Make Space for Nature - In Isolation
As the rules of isolation constantly intensify people are slowly losing their access to nature, the one perk many were claiming was making it manageable. So this blog post will start a series of articles to help you find that connection, that we all need so badly - now more than ever.
If you have no or almost no, access to the outdoors, I suggest some of the following ideas to help you bring the outside in, no matter what the four walls around you look like. There are advantages to viewing nature even when access is limited so try some of these out as they are meant to bring you some solace during challenging times.
- Do a scan of your home at several times of the day to find the brightest rooms, best views. largest landscapes and even different styles of landscapes. The reason being is different windows and access points can serve different moods and purposes.
- The sun may shine in one room in the morning and a different room in the afternoon. Find a work space, rest space or workout spot based on the time of day you want to do it and where the most light comes in. Yes, you can get a sunburn through a window (although the sun is not very intense right now). And even if on a sunny day it seems too bright just remember your eyes and body may adjust, it just may seem extreme at first compared to the artificial light you have been exposed to.
- That light; the sun - your skin and your eyes want to absorb that, even if it is through a window. It can change a mood faster than you know and make work, or a workout seem worth the effort just to be there. And know that many health clinics in other parts of the world have sun rooms, with large comfy chairs that expose patients to natural light through the windows. So set up your favourite chair, rearrange your living room furniture or move a bed to make every possible exposure serve you now for all the things you do during the day.
- Even more than just seeking light and sunshine, sometimes a certain view can help a mood. If you are feeling trapped or too isolated, then an open view of a field or park or even lawn can provide and open feeling of freedom, helping to decrease more negative emotions. If you are feeling lonely or scared, then trees, forest and gardens can help ease that emotion just a little.
- Beyond the view you are looking at consider your activity. I move my laptop around my house to compensate for the weather, what I am working on or the time of day. I know the room that feels the brightest on a dreary day or when I need a large workspace, I can spread out on a big table but orientate it to look out my patio doors. And patio doors are among the best places to place a yoga mat because the access to nature is available no matter what position you are in, lying down or standing. It's as close to working out, outside as you can get, while still indoors.
- When you are feeling really disconnected from nature sometimes the best thing you can do is simply stand, sit and look out at at your favourite view. It doesn't have to be a fully natural view. Noticing a tree or roof top garden can do the same. Just really take it in and notice what ever it is to make a connection. My best exercise to do this is to try and notice one new thing each time you look, something you have never noticed before. Such as, a bird almost hidden in a tree or the strange way a branch is growing. Maybe there is a rock somewhere that you never paid attention to that now catches your eye or a new pot that will soon be planted. It's all connection that your body is making, that can bring a similar ease that nature brings when you are out in it.
- You can also make the most of the nature you have inside. Even if you only have one or a few plants in your house, gather them to a place together in the space you spend the most time. Create your own indoor garden and tend to it unlike you ever have never before. Split them and repot them if you can, clip and trim just a little everyday and spread the soil as often as you can. It may seem silly, but the chemicals released from a plant and the organics in soil have proven health benefits, that are hard to show, but proven by science.
- When all else fails you should know that natural scenes (produced artificially) have been shown in studies to evoke similar neurological reactions as nature itself can. Some of the reasoning is that your brain and body are reminded of the same feeling you had in nature and when you look at an artificial view, so it releases the same chemicals to create the same feeling as it did naturally. So, change your screen saver to your favourite natural view, put an outdoor show on mute on your tv, pull out some family holiday photos of your time on the beach or favourite hiking spot or google your dream vacation or natural location.
It may all seem like rather basic advice but it holds more power scientifically than we know. Nature is where we find balance the fastest and easiest. We are nature ourselves. So it holds more proven healing powers that are often not promoted. We need it much more than we acknowledge. We assume it will always be there and we can always go there. It does more to support us emotionally than we recognize. So as things change, we may feel lost without it. Our ability to bring it in, take it in and benefit from it stands with our ability to be creative in these crazy times. But I promise, it will be worth every small effort you make.
We can do this. Just like nature our ability to be resilient and adjust with the conditions around us is nothing short of miraculous.
Next Blog: How To Take In Fresh Air When Things Feel Like Anything But Fresh
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Multi-Use Trails Can Be Great for Everyone...
I want to share an opinion on an issue that I have seen over more than two decades in my career and in many aspects of my recreational interests. I believe I can offer a few different vantage points on the issues surrounding multi-use trails.
Let me start with my background. I have managed over fifty parks and trails throughout my career. I hiked and camped the Rideau Trail from Kingston to Ottawa and walked and biked the TransCanada Trail from the Quebec to Detroit border, by myself. I can confidently say I walk, run, bike, snowshoe or kayak almost every day.
