Saturday, March 31, 2012

How Long Does It Take For a Tick To Transmit Lyme?

My friend Doreena and I were brainstorming today and we have a couple points and questions that we would like to get feedback on.

1. Is there studies showing that it takes 24 to 72 hours for a tick to transmit Borrelia into you? I know that they say it takes that long for the tick to regurgitate it's stomach contents into you (where the Borrelia lives) but has anyone done studies to see if the bacteria is also in the numbing fluids that ticks inject into you with their barbs while the second they bite you?

2. And what about co-infections? Is there any studies showing that it takes 24 to 72 hours for ticks to inject co infections such as Babesia, Bartonella, or Elichiosis into you?

3. And why do drs say the tick hasn't been on you long enough, when almost noone knows when the tick attached since it numbs you and you don't even feel the bite. Most people don't even see the tick at all.

4. Is the bull's eye rash 100% diagnostistic of Lyme? I thought I read in either the CDC or the IDSA's guildelines that it is but can't remember where I saw it. Any help would be appreciated with any of these.

Click Here to Learn More About The Tick Anatomy

Monday, March 26, 2012

Tick Cards To Pass Out In May!

Lyme Awareness Ideas
People ask me all the time what they can do to help spread Lyme Disease Awareness. So here is a couple things I do each year. I am listing just the simpler things that people who are really pretty sick still can do. At the bottom I'll put a link to a more extensive list. But if you feel like me right now, simpler is better! So here are some tips.

Order Tick Cards on Zazzle~ Here is an example of one I made, but you can make your own. You can design them and not only purchase them, but you can list them for sale and you will even make a buck or two if someone orders yours. Each time someone orders anything of mine on Zazzle I just use the money as a credit to order more Zazzle items throughout the year, so that in May I have a stockpile of lyme awareness items to pass out.



Click To Enlarge


You can also order Brochures from LDA and they are free for up to 200! Just go visit Order Brochures

Click To Enlarge

Keep an eye on the Letter Campaigns!  http://thelymelife.blogspot.com/ 

This site my friend Kenny and Bambi runs, puts together great Lyme Awareness Letter Writing Campaigns. We can all do this from home!

If you are feeling up to doing more, here is a list of different things you can do, such as walks, Ribbons Across America Campaign, and a calendar to what others are doing. Check out your state and see if anything is going on in your area!
 Ideas For Lyme Awareness Month

Are you looking for Lyme Bracelets? - 10% Discount



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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Having Hope With This Disease

Cucumber, broccoli, cilantro, parsley juice
Normally I am pretty realistic when it comes to "curing lyme." I don't really believe that there is a cure. Yet. But I do believe that there are things that we can do to help ourselves feel better. I believe we can make the environment of our bodies difficult for Lyme and all other bacteria, viruses, and parasites to live in.


Also I know that each of us reacts to different treatments differently. What doesn't work for one might work for another. So I don't promote any specific treatments usually. But I did want to write a bit about what I'm doing because I actually had four days this week that were great. Not just "functional" or "above baseline," but really really great. Like I could walk without fainting, and I gardened, and did things like give my dog a bath, and walked paths out in the woods without collapsing. This is rare for me. Really rare. Usually I am mostly homebound. I usually feel like I will never get better. I did have one scary day when I had horrible symptoms, the neck and head pain with the heart beat in my ear. So like I said, I still want to be realistic. But I will appreciate any good days that come along.

I don't do antibiotics anymore. The only changes I have made in the last couple months was that I started juicing and started doing powdered supplements.

Juicing~ The juicing I started because I see how many people seem to be getting better with diet changes. Gluten free, cutting out sugar, grains, and trying to eat organic food that also will help alkalize your body. These things seem to be the one common thread in the people who I have seen get better. So I started juicing to try to get more vitamins and minerals out of the food I eat. I am not perfect, the other night I made a frozen pizza. But I will say since I started juicing, I notice the biggest difference in the morning. I still wake up horribly sick. But after I drink the juice it gives me energy. It does NOT take away my lyme symptoms. But it gives me the energy I need to start moving on with my day and get things done that I need to do.

The other thing I do is I have added a powdered supplement into my juice. ( I am NOT trying to sell anything so I am not saying the name, if you want it just email me and I'll give it to you.) The reason I chose to go with a powdered supplement is because I have really extreme reactions to meds and to supplements. No matter how much people say this will not cause a bad reaction, in me, it will. So when I heard you could get it in powdered form I was happy because I can control how much I take, to make sure I don't have a reaction. I love things that come in drops too like the Byron White products. I just can't take full doses of things like other people can. The powder has a multitude of vitamins and herbs in them. I actually take two kinds, one is for vit and minerals and energy the other is for fiber. I just add it to my juice each morning and it really does help me with energy.

So that's it for now. Just wanted to update. I have a tendency to be really negative about Lyme, so when something good happens, I know I should blog about that too. We all need hope. 


So that my two cents for the day. :)


~Lisa

Thursday, March 15, 2012

May is Around The Corner!

Don't forget May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month! Time to start planning and getting ready. It will be here before you know it. There are so many things you can do to help spread awareness. 

