I wish to thank everyone who has sent messages, letters and cards of concern and well wishes. I thank everyone who has sent donations to aid my treatment and appreciate every single donation, no matter how large or small.
I am especially appreciative because I know that, for many of you, it has been while funding your own treatment, so your generosity and kindness has been overwhelming.

It is with all this in mind that I give you the great news that I have won my battle with the Health Authority that funds treatments in the UK.

I appreciate that things are done very differently in our respective countries but, as explained before, we pay for our treatment through taxes and, so to be denied treatment, (especially when someone is so sick), is nothing short of criminal.

After fighting for so long and with the backing of my LLMD's I was finally granted the treatment in a letter that arrived last Friday.

It was because of my dear friends and all the wonderful people that were kind enough to respond to their plea for help that I have been able to import the desperately needed medication from Canada to the UK while I battled with the Authority for treatment.

I fear that this fight may have been won but there may still be more to come. Although I have been granted this treatment the Health Authority have not stated how long they are prepared to fund the treatment. As my treatment plan is over a very long duration, owing to the severity of my condition, I fear that treatment may be denied to me in the future.

It is with this in mind that the trustee's and fund raisers have decided that the best course of action is to keep the fund in place for the moment. It is my wish that if, at such time in the future, I make a successful recovery or it becomes apparent that the Health Authority is prepared to let my LLMD's continue to treat me as they see fit, and they continue to fund everything that is requested, then I would like to use the finances for the good of ALL Lyme sufferers.

The best way in which I could help all present sufferers, and future ones, is to raise awareness of Lyme disease and to educate doctors about the correct methods of diagnosis and treatment. GPs, (primary care Doctors), in the UK have mostly no idea of what Lyme disease is - let alone how to treat it and so the creation of a leaflet educating them would benefit not only myself but all connected with this insidious disease. We cannot blame our Doctors if they are following inaccurate guidelines and so the production of leaflets could not only cover treatment but also bite prevention.

It is because of my own fight to get treatment, and my concern for fellow sufferers, that I have spent the past couple of months creating a dossier of testimonies from Lyme sufferers, detailing the appalling way that they have been treated. In addition to this I included many medical papers on many issues connected with the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.

Last Thursday, (4th November), I made the gruelling journey to London to Number 10 Downing Street and delivered this dossier. I was accompanied by 5 companions, all of which have been diagnosed with Lyme. The Health Minister now has possession of the dossier and has assured me in writing that he will be looking into the issues that I have raised.

In addition to this I have my local MP's, (Member of Parliament), assurances that he will personally ensure that this matter is addressed in parliament, and will issue me with a copy of all the relevant correspondence.

I know that this will seem strange to you, unless you are aware of UK politics, but I am hopeful that one day, all of our countries, one by one, will gain a better understanding of this condition and treat us in a way that we deserve. If one country revises treatment guidelines, then others may follow. I have started with my country in my own small way and whatever I can continue to do will be directed around the fight for Lyme treatment for all!

Thank you again for all the wonderful messages and generous support. This time next year I am determined to be enjoying my new found health! Time will tell!

Although the fund for my own treatment has now been suspended, we will still be leaving the facilities for donations open so that if they so wish, people can continue to make donations for the funding of Lyme awareness. Production of leaflets, lobbying and communication with the General Medical council and department of health will still continue.

With grateful thanks and love to all,

Wendy. x

Being granted the whole treatment is exciting news for many UK sufferers if they have Babesia as to the best of my knowledge, I am the first to be allowed Mepron as an anti Babesia treatment as it is not licenced here for this purpose.

Progress indeed!

I feel a change in the wind and let us pray it continues!

Congratulations!

Who was there? Was it in the form of a protest, outside, or did you simply hand your folder to the doorman? Please tell us more.

My compainions were my Lyme friends who have supported me during the creation of the portfolio and came at great expense to be by my side. One of my friends is a journalist who worked so very hard to gain media interest and did a wonderful job.
We held our banners with slogans such as:
"Don't waste our time, treat our Lyme.
How long does it take, our lives are at stake"! and a huge long banner that had silhouettes of people on it. It said,
" all the Lyme sufferers too sick to be here"!
We got to speak to lots of people who had not heard of Lyme disease and who went away with a better understanding.

