The Dark Reality of Living With Lyme Disease

March 8, 2024

https://www.lymedisease.org/bredberg-dark-reality-lyme/

The dark reality of living with Lyme disease

By Kyle Bredberg

I have lived in New Paltz, New York, my whole life and throughout that time, have grown accustomed to many of the seemingly odd local rituals that our town performs.

One of these oddities is that in elementary school, New Paltz students learn to tuck their jeans into their socks, stuffing them full until their feet look like weird upside down sock puppets before departing on a field trip.

This is all part of the general awareness for ticks that the Hudson Valley strongly promotes to its residents. Students learn to buddy up and do tick checks and their noses often become normalized to the scent of DEET as parents worryingly spray down their clothes.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Bredberg admits that he became infected when tick awareness was nowhere near what it is today.  Similarly to others in Lymeland, despite severe hallmark symptoms all tests returned ‘negative.’

If it wasn’t for a relentless mother, he probably never would have gotten help.

Unfortunately he uses the wrong statistic that up to 20% go on to suffer long-term symptoms when in reality it’s somewhere between 40-60%. I also must disagree that ‘research, treatment, and awareness has come a long way from where it was 10 years ago.’

Despite climbing numbers, we are no further along in understanding why some develop chronic Lyme/MSIDS and others don’t, and how to effectively treat it.

While awareness efforts have increased, this is entirely due to sick people who have done what they can in their sphere of influence.

For more:

Sadly, the stories are plentiful, but nothing changes in the world of Lyme/MSIDS.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Prevention, Testing, Ticks

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