https://www.takebackyourpower.net/surveillance-5g-fast-tracked-under-coronavirus-pretext/

SPECIAL REPORT by Derrick Broze & Josh del Sol

While much of the world has been focused on surviving a “pandemic”, social distancing and quarantines, the proponents of mass surveillance and 5G have been scoring major gains.

During this chaotic time it’s extremely important to take note of the advancements of legislation and political maneuvers which threaten our liberty and privacy.

First, on March 23, the 5G rollout progressed even further in the USA with President Donald Trump signing a bill aimed at “securing America’s 5G infrastructure.”

The act, titled the Secure 5G and Beyond Act, calls for a comprehensive plan to securitize a nationalized 5G grid in “not later than 180 days.”

Combined with an additional bill, the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act, which passed the House on 16 December 2019, these bills seek to nationalize 5G network control. Read more about these two bills.  (See link for article)

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6701402/

. 2019; 7: 223.
Published online 2019 Aug 13. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00223
PMCID: PMC6701402
PMID: 31457001

Risks to Health and Well-Being From Radio-Frequency Radiation Emitted by Cell Phones and Other Wireless Devices

 

Abstract

Radiation exposure has long been a concern for the public, policy makers, and health researchers. Beginning with radar during World War II, human exposure to radio-frequency radiation1 (RFR) technologies has grown substantially over time. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed the published literature and categorized RFR as a “possible” (Group 2B) human carcinogen. A broad range of adverse human health effects associated with RFR have been reported since the IARC review.

In addition, three large-scale carcinogenicity studies in rodents exposed to levels of RFR that mimic lifetime human exposures have shown significantly increased rates of

  • Schwannomas and malignant gliomas
  • chromosomal DNA damage

Of particular concern are the effects of RFR exposure on the developing brain in children. Compared with an adult male, a cell phone held against the head of a child exposes deeper brain structures to greater radiation doses per unit volume, and the young, thin skull’s bone marrow absorbs a roughly 10-fold higher local dose.

Experimental and observational studies also suggest that men who keep cell phones in their trouser pockets have significantly lower sperm counts and significantly impaired sperm motility and morphology, including mitochondrial DNA damage.

Based on the accumulated evidence, we recommend that IARC re-evaluate its 2011 classification of the human carcinogenicity of RFR, and that WHO complete a systematic review of multiple other health effects such as sperm damage. In the interim, current knowledge provides justification for governments, public health authorities, and physicians/allied health professionals to warn the population that having a cell phone next to the body is harmful, and to support measures to reduce all exposures to RFR.

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For more:  

For an interesting read on the connection between COVID-19, COVID injections, 5G, and Chemtrails.  

A few important excerpts:

…globalist entities that are behind the military deployment of 5G worldwide needed a cover for the inevitable outbreaks of both 5G Flu and 5G Syndrome.  The coronavirus pandemic has provided just that, especially in light of the fact that many of the symptoms of both are quite similar. See: Is The “Coronavirus” Actually Microwave Illness from 4G and 5G Radiation?

There have been many telltale signs that are dead giveaways about the close coordination between the military deployment of 5G just before the first major COVID-19 outbreaks around the world.  For example, Wuhan was established as China’s first 5G “Demonstration Zone” in 2019. See: Wuhan City Was expected to have 10,000 5G base stations operating by the end of 2019

Another major clue concerns the highly suspicious work being conducted at Harvard University.  The activation of 5G energy grids amps up the manifestation and severity of Covid symptoms considerably which is why Harvard’s Charles M. Lieber holds the U.S. Patent for using 5G radiation to vibrate corona virus particles from preset nanotubule containers.  The Chair of the Chemistry Department was arrested and indicted in June of 2020.

