDSA recently upheld the '06 guidelines. (Blumenthal had questioned the impartiality of the guidelines' authors, suggesting they had undisclosed conflicts of interest.) Although the guidelines are technically not mandatory, many insurance companies use them to deny coverage for chronic Lyme treatment, creating a discouraging situation for patients.
"I don't understand why some doctors want to ignore that this is happening," Wilde said. "It's frustrating that they've turned a blind eye to it, or scarier, that they're saying it's something else."
The medical establishment says it's simply a matter of science.
"They are chronically ill, a little desperate and they are searching for answers," said Dr. Paul Mead, an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We can all understand that. The question is: Is the treatment they are getting beneficial?"
Doctors who treat chronic Lyme, dubbed "Lyme-literate" physicians, are few and far between. Plahn travels to Fond du Lac, Wis., for treatment from Dr. Steven Meress of the Fox Valley Wellness Center. After about six months under Meress' care, Plahn has noticed significant improvement. His pain has subsided, his brain is not as foggy, and he has regained some energy. He feels like he is on the right track.
"With chronic Lyme, people think they are going crazy," Plahn said. "You think, 'I'm in excruciating pain, but could it be all in my head?' Could it be psychosomatic? I was open to exploring that. But whatever I have is very real. It came on abruptly and it was not leaving."
Meress, an internist whose practice combines traditional and integrated approaches, sees Lyme patients from 18 states and four countries.
"My patients on average have seen seven physicians over the course of 20 months before coming to me," he said. "They are sick and they are frustrated. Lyme disease has become a political battlefield, and the patients have been put in the middle of this. It's doctor vs. doctor, insurance company vs. insurance company. People have spent $15,000, $30,000 out of pocket to fight this disease. They've lost jobs, spouses, houses. Sometimes it's better to have cancer -- at least the treatment is paid for."
Why are long-term antibiotics necessary? According to the chronic Lyme camp, because the organism that causes Lyme disease is a complicated one that can hide inside human cells, and often is accompanied by co-infections. "This disease is not easy to treat," Meress said.
The chronic Lyme controversy has resulted in investigations of some Lyme-literate physicians by state medical boards. It also has spawned legislative bills in several states aimed at protecting doctors who prescribe long-term antibiotics to treat chronic Lyme.
"It's interesting that it's OK to give [the antibiotic] Doxycycline for five years for acne, but the IDSA suggests only 14 days for Lyme disease," Meress said. "Acne doesn't kill people. Lyme does."
'The great masquerader'
The chronic Lyme camp believes there is no reliable diagnostic test for Lyme, resulting in many false negative results. And Lyme symptoms can mimic those of many other diseases, including Parkinson's, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and ALS. The chronic camp calls Lyme "the great masquerader."
Take the case of a Colorado doctor named David Martz. He was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2003 and given two years to live. Although he had initially tested negative for Lyme, he pursued treatment by a Lyme-literate doctor -- and the treatment reversed his symptoms and saved his life.
Some researchers believe patients diagnosed with rheumatologic and neurologic conditions, as well as multi-system illnesses, should be evaluated for chronic Lyme.
A 2009 documentary, "Under Our Skin," shed light on chronic Lyme while taking aim at the IDSA and the medical establishment. But the CDC, which links to the IDSA guidelines on its Web site (cdc.gov), stresses that sound scientific principles form the basis of the guidelines.
"Misdiagnosis is not in the patients' best interest," Mead said. "Yes, we don't know everything. And the patients feel abandoned and frustrated by all of us. ... Is it a persistent infection or post-infection complication? It's been studied several times and all available evidence indicates it's not a persistent infection. But because there was still concern that [patients] might benefit from longer-term antibiotics, several well-defined studies were conducted, and all showed there was no benefit."
From 1992 to 2006, the number of reported Lyme disease cases in the United States more than doubled, from 9,908 to 19,931. In 2008, there were 28,921 confirmed cases -- 108 of them in Illinois. It's commonly believed that the disease frequently goes unreported.
