On my computer, I've watched to presentations streaming as they happen. It was technical, but I also found them useful. It depended on the speaker.
I guess it depends how much energy and money you want to put into it.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Judie,
Yeah, that was wonderful when they had the live streaming, both 3 and 2 years ago. Last year, they just had a couple of interview sessions.
Looks like there is no streaming again this year as it's not mentioned on ILADS conference page.
Still hope they will at offer some kind of video experience. Of course, the DVDs are for sale later on -- and great to break it down into individual sessions for a lower cost -- but so many of us just don't have any money to spend beyond survival.
And it was just so nice to have the streaming and feel part of it and soak in what knowledge we could. -
Posted by t9im (Member # 25489) on :
Hi Everyone:
I'll be going this year. Feel free to come up and introduce yourself.
I'll be easy to spot as the short guy next to Dr. J. I'll be helping him and look forward to the award dinner.
Tim
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
No streaming again? Bummer.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
I've been many times, but not any more. My opinion...
If you are very healthy and have the desire to get up really early, have a boat load of energy to run around to the various sessions all day, don't mind getting lost and have good legs to carry you, and patience when you finally get where you are going and the room is full or you can't get a seat...
And have money for all the the "extras" (parking, meals at night, coffee in the AM, taxes, tips, etc,) and can understand speakers with heavy accents, and can write really fast in the dimmed light and read all your notes afterward, and if you like being in a room full of people who often do not appreciate patients being there and act like it, and can deal with crabby people that are suppose to be welcoming you to the event...
You might want to consider it.
If you have watched Dr. J struggle for years trying to stay open so he can care for the sickest of children, and can stomach him being used like this to draw people there for an award "charity" event "in his honor" that costs an additional $250 to $10,000 to attend...
And know that money is going to ILADS (ILASEF) for doctors to train doctors, and NOT directly to help Dr. J and his children...
You might want to consider it.
Here are some notes for consideration from past conferences.
One more note- the LDA/Columbia conferences, although technical too, and they sometimes have some speakers I'd like to toss in the lake, is patient friendly- welcomes you- and is cheaper, and has better/more food, and, and....
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Hey Tim! Thanks for going with Dr. J to assist him. I appreciate you doing so. And if you would share a message, please tell him Tincup says she loves him!
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
One more note- that conference place is absolutely amazing. Beautiful! Huge, but beautiful.
Posted by poppy (Member # 5355) on :
I believe the ILADS conference is meant primarily for medical people, not patients.
If ILADS does not train people to replace Dr. J, what happens then? I think this is a perfectly good way to raise money for this purpose. He is not going to live to be 200 years old and continue to practice forever. We really desperately need more pediatricians trained to treat lyme, etc.
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
I will be going this year. The first time I have ever attended an ILADS conference. I have a recorder and will record and take notes and post them here to share with everyone.
It will be the 2 year anniversary of Steve's death so it will be hard, but maybe better than last year when I was the only customer in a local steak restaurant.
Bea Seibert
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Dr. J has been training others, sometimes more than one at a time, for years. That training has carried over into various practices across the country.
In my opinion, any doctors truly interested in being trained should be able to afford a conference or two, and be able to read any of the massive amounts of publications out there, and watch videos from tons of sources, as well as simply calling the offices of LLMD's and asking to "observe", as they did for years before ILADS was involved.
I can't tell if docs interested in being trained must be a member of ILADS first, confusing on the website?, but a voting membership is $300.00 per year. Is this money used for that? The aren't saying.
I also know conferences (if run properly) are big fund raisers and ILADS has been jumping up its number of conferences for several years. Don't know why that money isn't available for any necessary expenses (for doctors) that might pop up?
The ILADS non-profit (ILASEF) that formed a while back reports...
Fiscal Year Starting: January 01, 2008 Fiscal Year Ending: December 31, 2008
Total Revenue $150,346
Total Expenses $129,315
And that's just the ILADS non-profit, not ILADS.
PLUS, CALDA ( now LymeDisease.org ) reports the Turn The Corner Foundation (now TBDA) gives grants to ILADS for doctor training purposes.
And CALDA was paying a large portion of conference fees for new doctors to attend conferences for years.
I've never known Dr. J to charge other doctors to come to his office to observe/train, or refuse to consult with a doctor if a child needed help. He's been overly generous over the years, giving his time to help others.
My point is, it is sad to see Dr. J used like this to bring in funds for ILADS as an organization, when he is so in need and the sick children's parents, individual LLMD's and all of us are donating to keep him going.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
--and where are all the "new" doctors who have been trained?
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
???
You should know. We started out with about 2 LLMD's and now have xxx numbers in xxx states. Lists of them.
The good news is, there are a lot of regular doctors treating Lyme now that weren't before.
Never enough of them, for sure, but more than ever before.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)