Here are some ideas:
  • Tie lime green ribbons around trees and mailboxes.
  • Send Educational brochures to schools.
  • Attend Protests/Rallies
  • Plan A Lyme Walk.
  • Wear Lyme Awareness Items, shirts, pins, anything lime green.
  • Arrange an Under Our Skin Showing

    For more help please go to  
  • Lyme Awareness Events Help

Monday, March 5, 2012

March Madness

Okay we are now in Phase 4 of March Madness, here is what you can do to help support this cause:

PHASE 4 – MARCH MADNESS!: We need you to call the offices of the US Congressional members listed below. They all now have a copy of the IDSA patient comments document. The more members you call, the better. The more members you call, the more impact we will have. 
For More Info Please visit and join facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/events/128147847311061/

Please just let them know your feelings on the current IDSA Guidelines! 

Suggested talking points for your calls:

- Rescind the antiquated, inaccurate, and corrupt IDSA Lyme disease Guidelines.
- Push for the passing of Senate bill S 1381: Lyme and Tick‐Borne Disease Prevention,
Education, and Research Act of 2011 
and 
House bill HR 2557: To Provide For the Establishment of the Tick‐Borne Diseases Advisory Committee.
- Demand that doctors in every state are no longer threatened with license removal and other penalties for treating Lyme disease patients.
- Insist on better education of the entire medical community in every state regarding acute AND late-stage Lyme disease.
- Demand that a Congressional Briefing be held so that Lyme patients and our advocates get a fair chance to expose the decades-long corruption and special interests surrounding Lyme disease recognition, diagnosis and treatment. 
- Be sure to tell your own personal Lyme story and the devastating impact that this illness has had on you and your loved ones.

Here is a link to the IDSA Comments document, which is entitled:
The Devastation of Lives and Lies: 
Those with Lyme disease and related chronic infections respond to the 
Infectious Diseases Society of America's (IDSA's)
request for comments.
http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/2/27/3271113/IDSA%20Comments%20Document/Official_IDSA_Comments_Document_for_Congress_2-15-12_FINAL.pdf

If you would like to contact other US Congressional representatives who are not on the list below, please use these helpful links to quickly and easily find their contact info:

www.senate.gov

www.house.gov

www.whitehouse.gov

THANK YOU!

PLEASE MAKE YOUR CALLS TO:

Harry Reid (D‐NV), Senate Majority Leader
(202) 224-3542 

Mitch McConnell, (R‐ KY) Senate Minority Leader
(202) 224-2541 

Eric Cantor (R‐VA), House Majority Leader
Virginia 7th District 
(202) 225-2815

Nancy Pelosi (D‐CA), House Minority Leader
California 8th District
(202) 225-4965

John Boehner Speaker of the House
(202) 225-6205

Steny Hoyee Dem Whip
(202) 225-4131

John Larson Dem Caucus Chairman 
(202) 225-2265

US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Main Office: 
(202) 224-5375 

Tom Harkin (IA) *
(202) 224-3254 

Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) *
(202) 224-4654 

Patty Murray (WA) *
(202) 224-2621 

Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)
(202) 224-5141 

Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA)
(202) 224-6324 

Kay R. Hagan (NC)
(202) 224-6342 

Al Franken (MN)
(202) 224-5641 

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
(202) 224-2921 

Richard Blumenthal (CT)
(202) 224-2823 

Richard Burr (NC)
(202) 224-3154 
Rand Paul (KY)
(202) 224-4343 

Lisa Murkowski (AK)
(202) 224-6665 

US Senate Committee on Appropriations 
Democratic Subcommittee Members:

Tom Harkin (IA) *
(202) 224-3254 

Senator Herb Kohl (WI)
(202) 224-5653 

Senator Patty Murray (WA) *
(202) 224-2621 

Senator Mary Landrieu (LA)
(202) 224-5824 

Senator Jack Reed (RI)
(202) 224-4642 

Senator Sherrod Brown (OH)
(202) 224-2315 

Republican Subcommittee Members:
Senator Richard Shelby (Ranking) (AL)
(202) 224-5744 

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
(202) 224-5922 

Senator Ron Johnson (WI)
(202) 224-5323 

Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)
(202) 224-5972 


Additional Govt. Officials Concerned with Lyme Epidemic:
Scott Brown (R‐MA)
(202) 224-4543 

Susan Collins (R‐ME)
(202) 224-2523 

Tim Holden (D‐PA)
Pennsylvania 17th District
(202) 225-5546

Chris Gibson (R‐NY)
New York 20th District
(202) 225-5614

Kirsten Gillibrand (D‐NY)
(202) 224-4451 

Frank Lautenberg (D‐NJ)
(202) 224-3224 

Carl Levin (D-MI) 
(202) 224-6221

Joseph Lieberman (I‐CT)
(202) 224-4041 

Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
(202) 224-4744

Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
(202) 225-4671 

Rand Paul (R-KY) 
(202) 224-4343

Ron Paul (R-TX)
(202) 225-2831 

Marco Rubio (R-FL)
(202) 224-3041 

Charles E. Schumer (D‐NY)
(202) 224-6542 

Christopher Smith (R‐NJ)
New Jersey 4th District
(202) 225-3765

Patrick Toomey (R-PA)
(202) 224-4254

Sheldon Whitehouse (D‐RI)
(202) 224-2921 

Frank Wolf (R‐VA) - Virginia 10th District
(202) 225-5136