Plahn, an urbanite whose idea of camping is going to the Four Seasons, has no idea where he might have been bitten. But disease-carrying ticks are everywhere, Meress said, including in our backyards and on our pets. Plahn never noticed a telltale Lyme bull's-eye rash on his body, but that's not uncommon, Meress said, noting that fewer than 50 percent of infected people recall a rash.
Plahn learned from Meress that he had been infected for at least 18 months -- and possibly much longer -- before experiencing the symptoms that led him to seek help.
"It was in my bones, my lymph system, everywhere," Plahn said.
He believes that stress -- he was starting a new company, and Wilde was pregnant with the couple's son Oliver, who was born in September -- must have triggered his symptoms because "that's the only thing that makes sense."
There are still so many unanswered questions. For Plahn and Wilde, of course. And for the medical community as well. But like many others suffering from the illness, Plahn and Wilde are confident they've made the right treatment choice.
"At the end of the day we're just happy to have found something to help him feel better," Wilde said.
Be well,
Richard
Begin quote:
Shedding light on the mysterious Lyme disease
Patient suffered from painful symptoms of 'the great masquerader' until specialist got a handle on disease
May 5, 2010
BY CAROL SLEZAK cslezak@suntimes.com
When Michael Plahn suddenly began feeling achy and nauseous last Memorial Day, he assumed he had the flu. But when the nausea subsided a few days later, only to be replaced by extreme joint pain and a feeling of utter exhaustion, Plahn realized he was dealing with something else. It was time to see a doctor.
What followed for Plahn was a maddening journey through a medical system that was either unable or unwilling to diagnose and effectively treat his symptoms. Plahn, 38, had no intention of becoming a pawn in a political battle between doctors and insurance companies, but that's what he and an untold number of others seem to have become. They are people suffering from a debilitating illness that some doctors recognize as chronic Lyme disease, and other doctors don't recognize at all.
» Click to enlarge image
Chicagoan Michael Plahn, with infant son Oliver and fiancee Sarah Wilde, says impending fatherhood and other stressful events may have triggered his symptoms.
(Keith Hale/Sun-Times)
Plahn, a Chicagoan, lost track of the number of physicians he saw at a major Chicago hospital last summer, but remembers an internist, an infectious disease specialist, an allergist, a rheumatologist -- plus a few trips to the emergency room when his pain became unbearable. No one was able to diagnose his illness, but they all agreed that he didn't have Lyme disease.
"Early on I was given a Lyme disease test ... but I was told I didn't have it," Plahn said.
Plahn, founder of Life Skills Authorities, a company that helps people fight chemical addiction, recalls one ER doctor laughing at him.
"He said, 'I read your charts and you don't have Lyme disease,'" Plahn said. "He was insinuating that I just wanted to get pain-killers. You know, I know the signs of chemical dependency. I was worried about myself, too. But I didn't know what else to do."
Plahn's fiancee, Sarah Wilde, watched her partner go from an energetic, robust man to a sick and frightened one. His joints were swollen, his muscles hurt, his brain felt foggy. He lost 25 pounds, and most of his energy.
"He had been the picture of perfect health," Wilde said. "He'd built an entire business around helping others be healthy. And suddenly he couldn't even exercise."
Wilde, the director of partner management for Yahoo!, began researching Plahn's symptoms online, and came across something called "chronic Lyme disease." The more Wilde read, the more convinced she became that Plahn had chronic Lyme. But there wasn't a single doctor within this big-city hospital system that agreed. One specialist diagnosed "adrenal fatigue" and prescribed steroids. Another hinted to Plahn that his illness was psychosomatic.
Plahn recited the hospital's final words on the subject: "This was a strong virus of undetermined nature. He will have extreme pain for an undisclosed amount of time."
At his lowest points, Plahn remembers thinking, "Let this be cancer, so at least we can go after it and try to treat it."
'Lyme-literate' doctors
The medical profession agrees on this much: Lyme disease is caused by a spiral-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi that's transmitted by tick bites. (The illness was named after the city of Lyme, Conn., where a cluster of the disease was found in the 1970s.) Although it has been reported most heavily in the northeastern United States, Lyme disease has been reported in every state, and across the globe. It can affect the skin, joints, heart and nervous system. Oral antibiotics are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease.
