Statements such as :

My LLMD said my LYMES ... yada yada

Maybe those that use it think it is possesive in that it posseses their whole being, thus the reasoning behind their use.

obsesive compulsive are we??? zman

Yes, folks, for those that do NOT know, Lyme Disease was named after a town named Lyme, Conn., not Lymes, Conn.

That is like calling my town Magnolias, plural, rather than the real name of Magnolia. Or Little Rocks, rather than Little Rock....you get the picture I'm sure.

But, I, too, have heard my beloved PCP call it Lymes and he, thank God I found him, diagnosed me with Lyme Disease in Jan 2002. Lymes, Lyme's, Lymes' or Lyme Disease, it really doesn't matter if you get a correct diagnosis, now does it?

Still haven't caught my LLMD, Dr. C of MO saying Lymes, but thought I saw it in one of his handouts. (Don't quote me on that for I don't have the time to look for it right now) I am at the point now of, who cares anymore.

"A Rose by any other name will smell the same."---like a Rose.

---------------------------------------------

Purists eat smoked salmon with nothing more than lemon and black pepper.

It irks me too. Especially after I've said the word properly to people numerous times and they still say "Lymes."

Dr. C's paperwork was probably typed by someone who didn't know better, BTW.

A Lyme by any other name...???

quote:

---

Originally posted by charlie:
....those who say 'fillum' and 'cawahffee' shouldn't criticize regional speech patterns.

---

Ok, Charlie....I think you are talking about coffee and .....?? Help me out.

As for Lyme vs. Lymes......I agree with my mom, but it still gets on my nerves (Lymessssss)! hehe

quote:

---

Originally posted by charlie:
....those who say 'fillum' and 'cawahffee' shouldn't criticize regional speech patterns.

---

But, when you think about it, how many of us are infected with just *one* Lyme spirochete? Therefore, to say one had/has "Lymes" may be the more semantickally correct term.

However, what about when referring to a group of Lyme sufferers? Should we refer to a group of Lyme patients as "Lymes" patients? Or rather, would the term "Lymies"--dropping the "e" and adding "ies" be more accurate?

Or maybe the "m" should also be doubled like "Lymmies"?

Now, to add to the confusion, when we refer to a particular group of rodents that can carry Lyme(s), we don't call them "deer mouses" or "deer micies" but deer "mice".

Following that premise, we would have to refer to our plight not as "Lymes" nor "Lymmies" but "Lice"--which would give people the wrong impression entirely.

Most think of "Lice" as a bug on the outside of the head, not as a bug on the inside of the head as is the case with most of us.

Not just to rag on NY folks, I had a guy from the peoples republic of taxachussetts call my big ol' stretch cab diesel pickup a 'gabbage badge'.

point being for the previous poster; if you make fun of peoples' accents you leave yourself wide open.....

Charlie

and, then use it.

I am better for it...shows more respect.

Trout

Well let's NOT start with Lyme...remember WE are the educators...Not the Medical Profession.

Trout

Yes, a paradox is lots more fun than a pair of Ducks

Whoops. I'd better quit this silliness before the big TC yells at me. Afterall, this is the Medical forum

treepatrol. does that mean you are nekked with a salt shaker and a wedge of lemone's when you eat that smoked salmon? had to ask

Ding Dong the Bb is dead....focus on the solution and lets not major on the minors

The first time I was being treated for Lyme in my family doc's office the nurse wrote "Limes" now that is funny!

you can't limit it to neuroboreliosis cus it infects other organs and you can't really limit it to TBD's because who knows...dr whitaker in the Bowen institute is convincied it comes by way of infected mosquito's and upper air dust particles from the mid east deposited in the soil of Florida...

then there's the conspiracy theories...

How about in utero infection....

then there is the transfusion theories or even autogolous tissue's spreading the disease...

donated tissues in transplants could also infect the recipient....

All I remember from 1st year english lit is that Chomsky wrote a book about eskimo only having one word for "snow" while we civilized folk have quite a few....his ultimate point about descriptive language is that all one must do is convey a thought from one to another and the process of communication has taken place....

%^**&()lyme sucks $#$#@ it! the zman

Ok, so how is nuclear pronounced y'all?

-greg

We have so much more to worry about...and we really don't need to argue with each other over pronunciations( regional dialect) or spelling. I have dyslexia and will now fear every time I post incase I screw up.

quote:

---

Originally posted by TheCrimeOfLyme:
My LLMD said my LYMES ... yada yada

better back up, regroup and check out that LLMD one more time.

---

That doesn't mean the LLMD said "Lymes."

In my opinion, there IS NO PLURAL for Lyme.

If there are two people with Lyme, it's "Lyme patients."

Personally, "Lymes" drives me nuts, just as LYME does!

------------------
oops!
Lymetutu

"I could picture Mel Gibson reading your lines in his Scottish Kilts as I was reading them. That was fun."

Ah hem.... I beg your pardon?

With all due respect little fruitcake...

Let's watch where that mind of yours is going my dear.

You KNOW he is off limits to everyone here but ME!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lymetoo:

If there are two people with Lyme, it's "Lyme patients."

---

Or "Lyme Disease patients". "Lymies", however, shouldn't be used by anyone that expects to be taken seriously. Despite our common thread, I refuse to be associated with anyone that uses that term.

Lyme Disease is a lame name in the first place, so it's pointless to argue about "Lyme" vs. "Lyme's".

Trout said "Well let's NOT start with Lyme...remember WE are the educators...Not the Medical Profession."

And I think he has a valid point here. If our doctors can't even say the word correctly, how can we expect them to look it up on the internet or research it in text books.

And I have to say hearing a doctor say "lymes" sends a chill up my spine. About the same place the 3 ducks did a lumbar puncture on me

I find myself constantly ( and politely) correcting people who use the term lymes, and 9 times out of 10, they appreciate being told the correct name.

I would hope if I was running around using the wrong term to discuss an illness, someone would correct me.

Just my 2 cents..
~Missy

Also, Lyme's can't be possessive because it can't "own" anything or "possess" anything.......EXCEPT US!

It's like how some pronounce "jewelry" as "jewlaree."

quote:

---

Originally posted by once bitten:

This is not funny this is really serious how can we get cured until we get everyone to say Lyme?????

treepatrol. does that mean you are nekked with a salt shaker and a wedge of lemone's when you eat that smoked salmon? had to ask

well My Lym'es and bartonella's is making me tird i must go to bed know.

---

Now, that drives me crazy!!!

Rosemary

This is a funny thread!

I'm glad to know that I'm not alone, though. I usually don't mind when the general public calls it "Lymes" (there are lots of diseases that I don't know about, and initials for diseases that I can't remember). But it gets me every time my Harvard-educated ob/gyn asks me about my "Lymes."

She's a fantastic ob/gyn, so, I am not going to complain! But it gets to me that even someone from such an excellent background (Harvard educated, Harvard faculty) - does not know that it is "Lyme."

Once, before an app't, I planned ahead how I would graciously correct her. And then I lost my nerve.

I tell myself: She takes it seriously, and is willing to work with my LLMD, so it is just not worth complaining about!

But, still... I think we are raw because not knowing the correct word is sort of emblematic of how little our illness is in fact understood by others, particularly in the medical fields.