Comments on: 10 Things You May Not Know About Lyme disease & a GLA Gala Recap

By: Jordan @ The Balanced Blonde

Jordan @ The Balanced Blonde — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 02:02:23 +0000

In reply to Melanie Joy. Thank you Melanie. I am so glad you are here!!!

By: Melanie Joy

Melanie Joy — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 05:17:51 +0000

I am a Registered Veterinary Technician from Alberta, Canada. I really appreciate your post. Sometimes I have a very hard time explaining things to friends and family so it is nice to have the explanations written out so they can read it themselves without me trying to find the words. You’ve really hit the BIG points that a lot of us warriors deal with. I believe I have had Lyme for 12 years now but was diagnosed (by a LLND) a little over a year ago. It really came to the surface after I hurt my back at work and they gave me steroids. I have not been able to work for 2 years now and I didn’t start this career until I was in my 30’s. It took me this long to find my passion of what I wanted to do and I was good at it. It is beyond frustrating to not be able to do it anymore. I applaud you for being able to power through to keep working. I am lucky enough to be on long term disability so there is enough to keep me in my home but the debt is mounting due to meds and treatment and all it will take is to be taken off benefits for me to lose everything. I am trying to stay positive but even here in Canada the doctors have the same distorted view of Lyme disease, plus not even having a clue what most of the co-infections are. Sorry for the rambling, I mainly wanted to say Thank You for your words, and the pictures were great (you look fabulous even though I know you don’t feel it). Keep fighting and God bless!

By: Jordan @ The Balanced Blonde

Jordan @ The Balanced Blonde — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 06:26:04 +0000

In reply to terriscofield.

WOW. Your story gives me chills. Thank you so much for sharing… it means more than you know. Your story is important. And it’s true… Lyme and co-infections are now Pandemic. WOW. Lots of love to you… I am sending you my absolute best.

By: Jordan @ The Balanced Blonde

Jordan @ The Balanced Blonde — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 06:24:55 +0000

In reply to Cassie. Thank you so much. You are wonderful!! It was the most wonderful night. <3 Very worth the exhaustion after, hehe!! XO

By: terriscofield

terriscofield — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 22:13:39 +0000

A couple of friendly amendments, if I may:

Lyme and chronic Lyme are no longer epidemics – they are PANDEMIC; 82 countries on EVERY continent.

And to dig a bit deeper as to why Lyme (many different strains and co-infections) is so uniquely manifested patient to patient: Each bite from an individual tick will contain a unique blend of pathogens depending on what that particular tick has been feeding on.

Imagine a Gulf Coast tick (tularemia, brucella) feeding on a migrating plover. Perhaps it gorged itself to fullness and disengaged in the Carolinas.

Maybe it’s next meal came from a wild hog (known to transmit “…swine fever, brucellosis and trichinellosis, and in humans, diseases such as hepatitis E, tuberculosis, leptospirosis and trichinellosis…”).

Say it’s next meal, in New Jersey, was on a dog (“… certain bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi can cause illness if transmitted to humans…”)

Said dogs family may have visited eastern Long Island, where I live, and said tick next attached itself to one of our deer (“… Anaplasmosis, Avian Influenza, Babesiosis, Brucellosis, Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter jejuni), Cryptosporidiosis, Deer Parapoxvirus ,Hydatid Tapeworms (Echinococcosis), Ehrlichiosis ,Equine Encephalitis viruses, Escherichia coli Infection (E. coli), Giardiasis, Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, Lyme Disease (Lyme borreliosis),
Plague, Q fever, Rabies, Raccoon Roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (tick-borne typhus fever) and other spotted fevers, Salmonellosis (Salmonella species), Sarcoptic mange, Toxoplasmosis
Trichinellosis (trichinosis), Tuberculosis, Tularemia, West Nile Virus.

The tick may have enjoyed an extended winter nap in the leaf litter before attaching itself to me, making me sick in 1985.

Finally diagnosed with chronic neuro Lyme in 1992, I’ve survived many years with many rounds of IV antibiotics, and managed to live an active, productive life between relapses.

Since 2013, relapses have been more frequent and severe, but it wasn’t until this year I hooked up with a Lyme literate Infectious Disease doctor who ordered 16 vials of blood drawn and shipped to IGeneX for a thorough analysis. Diagnosis: 2 strains of Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, babesia, Bartonella henselae, bebesiosis, ehrlichiosis and – as a result of a severely suppressed immune system – Epstein Barr Virus and Fibromyalgia.

Homeless since April 30th, I’m now living in my car with my service dog. Finally got approved for $750./month disability. Looking for an apartment while dirty and disheveled is a cruel joke; frankly, I wouldn’t rent to myself if I were a property manager or landlord.

But it’s ok – the CDC assures us nobody ever died from Lyme Disease.

By: Cassie

Cassie — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 08:53:38 +0000

It’s really unfortunate that there’s not a lot of research on Lyme disease, otherwise it would be much less expensive to care for AND there would be less incidents of it! However, I love that many people who are experiencing it are shedding light on what it is and why it’s important. This post is truly helpful for anyone who wants to know more about the condition!
Also, the pictures of the gala are absolutely gorgeous! Your dress fits you like a DREAM. I bet it was wonderful meeting so many inspiring people <3