Beyond that, things get tricky. According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, a significant number of people who contract Lyme either are misdiagnosed during the early stages, or fail to seek medical attention, leading to a chronic form of the disease that requires long-term antibiotic treatment. But in guidelines first published in 2006, the powerful Infectious Disease Society of America maintains there is no scientific evidence to support this theory, and that long-term antibiotic use is dangerous.
In a review prompted by an antitrust challenge by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a special review panel for the IDSA recently upheld the '06 guidelines. (Blumenthal had questioned the impartiality of the guidelines' authors, suggesting they had undisclosed conflicts of interest.) Although the guidelines are technically not mandatory, many insurance companies use them to deny coverage for chronic Lyme treatment, creating a discouraging situation for patients.
"I don't understand why some doctors want to ignore that this is happening," Wilde said. "It's frustrating that they've turned a blind eye to it, or scarier, that they're saying it's something else."
The medical establishment says it's simply a matter of science.
"They are chronically ill, a little desperate and they are searching for answers," said Dr. Paul Mead, an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We can all understand that. The question is: Is the treatment they are getting beneficial?"
Doctors who treat chronic Lyme, dubbed "Lyme-literate" physicians, are few and far between. Plahn travels to Fond du Lac, Wis., for treatment from Dr. Steven Meress of the Fox Valley Wellness Center. After about six months under Meress' care, Plahn has noticed significant improvement. His pain has subsided, his brain is not as foggy, and he has regained some energy. He feels like he is on the right track.
"With chronic Lyme, people think they are going crazy," Plahn said. "You think, 'I'm in excruciating pain, but could it be all in my head?' Could it be psychosomatic? I was open to exploring that. But whatever I have is very real. It came on abruptly and it was not leaving."
Meress, an internist whose practice combines traditional and integrated approaches, sees Lyme patients from 18 states and four countries.
"My patients on average have seen seven physicians over the course of 20 months before coming to me," he said. "They are sick and they are frustrated. Lyme disease has become a political battlefield, and the patients have been put in the middle of this. It's doctor vs. doctor, insurance company vs. insurance company. People have spent $15,000, $30,000 out of pocket to fight this disease. They've lost jobs, spouses, houses. Sometimes it's better to have cancer -- at least the treatment is paid for."
Why are long-term antibiotics necessary? According to the chronic Lyme camp, because the organism that causes Lyme disease is a complicated one that can hide inside human cells, and often is accompanied by co-infections. "This disease is not easy to treat," Meress said.
The chronic Lyme controversy has resulted in investigations of some Lyme-literate physicians by state medical boards. It also has spawned legislative bills in several states aimed at protecting doctors who prescribe long-term antibiotics to treat chronic Lyme.
"It's interesting that it's OK to give [the antibiotic] Doxycycline for five years for acne, but the IDSA suggests only 14 days for Lyme disease," Meress said. "Acne doesn't kill people. Lyme does."
'The great masquerader'
The chronic Lyme camp believes there is no reliable diagnostic test for Lyme, resulting in many false negative results. And Lyme symptoms can mimic those of many other diseases, including Parkinson's, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and ALS. The chronic camp calls Lyme "the great masquerader."
Take the case of a Colorado doctor named David Martz. He was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2003 and given two years to live. Although he had initially tested negative for Lyme, he pursued treatment by a Lyme-literate doctor -- and the treatment reversed his symptoms and saved his life.
Some researchers believe patients diagnosed with rheumatologic and neurologic conditions, as well as multi-system illnesses, should be evaluated for chronic Lyme.
A 2009 documentary, "Under Our Skin," shed light on chronic Lyme while taking aim at the IDSA and the medical establishment. But the CDC, which links to the IDSA guidelines on its Web site (cdc.gov), stresses that sound scientific principles form the basis of the guidelines.
"Misdiagnosis is not in the patients' best interest," Mead said. "Yes, we don't know everything. And the patients feel abandoned and frustrated by all of us. ... Is it a persistent infection or post-infection complication? It's been studied several times and all available evidence indicates it's not a persistent infection. But because there was still concern that [patients] might benefit from longer-term antibiotics, several well-defined studies were conducted, and all showed there was no benefit."