But what you also need to know is that I have always been an avid snowmobiler and atv rider as well as, on and off road motorcycling, I see trail issues from every angle and can tell you three things for sure:
So, I thought I could share some stories with you that will show the value in multi-use and how with some effort and new perspective we can enjoy these great trails
1) Trail management is much more complicated than it looks from the outside because you are always trying to balance different interests with the surrounding natural environment as well as, the financial resources to do it.
2) Managing multi-use trails takes all of those challenges to a whole new level and can be some of the most conflict-ridden projects I have ever encountered. But,
3) I believe multi-use trails to be among the greatest assets and resources for any community.
So, I thought I could share some stories with you that will show the value in multi-use and how with some effort and new perspective we can enjoy these great trails
· In all of my 30-40 years of hiking, running and walking on trails I have never had a motorized vehicle speed past me in a disrespectful manner. Every-one has slowed to some degree (no exception) but sure, improvements could always be made. If I am walking, my practice is to move to the side and look back, so that the driver knows that I am aware they are coming. Respect goes both ways.
· I have many stories of different users assisting others along the way. For example, the man who travelled from France to hike across Canada on the Great Trail, never expected to hurt his ankle so badly that he could barely walk. But when he did, he was quickly assisted by the first ATV passing by, taken for help with the injury, food and overnight camping.
· One summer I hiked a solid 28 days, all day long. There was never a hot day that a vehicle didn’t stop to either check if I was okay or if I needed water. I have met so many incredible people using the trails. At minimum there was usually a wave or nod “hello”.
· There is something to cherish of every type of experience I have had on these trails from mechanical to manpowered. There is something about riding a sled late at night weaving in and out of the forest on moonlit trails, to walking for hours upon hours noticing aspects of the area you otherwise might miss. It's all something to experience in its own way; I wish it all for everyone.
· My background is Environmental Biology so managing these important natural resources is very important to me. But I will also state that managing trails can be extremely intensive when it comes to maintenance and budgets, with little to no ability for return. I have seen multi-usage be a huge benefit in that regard from many angles, such as decreasing maintenance burdens to increasing revenues.
· I have been involved in projects where trail managers attempted to create different trails for different uses. That concept in itself creates more issues and less benefit and I have determined without a doubt, is not the solution. Restriction is not the solution.
There is no doubt mutli-use trails bring challenges. But I challenge all the users to work together to find better solutions so that everyone can experience these great resources. It is possible. The whole concept of multi-use suggests that the trail may not be perfect for anyone, but it can be great for everyone.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Finding Purpose in our Greatest Weakness
I received a copy of my book today. It seems surreal that It has been well over 5 years since I was bitten by a tick and two and a half since I have been treating it. It seems even more surreal that somewhere in that recovery I wrote about my story, I feel like I can't really recall how or when that happened.
As much as I wanted the book to share the misunderstanding and misinformation about Lyme so that others could protect themselves...It is much more about the lessons I learned about myself and life that are often right in front of us. We rarely can see them through the crazy, hectic experiences of daily life. If there is a blessing in all of the loss you experience with Lyme; physical and mental abilities, job, money, often housing and friends and family, it is the ability to see yourself and what life is about much clearer than you ever possibly could before. I wanted to share those revelations and moments of clarity so that maybe they will help others live a better life too.
But, when the book arrived and I opened it up it became clear, the fact that this book was written at all, was a much greater lesson than anything in the book. The reason being, I am probably one of the last people who should write a book. I almost failed grade 9 &10 English. I was told I just couldn't write, it wasn't in me and they had tried to help but didn't know how. I was just not going to be good at writing and I had to accept that.
Thankfully, it didn't end there because of an English teacher who not only restored my faith in me, he taught me a very valuable lesson about life. He explained that I seemed to have given up before I had tried. But the truth is I simply believed what everyone was saying about me. He taught me some fundamentals about essay writing in a way that finally made sense to me. He gave me tips on how to organize my thoughts, provide more detail, explanation, and context to what I was trying to explain. But more than all of that he gave me the ability to believe in myself. It would take extra effort and work to write what might come much more naturally to someone else, but I could still do it. I would never become an English major that was for sure, but I still had something to share and there was value in it.
I am so grateful for that experience in my life because the fact that it was harder for me, helped me to gain the tools that would help me record my story when I was very, very sick. And the fact that I believed my story was worth something, made sure that I didn't lock it up inside. It helped me heal, I hope it helps other thrive and most of all I hope it teaches people to believe in themselves, even when everyone else may suggest otherwise.