….Just how many assaults can the human body take before it starts to break down, particularly for the elderly and those with serious comorbidities. See: CHEMTRAIL SYNDROME: A Global Pandemic Of Epic Proportions

The article also points out that the aerosolized and chemically mobile aluminum oxide is “particularly toxic to the brain when permitted to pass through the blood-brain barrier.” This was accomplished through the invasive nasal COVID-19 testing which punctured the brain lining, causing some to need surgery.

 

 

 

This article explains why COVID-19 numbers are so high.  Written by a retired UK pathology professor and NHS consultant pathologist.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/The-evidence-on-Covid-19-is-not-as-clear-as-we-think

Dr John Lee

How deadly is the coronavirus? It’s still far from clear

There is room for different interpretations of the data

In announcing the most far-reaching restrictions on personal freedom in the history of our nation, Boris Johnson resolutely followed the scientific advice that he had been given. The advisers to the government seem calm and collected, with a solid consensus among them. In the face of a new viral threat, with numbers of cases surging daily, I’m not sure that any prime minister would have acted very differently.

But I’d like to raise some perspectives that have hardly been aired in the past weeks, and which point to an interpretation of the figures rather different from that which the government is acting on. I’m a recently-retired Professor of Pathology and NHS consultant pathologist, and have spent most of my adult life in healthcare and science – fields which, all too often, are characterised by doubt rather than certainty. There is room for different interpretations of the current data.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Important take-aways:

  1. As of now COVID-19 deaths are lower than other infectious diseases (such as the flu)
  2. Testing that is based in hospitals will over estimate virulence of infection because sicker people are in the hospital
  3. They have updated the list of notifiable diseases to include COVID-19 which means every positive test for it must be notified in a way that the flu and other infections would not be – making it appear more prevalent and dangerous due to record keeping. Criteria for recording deaths must be tightened.
  4. If anyone with a positive test for COVID-19 dies, staff will record the COVID-19 on the death certificate contrary to usual practice for most infections of this kind. The author astutely points out that there is a big difference between finding something and it directly causing illness or death.  Ironically, this very fact has been used against Lyme patients for decades as authorities are so careful about stating that finding Bb in a person doesn’t mean it is causing anything let alone death. Bias is clearly evident in how they are handling COVID-19 vs Lyme disease
  5. Taking drastic measures to reduce COVID-19 follows that deaths will go down convincing authorities that they have averted something that was never going to be as severe as feared
  6. If the flu or seasonal viruses were tracked as COVID-19 is, they too would show exponential rises. The flu, according to the CDC states that since September, 38 MILLION Americans were infected which killed 23,000
  7. He states comparing data from different countries is like comparing apples and oranges
  8. With time, most infections tend to decrease in virulence as an epidemic progresses
  9. There isn’t any statistical evidence for excess COVID-19 deaths in any part of the world
  10. Social distancing for the elderly and immune-suppressed is reasonable but there’s no evidence that drastic measures should be taken
  11. TV is not science – no matter how how shocking
  12. When lock-down measures are lifted, there WILL be more cases again but shouldn’t be alarming
  13. It will take months, even years before wider implications can be seen (damaging children’s education, increased suicides, mental health problems, taking resources away, effects on food production and global commerce – will have unquantifiable consequences for people)
  14. Rushed science is almost always bad science
  15. Policies have been decided without concrete evidence
  16. We must keep an open mind and look for what is, not for what we fear might be
Great article!  Please share this as people are being led by the media and do not understand what’s going on with numbers.  Everything is being stacked to make numbers look high – from the inaccurate testing with false positives to the way deaths are being recorded.

For more:  https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-fiasco-in-the-making-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-takes-hold-we-are-making-decisions-without-reliable-data/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/27/cdcs-deadly-testing-fiasco-centralization-of-public-health-authority-a-threat-to-national-security/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/21/study-shows-covid-19-testing-as-bad-as-lyme-msids-testing/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/17/stunning-insights-into-the-corona-panic-by-dr-wolfgang-wodarg/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/16/does-the-coronavirus-exist/

**UPDATE**

Once again Youtube shows its true colors by censoring this important video.  To access video, go to:

https://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/March-2020/the-national-plan-to-vaccinate-every-american.aspx?

