posted
I contracted lyme in my back yard, out here in the boonies. I have "neighbors" that live around me and would like to educate them about Lyme in our area but I am not sure what to do.
I thought about printing out a flyer and putting it in the newspaper holders or on the side of the mail box. Problem is, I feel kind of weird about it and I am not sure why.
On one hand I don't want to get involved, I just want to deal with my disease in silence, but then I think that if just 1 person would have told me about the risk of Lyme I might not be sitting here 2 years untreated.
Any suggestions?
Posts: 75 | From NE Ohio | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
I understand why you want to tell people. We moved out of our home a year and half ago. I called and told neighbors when I found out our family has lyme and coinfections. Unfortunately most people were not interested and listen to only what their doctor tells them. It is worth a try if just one person listens and gets help though. You may need to tell them about IDSA so they understand better what is going on. Also about lyme can cause alzheimer's disease, MS, parkinson's disease, ALS, fibromyalgia...
This is just my opinion.
Posts: 140 | From Illinois | Registered: Jul 2009
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onbam
Unregistered
posted
If you have the stamina, go for it!
Yeah, it makes me feel weird too. It's because you're breaking social convention doing this; we grew up being taught to mind our own business, especially when dealing with things related to our bodies, and let other people be responsible for stuff like this on their own. The problem is, on their own, they turn to their PCP/the IDSA/the government for advice, and where does that get them?
If you help even one person, it's been worth your while. I really believe this kind of work is what the community needs to make progress.
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I feel almost dirty or ashamed and I certainly dont want the limelight (pardon the pun).
But then I get the nagging feeling that I am not doing the right thing by not telling anyone.
Posts: 75 | From NE Ohio | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
Don't feel dirty or ashamed, we can't help we have lyme and coinfections. If anybody should feel dirty or ashamed it should be the members of IDSA.
Posts: 140 | From Illinois | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
Another point of view - around here we get flyered for elections, pizza and Chinese restaurants. These topics are not as life-shattering as contracting Lyme and co-infections.
I don't think the issue should be that you are in the lymelight - the issue is that the problem needs to be put in the spotlight,
and you are serving the need to communicate the problem so others don't have to get it, or you will also find that others already have it and didn't realize it, so you're helping them.
I think this is a situation where we have to break with convention, since this is not a normal living situation.
I agree with you - nobody was spreading the word at all when I nor countless others got it and it's time for some help.
However you feel most comfortable doing it - I guess judge what feels right in the neighborhood - flyers, postcards, doorhangers.
Here's an idea - contact your local library or equivalent place and call a meeting there to discuss it all and flyer the neighborhood to come. That way, more discussion occurs amongst everyone as well.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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posted
I'm doing postcards for the residents of my complex this year (fingers-crossed). wasn't feeling well enough to do it last year.
If you feel too uncomfortable to do it yourself--
I don't know how remote your neighbors homes are, but could you pay a kid to deliver some flyers on his bike? or is the area too much of the "boonies" for that?
A co-worker of mine, when she & her husband moved into a neighborhood in Framingham, Mass last year with her new baby and little girl, a neighbor came over and warned her about Lyme Disease in their area. Evidently many on her street have been infected. Their yards abut conservation land and she has a walking path from the edge of her yard through the woods.
Even so, I highly doubt she is taking precautions. She periodically sends photos of her family out so based on that alone, it's a pretty strong assumption. But: if you aren't feeling well enough, you can do what you can to inform others and let it go. If you are up for a community talk like Robin suggested, by all means...
Posts: 571 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2008
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Helen said.. "If anybody should feel dirty or ashamed it should be the members of IDSA."
Amen to that!
One note of caution... be sure not to fool with/touch/etc anyone's mailboxes. I believe it is illegal? Tampering?
You may want to check that out.
But by all means... EDUCATE!!!! Please educate as many as you can and be proud you did!
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