From 1992 to 2006, the number of reported Lyme disease cases in the United States more than doubled, from 9,908 to 19,931. In 2008, there were 28,921 confirmed cases -- 108 of them in Illinois. It's commonly believed that the disease frequently goes unreported.
Plahn, an urbanite whose idea of camping is going to the Four Seasons, has no idea where he might have been bitten. But disease-carrying ticks are everywhere, Meress said, including in our backyards and on our pets. Plahn never noticed a telltale Lyme bull's-eye rash on his body, but that's not uncommon, Meress said, noting that fewer than 50 percent of infected people recall a rash.
Plahn learned from Meress that he had been infected for at least 18 months -- and possibly much longer -- before experiencing the symptoms that led him to seek help.
"It was in my bones, my lymph system, everywhere," Plahn said.
He believes that stress -- he was starting a new company, and Wilde was pregnant with the couple's son Oliver, who was born in September -- must have triggered his symptoms because "that's the only thing that makes sense."
There are still so many unanswered questions. For Plahn and Wilde, of course. And for the medical community as well. But like many others suffering from the illness, Plahn and Wilde are confident they've made the right treatment choice.
"At the end of the day we're just happy to have found something to help him feel better," Wilde said.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Yet another familiar story
Hi everyone,
Thought you would enjoy this article from the Wichita Eagle.
Be well,
Richard
Posted on Mon, May. 10, 2010
Symptoms make Lyme disease difficult to diagnose
BY HURST LAVIANA
The Wichita Eagle
Bob Reichenberger was perfectly healthy last June when he drove to a pasture near Andale to adjust the sights on two rifles. "I'm an athlete," he said. "I work out. I eat good food. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I've never had any health problems."
Reichenberger didn't worry about the two ticks that bit him that day.
"I felt one crawl up my neck," he said. "I pinched it in half and threw it out the window. Later that night I pulled one off my head."
Reichenberger, a detective on the Wichita Police Department's gang investigations unit, said he was used to chasing down 20-year-old gang members. But over the next several months, he was debilitated by one of the tick bites.
He spent a week at Wesley Medical Center, missed two months of work, began experiencing paralysis and watched his weight drop from 175 to 140 pounds — all without knowing the cause of his mysterious and painful illness.
In December, when he finally was diagnosed with Lyme disease, he began what has been a long and slow recovery from an illness that's not often discussed in Kansas.
"It's a physically and emotionally devastating disease," he said.
Prime time for Lyme
Reichenberger said he was happy to share his story during what has been designated as national Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
As warm weather brings people outdoors, health officials say, May is a good time to learn about tick-borne diseases and how to take precautions to protect pets and yourself from them.
Janice McCoy, health protection coordinator for the Sedgwick County Health Department, said April through September are the prime months for tick-borne disease in Kansas.
She said there were 18 suspected cases of Lyme disease reported last year in Sedgwick County, and four suspected cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which also is spread by infected ticks.
"If not treated by antibiotics, they can cause long-term problems," she said.
The bite of a Lyme-infected tick often leaves a distinctive bull's-eye rash that can grow to 12 inches in diameter.
"That is generally the first sign of infection," McCoy said.
For the 20 to 30 percent of Lyme patients who don't get the rash, she said, diagnosing the disease can be tricky.
From three to 30 days after the bite of an infected tick, she said, a victim begins to exhibit symptoms that mimic many other diseases — fatigue, chills, fever and muscle pains.
"The best thing you can do if you think you have been bit by a tick and have the symptoms, is to see a physician,'' she said.
Kansas state epidemiologist Charlie Hunt said there were 16 confirmed cases of Lyme disease statewide in 2008, the last year for which figures are available. Cases are confirmed after two lab tests come back positive.
Three of the confirmed 2008 cases were in Sedgwick County, while four each were reported in Reno and Johnson counties.
"It's been a reportable disease here for many years," Hunt said. "The organism has been identified in Kansas. It's just not as thick as it is in the northeast.
"We know physicians are looking for it."