The National Plan to Vaccinate Every American

Posted: 3/21/2020 6:36:22 PM 


By Barbara Loe Fisher

To activate and view hyperlinked references, please click here once and then click any superscripted number below to access a hyperlinked reference, or scroll down to the bottom of the article to view all hyperlinked references.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health are working with a biotech company to quickly start clinical trials of an experimental messenger RNA vaccine and fast track it to licensure. 1 The FDA has not yet licensed messenger RNA vaccines that use part of the RNA of a virus to manipulate the body’s immune system into stimulating a potent immune response. 2 3  It looks like the coronavirus vaccine will be the first genetically engineered messenger RNA vaccine to be fast tracked to licensure, just like Gardasil was the first genetically engineered virus-like particle vaccine to be fast tracked to licensure. 4 5

There likely will be lots of questions about whether the fast tracked coronavirus vaccine was studied long enough to adequately demonstrate safety, especially for people who have trouble resolving strong inflammatory responses in their bodies and may be at greater risk for vaccine reactions.6 7 8 9 10 However, there is no question about what will happen if the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 11 12 recommends that all Americans get the newly licensed coronavirus vaccine.

The government has a National Vaccine Plan. It is a Plan designed to make sure you, your child and everyone in America gets every dose of every vaccine that government officials recommend now and in the future.

1986-1996: Establishing & Creating The Plan

Established under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act during the Reagan Administration, 13 the Plan didn’t really get traction until Congress funded the Vaccines for Children program in 1993 under the Clinton Administration 14 15 and gave the Department of Health and Human Services authority to fund a network of state-based electronic vaccine tracking registries 16 that can monitor the vaccination histories of children without the informed consent of their parents.

In 1995, then Secretary of Health Donna Shalala used rule-making authority to authorize the Social Security Administration to disclose the social security number of every baby born in the country to state governments without parental consent.17 Federal officials explained that – quote -“public health program uses of the social security numbers would include, but are not limited to, establishing immunization registries” and that new routine use of social security numbers would help the government operate “a national network of coordinated statewide immunization registries.” 18

By 1996, when Congress established a national Electronic Health Records (EHR) system under HIPPA, 19 the stage had been set for a government-operated electronic surveillance system to monitor the personal medical records and vaccination status of all Americans. 20 21  22 23  The justification for this big data grab by the government, which clearly violated the privacy of Americans, was to- quote – “protect the public by reducing disease.”

Nationwide Electronic Health Records & Vaccine Tracking Systems

Today, the nationwide federally funded Electronic Health Records system captures the details of every visit you make to a doctor’s office, hospital, pharmacy, laboratory or other medical facility; every medical diagnosis you get; every drug you have been prescribed and every vaccine you accept or refuse.   Your Electronic Health Record can be accessed not only by government health agencies like the Social Security Administration, Medicaid and federal and state health and law enforcement agencies, 24 25 but also can be shared with authorized third parties such as doctors, health insurance companies, HMOs and other corporations, hospitals, labs, nursing homes and medical researchers. 26 27 28

A new Health Information Exchange 29 30 31 initiative funded by the government will make it even easier for computerized health and vaccine records databases to tag, track down and sanction Americans who do not go along with the National Vaccine Plan in the future.  32 3334 35 36 37 38

What Happened to the Plan’s Duty to Prevent Adverse Reactions to Vaccines?

Ironically, when Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services to create a National Vaccine Program in the 1986 Act, federal health officials were told to put together a Plan to – quote -“achieve optimal prevention of human infectious diseases through immunization and to achieve optimal prevention against adverse reactions to vaccines.” 39  The Plan was not supposed to focus solely on vaccine development and promotion but to equally focus on preventing vaccine reactions.

