The Capital- Annapolis, MD Letter to the Editor
July 11, 2006
Lyme disease
Thank you for the timely and informative article about Lyme disease (The Capital, June 19). 'Tis the season, and we all need to take precautions to prevent tick exposure.
The number of people in Maryland who have already contracted Lyme disease exceeds the total number of people in Baltimore, Annapolis, Hagerstown, Salisbury, Rockville, Frederick, Ocean City and Easton combined. Unfortunately, only one-tenth of the total number has been reported by officials from the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Lyme disease support groups across the state continue to be inundated with requests for help from chronically ill Lyme patients originally misdiagnosed or undertreated for their infections. The most frequently asked question has always been, "Where can I find a doctor who knows about Lyme disease?"
To compound the problem, people falling victim to a tick attack are stuck in a Lyme war.
On one side: a handful of physicians and their insurance companies, who promote outdated and restrictive Lyme diagnostic and treatment protocols primarily based on poor-quality tests and an arbitrary number of days for treatment. On the other side: the Lyme- literate physicians who treat chronically ill patients until they are actually better.
I can relate to Tony Caligiuri's situation and am happy to see that his daughter is finally getting well, with proper treatment. However, thousands of people, especially children, continue to be negatively affected by Lyme due to deficient blood tests, missed co- infections, misdiagnosis or lack of adequate antibiotic treatment.
Unless something changes soon, more people with Lyme will progress to a state of chronic illness, disability and even, sadly, death.
Thanks again to The Capital for bringing to light a serious situation. And best wishes to Mr. Caligiuri's little girl.
Don't forget - do a tick check!
LUCY BARNES
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8049/is_20060711/ai_n46368175/