Difficult diagnosis
Reichenberger said neither he nor his doctor suspected Lyme disease when he first started experiencing symptoms — muscle spasms and pain in his feet and lower calves — about a month after the tick bite. If he developed the bull's-eye rash, he said, it was probably under his hair and he didn't notice it.
Over the next several weeks, Reichenberger said, the pain spread steadily throughout his body. Eventually, he said, he felt like knives were stuck between the vertebrae of his spine. He said he felt excruciating pain in every muscle in his body.
He was unable to sleep, he said, and prescribed pain medications offered no relief.
In November, after nearly collapsing at work, he was admitted to Wesley. While in the hospital, he said, doctors took blood tests and did an MRI of his brain.
"I had all kinds of doctors looking at me," Reichenberger said. "They just couldn't quite figure out what the problem was."
One doctor suggested that he might have post-traumatic stress syndrome after working 17 years as a police officer. Another diagnosed him with fibromyalgia.
"One of them thought I had Lou Gehrig's disease," Reichenberger said. "Others just flat out said, 'We can't find anything physically wrong with you. You need to see a psychiatrist.' "
After Reichenberger returned home, he and his wife began researching his symptoms, and they began to suspect Lyme disease. But initial tests to determine whether he had the disease were negative, he said.
In December, as he began to fear his disease would prove fatal, he made an appointment with a Missouri doctor who specializes in Lyme disease.
"He immediately diagnosed me as having all indications of Lyme disease," Reichenberger said.
He said tests performed at a California lab were positive for the disease. He said the pain continued during his first month of treatment, but that by February he began to show signs of improvement.
"I still have a few glitches here and there," he said. "But I'm strong again, and I'm pain free.
"I feel like I came back from dead."
Reichenberger said those seeking more information about Lyme disease can visit www.lymenet.org or www.turnthecorner.org.
Reach Hurst Laviana at 316-268-6499 or hlaviana@wichitaeagle.com.
© 2010 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansas.com
Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/05/10/v-print/1306879/symptoms-make-lyme-disease-difficult.html#ixzz0nhGpaLHK
Thought you would enjoy this article from the Wichita Eagle.
Be well,
Richard
Posted on Mon, May. 10, 2010
Symptoms make Lyme disease difficult to diagnose
BY HURST LAVIANA
The Wichita Eagle
Bob Reichenberger was perfectly healthy last June when he drove to a pasture near Andale to adjust the sights on two rifles. "I'm an athlete," he said. "I work out. I eat good food. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I've never had any health problems."
Reichenberger didn't worry about the two ticks that bit him that day.
"I felt one crawl up my neck," he said. "I pinched it in half and threw it out the window. Later that night I pulled one off my head."
Reichenberger, a detective on the Wichita Police Department's gang investigations unit, said he was used to chasing down 20-year-old gang members. But over the next several months, he was debilitated by one of the tick bites.
He spent a week at Wesley Medical Center, missed two months of work, began experiencing paralysis and watched his weight drop from 175 to 140 pounds — all without knowing the cause of his mysterious and painful illness.
In December, when he finally was diagnosed with Lyme disease, he began what has been a long and slow recovery from an illness that's not often discussed in Kansas.
"It's a physically and emotionally devastating disease," he said.
Prime time for Lyme
Reichenberger said he was happy to share his story during what has been designated as national Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
As warm weather brings people outdoors, health officials say, May is a good time to learn about tick-borne diseases and how to take precautions to protect pets and yourself from them.
Janice McCoy, health protection coordinator for the Sedgwick County Health Department, said April through September are the prime months for tick-borne disease in Kansas.
She said there were 18 suspected cases of Lyme disease reported last year in Sedgwick County, and four suspected cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which also is spread by infected ticks.
"If not treated by antibiotics, they can cause long-term problems," she said.
The bite of a Lyme-infected tick often leaves a distinctive bull's-eye rash that can grow to 12 inches in diameter.
"That is generally the first sign of infection," McCoy said.
For the 20 to 30 percent of Lyme patients who don't get the rash, she said, diagnosing the disease can be tricky.
From three to 30 days after the bite of an infected tick, she said, a victim begins to exhibit symptoms that mimic many other diseases — fatigue, chills, fever and muscle pains.