Yet, in the very first 1994 National Vaccine Plan only four out of 25 “objectives” and only two out of 14 anticipated “outcomes” addressed preventing vaccine reactions. 40 The 2010 version of the Plan 41 also largely ignored the legal duty of HHS to conduct vaccine safety research to fill in long standing knowledge gaps and take steps to make vaccines and vaccine policies less likely to cause harm. 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 5152

Looking back, it appears Congress was not really committed to funding research and creating substantive initiatives to reduce vaccine risks, regardless of what was stated in the 1986 Act, or there would been congressional oversight and federal agencies would have been directed to follow the law rather than ignore it for more than 30 years. 53

Government’s Vaccine Marketing Plan for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Instead, government agencies have brazenly forged lucrative public private business partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry and the medical establishment to:

  • develop many new vaccines; 54 55 56 57
  • increase public demand for vaccines; 58
  • raise vaccination rates among children to nearly 100 percent; 59
  • create and expand electronic vaccine tracking registries; 60 61 62 63 64 and
  • promote global vaccination programs, 65 66 even though the primary purpose of the 1986 Act was to reduce vaccine reactions and protect the U.S. childhood vaccine supply, 67 not fund and expand global vaccination programs.

In fact, federal health officials accurately characterize the U.S. vaccination system in the 21st century as a business. A decade ago they admitted that – quote -“The 2010 National Vaccine Plan provides a vision for the U.S. vaccine and immunization enterprise for the next decade.” 68 That’s because they know the National Vaccine Plan is really a Vaccine Marketing Plan for the pharmaceutical industry. 69 70 71 72

So, if you are wondering why many states are trying to pass laws eliminating all vaccine exemptions and mandate every vaccine the pharmaceutical industry produces and the CDC recommends, 73 7475 76 you don’t have to look any further than the government’s well-financed National Vaccine Plan.

Implementation of The Plan Accelerated in 2011

Implementation of the Plan was accelerated in 2011 after the U.S. Supreme Court declared FDA licensed vaccines to be –quote – “unavoidably unsafe” for the purpose of removing almost all remaining liability from drug companies when vaccines hurt people. 77 78

Since 2011, two powerful CDC-appointed vaccine advisory committees influenced by members associated with the pharmaceutical and medical trade industries – the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 79 80 81 82 83 and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) 84 85 86 – have been busy coming up with new ways to meet strategic goals of the National Vaccine Plan.

When highly publicized cases of measles were reported in California’s Disneyland in 2015 87 and in New York in 2019, 88 89 with military precision pursuit of the Plan was kicked into even high gear. 90 91

During the past five years, California, Vermont, New York, Maine and Hawaii have lost vaccine exemptions, even though tens of thousands of Americans rose up in protest. 92 In 2019, the people managed to hold on to exemptions in states like Oregon, Arizona and New Jersey 93 but this year, bills to force vaccine use are already threatening parental, civil and human rights in Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, Pennsylvania and more. 94

Five Main Types of Vaccine Laws Being Proposed in States

These are the five main types of laws being proposed in the states and your state may be one of them:

Number One:  State laws that eliminate all personal belief vaccine exemptions allowing you to follow your conscience or religious beliefs and make it illegal for physicians to grant a medical exemption unless it strictly conforms to very narrow CDC-approved contraindications to vaccination.

