They were covering Dr. Shortt in SC losing his license because of the woman who died being given hydrogen peroxide IV. Her diagnosis MS. She died of an embolism.

Then they go on to interview this woman whose husband died of prostate cancer. She is interviewed and goes on about how Dr. Shortt gave both she and her husband a diagnosis of Lyme Disease.

She says that he also told them it is sexually transmitted. 60 Minutes then reports that she and her husband were tested and the CDC claims that their tests were negative and as well that it is not sexually transmitted.

It just burned me up. First of all Lyme was not the subject of the story...Dr. Shortt was. Then misinformation is being thrown around about Lyme. No one really knows if it is sexually transmitted...60 minutes didn't do their homework.

Instead it was implied that Lyme is only transmittable by ticks, that Dr. Shortt was a quack fleecing people of their money, and that these people had been had.

It was extremely biased. It is just so sad to me that this is the kind of airtime that Lyme gets.

I will be writing them a letter when I cool down a bit. The Propaganda wheel in the meantime just keeps turning.

I ALMOST watched it last night. I read the blurb about a controversial doc, and thought: "I flip back in a minute and see who they're talking about..."

But the ol' Lymebrain forgot to switch back. (Actually I think I was probably performing a little home surgery on my husband's gross thumbnail which he hammered a couple of days ago...so the 'doc' was too busy anyway)

If I recall, 60 minutes covered that same topic a few months ago -- and we all got ticked off about it - talked about writing 60 minutes and setting them straight. Guess we didn't get the message through to them, huh?

So - on second thought, I have enough reasons to get my dander up on any give day (I do have extended FAMILY, you know....) so I guess I'm glad I DIDN'T watch it.

I have written extensively on the subject. The reporter from the local rag has been interested in doing a hatchet job on this Dr. Shortt and in the process on lyme dusease. Lyme disease has been dragged into the middle of it. He has swallowed hook, line and sinker the bokum about there being no lyme disease in SC. This woman is obviously out for blood because Shortt treated her husband who was going to die of prostate cancer in any case. The standard misinformation about lyme disease has now been disseminated across the country.

I had written Andy Court at 6o minutes and explained the lyme end of all of this and it would seem that these nitwits are not interested in either facts or reason and have absolutely no understanding of just exactly what the CDC actually is, even when you explain it to them. After all the massive faliures in government of late I do not find this faith in federal institutions touching but nothing short of suicidal and indeed downright stupid. Of course for the lazy who do not want to think simply quoting the CDC is a wonderful excuse. That the CDC does not know what they are talking about and have actually in so many words admitted it does not even seem to penetrate the thick skulls of these nitwits, even when you send these hog dung for brains the evidence.

The *** of a reporter had the temerity to tell CBB when he was talking to her about the business that the only way he would report anything on lyme was if it were involved with the Shortt mess and that was the only way anything would be said on the subject. The noble C, being ever the real Southern lady, of course politely refused to have anything more to do with him. She was a lot kinder and more dignified than I would have been.

Does anyone know how the court case turned out? Someone hinted it had been thrown out of court.

I used to think we wanted 60 minutes to do a program on lyme, but even before the Shortt mess, had decided that their corporate owners had begun to slant their material too much. Their pieces on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil drilling and on "tort reform" made me realize they were not infallible and we would be taking chances with them.

I wouldn't wish LD on my worst enemy, but
apparently some of these people are so hard-headed, they need to "experience" Lyme disease so they'll understand what the Lyme community has been saying for so long.
It wouldn't have to be a permanent condition like it is with some of us.

The program last night contained some new info, but a lot of it was film clips from the previous show (not sure of date - maybe March).

To read the transcript: www.cbsnews.com
Near the top, toward the right, click
"60 Minutes II"
"Questionable Prescription?" - 2 pages
Info about Lyme is on the second page.

As I understand it -
Dr Shortt tested the Bates couple for Lyme using "an out of state lab" which I know specializes in Tick-Borne Diseases.
They were both positive for Lyme.

Later, their local doctor retested them for Lyme & the tests were negative.