It also made me realize that maybe our purpose is found in our struggles. Maybe the experiences that seem to tear us down, show our weaknesses or strive to make us feel worthless are the very places we should look to find our purpose. Maybe, just maybe when we have the hardest time and feel the worst is exactly what we are meant to overcome and share. Maybe our greatest strength is not what we do best but what has been the hardest and we persevered. Maybe that's what we each have to offer the world...our very worst. Because if we overcome that we find our very best. And what if our ability to share our worst shows someone else that it is okay to acknowledge theirs, find help, seek out solutions and overcome. We don't need to be defined by our weaknesses, we just need to not be afraid of them. With help and effort, they can become the best gift we have to offer the world.
My book, Two Week Window; Living with Lyme and Thriving in Life, is certainly not a literary masterpiece. But it is real, its true and I do believe my purpose in writing it was to help others, hopefully many. I also believe we all have a story to tell and should tell it, there is much healing to be gained by delving into your darkest moments and much you can offer the world by sharing. But most of all, I am grateful for the experience of a teacher that taught me to believe in myself, even when all the evidence suggests otherwise. This book is available simply because of that. So Mr. Smith (aka Smitty) - thank you!
I hope when you read this book it inspires you to believe in yourself. The fact that it exists is proof that ANYTHING is possible!
https://www.balboapress.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001191830
Thursday, May 10, 2018
VOCAL - Voices of Canadians About Lyme Speech May 5, 2018 at Ottawa City Hall
I don't need to tell you my story - the fact that you are here (VOCAL) suggests you have either lived it or heard it…Atleast one very similar.
I was a recreational athlete and a park manager, who loved being active and in the outdoors. Who, through years of misdiagnosis went from running an Ironman to barely being able to walk and fulfill her job duties.
Sure it varies slightly from one of us to another, but every story includes some version of
- losing most of your money to treatment
- having to change or give up your job,
- losing a home, marriage or friends
- losing who you were, social interests and many abilities
- and spending years of hell trying to get better
- And thats if you're one of the lucky ones
You don't need to hear my story its yours or a friends or a relatives. Its becoming too familiar to way too many.
Very little is changing what is obviously a glaring epidemic and no one but those who know the torture of Lyme are doing anything about it.
As you may know, I walked here today. I walked here with many of my tribe, who have endlessly supported me and carried me through the hell called Lyme.
As you may know, today I started my plan to walk the Ontario portion of the TransCanada Trail.
I don't know how often I can walk, how far, how fast, I may have to bike or rest, I just cant know. Lyme will decide every day what I can and cant do.
But I do know this, I have fought too hard to get to this point to not do what i can to help others. I don't plan to stop walking until something changes for acknowledgment, treatment and diagnosis of Lyme. Where that will take me no one knows.
People say to me why walk?
I walk because I once had a very hard time doing so and doctors told me I was fine.
I walk because I promised that if i was ever able to again, I would do something about this medical travesty.
I walk because the burden of finally understanding where the problem is and not being able to do something about it is literally too much for one person to bare.
I walk because I cant take one more call from a friend about a child that didn't not get treated after a tick bite.
Because I cant take one more email from someone who thinks they might have Lyme but no medical professional will believe them.
I cant take another message from someone who was told they are fine
- it wasn't attached for 24 hours
- they weren't in a high risk area
- or we don't have lyme here
I walk because doctors smirked at me, they told me I was perfectly healthy, maybe stressed, possibly overtraining or needed to wait for things to get worse.
I walk because I should not have to have used all my retirement savings to get better when I told them something was wrong for years.
I walk because I see it happening everyday, I see the doctors ignoring it and I see the patients crying for help.
Because the only thing I can tell someone with Lyme is
- prepare to get sicker than you have ever been,
- prepare to use up all your resources,
- exhaust the support of those around you
- and challenge everything you knew about yourself.
Dr. Sam Donta said it best“if you ever want to torture someone, give them Lyme.
I walk because top medial organizations can use decades old science and very few studies to rebut new science and criminalize the doctors who try to help.
I walk because Canada should no longer be able to promote a treatment protocol based on one very bad study… that was not very successful… but determines whether someone suffers needlessly for the remainder of their days.
A treatment protocol that is no longer approved by the Institute of Medicine.
But we still follow it?
I walk because many politicians asked me to share my story, swore that no patient should ever have to travel to the US again… but then did nothing to change it.
How is it that we all know there is a problem in this country but we continue to do the same thing, the same way - and expect a different outcome - is that not the definition of insanity?
