Touched By Lyme
By Dorothy Kupcha Leland
This blog has several goals. First, to explore the personal side of Lyme disease and how it affects individuals and families. Second, to highlight useful information for people seeking answers about this complicated illness. Third, to help foster a sense of unity and shared purpose among the many diverse members of the Lyme community. Dorothy, who serves as President of LymeDisease.org, has a family member with Lyme disease. She is co-author of a book called When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide.
TOUCHED BY LYME: When Crossfit crosses paths with Lyme disease
CrossFit is a competitive sport that incorporates elements of weightlifting, gymnastics, and other vigorous athletic endeavors. Suffice it to say, people who excel at this…
TOUCHED BY LYME: Revisiting an anthropologist’s view of Lyme-related suicide
I first came across Aaron Jackson in 2018, when he submitted a guest blog for our website. It was titled An anthropologist’s view of Lyme…
TOUCHED BY LYME: Resources to help figure out your next move
One of the most important things a person with Lyme disease needs is clear, concise information. Here’s a list of useful resources to get you…
TOUCHED BY LYME: The poignant Lyme story behind Messy Buns Bakery
As I scrolled through Facebook the other day, a post from the Messy Buns Bakery in Nova Scotia caught my eye. There turns out to…
TOUCHED BY LYME: Let the gaslighting and stigmatization stop here
The third panel of the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group held its first meeting today–online. I was one of 10 people selected to deliver verbal…
TOUCHED BY LYME: Why wait for 3 negative COVID tests to consider Lyme disease?
A Massachusetts resident named Mary Carey has written an important opinion column in her local newspaper, the Greenfield Reporter. In it, she tells how in…
TOUCHED BY LYME: The thorny question of (no) insurance coverage for Lyme
People suffering from persistent Lyme disease typically make a lot of unpleasant discoveries early on. For instance, how many different places your body can hurt….
TOUCHED BY LYME: With so much to do, how do advocates keep going?
Lisa Kilion’s family has experienced both Lyme disease and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, or PANS. PANS is an autoimmune reaction that can be triggered by…
TOUCHED BY LYME: How Lyme disease can affect your vision
Dr. William Padula is a noted expert on how Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can affect the eyes. According to his website, the following can…
TOUCHED BY LYME: Congress shows interest in Lyme disease research
“Tick-borne disease is on the rise across the nation, and lawmakers are pushing to invest more this year in diagnostics and research to help the…
TOUCHED BY LYME: Special education protections for kids with Lyme
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that ensures special education and related services are available to children with disabilities. First…
TOUCHED BY LYME: Michigan’s tick population is surging
The number of ticks in Michigan is growing by leaps and bounds, and state health officials want people to take precautions. The two types of…