Post by LymeEnigma on Sept 1, 2007 10:07:38 GMT -8
I believe that the IDSA's guidelines on Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment are terribly flawed, opening up enormous cracks, between which countless Lyme disease sufferers continue to fall.
I believe that there is no excuse for the fact that at least 200,000 cases of Lyme disease continue to go undiagnosed in the United States Alone. Considering that early diagnosis is key to reducing the occurrence of chronic or long-term disease, countless people continue to suffer needlessly because of delayed diagnosis.
I believe it is an atrocity that the IDSA refuses to recognize the chronic disease many Lyme patients may legitimately be suffering, closing the doors to areas of research that may be necessary for the advancement of accurate diagnosis, blood tests for active infection, and safe yet effective treatment options.
I believe many people who believe they have an active infection may simply be suffering self-sustaining autoimmune effects of previous Lyme infection.
I believe some of those people may also have persistent infections, which may or may not be treatable with aggressive or long-term antibiotic therapy.
I believe some self-proclaimed "Lyme literate medical doctors" (LLMDs) are very good at what they do, I believe that some are no better qualified to treat Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses than my local infectious diseases jerk, and I believe that some of them are parasites, sucking their patients dry of their every resource and offering carnival tricks and empty hope in return.
I believe my general practitioner should be treating my infection, covered under insurance, doing whatever we, together, feel is necessary to get my health to its optimum level. I do not believe that necessarily requires a PICC line.
I believe that, no matter who is currently treating my Lyme disease, my long-term prognosis is shaky, given current research and understanding of the disease. I believe I am simply being realistic, so that I might continue to push for better approaches to treating my illness and my ever-cycling symptoms.
I believe that it is important to learn how to cope with some symptoms, as some of them, no matter how many months or years a person is treated, just might not go away. Lyme has lasting effects on the body, and the sooner we can learn to adjust our definition of "well," the sooner we might recover some quality in life despite our continued symptoms.
I believe that there is still room for hope, as I also believe that the answers to the Lyme enigma do exist; we just need to push for the research to make their discovery possible.
I believe that Lyme awareness is pivotal to prevention of future cases, and we absolutely must do whatever is in our power to promote advocacy and awareness in our local regions.
I believe that there is no excuse for the fact that at least 200,000 cases of Lyme disease continue to go undiagnosed in the United States Alone. Considering that early diagnosis is key to reducing the occurrence of chronic or long-term disease, countless people continue to suffer needlessly because of delayed diagnosis.
I believe it is an atrocity that the IDSA refuses to recognize the chronic disease many Lyme patients may legitimately be suffering, closing the doors to areas of research that may be necessary for the advancement of accurate diagnosis, blood tests for active infection, and safe yet effective treatment options.
I believe many people who believe they have an active infection may simply be suffering self-sustaining autoimmune effects of previous Lyme infection.
I believe some of those people may also have persistent infections, which may or may not be treatable with aggressive or long-term antibiotic therapy.
I believe some self-proclaimed "Lyme literate medical doctors" (LLMDs) are very good at what they do, I believe that some are no better qualified to treat Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses than my local infectious diseases jerk, and I believe that some of them are parasites, sucking their patients dry of their every resource and offering carnival tricks and empty hope in return.
I believe my general practitioner should be treating my infection, covered under insurance, doing whatever we, together, feel is necessary to get my health to its optimum level. I do not believe that necessarily requires a PICC line.
I believe that, no matter who is currently treating my Lyme disease, my long-term prognosis is shaky, given current research and understanding of the disease. I believe I am simply being realistic, so that I might continue to push for better approaches to treating my illness and my ever-cycling symptoms.
I believe that it is important to learn how to cope with some symptoms, as some of them, no matter how many months or years a person is treated, just might not go away. Lyme has lasting effects on the body, and the sooner we can learn to adjust our definition of "well," the sooner we might recover some quality in life despite our continued symptoms.
I believe that there is still room for hope, as I also believe that the answers to the Lyme enigma do exist; we just need to push for the research to make their discovery possible.
I believe that Lyme awareness is pivotal to prevention of future cases, and we absolutely must do whatever is in our power to promote advocacy and awareness in our local regions.