I shouldn't have to explain why I walk when:
- Kids are in wheelchairs
- adults are dying lyme carditis
- most are suffering with crippling pain
- and families are losing their homes
AND all it would have taken was an appropriate dose of antibiotics after the bite or treatment when ill
But I also walk because those suffering are also sharing the studies, challenging the scientific organizations and helping others get treatment.
Because everyday a Lyme warrior is meeting with an MP and MPP
They are protesting, raising money, lobbying, educating and fighting and they shouldn't have to. There is no reason for it - there is treatment - if caught early on.
I walk because even after diagnosis, treatment and much improvement the doctor that misdiagnosed me doesn't care to know how, why or anything about Lyme.
I walk because Public Health educates about Lyme with very black and white statements - that are not always true
Because they say - there is no need to worry
Because they even have the gall to say Lyme patients are fear mongering
I say to public health - walk a day in my shoes and then you will know what to say
So I walk.
And I make this vow to my friends, those fearless warriors battling this disease.
I make this vow to all the Lyme advocates who are relentlessly fighting to create change
and I make this promise to present and future generations who are at risk…
I will walk, bike, take a break if I have to and rest when I need to and then walk again until something changes…
I will walk for you, for me and for everyone
because no one needs to live as Lyme patients have to…there is no need
The only need is change.
I will walk for life if I have to because it is better than the torment of seeing, knowing and experiencing the misinformation, the misdiagnosis and the mistreatment.
I will be quite honest with you, I don't know if my body can do this. I hate Lyme for that. But I got to this point with unconditional support from my tribe, blind will and determination and a lot of help with from God. So with all of that backing me how can I not keep going.
So for the next little while, you know where to find me:
On the TransCanada Trail in Ontario, praying for change.
Until then….I walk.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
TransCanada Trek for Lyme Disease
Date: May 5, 2018
Time: 2pm
Start: Behind Canadian War Museum
Trail: TransCanada Trail/Ottawa River Pathway/Rideau Trail
End: 3pm Ottawa City Hall - VOCAL Ottawa 2018, A Lyme Disease Awareness Event
On Saturday, May 5th Kristy Wood-Giles will be kicking off her Ontario portion of the TransCanada Trek for Lyme and you are invited to join her for a 3km portion. Five years ago Wood-Giles was on a hike where she was exposed to several ticks, one in particular who badly infected her with Lyme and other co-infections. She now spends much of her time educating others so they can learn from her mistakes. “There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there about Lyme and ticks and I feel it is my responsibility to do my best to protect others from my demise.” Explains Wood-Giles. Wood-Giles has decided to start a TransCanada Trek to bring better awareness of the issues with ticks and Lyme.
“My health has to be my primary concern and when dealing with Lyme you don't know from day to day how you are doing or when you may suffer or fatigue. On the days that I feel well, I will do my best to walk and share information with others. On the days that my body needs to rest and heal, I will suspend my walk temporarily, bike or limit my walking until I am better. That’s how life is with Lyme, but I can’t let it hold me back from sharing the truth until things change in this Country.”
Everyone is at risk of ticks and Lyme Disease and the co-infections they carry. In 2017 alone, the city of Ottawa was declared an endemic area, the percentage of ticks carrying Lyme Disease doubled as well as the human cases of Lyme Disease (and that does not include those traveling out-of-country for treatment). For the first time ever, the City of Ottawa has proclaimed May 2018 as “Lyme Disease Awareness Month” and the Mayor will be making that announcement at VOCAL Ottawa 2018.
“The fact of the matter is, even with all the awareness that is out there the real information that people need to understand to protect themselves is not being shared, nor understood. There are so many people out there doing good work trying to change things, but change takes time. I can’t just sit back and watch what happened to me keep happening to others. So, I will keep walking…” explains Wood-Giles
Contact:
Kristy Giles
kristygiles@storm.ca
613-852-7496
For TransCanada Trek Walking Schedule Check out:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twoweekwindow/
VOCAL Ottawa 2018
Lesley Fleming
vocalottawa@gmail.com
613-795-2632
Friday, April 13, 2018
Monday, July 10, 2017
My Open Letter to Doctors, Nurses and all Health Agencies about Lyme
I don't know if this letter will be given much credit, I am just an average individual who has been battling Chronic Lyme for 4 years. But I was trained annually on prevention, I have a masters in environmental health, I know I was bitten, I know it was engorged, I had a rash, I got sick and yet four years later I have had to use up most of savings for treatment in the US, give up my management position and legally fight for insurance, while trying to regain as much health as possible.
