Author | LymeDisease.org
Here’s an easy way to help get the word out about Lyme disease. Costs nothing, and virtually anyone can do it. Write a letter to the editor of your local small-to-medium sized paper. (Unfortunately, it’s harder to get them printed in really big newspapers, like the Los Angeles Times or the Washington Post. But smaller papers typically are looking for that local touch.)
If you haven't read the article by attorneys Elliott Pollack and Christine Collyer in the Connecticut Law Tribune, "Attorney general
challenges controversial Lyme disease guidelines", I suggest you check it out. Those familiar with the Jones case in Connecticut will recognize their names. Early on in the case, I had the pleasure of working with these attorneys and have appreciated the high level of competency and professionalism as well as their dogged pursuit of justice for Dr. Jones. Connecticut is ground zero for Lyme disease–with the Jones case, the Connecticut Attorney General antitrust investigation against IDSA, and the pending state legislation that would provide protection for treating physicians.
Like many people dealing with Lyme disease, my family tries to choose organic produce whenever possible. There’s plenty of research to show that pesticides are harmful to human health, even for people who aren’t fighting chronic illness. And for those who are sick, adding the toxic burden of pesticides makes getting well that much harder.
An eight-step method for raising awareness at your public library.
When school-age children and teens fall ill with Lyme disease, there are many additional complications besides obtaining proper medical care. (That’s hard enough….) Another big problem is what to do about school. When attending regular school becomes out of the question, parents find themselves scrambling for alternatives.
An off-hand question from a neighbor was eerily prophetic.
The German Society of Lyme Borreliosis submitted its objections to the IDSA Lyme disease review panel. The society protested the application of the IDSA guidelines in Germany, emphasizing the poor lab test sensitivity, persistence of the organism, and seriousness of the illness.
Lyme Disease Action (in the UK) filed a submission with the IDSA contesting the IDSA 2006 Lyme disease guidelines. The submission points out that the presentation of Lyme disease in the UK may be different than the presentation in the US, and the application of the guidelines in the UK lead to under-diagnosis and under-treatment of patients with Lyme disease.
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), which represents physicians and surgeons in small practices, sets the IDSA Lyme disease guidelines in its cross-hairs. Why? Because the physicians need flexibility and the IDSA guidelines are mandates that restrict the ability of physicians to provide individualized care. The full text of the AAPS letter to the IDSA follows:
Every now and then you gotta kick up your heels. This year I headed back east for Time for Lyme's GALA. The Young People's Chorus of New York City gave an amazing performance of internationally inspired songs. Actor, Director and Writer Lou Diamond Phillips of Lyme Life gave a compelling speech and a rousing performance singing with the band–including the song LA BAMBA–which had everyone up dancing. The picture is me leaning in to talk with Dr. Luc Montagnier, a Nobel Prize winner for his discovery of HIV, who was honored at the GALA.
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