National vaccine coverage rates among school children are at 95 percent for core vaccines like polio, pertussis, measles and chickenpox, yet, government health officials are not satisfied. 95 They have narrowed vaccine contraindications so that almost no medical history or health condition qualifies as a reason for a medical exemption. 96

If you or your child have had previous vaccine reactions, are vaccine injured, have a brother or sister who was injured or died after vaccination, or are suffering with a brain or immune system disorder that the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) does not consider to be a contraindication to vaccination, states like California 97 98 are denying physicians the right to exercise professional judgment and give children a medical exemption to vaccination are threatening human rights. 99

No wonder less than one percent of vaccine reactions are ever reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System 100 and doctors feel free to discriminate against and deny medical care to anyone who is not vaccinated according to CDC schedules. 101

Laws that eliminate medical, religious and conscience exemptions to vaccination and ban citizens from getting a school education – even a college education – do violate civil and human rights and so do vaccine mandates by employers who fire or refuse to hire workers based on their vaccination status. 102 103 104   The two professions being targeted first for workplace vaccine mandates are healthcare 105 106 107 and childcare workers, 108 109 but they certainly will not be the last. 110

Number Two:  State laws that turn unelected members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices into de facto lawmakers and automatically mandate all current and future federally recommended vaccines without any public discussion or vote by duly elected state legislators.

Under the U.S. Constitution, state legislatures hold the majority of power to pass public health laws, so vaccine laws are state laws. 111112  If states hand that constitutional authority over to an unelected federal government committee, the people no longer can work through their elected state representatives to make sure laws do not force involuntary medical risk taking and punish citizens exercising civil and human rights. 113

It is clear that Pharma and medical trade lobbyists partnering with government officials to implement the National Vaccine Plan are unhappy they have to spend so much time and money trying to strong arm state legislators into mandating every CDC recommended vaccine. At the same time, some politicians are not happy that a growing number of Americans are showing up in state Capitols to oppose oppressive vaccine mandates.

Today, it costs a staggering $3,000 to give a child every one of the 69 doses of 16 vaccines on the federal government’s schedule. 114  In addition to coronavirus vaccine, there are more than a dozen experimental vaccines being fast tracked to market for TB, influenza, HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea, herpes simplex, strep A and B, e-coli, RSV, salmonella, and malaria, 115 with several hundred more being developed in a global vaccine market estimated to balloon to nearly $100 billion by 2026. 116 117

State laws that automatically mandate all federally recommended vaccines are handing Big Pharma a big blank check and putting an unknown number of vaccine vulnerable children and adults at risk for serious health problems if they are forced to use every one of them. 118 119 120 121 122

Number Three: State laws that allow doctors to declare minor children mentally competent to consent to vaccination so children can be vaccinated without the knowledge of their parents.

There is plenty of scientific evidence that children’s brains are not developed enough before or during teenage years to support rational benefit and risk decision-making, especially if they are subjected to pressure. 123 124Giving doctors the legal authority to, in effect, go behind parents’ backs and persuade a minor child to get liability free vaccines violates the legal right of parents to consent to medical interventions performed on their children. 125 It also puts vaccine vulnerable children at greater risk for suffering reactions. 126

Parents know their child’s personal and family medical history best and if parents are left in the dark, not only are they blocked from preventing vaccine reactions but there is no way for them to monitor a child after vaccination for signs of reactions so they can immediately take their child for treatment. 127

Number Four: State laws requiring schools to publicly post vaccine coverage rates for the purpose of shaming schools that allow students with vaccine exemptions to receive a school education.

Publicly posting school vaccination rates and numbers of students with exemptions creates a hostile community environment by targeting certain schools and families, whose children have vaccine exemptions, for discrimination and abuse. 128 129  130

It is an illusion that some schools are safer based on vaccination rates. For example, even schools with 100 percent vaccination rates and zero exemptions have had outbreaks of pertussis 131 and schools with very high vaccination rates have had outbreaks of measles and mumps. 132 133 That is because vaccinated children and adults can get infected with and transmit infectious diseases but sometimes show few or no symptoms and are never diagnosed or reported. 134 135 136 137 138 139 140

Children and teachers interact with many other vaccinated and unvaccinated people outside of the school setting. It is discriminatory to require public posting of the numbers of healthy students with vaccine exemptions, when schools are not required to publicly post the numbers of students who are infected with transmissible diseases like hepatitis B and C, HIV, streptococcal, mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus, e-coli, Fifths disease, herpes simplex and more.