I help people weekly, to try to get appropriate treatment for a bite or symptoms, to save them, so they can learn from what I have learned. Yet, I fail, even when I send them with all the supporting documentation and studies and guide them as best I know how. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-rights-violations-relapsing-fever-lyme-disease-luche-thayer
So, I have decided to write this letter, so those who care, can read it. I beg of you, as a member of the medical profession to just read and consider the following information. I will reference sources for all of my points and within those sources you will find hundreds of studies to support it. They say doctors don't have time to read all the latest science and that I can understand. But you should know there are over 700 peer reviewed scientific papers that are showing more up to date information on Lyme and you are not being told.
Please, just please just consider what if all of this is true? What if a few minor factors in the details determine whether someone you care for ends up with a lifelong chronic illness or if they can walk away and never think about Lyme again? What if you had the power to make sure those people never had to worry about Lyme or a lifelong illness? Well, you do have that power doctors, nurses, and public health educators. You most definitely do.
I write this letter pleading with all of those in health to seriously consider the items I share with you here - to save many from my demise. The solutions are so simple its ridiculous, yet from what I see the fear of Chronic Lyme is going to become a reality for hundreds of thousands more if we don't fix a few small things.
The 24 Hour Rule: If there is anything we do know about nature it is that rules don't apply. We cannot control nature, it is not exact and we cannot assume it works the exact same way every time. This "rule" is leaving people without treatment, giving them a false sense of security and are becoming infected every day.
This rule was established because the tick typically attaches and feeds on a human until full. Once full it can regurgitate the blood with the lyme infection back into the human. It takes 24 hours or more for this to occur so the rule was established for this reason.
Here is why this rule should not be followed:
1) It assumes that the tick was never attached to another host or partially fed somewhere else. Studies have shown that ticks have partially fed, detached and attached to a new host. This greatly reduces the time before regurgitation.
http://danielcameronmd.com/have-you-been-bitten-by-a-partially-fed-tick/
2) Ticks transmit more than just Lyme and some infections that are even more debilitating that Lyme. Studies have shown that some of these infections are transmitted in minutes. Powassan Virus which can be deadly was proven in a study to be transmitted within 15 minutes. I can't imagine there are too many ticks that are removed within that window, especially since the tick injects an anesthetic so you don't feel the bite.
http://northcountrynow.com/news/ticked-new-info-lyme-disease-north-country-people-should-know-0183893
David H. Persing, MD, PhD, chief medical and technology officer for Cepheid, a California biotech firm and a world expert in molecular diagnostics. "I don't think we know half of the agents that are potentially transmissible by ticks"
3) Lyme has been proven in animal studies to be transmitted within 6 hours. So it is only safe to assume that is should function the same way in humans.
http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-disease-myth/
4) It also assumes the tick was never stressed. If stressed it is known that the tick will prematurely regurgitate into the human host. This could mean pressure on the tick which is possible especially if you don't even know its there. They like to attach in hidden areas where pressure, scratching and stress would be likely, i.e. armpits, toes, head, etc.
5) Finally it assumes that the removal was proper and flawless. Who can know whether the tick was stressed during removal and regurgitated before full removal. Its common for removals not to be perfect and incredibly likely that at some point while preparing for the final pull the tick was exposed to some stress and regurgitated back.
"The bad news is that improper tick removal may increase the chances of infection and disease." Dr. Jorge Parada, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA Medical Spokesperson for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and infectious disease specialist, Loyola University
6) And...This rule used to be 72 hours, then 48, then 36 and now its 24. What happens if someone doesn't get treated because its 24 today but you finally get told to apply 6 hours next year. The science is saying so, so you will eventually be told.
https://www.lymedisease.org/hard-science-on-lyme-ticks-can-transmit-infection-the-first-day/
Just Ask: Dr. Richard Horowitz, Dr. Laurie Radovsky, Dr. Burrascano, Dr. Nevena Zubcevik, Dr. Liz Zubek, they and many others have written about this.
The Bullseye Rash: It is becoming more known that a very small minority of people with Lyme are likely to see a bullseye rash. But what is less known is that only 9% of that minority will show the typical bullseye rash. But people are being told their rash is not a bullseye and therefore do not have lyme - not true. There are a minimum of 7 types of rashes that are representative of Lyme and a rash suggests infection.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17945460
I know of far too many Chronic Lyme patients that were once told they had a spider bite. Please don't assume so quickly. There are some good resources for the different types of lyme rashes:
http://www.bayarealyme.org/blog/lyme-disease-bullseye-rash/
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html
The One-Day Prophylactic (preventive) Treatment: is based on only one study that was only successful in 4 out of 5 patients and by successful they mean the rash was prevented, not the Lyme.