In my opinion, it is extremely doubtful that the local dr used any of the labs known to specialize in Tick-Borne Diseases, so I think the second tests were "false negative".

It infuriates me that so much misinformation about Lyme disease was in one programm when in fact, Dr Shortt probably made a correct diagnosis in this situation.
They made it look like all doctors who treat Lyme are quacks. Actually, it's the non-believers who are the ducks.

A big part of the problem is that too many people in high places and in the media think that the CDC can do no wrong....that everything they say is gospel.

If something happended to us - God forbid - I would probably have a change of heart if I heard from others who were suffering. 98% of you treated by Dr. Shortt probably had either great results or are feeling better than before.

quote:

---

Originally posted by cbb:

Dr Shortt tested the Bates couple for Lyme using "an out of state lab" which I know specializes in Tick-Borne Diseases.
They were both positive for Lyme.

---

You know what I wonder about all this? It seems the woman with the dead husband is out for blood. Wonder if she has tried to drag I***** into all this controversy. (If, in fact, it was I***** who did the original testing). If so, she could create major problems for them, since their test results were what lead Dr. Shortt to prescribe the treatment he did. Many on the other side of the controversy would love to find I***** to be at fault in the matter. If it is not I*****, it is another "Lyme-literate" lab. If the wife also decides to go after them, just more bad publicity for the Lyme community.

This could get worse for many. What a shame Lyme gets nothing but bad publicity.

Its only when the culprits of fraud in lyme disease testing and diag. are actually bagged, and seen on national tv, going into the back of the prisoner wagon wearing orange jump suits, and ankle chains, will 60 Min. then do the right show on lyme disease.

And they'll claim the credit for "their" in-depth "investigation."

Other shows will then do the same, and claim they did the foot work.

Whether he was right or not about the woman and man having lyme may neve be known, but the husband had prostate cancer and was treatly incorrectly by Dr. Short.

I don't think it would do any good to write the woman who is suing. She may be just wanting to cash in. If so, sympathy and requests for understanding and info about testing problems are not going to interest her.

Maybe this is an incorrect assumption on my part. But this is what it looks like to me.

If a national news program is so poorly informed or biased that they cannot mention the idea that syphilis is a spirochetal disease and sexually transferred, therefore lyme might be also. And cannot mention that even the CDC says lyme is a clinical diagnosis, and the FDA mentions testing problems. If they miss obvious things like this, then their program segment was either prepared by someone very ignorant or someone who was intent on trashing lyme and this doctor. Or trashing lyme thru this doctor. Seems to me that 60 minutes picked their doctor very carefully.

Clark K, Hendricks A, Burge D.

Molecular identification and analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in lizards in the southeastern United States.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 May;71(5):2616-25.
PMID: 15870353
http://tinyurl.com/83wod

They report data on the rather high prevalance of Bb in lizards, both in South Carolina and in Florida.

The authors also believe that various evidence was not compatible with a transmission based solely on ticks as vectors and offer alternate possibilities including horizontal transmission during mating (I don't know how much copyrighted material can be legally quoted, so I don't like doing it anymore, but there is a full paragraph in the discussion of this paper that is dedicated to undermining the idea that ticks are serving as the primary vectors for the transmission of Bb between lizards.).

I'm with the Lyme Disease Network of South Carolina & I've never met any of the people that Dr Shortt diagnosed with Lyme disease. I have no idea what treatment he prescribed, & I haven't heard anything about results of his treatment.

I like your suggestion.
I'm very UN-happy with the way the wife has spoken out concerning the Lyme diagnoses, but she is hurting terribly & she has been given what I consider to be inaccurate info by the "powers that be" here in Columbia.
I wish there was some way to bring something positive out of all this.

ConnieMc,
Some months ago, I talked with the reporter from the newspaper about the Lyme situation & misinformation. Told him that the lab (which is not across the country) is reliable & I have had tests run by them a couple times. I impressed on him that this lab could be ruined if inaccurate info was used against them.

