Subject: Dr. Zemel's Op-Ed piece in Htfd. Courant against Lyme Bill
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 3:22 PM
TO: UCONN President Michael J. Hogan
Dear President Hogan,
I am afraid that Dr. Zemel's op-ed piece in The Hartford Courant in which he vigorously opposes the CT Lyme Bill, will come back to haunt him, and UCONN Health Center as well.
The tide is turning on the Lyme controversy. The existence of chronic Lyme Disease, and it's frequent misdiagnosis and undertreatment is now undeniable. Not even one State legislator
could be persuaded to vote against the bill.. Virtually everyone in the General Assembly knows someone suffering from chronic Lyme; sometimes it is themselves or a family member.
Governor Rell herself clearly recognizes the enormity of the suffering that the Lyme-deniers have caused. She had the wisdom and compassion to
sign the bill into law, even after Public Health Commissioner Galvin fought tooth and nail against the bill.
Dr. Zemel's op-ed piece was an embarassment. Clearly, no one in their right mind would ever go to Dr. Zemel if they thought they might have Lyme disease, unless they had a death-wish. The same holds
true for the entire UCONN Health Center. I consulted several doctors at UCHC, and they ALL missed the diagnosis. I have suffered for at least 15 years with this, and now have late-stage disseminated neuro-Lyme.
My insurer has had to pay well over $100,000 for
medical procedures, drugs, and diagnostic tests that would not have been necessary if I had been diagnosed at the acute stage, and treated with just a few dollars worth of antibiotics.
It is frankly shameful that a teaching hospital at the epicenter of the Lyme pandemic would be so clueless on the issue of Lyme and its coinfections. Thank God for the few brave Lyme-literate physicians who risk everything to treat us. Now, at least, they will have some protection against
the likes of Zemel and CT's worthless public health commissioner Dr. Galvin. It is the arrogance of individuals such as these that is reponsible for the public health disaster that is Lyme Disease.
It is, of course, unprecedented that a legislative body would have to involve itself in a medical dispute, a dispute over diagnosis and treatment of a disease. Yet
the magnitude of the suffering was so apparent to these legislators that they knew they had to act decisively, which is what they did, with unanimous votes in both houses.
The denial of chronic Lyme disease, and the refusal to treat it amounts to medical malpractice on a global scale, and is something not seen in this country since the infamous Tuskegee Experiment.
I believe at some point in the near future, even Dr. Zemel and UCHC will come to
understand the true extent of the Lyme pandemic, and will have no choice but to acknowledge that they were wrong about it all along. But how much human suffering will have occurred by then?
Please educate yourselves about this disease before your ignorance and inaction completely destroys the credibility and reputation of your institution.
Sincerely,
Paul Cayer
-------------------- Sick since at least age 6, now 67. Decades of misdiagnosis. Numerous arthritic, neuro, psych, vision, cardiac symptoms. Been treating for 7 years, incl 8 mos on IV. Bart was missed so now treating that. Posts: 765 | From nw ct | Registered: Sep 2008
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
paulie,
i just read yours ONLINE AT SITE which attacked me!!
BRAVO!! WELL DONE! OUTSTANDING!! you have really outdone yourself this time!! kudos to you and i said so where you posted it ... right after yours!
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posted
Great job. You might want to edit your message to leave out your name. Trolls read this forum.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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