"The best thing you can do if you think you have been bit by a tick and have the symptoms, is to see a physician,'' she said.
Kansas state epidemiologist Charlie Hunt said there were 16 confirmed cases of Lyme disease statewide in 2008, the last year for which figures are available. Cases are confirmed after two lab tests come back positive.
Three of the confirmed 2008 cases were in Sedgwick County, while four each were reported in Reno and Johnson counties.
"It's been a reportable disease here for many years," Hunt said. "The organism has been identified in Kansas. It's just not as thick as it is in the northeast.
"We know physicians are looking for it."
Difficult diagnosis
Reichenberger said neither he nor his doctor suspected Lyme disease when he first started experiencing symptoms — muscle spasms and pain in his feet and lower calves — about a month after the tick bite. If he developed the bull's-eye rash, he said, it was probably under his hair and he didn't notice it.
Over the next several weeks, Reichenberger said, the pain spread steadily throughout his body. Eventually, he said, he felt like knives were stuck between the vertebrae of his spine. He said he felt excruciating pain in every muscle in his body.
He was unable to sleep, he said, and prescribed pain medications offered no relief.
In November, after nearly collapsing at work, he was admitted to Wesley. While in the hospital, he said, doctors took blood tests and did an MRI of his brain.
"I had all kinds of doctors looking at me," Reichenberger said. "They just couldn't quite figure out what the problem was."
One doctor suggested that he might have post-traumatic stress syndrome after working 17 years as a police officer. Another diagnosed him with fibromyalgia.
"One of them thought I had Lou Gehrig's disease," Reichenberger said. "Others just flat out said, 'We can't find anything physically wrong with you. You need to see a psychiatrist.' "
After Reichenberger returned home, he and his wife began researching his symptoms, and they began to suspect Lyme disease. But initial tests to determine whether he had the disease were negative, he said.
In December, as he began to fear his disease would prove fatal, he made an appointment with a Missouri doctor who specializes in Lyme disease.
"He immediately diagnosed me as having all indications of Lyme disease," Reichenberger said.
He said tests performed at a California lab were positive for the disease. He said the pain continued during his first month of treatment, but that by February he began to show signs of improvement.
"I still have a few glitches here and there," he said. "But I'm strong again, and I'm pain free.
"I feel like I came back from dead."
Reichenberger said those seeking more information about Lyme disease can visit www.lymenet.org or www.turnthecorner.org.
Reach Hurst Laviana at 316-268-6499 or hlaviana@wichitaeagle.com.
© 2010 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansas.com
Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/05/10/v-print/1306879/symptoms-make-lyme-disease-difficult.html#ixzz0nhGpaLHK
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
ISDA has again showed extreme ignorance!
Hello friends,
I have to again report that the ISDA leadership has shown extreme ignorance in regard to the long term treatment of Lyme patients with antibiotics. I reference to you the Under Our Skin Blog at http://underourskin.com/blog/?p=738 concerning this matter. Jordan Smith, the park ranger featured in the film has written the ISDA a letter announcing his displeasure with the stance taken by this group again. This group continues to prove it is biased against current testimonies of Lyme patients. I have copied the text of Jordan's letter for you to read below:
Begin Quote
To the Infectious Diseases Society of America:
Almost twelve years ago, I was bitten by a tick at work, and contracted Lyme Disease and Babesiosis. Because of the job you’ve done at diminishing the perception of danger about tick-borne disease and pressuring doctors who treat it aggressively out of business, it took a year and a half and a nationwide search to find a doctor who would treat me.
By then I was dreadfully ill, and as a result I lost my job and my 21-year career. In my first year of antibiotic treatment I got worse. I pursued aggressive treatment for another six years, during which time I got steadily, if slowly better. During this time one of my two doctors was forced out of practice as a result of your work. Thanks to my heroic physicians, I am recovered after a nine-year battle with tick-borne disease. And I am now contributing to society, working, and raising my kids.
