LIVING with Lyme Disease
Welcome to LIVING with Lyme the Smart Way. Here the word living is emphasized because this webpage is intended to focus on just that - continuing to live. When people are first diagnosed with Lyme they may turn to friends and relatives for support, but at some point they turn to the largest body of information they can think of - the internet. Type "Lyme" into the search menu of Google and you will be flooded with; definitions provided by Wikipedia or PubMed, blogs about personal accounts - trials and tribulations, support groups, recommended treatment methods... the list goes on. In 2011 when I was diagnosed and began my online search, I felt flooded by videos of people videotaping their suffering, blogs where people posted how they have struggled and have not left their houses except for doctor apointments - a place where patients could commiserate over lyme-illiterate doctors and particularly difficult treatment regimens. Nowhere did I find a "how to go at this thing head on" or anyone saying "you can fight this while continuing to live your life." At the time, that is precisely the encouragement and hope I needed. Based on my own experiences I have decided to develop a webpage that emphasizes the "YOU CAN" and provide information about how to make your "go at it" much smoother than mine originally went. I hope you find this site helpful.
~Robyn
Wait... Wait... What is Lyme Disease?
Basic Information about Lyme Disease
by The International Lyme and associated disease society updated 4/15/06
1. LYME DISEASE IS TRANSMITTED BY THE BITE OF A TICK, AND THE DISEASE IS PREVALENT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. TICKS KNOW NO BORDERS AND RESPECT NO BOUNDARIES. A PATIENT'S COUNTY OF RESIDENCE DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT HIS OR HER LYME DISEASE RISK BECAUSE PEOPLE TRAVEL, PETS TRAVEL, AND TICKS TRAVEL. THIS CREATES A DYNAMIC SITUATION WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPOSURE TO LYME DISEASE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL.
2. LYME DISEASE IS A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS. THE DISEASE IS CAUSED BY A SPIRAL-SHAPED BACTERIA (SPIROCHETE) CALLED BORRELIA BURGDORFERI. THE LYME SPIROCHETE CAN CAUSE INFECTION OF MULTIPLE ORGANS AND PRODUCE A WIDE RANGE OF SYMPTOMS. CASE REPORTS IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE DOCUMENT THE PROTEAN MANIFESTATIONS OF LYME DISEASE, AND FAMILIARITY WITH ITS VARIED PRESENTATIONS IS KEY TO RECOGNIZING DISSEMINATED DISEASE.
...
9. THERE ARE 5 SUBSPECIES OF BORRELIA BURGDORFERI, OVER 100 STRAINS IN THE US, AND 300 STRAINS WORLDWIDE. THIS DIVERSITY IS THOUGHT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ANTIGENIC VARIABILITY OF THE SPIROCHETE AND ITS ABILITY TO EVADE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, LEADING TO CHRONIC INFECTION.
...
15. MANY PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LYME DISEASE REQUIRE PROLONGED TREATMENT UNTIL THE PATIENT IS SYMPTOM-FREE. RELAPSES OCCUR AND RE-TREATMENT MAY BE REQUIRED. THERE ARE NO TESTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO PROVE THAT THE ORGANISM IS ERADICATED OR THAT THE PATIENT WITH CHRONIC LYME DISEASE IS CURED.
16. LIKE SYPHILIS IN THE 19TH CENTURY, LYME DISEASE HAS BEEN CALLED THE GREAT IMITATOR AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF RHEUMATOLOGIC AND NEUROLOGIC CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, FIBROMYALGIA, SOMATIZATION DISORDER AND ANY DIFFICULT-TO-DIAGNOSE MULTI-SYSTEM ILLNESS.
Disclaimer: The foregoing information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace or supersede patient care by a healthcare provider. If an individual suspects the presence of a tick-borne illness, that individual should consult a healthcare provider who is familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases.
*This information can be found at: http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/about_lyme.html
by The International Lyme and associated disease society updated 4/15/06
1. LYME DISEASE IS TRANSMITTED BY THE BITE OF A TICK, AND THE DISEASE IS PREVALENT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. TICKS KNOW NO BORDERS AND RESPECT NO BOUNDARIES. A PATIENT'S COUNTY OF RESIDENCE DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT HIS OR HER LYME DISEASE RISK BECAUSE PEOPLE TRAVEL, PETS TRAVEL, AND TICKS TRAVEL. THIS CREATES A DYNAMIC SITUATION WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPOSURE TO LYME DISEASE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL.
2. LYME DISEASE IS A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS. THE DISEASE IS CAUSED BY A SPIRAL-SHAPED BACTERIA (SPIROCHETE) CALLED BORRELIA BURGDORFERI. THE LYME SPIROCHETE CAN CAUSE INFECTION OF MULTIPLE ORGANS AND PRODUCE A WIDE RANGE OF SYMPTOMS. CASE REPORTS IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE DOCUMENT THE PROTEAN MANIFESTATIONS OF LYME DISEASE, AND FAMILIARITY WITH ITS VARIED PRESENTATIONS IS KEY TO RECOGNIZING DISSEMINATED DISEASE.
...
9. THERE ARE 5 SUBSPECIES OF BORRELIA BURGDORFERI, OVER 100 STRAINS IN THE US, AND 300 STRAINS WORLDWIDE. THIS DIVERSITY IS THOUGHT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ANTIGENIC VARIABILITY OF THE SPIROCHETE AND ITS ABILITY TO EVADE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, LEADING TO CHRONIC INFECTION.
...
15. MANY PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LYME DISEASE REQUIRE PROLONGED TREATMENT UNTIL THE PATIENT IS SYMPTOM-FREE. RELAPSES OCCUR AND RE-TREATMENT MAY BE REQUIRED. THERE ARE NO TESTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO PROVE THAT THE ORGANISM IS ERADICATED OR THAT THE PATIENT WITH CHRONIC LYME DISEASE IS CURED.
16. LIKE SYPHILIS IN THE 19TH CENTURY, LYME DISEASE HAS BEEN CALLED THE GREAT IMITATOR AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF RHEUMATOLOGIC AND NEUROLOGIC CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, FIBROMYALGIA, SOMATIZATION DISORDER AND ANY DIFFICULT-TO-DIAGNOSE MULTI-SYSTEM ILLNESS.
Disclaimer: The foregoing information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace or supersede patient care by a healthcare provider. If an individual suspects the presence of a tick-borne illness, that individual should consult a healthcare provider who is familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases.
*This information can be found at: http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/about_lyme.html
The material appearing on LIVINGLYMESMART.WEEBLY.COM is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This website does not endorse any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site.