Monday, May 16, 2016

Another Sibling with Lyme



So.... seems Lyme has quite an ability to lay dormant in our bodies, only to erupt when we least expect it and cause severely debilitating symptoms that will not resolve despite our determination to will them away, our misguided trust in the medical doctors who diagnose us with 'anything but Lyme', copious amounts of bloodwork, visits to numerous specialists, various medical tests or changes to our diet and living habits.  It now seems obvious to our family that this is very possible, because two of my siblings live in Australia, and I in Canada, it seems most likely that we contracted the disease as youngsters while living together (in a likely endemic area).

My brother Del is also very sick with Lyme.  He has had to quit his job as a youth psychologist due to the severity of his neurological symptoms.  He has been given a clinical diagnosis by an Australian doctor and has begun antibiotic treatment.  Treatments in Australia are also limited, as doctors risk their licenses to help patients and cannot afford the risks of prescribing long-term antibiotic treatment.

If you are able to help our family support Del with the financial burden of his out-of-pocket treatment, please follow the link below: Any amount is appreciated, if we all pull together we can make a difference in the lives of this young family:
http://delsfarm.weebly.com/whats-the-latest-news

May is Lyme Disease awareness month and our family is quite aware of the effects of this disease. My sister is slowly recovering with the assistance of essential oils, bioresonance therapy, diet and lifestyle change and supportive supplementation.  I am working on healing my gut and restoring my immune system and recently attempting to recover from a torn ACL in my knee, which is a result of the weakness I have sustained in my joints due to the Lyme being active in my body for so long without treatment.

There are so many issues and controversy surrounding Lyme Disease - beginning with flaws in surveillance of ticks, under-reported number of cases of people being infected, inaccurate blood testing, uneducated doctors and specialists, patients being denied treatment, inadequate and insufficient length of treatment. There is currently a conference being held in Ottawa Ontario to develop a new Federal Lyme framework.  We are hoping the outcomes of this conference will be positive and result in serious changes to how Lyme is identified and treated.  I have heard countless stories, all similar, of people struggling to survive this disease, let alone the medical system that is ostracizing them! Time for a change? YOU BET!!

Meanwhile, our prayers and thoughts are with those struggling to get the help they need so that they can also work towards being able to function and participate in daily living again.  Please reach out to me if you need support and help.  I am determined to do more to help others who are suffering as my family has.