Number Five: State laws that operate vaccine tracking registries and integrate them into Electronic Health Records systems without the consent of those being tracked.

The National Vaccine Information Center has a two-decade public record of opposing the creation of national or state based electronic surveillance systems that automatically enroll children and adults without their informed consent to monitor their vaccination status and health histories. 141

Not only have there been past security breaches with electronic databases dumping personally identifying information into the public domain, 142 but there is legitimate concern that the government should not be conducting electronic surveillance on citizens while pursuing a National Vaccine Plan that encourages punitive societal sanctions, such as the inability to get a school education or a job, for individuals who refuse to go along with the Plan.

Learn About Federal & State Government Police Powers to Compel Vaccine Use

For more information on the history and types of public health laws that allow the federal government and states to use police powers to compel vaccine use, go to NVIC’s website at NVIC.org. 143 144

To learn more about vaccine legislation pending in your state and talking points you can use to educate your legislators, go to NVIC Advocacy.org and become a user of NVIC’s free online Advocacy Portal. You will be put into direct contact with your own state and federal representatives and sent emails when bills that threaten or expand your freedom to make voluntary vaccine choices are moving in your state so you can make your voice heard, including showing up at scheduled public hearings.

Making Government Work for Us

In America, we are governed by laws that the representatives we elect make, so it is important to vet all candidates for positions on issues you care about before going to the polls. Good laws can be enacted and bad laws can be repealed but only if we wake up, stand up and actively participate to make our representative government work for us.

Already this year, there have been more than 50 good bills introduced in a number of states that defend voluntary vaccine choices. This is a time for positive action.

It’s your health. Your family. Your choice.

Note: This commentary provides referenced information and perspective on a topic related to vaccine science, policy, law or ethics being discussed in public forums and by U.S. lawmakers.  The websites of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provide information and perspective of federal agencies responsible for vaccine research, development, regulation and policymaking.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/29/dr-fauci-pushes-for-covid-19-vaccine-despite-research-showing-vaccinated-may-get-sicker-and-even-die-lab-animals-got-sicker-too/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/08/vaccine-safety-efficacy-studies-that-are-the-bases-for-marketing-authorizations-are-a-complete-methodological-mess/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/09/former-merck-scientist-explains-why-he-doesnt-vaccinate-his-children-due-to-lack-of-vaccine-safety-studies/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/08/acip-vote-yes-for-new-vaccine-despite-no-safety-studies-on-cumulative-effect-with-other-vaccines/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/03/fda-admits-vaccines-contaminated-with-seriousviruses-including-cancer/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/02/23/the-cdc-is-actually-a-vaccine-company-robert-f-kennedy-jr/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/09/sneak-peak-truth-about-vaccines-docu-series-no-safety-studies-on-combined-doses-of-vaccines/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/22/bill-gates-former-doctor-says-billionaire-refused-to-vaccinate-his-children/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/13/blast-from-the-past-cdc-vaccine-authors-destroy-evidence-of-vaccine-harm/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/15/vaccines-and-retroviruses-a-whistleblower-reveals-what-the-government-is-hiding/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/07/the-vaccine-debate-top-government-expert-states-vaccines-can-cause-autism-in-some-children/

https://globallymealliance.org/lyme-brain-the-science-and-the-experience/

by Jennifer Crystal

At the 2019 International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) conference in Boston, infectious disease specialist Francine Hanberg, M.D. gave a talk about the causes and manifestations of “Lyme brain” called “Neuropathology in Patients With Late Lyme Disease and Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Symptoms: CNS Vasculitis, Hypoperfusion, Inflammation and Neuropathy.”  Since I had suffered from many of the symptoms associated with Lyme brain—such as short-term memory loss, confusion, brain fog, word repetition, and word loss— her talk caught my attention.