http://vermontlyme.com/2017/04/24/problem-single-dose-doxycycline-tick-bites/
"IDSA sometimes recommends a one-time 200-mg dose of Doxycycline. The only study supporting a single dose of Doxycycline demonstrated that it could prevent rashes but did not study whether it could prevent any chronic manifestations of Lyme disease." Dr. Daniel Cameron, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS)
http://danielcameronmd.com/importance-second-opinion-prophylactic-treatment-tick-bite/
ILADS recommends that prophylactic treatment should be implemented for at least three weeks, with follow-up after a tick bite [as Bb Lyme spirochetes have the ability to penetrate the body and cells in less than 24 hours following an embedded tick bite]. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/14787210.2014.940900
I know of people that were prescribed the one day dose many days after the bite. Both treatment guidelines will tell you thats pointless by then. But, I just don't understand why a few weeks treatment of antibiotics is withheld based on one, not very successful study vs the hundreds that are showing Lyme persistence. This is not about whether you get a rash or not, this is about whether you get a lifelong debilitating disease. Please treat the bite...properly. You have the collective ability to save thousands.
https://sites.google.com/site/getitrighttreatthebite/
And if you do decide to prescribe the one-day dose that eliminates the rash, please consider that you have eliminated the single, most powerful symptom to diagnose a Lyme infection, the best symptom to tell you, without a doubt, that this person needs many weeks of antibiotics.
A rash and/or flu like symptoms following a tick bite: it's lyme, treatment is needed. There is no debate here, please treat.
And if I could ask one more favour here: please talk to your patients about the two different guidelines that presently exist for treatment. Canada's Federal Framework on Lyme now refers to both treatment guidelines and The Federal Health Committee has formally requested that both be referred to on the Public Health Website (but things move slowly) so I ask that you know both: ILADS & IDSA. You are not going to find many specialists in Canada that agree with me on that. There are very few ILADS doctors in Canada which could explain why we all have to travel to the US for help. You should know: the ILADS Guidelines are presently the ONLY ones that comply with the National Guidelines Clearinghouse and the Institute of Medicine.
http://www.ilads.org/ilads_news/2015/ilads-treatment-guidelines-are-now-summarized-on-the-national-guideline-clearinghouse-website/
https://www.guideline.gov/summaries/summary/49320/evidence-assessments-and-guideline-recommendations-in-lyme-disease-the-clinical-management-of-known-tick-bites-erythema-migrans-rashes-and-persistent-disease
The reason I ask that you share both is because one suggests 2-3 weeks treatment and the other 4-6 weeks treatment with symptoms. It breaks my heart when someone is given 2 weeks with symptoms when 2-4 more could eliminate the fear of Lyme for good. The only time you can 100% cure Lyme is at the very beginning. The further away you get from initial infection, the more persistent the bacteria gets and the more irreversible damage is done.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme/treatment-guideline.php
https://canlyme.com/just-diagnosed/treatment/
I understand we want to decrease the use of antibiotics. But at what cost? Is this the place and time to be stingy? I can promise you no one dealing with Chronic Lyme would tell you that saving 2 weeks of antibiotics is worth the hell they now live in. Oh and by the way, my dog was given 6 weeks treatment with symptoms.
And finally, the Minister of Health for Ontario sent a letter last year (2016) to the College of Physicians and Surgeons stating that Lyme should be primarily a clinical diagnosis and not to rely on the blood test to be positive for treatment.
http://ocfp.on.ca/docs/default-source/default-document-library/minister-letter-to-docs-re-lyme-2016-07-29_english.pdf?sfvrsn=582df889_0
I think the fact that the blood test is inadequate is becoming well known in the medical community. You may note that just last month (June 2017) the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) finally released this fact and suggested you should treat with antibiotics upon suspicion. So, although it is too late for me and many others (I was not treated because my blood test was negative) I hope this information may save some. But you should note the CDC is often who we look to for this type of direction. They came forward with this much too late and way behind Ontario's efforts. So what other information might we be getting a little to late.
Just know, the science is there to say the bacteria is persistent, can become chronic and infection can be quite rapid. Please don't dismiss the patient that was once bitten and treated as they could have a chronic infection. Please don't under treat a patient who is just bitten. You have the power to cure them, then and there, for good. What an amazing influence you can have on the management of this illness.
http://lymeconnection.org/news_publications/meet_the_lyme_disease_experts.html/title/dr-richard-horowitz
Thank you for taking the time and for your consideration.