Your ineffectiveness and the extent of your compromise with the insurance and HMO businesses are noted. You and your work will be forgotten eventually, as we have forgotten the names of the opponents of Copernicus. Shame on you for the suffering you are causing on the way to your eventual obscurity as prideful scientists who called it tragically wrong. The monument to your life’s work is an unchecked epidemic.
—Jordan Fisher Smith, recovered victim of tick-borne disease
End Quote
Join Jordan and write your letter to the ISDA
Be well,
Richard
I have to again report that the ISDA leadership has shown extreme ignorance in regard to the long term treatment of Lyme patients with antibiotics. I reference to you the Under Our Skin Blog at http://underourskin.com/blog/?p=738 concerning this matter. Jordan Smith, the park ranger featured in the film has written the ISDA a letter announcing his displeasure with the stance taken by this group again. This group continues to prove it is biased against current testimonies of Lyme patients. I have copied the text of Jordan's letter for you to read below:
Begin Quote
To the Infectious Diseases Society of America:
Almost twelve years ago, I was bitten by a tick at work, and contracted Lyme Disease and Babesiosis. Because of the job you’ve done at diminishing the perception of danger about tick-borne disease and pressuring doctors who treat it aggressively out of business, it took a year and a half and a nationwide search to find a doctor who would treat me.
By then I was dreadfully ill, and as a result I lost my job and my 21-year career. In my first year of antibiotic treatment I got worse. I pursued aggressive treatment for another six years, during which time I got steadily, if slowly better. During this time one of my two doctors was forced out of practice as a result of your work. Thanks to my heroic physicians, I am recovered after a nine-year battle with tick-borne disease. And I am now contributing to society, working, and raising my kids.
Your ineffectiveness and the extent of your compromise with the insurance and HMO businesses are noted. You and your work will be forgotten eventually, as we have forgotten the names of the opponents of Copernicus. Shame on you for the suffering you are causing on the way to your eventual obscurity as prideful scientists who called it tragically wrong. The monument to your life’s work is an unchecked epidemic.
—Jordan Fisher Smith, recovered victim of tick-borne disease
End Quote
Join Jordan and write your letter to the ISDA
Be well,
Richard
Thursday, April 22, 2010
New Tick Carrying Disease!
Hi my friends,
I am sorry to have not posted any new material for a few weeks. My wife had a knee replacement surgery and I have been busy attending to her needs. I am posting an article that you will want to read. Scientists believe there is a new disease caused by ticks. I hope you find it informative. Thanks go to the Wbkt.com folks for the info.
Be well,
Richard
Begin Quote:
Scientists Worry About New Tick-Carrying Disease
Posted: Apr 20, 2010 4:40 PM MDT Updated: Apr 20, 2010 6:07 PM MDT
Communic8
Submit More Information
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Reported by Kristen Elicerio
Email: kelicerio@wkbt.com
Tick season is here. This year, in addition to the commonly known lyme disease, area scientists are concerned about a newer, more severe one.
It's a bacterial infection called anaplasmosis. It's something that attacks a human's central nervous system.
A tick is a host of anaplasmosis just like they are of the familiar lyme disease. When they bite the disease is transferred.
Symptoms of lyme disease are gradual, beginning with a rash or muscle ache. Symptoms of anaplasmosis are a little more severe, starting with an intense headache that quickly gets worse.
Because ticks can carry both diseases, prevention for both is following common tips that many are already aware of.
"Wearing long pants. Making sure that you have white socks on, because then when you lift up your pants and look at your socks you can see anything like a tick or any other hitchhiker," said Stephanie Hanna, Conservation and Education Manager of Myrick Hixon Ecopark.
Experts say spraying large areas for ticks is not very effective, but that spraying yourself for protection is. To keep ticks away they recommend a bug spray with at least a 30 percent concentration of DEET.
If you do happen to get a tick bite, there is a proper way to remove them.
"The secret to it is to try to dig it out. And not to get the body part, but to get as close into the mouth part as you can, clamp it well and pull it out," said Dave Geske, Vector Control Manager for La Crosse County.
Ticks can sense the movement of humans and other large animals from about six to 12 feet away. If a tick is still roaming around when you find it, it hasn't latched on yet, and you just need to remove it from your skin.