For those who don't know me, I am paralysed and wheelchair bound from Lyme. My respiratory system is struggling and I am dependant on oxygen. In the UK I am probably one of few severe cases where you can see the damage. Up until 3-4 years ago you would have looked at me and wondered what was wrong. As Gerri Fosseen wrote, "Looking Good, Feeling bad" and that is half of the reason why many prople don't understand.
I felt that in a wheelchair and with a catheter bag and oxygen mask, I would be able to demonstrate what an unforgiving disease this is.

This is from the report I made to Eurolyme on our return.

"I have very mixed feelings on the trip to London.
I knew that there was never going to be a chance of meeting Tony Blair
but after much communication with the assistant to the Secretary of
state (Dr John Reid)I had been promised that they would do their best to organise for Dr Reid to meet with me.
On Tuesday I was told that diary commitments were such that he could not
be there but he was handing the matter to Health Minister Stephen
Ladyman.
During the time that I made the appointment I was told exactly what
would happen when I met with the Health minister and that only the 6 of
us could enter and only one spokes person would speak.
Late on Wednesday I had further communication to say that Stephen
Ladyman had cancelled the appointment after urgent business had arisen.
They apologised for causing disappointment but I was assured that he
would be collecting the portfolio at the earliest opportunity and he
would give careful consideration to the issues that I had raised. He
would then write to me in due course.
I tried calling Downing Street to see who I was supposed to see but
there was a machine saying that nobody could take the call.
I phoned again from the hotel but the staff at Downing Street were
unsure so I was put through to the diary keeper who said that I would be
told at the security gate what was happening.
We entered Downing Street itself and were searched and then told to
proceed to number 10. After photographs were taken we were told to knock
on the door. A member of security opened the door and asked if we were
there to submit a petition so I said yes. He then took the portfolio and
accompanying appendix that I had spent so long creating and said thank
you for coming shook my hand and that was it!
We questioned why we could not go in and were told that petition
presentations did not get to go in.
I have to admit that I was stunned and much deflated as I am sure that
my companions were.
When we did eventually return to the hotel I read and re-read the letter
cancelling my appointment with Stephen Ladyman and it said that he would
collect the portfolio from Downing Street after I presented it. I now
realise that once that meeting was cancelled it then became a simple
presentation and therefore we would not have gone in.
It would have been too late to cancel everything by this time and I was
told that events could rise at any time to prevent less important
business and I guess that our business was less important!
The press had also got more important business come up even after all
Angela's hard work and my phone call from the BBC saying that they would
do their best.
With Arafat's coma, the dreadful deaths of the Blackwatch soldiers, a country sports demonstration and Iraqi demonstrations I
am afraid that our issue did not stand a chance.

The upside is that thanks to some of our members, 100 leaflets were
handed out and we I did have one press interview but to a Chinese paper.
The reporter was very interested and has taken lots of information. She
said that the paper covers the Chinese community in the UK and Europe
and so with the cases of tick bites increasing and there being a large
Chinese population over Europe the issue was very relevant to them. She
also said that among the Chinese community there are many non-English
speaking who would never get to know about this issue.

I felt very down yesterday but on reflection, I am confident that with
the contents of the portfolio and the appendix that accompanied it, I
have conveyed the inadequacy of our testing and treatment methods
perfectly. I have covered every possible argument that could be made
with carefully selected medical papers and combined with the heart
breaking stories it would take a heart of stone not to question the
attitude to Borreliosis.

I also feel that through the trip to Downing Street we have had more
media coverage than we would possibly have got without it.
I have had calls from the BBC asking my permission to give my details to
people that have contacted them so we have reached people that do not
use the internet.
We have set people asking questions and I have already had messages from
2 papers wanting to talk to me again about the trip.
We would not have achieved this without something that they consider
news worthy.
Papers that were not interested in the fund that was running to aid my
treatment, came running at the mention of Downing Street.

I feel that I may not have achieved all that I wanted to achieve by the
circumstances were out of my control and even though it is unfortunate,
I think we have succeeded in a great deal.
I was proud to be with my fellow sufferers and their family or friends
and more than ever, I am convinced that we MUST keep at this. We should
be keeping awareness raised by taking it in turns to do something like
this trip. Running relays means that the effort and expense does not
fall to a few people but would be divided amongst many. We need to keep
ourselves in the papers. People soon forget so let's not give them the
opportunity to forget!!

Thank you again to all of you who contributed and it was wonderful to
meet those who we have not met before".