Yours in fighting Lyme,
Kristy
I help people weekly, to try to get appropriate treatment for a bite or symptoms, to save them, so they can learn from what I have learned. Yet, I fail, even when I send them with all the supporting documentation and studies and guide them as best I know how. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-rights-violations-relapsing-fever-lyme-disease-luche-thayer
So, I have decided to write this letter, so those who care, can read it. I beg of you, as a member of the medical profession to just read and consider the following information. I will reference sources for all of my points and within those sources you will find hundreds of studies to support it. They say doctors don't have time to read all the latest science and that I can understand. But you should know there are over 700 peer reviewed scientific papers that are showing more up to date information on Lyme and you are not being told.
Please, just please just consider what if all of this is true? What if a few minor factors in the details determine whether someone you care for ends up with a lifelong chronic illness or if they can walk away and never think about Lyme again? What if you had the power to make sure those people never had to worry about Lyme or a lifelong illness? Well, you do have that power doctors, nurses, and public health educators. You most definitely do.
I write this letter pleading with all of those in health to seriously consider the items I share with you here - to save many from my demise. The solutions are so simple its ridiculous, yet from what I see the fear of Chronic Lyme is going to become a reality for hundreds of thousands more if we don't fix a few small things.
The 24 Hour Rule: If there is anything we do know about nature it is that rules don't apply. We cannot control nature, it is not exact and we cannot assume it works the exact same way every time. This "rule" is leaving people without treatment, giving them a false sense of security and are becoming infected every day.
This rule was established because the tick typically attaches and feeds on a human until full. Once full it can regurgitate the blood with the lyme infection back into the human. It takes 24 hours or more for this to occur so the rule was established for this reason.
Here is why this rule should not be followed:
1) It assumes that the tick was never attached to another host or partially fed somewhere else. Studies have shown that ticks have partially fed, detached and attached to a new host. This greatly reduces the time before regurgitation.
http://danielcameronmd.com/have-you-been-bitten-by-a-partially-fed-tick/
2) Ticks transmit more than just Lyme and some infections that are even more debilitating that Lyme. Studies have shown that some of these infections are transmitted in minutes. Powassan Virus which can be deadly was proven in a study to be transmitted within 15 minutes. I can't imagine there are too many ticks that are removed within that window, especially since the tick injects an anesthetic so you don't feel the bite.
http://northcountrynow.com/news/ticked-new-info-lyme-disease-north-country-people-should-know-0183893
David H. Persing, MD, PhD, chief medical and technology officer for Cepheid, a California biotech firm and a world expert in molecular diagnostics. "I don't think we know half of the agents that are potentially transmissible by ticks"
3) Lyme has been proven in animal studies to be transmitted within 6 hours. So it is only safe to assume that is should function the same way in humans.
http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-disease-myth/
4) It also assumes the tick was never stressed. If stressed it is known that the tick will prematurely regurgitate into the human host. This could mean pressure on the tick which is possible especially if you don't even know its there. They like to attach in hidden areas where pressure, scratching and stress would be likely, i.e. armpits, toes, head, etc.
5) Finally it assumes that the removal was proper and flawless. Who can know whether the tick was stressed during removal and regurgitated before full removal. Its common for removals not to be perfect and incredibly likely that at some point while preparing for the final pull the tick was exposed to some stress and regurgitated back.
"The bad news is that improper tick removal may increase the chances of infection and disease." Dr. Jorge Parada, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA Medical Spokesperson for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and infectious disease specialist, Loyola University
6) And...This rule used to be 72 hours, then 48, then 36 and now its 24. What happens if someone doesn't get treated because its 24 today but you finally get told to apply 6 hours next year. The science is saying so, so you will eventually be told.
https://www.lymedisease.org/hard-science-on-lyme-ticks-can-transmit-infection-the-first-day/
Just Ask: Dr. Richard Horowitz, Dr. Laurie Radovsky, Dr. Burrascano, Dr. Nevena Zubcevik, Dr. Liz Zubek, they and many others have written about this.