Dr. Hanberg focused on documenting the severity of tick-borne diseases through brain imaging and neurodiagnostic studies. I was struck by her study “Watershed Sign As a Marker for Late Lyme Neuroborreliosis.” “Watershed” areas of the brain, it turns out, simultaneously receive blood from different arteries, the way a creek might receive water from different outlets that eventually drain into a river.

In a previous post, I described Lyme-brain as a feeling of  “molasses seeping through your brain, pouring into all the crevices until your brain feels…[as if] it will explode.” Reviewing Dr. Hanberg’s slides, I could imagine exactly where my “molasses” was pouring—or, rather, I could see where the inflammation in those areas once made my own brain feel so heavy with pressure.

Because Lyme tends to affect watershed areas, cognitive impairments from the disease are usually broad-spectrum, rather than localized as with stroke. As described in the book Lyme Brain by Nicola McFadzean Ducharme, N.D., a study done by neuropsychologist Marian Rissenberg, Ph.D. and Susan Chambers, M.D. explains the major cognitive challenges of Lyme as affecting seven cognitive categories.[i]

I’ve outlined these categories below. For each, I will explain what the impairment definition is, what it felt like for me in my worst days, and what improvements I’ve seen with remission.

  1. Attention and mental tracking

What it means: An inability to focus on one task through to completion or to multi-task

What I experienced then: If I was talking with someone and there was noise in the background, I couldn’t follow what was being said. Moreover, if I was writing even something as simple as an email, I could not endure any background noise, whereas, when I was in college I’d written papers with music playing and people talking all around me. I could complete tasks, but everything took longer than before. I sometimes had difficulty concentrating on a single task; it was hard for me to finish watching a TV show or reading an article without wanting to stop and do something else.

What I experience now: It’s still difficult for me to concentrate with background noise, though light instrumental music is okay. I can follow conversations with far greater acuity, and I can watch and process full-length TV shows and read articles and books. I can scroll through social media and process all the different things I’m reading without hindrance, and stay focused on the task at hand.

  1. Memory

What it means: Difficulty processing and retrieving information; forgetfulness

What I experienced then: I often could not remember the answers to questions as basic as “What’s your zip code?” or “Who’s the President?” It would take me several minutes to come up with the answer.

What I experience now: Sometimes it still takes me a moment to remember what I had for breakfast, but only when I’m overtired. The same is true for repeating conversations (telling a friend the same thing twice); I also have to remember that I’m getting older, too!). On the whole, I can process and retrieve information fast enough to navigate a busy city, give a lecture or facilitate conversation in my classroom. My long-term memory thankfully remains razor-sharp.

  1. Receptive language

What it means: Difficulty understanding written and spoken language; losing track of conversations, not being able to process ideas quickly enough to comprehend or respond in a timely fashion; difficulty reading

What I experienced then: There was a point when I could only process short emails and couldn’t even read a full magazine article. The words would blur in front of my eyes and I would read sentences over and over, trying to understand them. I’d lose track of what I was saying mid-conversation or even mid-sentence.

What I experience now: I can read full magazines and books, but pace myself in order not to get overwhelmed. I read and respond to many student essays. I read and easily process news articles. Once in a while, I’ll lose track of what I was saying, but that’s only when I’m tired or overwhelmed, and then I quickly self-correct.

  1. Expressive language

What it means: Difficulty communicating through written and spoken words

What I experienced then: When my grandfather was struggling with dementia, I’d watch him know what he wanted to say, but be unable to find the words. So he’d get frustrated and give up, and stop participating in conversation altogether. Sometimes, when I was very sick with tick-borne illnesses, that would happen to me. At other times my words would come out in a jumble. My doctor would ask for an overview of how I’d been feeling recently and I couldn’t summarize anything for him (I started keeping a written log of daily symptoms, so that I could put together a report for appointments).

What I experience now: I still keep that written log, but my ability to express myself has improved tremendously. I write weekly columns, have written two books, give lectures, and lead conversations all without issue. Occasionally I can’t come up with a specific word, but can usually get it when prompted.

