posted
Recently I met with a camp director in northern wisconsin....
I grew up at this camp as a camper and a counselor (10 years) it is/was the best times of my life, and that of so many others...However....
It is in a lyme endemic area and the campers come up mostly from southern wisconsin and northern illinois for a week or two and go home. Since being diagnosed with lyme I have often wondered over the years how many campers and counselors may have been infected with lyme come home, and been left in limbe for years like myself possibly innfected with lyme disease.
Last week I stopped in at camp to see if the camp director (who now has lived up there 15 years, and still runs the camp), and I advised him I have/had lyme disease and was infected not 5 miles from the camp several years ago. He became concerned because he stated every time he asks the doctors up there about it they completely down play it and say its not a problem, and really he seemed to have no idea it really existed up there...and he is a very out doorsy guy.
He is very interested on information for himself.....AND...Information (brochures) to send home to the parents so they know what to look for when their campers return...
I dont need to overwhelm him with information...just want to pick the best of the information, send him the links and hopefully some brochurs he can send home for some awareness....
Sorry so long THANK YOU for your help I am thrilled he is willing to take a proactive stance against this....Jill
Posts: 83 | From Northern Illinois | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
The LDF and LDA both have folders on-line that you could download. Or the camp director could order a supply of folders from one of these orgs. Think the LDF charges. The LDA is free, but if this was going to be a regular thing every year, probably don't want to suggest a large number be requested, unless maybe a donation was made to defray the cost.
I am wondering, though, if instead of sending these folders to every parent every year, the camp might not want to find a way to incorporate lyme info in whatever safety messages they already provide to families who are sending kids. Then, they could post a folder on bulletin boards with other stuff, so kids and counselors could read the full thing, or at least have the idea planted in their heads that ticks can be dangerous. And maybe the ahead of time info might say something about insect repellents.
The counselors might also have a little session with kids on safety, ticks and other things. Tell em not to sit on logs, avoid tick habitats, and check for ticks every day. Don't want to scare them, but if you educate the kids, they will go home and educate the parents and others.
People have various opinions about the safety of insect repellents, so this subject is a little sticky. If it were my kid, I would not mind having all their shoes lined up on the first day, given a good spray of permethrin and allowed to dry. The camp director could have some cans of Repel on hand to do this, and since it wasn't going on skin, maybe this would be acceptable to all.
So, the kids go into dinner on the first, leaving their shoes outside in a row. They eat dinner, have some kind of program, come out in a hour or more, put on dry shoes that will repel ticks.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Thank you Lou, I think I am going to ask to go up during staff training week and help inform all of the staff on the different ticks, various symptoms what to look for the imprtance of bug spray (deet) Its in the middle of the northwoods, each cabin goes on individual caming trips or hiking trips It is such a great expierience...
There is no way they are going to be able to avoid the ticks...and thats ok...Camp expirience is the wonderful...I just want to get the information and awarness out there without being alarming! Jill
Posts: 83 | From Northern Illinois | Registered: Feb 2005
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Jill, please read the PM sent to your private email. I want to send you a brochure I typed from scratch.
I'd like to email you this & perhaps you could use a lot of it in putting something together.
I made it for LEGAL size paper, and it's 4 full sheets: local/natl. LDA addresses, how to prevent ticks, testing at Igenex & what's needed; books; for hunters on butchering, etc., symptoms, tick removal, how to remove a tick, etc...pretty comprehensive.
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posted
Thank you Lymetoo....Jil
Posts: 83 | From Northern Illinois | Registered: Feb 2005
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Tutu, Jill, and everyone else, fyi only
If you click on Tutu's link, here is what comes up now: a change of address...
Due to the discontinued production of the Lyme Disease pamphlet, Pfizer's Groton/New London Laboratories has teamed up with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station to provide you with the most updated and comprehensive information on Lyme Disease.
posted
Last summer I heard of several cases of Erlichia at a Wisconsin camp for kids. I drove out there and learned the camp had lost several counselors to Erlichia and some to Lyme. The very young "Medical Director" was actually able to distinguish between Lyme and Erlichia. I was impressed. She could have taught area docs a lot.
She had to argue for treatment of at least one bite victim. No surprise there. She said she hadn't seen many kids sick with LD or Erlichia because, as you pointed out, "the kids go home" after a short stay. Scary to think about.
I fear camp counselors everywhere aren't being treated for TBD's correctly, nor are they ever checked for co-infections. What would be the likelihood tick-bitten counselors are given more than 3 weeks of abx? How often are they given doxy when it's Lyme?
Tick-bitten camp counselor's medical bills will be presented to the workmens'comp co the camp uses. I've been hoping ever since last summer that one work comp co will start screaming about closing said camp--that would draw some attention to TBD's! But the best thing that could happen: The workmens'comp co starts screaming loudly, starts trying to find out why the counselors are still sick after treatment. They begin to ask the right questions of Medicine (when they realize they will have to put out lots of money/open-ended care for under-treated, still-sick camp counselors).
Unfortunately, the likelihood of this scenario is practically nil without the camp counselors doing lots of homework to prove they don't have "post-Lyme syndrome."
I believe wholeheartedly Lyme Disease and all the battles surrounding it can only be changed by Insurance. Call me a dreamer but I think Insurance could change this whole nightmare overnight, and I think they would do so if they could only see the light, truly understand what is happening everywhere.
Work comp claims might just be the inroad.
Topic for another post?
Posts: 422 | From Luck home | Registered: Sep 2005
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