The Bullseye Rash: It is becoming more known that a very small minority of people with Lyme are likely to see a bullseye rash. But what is less known is that only 9% of that minority will show the typical bullseye rash. But people are being told their rash is not a bullseye and therefore do not have lyme - not true. There are a minimum of 7 types of rashes that are representative of Lyme and a rash suggests infection.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17945460
I know of far too many Chronic Lyme patients that were once told they had a spider bite. Please don't assume so quickly. There are some good resources for the different types of lyme rashes:
http://www.bayarealyme.org/blog/lyme-disease-bullseye-rash/
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html
The One-Day Prophylactic (preventive) Treatment: is based on only one study that was only successful in 4 out of 5 patients and by successful they mean the rash was prevented, not the Lyme.
http://vermontlyme.com/2017/04/24/problem-single-dose-doxycycline-tick-bites/
"IDSA sometimes recommends a one-time 200-mg dose of Doxycycline. The only study supporting a single dose of Doxycycline demonstrated that it could prevent rashes but did not study whether it could prevent any chronic manifestations of Lyme disease." Dr. Daniel Cameron, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS)
http://danielcameronmd.com/importance-second-opinion-prophylactic-treatment-tick-bite/
ILADS recommends that prophylactic treatment should be implemented for at least three weeks, with follow-up after a tick bite [as Bb Lyme spirochetes have the ability to penetrate the body and cells in less than 24 hours following an embedded tick bite]. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/14787210.2014.940900
I know of people that were prescribed the one day dose many days after the bite. Both treatment guidelines will tell you thats pointless by then. But, I just don't understand why a few weeks treatment of antibiotics is withheld based on one, not very successful study vs the hundreds that are showing Lyme persistence. This is not about whether you get a rash or not, this is about whether you get a lifelong debilitating disease. Please treat the bite...properly. You have the collective ability to save thousands.
https://sites.google.com/site/getitrighttreatthebite/
And if you do decide to prescribe the one-day dose that eliminates the rash, please consider that you have eliminated the single, most powerful symptom to diagnose a Lyme infection, the best symptom to tell you, without a doubt, that this person needs many weeks of antibiotics.
A rash and/or flu like symptoms following a tick bite: it's lyme, treatment is needed. There is no debate here, please treat.
And if I could ask one more favour here: please talk to your patients about the two different guidelines that presently exist for treatment. Canada's Federal Framework on Lyme now refers to both treatment guidelines and The Federal Health Committee has formally requested that both be referred to on the Public Health Website (but things move slowly) so I ask that you know both: ILADS & IDSA. You are not going to find many specialists in Canada that agree with me on that. There are very few ILADS doctors in Canada which could explain why we all have to travel to the US for help. You should know: the ILADS Guidelines are presently the ONLY ones that comply with the National Guidelines Clearinghouse and the Institute of Medicine.
http://www.ilads.org/ilads_news/2015/ilads-treatment-guidelines-are-now-summarized-on-the-national-guideline-clearinghouse-website/
https://www.guideline.gov/summaries/summary/49320/evidence-assessments-and-guideline-recommendations-in-lyme-disease-the-clinical-management-of-known-tick-bites-erythema-migrans-rashes-and-persistent-disease
The reason I ask that you share both is because one suggests 2-3 weeks treatment and the other 4-6 weeks treatment with symptoms. It breaks my heart when someone is given 2 weeks with symptoms when 2-4 more could eliminate the fear of Lyme for good. The only time you can 100% cure Lyme is at the very beginning. The further away you get from initial infection, the more persistent the bacteria gets and the more irreversible damage is done.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme/treatment-guideline.php
https://canlyme.com/just-diagnosed/treatment/
I understand we want to decrease the use of antibiotics. But at what cost? Is this the place and time to be stingy? I can promise you no one dealing with Chronic Lyme would tell you that saving 2 weeks of antibiotics is worth the hell they now live in. Oh and by the way, my dog was given 6 weeks treatment with symptoms.
And finally, the Minister of Health for Ontario sent a letter last year (2016) to the College of Physicians and Surgeons stating that Lyme should be primarily a clinical diagnosis and not to rely on the blood test to be positive for treatment.
http://ocfp.on.ca/docs/default-source/default-document-library/minister-letter-to-docs-re-lyme-2016-07-29_english.pdf?sfvrsn=582df889_0
I think the fact that the blood test is inadequate is becoming well known in the medical community. You may note that just last month (June 2017) the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) finally released this fact and suggested you should treat with antibiotics upon suspicion. So, although it is too late for me and many others (I was not treated because my blood test was negative) I hope this information may save some. But you should note the CDC is often who we look to for this type of direction. They came forward with this much too late and way behind Ontario's efforts. So what other information might we be getting a little to late.
Just know, the science is there to say the bacteria is persistent, can become chronic and infection can be quite rapid. Please don't dismiss the patient that was once bitten and treated as they could have a chronic infection. Please don't under treat a patient who is just bitten. You have the power to cure them, then and there, for good. What an amazing influence you can have on the management of this illness.
http://lymeconnection.org/news_publications/meet_the_lyme_disease_experts.html/title/dr-richard-horowitz
Thank you for taking the time and for your consideration.
Yours in fighting Lyme,
Kristy
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