posted
Here's my letter to them: Ticks aren't the only parasites
People weigh the benefits of drinking coffee by saying, "It depends on the vested interests in the study." Then a new study appears and the debate continues."
I have a 'rare, hard to detect and not treatable illness' that researchers at academic centers have neatly tied and wrapped up in a few studies and done so, in record breaking time, only 30 years.
This article implies I selfishly want expensive care, as if at someone else's expense, when in fact, I politely ask politicians for funding for research, awareness and education. With 20,000 cases reported annually, Lyme is not as rare as West Nile virus.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America, comprising merely 1% of our nations' physicians, are trained to understand AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. But Lyme? Are they serious about Lyme treatment guidelines to doctors that warn against using long-term antibiotics when so many cases prove that long term antibiotics work?
Lyme-unfriendly doctors think of us as loony Lymies lurking in the corners. Our crime? Thousands of us don't just vaguely 'believe' our Lyme specialists cured us of a terrible disease, we undoubtedly know it and Lyme disease specialists earn our gratitude, not big money, as this article disrespectfully implies. According to IDSA, we beg for antibiotics, not because antibiotics kills the bacteria, but because we need to dysfunctionally spend our time and out of pocket money for nothing. Think: are thousands of people too stupid to know if a treatment is effective?
This article tries to garner sympathy for the IDSA because of 'intimidation' from Richard Blumenthal. An attorney general, doing his job, guilty of intimidation? I am intimidated by the IDSA, for with the approval of the establishment, they are trying to make all but the bare minimal treatment for Lyme disease disappear.
Who's comforted that the establishment scored against Blumenthal's investigation? "the establishment has scored some hits against Lyme specialists?" Is this a ball game? A great thing to "yank" a physician's license?
"You want medicine to advance by debate, not hampered by lawsuits," says Robert Buchanan. To advance medicine, stop "yanking" licenses of fine doctors. Our doctors endure medical board harrassment because a handful of their peers fear open debate on the issues of Lyme disease. IDSA shouldn't feel intimidated by the success of our Lyme specialists in curing us, but instead, should welcome open debate.
IDSA doctors foolishly believe they cure a patient when they say, "Take one pill after a tick bite." or "Late Lyme disease, four weeks antibiotics." The patient doesn't return; looks for a second opinion. The IDSA doctor can write "cured" but that doesn't make it so. Lyme patients wronged by IDSA doctors are currently sueing.
Lyme patients leave sick beds and travel long distances to support Lyme specialists and will also travel long distances to protest IDSA doctors. Why? The IDSA might state we are crazy. Or could it be "Wormser lies and patients die?"
Thank you.
Eva Haughie President Empire State Lyme Disease Association, Inc. Manorville, NY
posted
WOW EVA; fantastic letter and ending was just perfect! very well thought out, etc. you got my vote on this one.
i wasn't familiary with your name, but i see you only have 25 posts in 5 years of being here. you left a lasting impression in my mind, eva; i will remember you now!
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Tincup
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