  1. Visuospatial processing

What it means: Poor spatial relationships; vision difficulties

What I experienced then: My spatial relations have never been great, because I do not have binocular vision (I only see out of one eye at a time, which means I don’t possess depth perception). With Lyme, my capacity to experience spatial relations worsened. Sometimes I’d miss my mouth with the fork, or knock a glass before getting it into the dishwasher, or bump into furniture. Other Lyme patients find themselves getting lost or forgetting where they were going entirely.

What I experience now: My spatial relationships are still not very good, but I attribute these difficulties mostly to my previous vision issues.

  1. Abstract reasoning

What it means: The inability to grasp issues and reach conclusions, or the inability to understand the consequences of one’s actions.

What I experienced then: Sometimes conversations, which previously I would have been able to follow with ease, just seemed too high-level for me. It was as if my brain would “turn off” when people were discussing intellectual issues. This was frightening because I thought I had lost my intelligence and didn’t have anything worthwhile to say. Many Lyme patients thus afflicted might say or do things they would not have otherwise, which can take a toll on relationships.

What I experience now: I can process and synthesize information from multiple sources, recall it and contribute to a conversation. I’m a reflective person—over-analytical— so I overthink potential consequences too much, but that’s not always a bad thing.

  1. Speed of mental and motor processing

What it means: Inability to keep up with a lively conversation

What I experienced then: Returning to the feeling of one’s brain clogged with molasses, I processed everything very slowly. As mentioned earlier, it took too long for me to comprehend information and respond to it.

What I experience now: On most days, my head feels clear and I can process and express thoughts cogently. I’m best in the mornings, so I’ve learned to do creative work then, rather than in the late afternoons or evenings, and I always take an early afternoon nap. When I’m overtired, the brain fog can return, but it lifts much quicker than it used to, and I experience more sunny days.

Of course, this list begs the question, how did I get better? While there is no single protocol for everyone, my neurological symptoms improved through a combination of antibiotic and antimalarial medication, nutritional and homeopathic supplements, adjunct therapies like integrative manual therapy and neurofeedback, and an anti-inflammatory diet. For more ideas on addressing Lyme brain, check out the aforementioned book, or talk with your Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD).

Note: for patients with difficulty reading, my “Living With Lyme Brain” post is now available as an audio blog.

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[i] Ducharme, Nicola McFadzean. Lyme Brain. California: BioMed Publishing Group, LLC, 2016 (9-12).

Related Posts: 
Feed Your Body to Fight Lyme
Living with Lyme Brain
Dealing With Brain Fog


jennifer crystal_2

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own.

Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. Her memoir about her medical journey is forthcoming. Contact her at lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com.

 

 

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/02/overcome-lyme-brain-causes-solutions/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/28/what-is-brain-fog-what-can-a-patient-do-to-get-rid-of-it/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/10/18/psychiatric-lymemsids/

 Approx. 2.5 Min

Living Proof Trailer

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, documentarian Matt Embry takes viewers on a transnational journey — from Italy to Canada, and from the lab to the home — in order to examine the politics of the condition.

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**Comment**

I’ve not seen the entire film but it looks promising.  Please know that many MS cases may have an underlying infectious cause like Lyme disease.  Treat the infection and the MS symptoms get better or disappear altogether.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/06/04/minocycline-for-ms-and-much-more/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/08/wahls-protocol-impact-of-diet-nutrition-in-ms-other-neurological-diseases/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/20/minding-your-mitochondria/

https://www.lymedisease.org/touchedbylyme-connection-ms/

https://www.lymedisease.org/lymepolicywonk-lyme-neurologic-misdiagnosis/

https://www.lymedisease.org/lymepolicywonk-antibiotics-treating-ms/

https://www.lymedisease.org/lymepolicywonk-antibiotics-ms/