On September 24, 2008, the National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association will be holding a Lyme disease briefing luncheon on The Hill.
This grassroots effort has not been seen in almost fifteen years and is sorely overdue.
"It's time for a fresh appriach and new information," says Sue Vogan, host of the In Short Order radio show.
"This Lyme disease is nasty business and victims need some help from those on Capitol Hill."
In Short Order has been bringing Lyme disease information to listeners for three years and is the only Lyme disease broadcast like it in the world.
Randy Sykes, with the Lymecryme website states, "I hope the whole Lyme disease community will pull together to support the efforts of the National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association.
It's an opportunity to bring about a much needed change."
He further claims, "The Lymecryme website was created to bring about a public hearing.
This now is possible because this group and individuals are working together."
The National Capital Lyme Disease Association has been in existence since 2001 and is a key source for information.
They serve the nation's capital Lyme disease community with a support group and now, with this Capitol Hill luncheon briefing.
The author of "Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease" with Dr. Lesley Fein, comments," Lyme disease is so prevalent that 1.7 million Americans are estimated to be infected.
From 10-20% of those bitten by an infected tick acquire chronic Lyme disease.
At the 2001 Albany, New York, legislative hearing, the numbers of those chronically infected with Lyme were stated as 10,000.
The disease has spread to virtually every state.
Yet doctors continue to be given the misinformation that two to four weeks are adequate to treat bacteria that, within hours and days, can spread to heart, brain, joints, muscles, tendons and the nervous system.
In several states as many as half of the exploding deer tick is now infected with the Lyme spirochete.
And in several states as many as half of the exploding deer tick population is now infected with the Lyme spirochete.
People who go outdoors into long grass, bushes and leaf litter risk getting bitten by a tick.
Only half of them will see the bite, and of those bitten, only half will get a rash.
What is more, the commonly used Lyme test picks up no more than a third of the cases of Lyme disease.
The better test picks up, at most, two thirds of cases.
And then there is the treatment problem.
Doctors are still being told that two to four weeks of oral antibiotics cures all Lyme disease, even in the case of heart block and brain disease.
The small group of physicians who continue to promote their unchanged view on Lyme disease treatment have been investigated for conflicts of interest and financial gain by Connecticut's Attorney General Blumenthal.
Delayed and inadequate treatment increases the risk of contracting chronic Lyme disease, costing more than two billion dollars a year in disability, loss of jobs and the medical costs of the chronically ill.
Those who adhere to the over diagnosed, over treated theory often ascribe continuing illness to "post-Lyme syndrome," a condition for which there is not a shred of scientific evidence.
Often, patients' continuing illness is misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit disorder, fibromyalgia, or depression.
Worse, their condition is frequently misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, lupus or Alzheimer's.
I have met dozens and more of those who later discovered their problem is Lyme.
With an escalating tick population, lack of diagnosis and inadequate treatment, how can we not have an epidemic of unrecognized chronic Lyme disease?
We can no longer focus solely on ticks and ignore medical treatment for those who become ill."
"In order for our voices to be heard," Vogan says, "We must band together for this historical effort."
The National Capital Lyme Disease Association wants to present your Congressmen and Senators with a copy of "Under Our Skin", the Lyme disease documentary by Open Eye Pictures, and the book, "Cure Unknown", by Pamela Weintraub at this luncheon briefing, together with your personal note explaining why they should have it.
It is their sincerest hope that members of Capitol Hill will see the importance of the issues that will be presented and schedule a Congressional hearing.
To learn how you can participate and to sponsor a representative, please visit www.natcaplyme.org.
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National Capital Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Association
Any information provided is for the reader's own evaluation and is not offered as and should not be considered medical advice.
A licensed physician should always be consulted when considering medical decisions and nothing herein may be used in place of advice from your personal physician or other healthcare professional.
Links to other sites are provided for ease of research only.
Information on those sites is the product of the website author and represents the opinion of those who publish the sites and does not necessarily reflect the opinion or judgment of the National Capital Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Association.
Love, Light, & Health, Jennie
-------------------- My Lyme dx:11/05. My Mom's Lyme dx:5/16. ISO ASAP-Lyme Literate Dr & Neurologist-Prefer IL, IN, KY, MO, OH, TN. Can travel farther. Finances limited. Prefer Drs take Medicare or Payments. Need great list to find best fit. Tyvm. Posts: 701 | From Owensboro, KY | Registered: Sep 2005
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bettyg
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i just listened to latest 1 hr. show while reading here.
got busy and emailed my note for IOWA'S 2 SENATORS & HOUSE REP TOM LATHAM in email to monte at her napcap address! easy
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