Area scientists will be conducting studies this summer to learn more about anaplasmosis and determine exactly in what areas ticks are carriers of the disease.
End Quote
I am sorry to have not posted any new material for a few weeks. My wife had a knee replacement surgery and I have been busy attending to her needs. I am posting an article that you will want to read. Scientists believe there is a new disease caused by ticks. I hope you find it informative. Thanks go to the Wbkt.com folks for the info.
Be well,
Richard
Begin Quote:
Scientists Worry About New Tick-Carrying Disease
Posted: Apr 20, 2010 4:40 PM MDT Updated: Apr 20, 2010 6:07 PM MDT
Communic8
Submit More Information
Submit Pictures/Video
Reported by Kristen Elicerio
Email: kelicerio@wkbt.com
Tick season is here. This year, in addition to the commonly known lyme disease, area scientists are concerned about a newer, more severe one.
It's a bacterial infection called anaplasmosis. It's something that attacks a human's central nervous system.
A tick is a host of anaplasmosis just like they are of the familiar lyme disease. When they bite the disease is transferred.
Symptoms of lyme disease are gradual, beginning with a rash or muscle ache. Symptoms of anaplasmosis are a little more severe, starting with an intense headache that quickly gets worse.
Because ticks can carry both diseases, prevention for both is following common tips that many are already aware of.
"Wearing long pants. Making sure that you have white socks on, because then when you lift up your pants and look at your socks you can see anything like a tick or any other hitchhiker," said Stephanie Hanna, Conservation and Education Manager of Myrick Hixon Ecopark.
Experts say spraying large areas for ticks is not very effective, but that spraying yourself for protection is. To keep ticks away they recommend a bug spray with at least a 30 percent concentration of DEET.
If you do happen to get a tick bite, there is a proper way to remove them.
"The secret to it is to try to dig it out. And not to get the body part, but to get as close into the mouth part as you can, clamp it well and pull it out," said Dave Geske, Vector Control Manager for La Crosse County.
Ticks can sense the movement of humans and other large animals from about six to 12 feet away. If a tick is still roaming around when you find it, it hasn't latched on yet, and you just need to remove it from your skin.
Area scientists will be conducting studies this summer to learn more about anaplasmosis and determine exactly in what areas ticks are carriers of the disease.
End Quote
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Health Care- The truth for a change!
Hi friends,
I am sorry to go politics on you but I can't help it. With so much garbage being sputed out by this Administration, a voice of reason and truth is necessary. I hope you take the time to listen to how our freedoms are being stripped away from us. It is hard to get to the truth, but it is still out there. I am also grateful for the fact like men like Glenn Beck are passionately trying to keep the American people informed and educated. Mr. Beck is rooted with a great spiritual knowledge of things and he is blessed with the ability to teach.
Be well,
Richard
I am sorry to go politics on you but I can't help it. With so much garbage being sputed out by this Administration, a voice of reason and truth is necessary. I hope you take the time to listen to how our freedoms are being stripped away from us. It is hard to get to the truth, but it is still out there. I am also grateful for the fact like men like Glenn Beck are passionately trying to keep the American people informed and educated. Mr. Beck is rooted with a great spiritual knowledge of things and he is blessed with the ability to teach.
Be well,
Richard
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About Me
- rbowman838
- Pueblo, Colorado, United States
- I am a Chronic Lyme disease patient. I was bitten by a tick in 2001 and have been very sick ever since. Subsequently, you could say I am a Lyme disease junkie.I thirst for any information about it,any treatments, research etc. It has been a life altering experience, which has kept me away from our business and at home most of the time. I use to own A-1 Barricade and Sign Inc. here in Pueblo, Co, but because of the Lyme disease, my sons are running the business for the most part with my wife. I have been married for 48 years to a wonderful woman who is also my best friend. We have five children, all grown. Four boys live here in Pueblo and my only daughter lives in Bonney Lake, Washington. We miss her a lot. I have 7 grandchildren, which are the greatest of all. They are all exceptionally beautiful! The last thing you need to know about me is that I am proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Because of this I have the knowledge that life is eternal and that it does not end here, but it will go on after death because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This truth I bear witness of!