As the months start to get warmer and people start to venture outside for hikes and camping, there is a risk for ticks, which can carry Lyme Disease. But, Lyme Disease has some symptoms that make it difficult to diagnose and treat.
Susan Green is an attorney and Lyme Disease patient advocate. https://www.facebook.com/susan.green.94
She's had Lyme Disease for years and has battled with some debilitating symptoms, including intense nerve pain, loss of breath and memory loss.
"Approximately 10 years ago I was in the middle of a trial I suddenly lost my ability to speak. I lost the use of all my limb, my limbs curled up. My memory was completely wiped out. I went to talk to doctor after doctor, and they suggested oh, it could be menopause. It could be, you know, maybe you're stressed at home. Maybe you're not getting enough attention at home."
Green has made it her mission to erase stigmas and myths surrounding tests and treatment. She says tests for Lyme Disease have a 60 percent false negative rate.
Green says if you've been outside, you should shower and do a thorough inspection of your body for ticks. If you find a tick, put it in a plastic bag. National Capital Line can help you find where to get the tick tested for Lyme.
One of the more common signs of Lyme is a rash, but Green says only about half of cases present with a rash. She says if you feel achy or have flu-like symptoms that persist, you should see a doctor.
The CDC has information on Lyme Disease, including signs and symptoms. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html
Green works with the National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association, which is holding the Loudoun Lyme 5K Run/Walk on May 6.
Information on how to donate, volunteer or participate can be found online. http://www.loudounlyme.org/
Ticked Off
Botched Lyme disease treatments turned Susan Green from angry patient to tireless advocate.
owson attorney Susan R. Green knows she’s been bitten by ticks at least four times in the past two decades, and thinks her problems started that far back. But when she called her doctor after first noticing a bite, he said not to worry unless she noticed the tell-tale bull’s-eye rash. No rash, no worries. For Green, that was just one of the misconceptions about Lyme that resulted in years of crippling sickness. Long before Western medicine finally acknowledged that she had Lyme disease, she noticed that her memory wasn’t what it used to be. Then, she developed a twitch in her left eye and some anxiety, things she’d never experienced before. She got an MRI brain scan to find an answer to her memory issues, but, mostly, her doctors said she was fine. And she believed them. Until December 1, 2007.
“I had a nick on my abdomen, apparently from a tick, and I remember wondering how I had a nick there, because it was winter.” Read full story here: http://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2014/9/10/lawyer-advocates-for-lyme-disease-reform
