Letters to the Editor for Sept. 7, 2011

Writer: Lyme disease a silent threat

The political controversy about chronic Lyme disease continues unabated. How many people have been misdiagnosed because there is no accurate diagnostic test? How many dollars, possibly in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, have been spent by families because their health insurance companies will not recognize chronic or post-Lyme disease?

Some Lyme Literate MDs who try to treat Lyme sufferers are being persecuted and or restricted on how they treat patients.

Several states have passed bills to protect physicians who prescribe long-term treatment for Lyme disease and require insurance companies to cover such treatment.

A General Assembly health sub-committee tabled a similar bill in Richmond.

Guidelines written by the IDSA (Infectious Disease Society of America, www.idsociety.org) were challenged by the former Attorney General of Connecticut several years ago. The IDSA was requested to rewrite the guidelines, not once, but at least another time. As of this date, they have refused to allow a Lyme Literate MD (LLMD) serve on the committee to help in updating or rewriting the guidelines.

Lyme disease is an epidemic larger than AIDS, West Nile Virus, and Bird Flu combined.

The "great imitator," Lyme affects each person differently. Millions are silently suffering, improperly diagnosed with fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, chronic fatigue syndrome, ALS, Alzheimer’s, psychiatric disorders and many others.

My wife Betty was misdiagnosed for several years and was forced to use a wheelchair for 10 years. We had to travel out-of-state to find a LLMD who would treat her with longterm antibiotics. Thankfully, Betty does not need her wheelchair for everyday activities. She does, however, continue to have relapses that cause extreme fatigue.

How many others are suffering from Lyme disease, but unfortunately for lack of an accurate laboratory test, may be misdiagnosed?

It is very upsetting to hear a story that a child or teenager is told that he or she is just being lazy.

A Lyme sufferer does not "look" sick! Chronic fatigue can be very debilitating.

The aches and pains from Lyme disease may travel to various parts of the body at different times, making it more difficult to diagnose and treat.

We in the Lyme community continue to hope that more research will continue to find an accurate laboratory test for Lyme disease.

JOSEPH LEBLANC

Amherst