He asked me if he could quote me in one of his articles. I explained that the Lyme Disease Network of South Carolina has worked extremely hard to give reliable, unbiased info that would build credibility in the community.
If we supported the lab Dr Shortt used, it would look like we were taking a public stand in support of him & all of his questionable practices.
We feel that it is necessary to keep our distance in this situation.

The reporter has the name of the lab, but
luckily, it has not been made public - on TV or in the newspaper.
I appreciate that very much!!

I told the reporter we'd love to have a good article educating people about Lyme disease.
He told me that if I wanted a Lyme article in the paper, the info would have to be tied to a news article. I told him we couldn't do it that way.

In Feb, I talked with the Coronor about my husband's autopsy. In the discussion, this particular lab was mentioned. The Coronor was critical of the lab, so I tried to explain to him as well. I asked if his opinion was based on the testing done by Dr Shortt. His answer was vague.

I also mentioned the possibility that LD could be transmitted between partners. He stated emphatically, absolutely, not.
I have my opinion about who he contacted for all his info about Lyme. If I'm right, this particular source believes everything Steere ever said.

Now for some good news -
In spite of all the media coverage about Dr Shortt & his problems (including Lyme), we were pleased that Gov Mark Sanford honored our request that May be declared Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

....and the bad news -
We had little success in getting the media to give us coverage. We'll keep trying.

Thanks for the update on this. Sounds like you have done alot to keep other heads from rolling throughout this controversy.

I also think Dr. Shortt is probably a quack. It is unfortunate that he tried to hang his hat on Lyme, but would assume that the reason for this is the nature of the disease. Desperate people, very ill, needing treatment. We are all guilty of taking chances with our health if we think it will help us improve. Dr. Shortt was a typical con man who was into other things as well. Steroids for the Panthers, etc.

cbb, glad you are there to help control the damage. You guys are doing a great job!

I just hope the LLMD in NC won't experience any fallout over this. For sure it has probably put a bad taste in the mouths of many docs down that way. They are associating the negative aspects of this controversy, and unfortunately the concept of "Lyme" will see consequences.

Thomas Parkman & I gripe & complain to each other about the situation here. He has been working on an angle that may help turn things around....or at least get their attention.

When I get a little time, I want to put together some info for the Coronor.
I don't know that it would accomplish anything, but at least I'd feel like I'd done what I could to give him a different perspective on Lyme.

I don't think the NC LLMD will be affected by any of this, but I'm sure the doctors in South Carolina will remember. Too many have closed minds concerning Lyme.

One of our Lyme patients, who had LD when she moved to SC, had a terrible experience with a dr. To quote her:
when she mentioned Lyme disease, he yelled at her for about 5 minutes, told her to get out of his office, she was wasting his time.
She said she needed a dr & he told her she wouldn't find anyone in the state of South Carolina to treat Lyme!!

I thought ALL doctors took the Hypocratic Oath to "do no harm."
How soon some of them forget!!

Matt,
Thanks for the info from K Clark's new article proving the Lyme bacterium is in lizards in SC & Fla.

In 2000, I wrote a letter to the newspaper about Lyme being a threat to public health.

The newpaper published a very critical response from James J. Gibson, MD Epidemiologist & Director of Bureau of Disease Control, South Carolina Dept of Health & Environmental Control.

In his letter he said
"...her letter exaggerated the risk....
Though Lyme disease results from the bite of infected deer ticks, the Southeastern deer tick prefers to feed on lizards (which do not carry the Lyme disease bacterium), rather than deer."

Then, a member of our Lyme group wrote an outstanding letter backing up my facts. He really told it like it is!!

To read the 3 letters, go to www.sc-lyme.org Click "SC News"
The letters are listed as Editorials to The State Newspaper, below the picture of our billboard.

That quote is priceless. I think it is worth juxtaposing that one with one from the recent research:

"...the Southeastern deer tick prefers to feed on lizards (which do not carry the Lyme disease bacterium)..."
http://www.sc-lyme.org/Exposure.htm

versus:

"....[Lyme borreliosis] spirochetes are established in lizards in the southeastern United States."
http://tinyurl.com/83wod