Peter Thomas
In Memory of Peter Thomas
Christopher Peter Thomas was a resident of Annapolis, Maryland and a sound engineer for feature films, television shows and music videos. He was a graduate of Montgomery College and owned the firm, CPT Sound Services Inc. Christopher enjoyed both history and travel, and his career allowed him to delve into both passions. In 1990, his work earned a Capital Region Emmy Award.
Thomas died May 3, 2006 at Anne Arundel Medical Center, from complications of a five year battle with Lyme disease.
Obituary- Washington Post May 9, 2006
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Lyme Disease Skyrockets In Maryland
WJZ, MD
(WJZ) ANNAPOLIS, Md. As Lindsey Thomas reflects on the life of her husband Peter, she wonders what if? What if her husband's Lyme disease was not misdiagnosed for five years?
"Besides walking down this horrific road we were treated with the utmost lack of compassion," Lindsey said to WJZ's Sally Thorner. "He firmly believed that he had a severe case of Lyme."
Peter Thomas was an accomplished sound engineer who traveled the world making commercials and movies. In 2001 he was working in the hills of western Maryland on the set of the film "Gods and Generals" when his wife says he was infected.
"He told me every night. He would go into his hotel room and do head-to-toe tick checks," said Lindsey.
Peter soon developed an oval rash. At first he wasn't concerned because it looked nothing like the bulls-eye rash he believed was the disease's "smoking gun." Still, he took a Lyme blood test. The results came back negative. False negatives are common.
About a year later he started exhibiting night-sweats. Later he developed slurred speech, muscle pains and other symptoms synonymous with late-stage Lyme disease.
Peter was misdiagnosed with everything from ALS to arthritis. He was given various medications to treat these conditions, but they had no effect.
"In the spring of '05, Peter said I just don't feel right about this and I really want to get another Lyme test," said Lindsey. "I said let me do some research because I was not going to send him back to the same lab."
Peter flew to Colorado where six weeks later a doctor confirmed his worst suspicions. Within months, he died from a disease few think can be fatal. On his death certificate, one of the causes says Lyme.
"Ultimately his body was weak starting the medicine, and it made him weaker," said Lindsey. "He never could regain his strength."
Peter's story is a warning to others. For every detected case of Lyme, between four and twelve others go misdiagnosed.
Lyme disease specialist John Aucott says Lyme is a growing problem in ...
Maryland.
"Maryland is clearly one of the top states for transmission of Lyme disease," he said to WJZ's Thorner from his office in Lutherville.
According to data from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that was obtained by WJZ 13, in 1990 there were only 238 confirmed cases in Maryland. By 2005 that number spiked 418% to more than 1,235 cases.
Lyme disease is named after the Connecticut town where it was discovered in the 1970s. It is caused by bacteria that is typically transmitted to humans by deer ticks. The illness is rarely fatal. In fact, if caught early it's very treatable with oral antibiotics. However, according to the Center for Disease Control, if left untreated Lyme can lead to major chronic problems including severe arthritis, fatigue, fever, headaches and muscle pains.
Symptoms of early stage Lyme disease include fever, headache, weakness and a skin rash. If you ever notice a localized rash, you are urged to contact a physician. Symptoms of late-stage Lyme include stiff neck, irregular heart beat, hearing and vision problems and paralysis.
Click here for symptoms of Lyme disease.
The virus trademark is the bullseye-shaped rash, which usually occurs within a month of the initial bite. But only 68% of people develop the bullseye. However, only one in two people bit by an infected tick will contract the disease. For all that is known about the illness a lot remains unclear.
"The one thing we know is the sooner you get the tick off the less likely it is to transmit Lyme disease," said Aucott. "It's an area where we need to do a lot of research because one thing I can tell you is that it's not going away."
Neither does the pain from losing a loved one. It has been one year since Peter died. Now Lindsey and her two children are trying to move on.
"My husband, the father of my children, was taken away from us. But life presents you very difficult hurdles and you have to figure out a way to overcome them and move on."
Click here for more information about Lyme disease.
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Christopher Peter Thomas, Annapolis, MD died May 2006 from complications of Lyme
Abundance of ticks increases Lyme disease fears
By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer
Perched on blades of grass, or burrowed into the fur of mice and deer, they're waiting to
latch on to a human for their next meal.
Barely bigger than a freckle, ticks are out in force in summer months, and they're carrying
nasty diseases they can pass on to humans.
Experts say both the abundance of ticks and the prevalence of Lyme disease are increasing
in this area.
"I'm seeing more ticks than I have in years," said Dr. Michael Raupp, an entomology
professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. "Ticks are going to be on the way
up."
And prime tick season - May through September - coincides with the prime time for
humans to be picnicking, hiking, bird-watching and engaging in other outdoor activities
where ticks thrive.
That intersection of tick and human activity can lead to the transmission of illnesses such
as Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi.
When caught early, Lyme disease is often easily treated with a course of antibiotics. But it
often can be a tricky illness that can be difficult to diagnose let alone treated.
If it goes undetected, Lyme disease can spread, causing an array of troublesome
symptoms, such as severe headaches, neck stiffness, shooting pains, dizziness and memory
problems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In rare cases, Lyme disease can even be fatal.
Last month, an Annapolis man, Christopher Peter Thomas, died from complications of
Lyme disease. Mr. Thomas recorded sound for films and documentaries, and believed he
contracted the illness while working on a set in Virginia.
"Maryland is definitely one of those states that always has Lyme," said Dr. Kelly Russo, a
public health physician with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. "In this area,
physicians are aware of it."
In 2005, there were 117 reported cases of Lyme Disease in Anne Arundel County, up
from 74 in 2004 and 77 in 2003.
Doctors must report Lyme disease cases, but Dr. Russo said the number of cases should
be taken "with a grain of salt" because the disease doesn't always show up on tests and not
all suspected cases are reported.
Lyme disease usually is transmitted from animal to human through ticks, said Dr. Raupp,
the entomologist. He said it's a common misconception that only deer carry Lyme disease
and pass it on to ticks. Mice and small rodents are more likely reservoirs, he said.
The tick that usually transmits Lyme disease is the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. It
is smaller than other ticks, sometimes as tiny as a little freckle.
Ticks are often found in fields or the transition area between a field or lawn and the
woods.
When in those areas, people should use a repellent including DEET and wear long sleeves
and tuck their pants into their socks to prevent ticks from climbing aboard. Light clothing
can help in spotting ticks.
And after spending time in tick habitat, it's a good idea to give a good once-over to search
for ticks. Enlisting a friend, partner or parent can help in finding hard-to-spot ticks.
Dr. Raupp said he had a case of Lyme disease in the late 1980s, though he was lucky to
spot it and get treated quickly. The telltale sign of Lyme disease is the bull's-eye rash
around the bite site, sometimes accompanied by flu-like symptoms.
Any ticks should be removed gently with tweeze, Dr. Russo said. After a bite, it's a good
idea to keep a lookout for symptoms, which can show up days or weeks later, she said.
The good news is that if a tick bites, it usually takes 24 hours or more for the tick to
transmit Lyme disease, Dr. Russo said.
Sometimes symptoms show up, even when a person has no idea they were even bitten by a
tick.
That's what happened to Tony Caligiuri's then-8-year-old daughter, who didn't have any
symptoms until she woke up one day in 2003 unable to walk.
What he thought was a sprained ankle turned out to be Lyme disease and prompted Mr.
Caligiuri into becoming an advocate for Lyme disease patients.
Mr. Caligiuri, who grew up in Annapolis and now lives in Centreville, is the chief of staff
for U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest.
After his family's ordeal - his daughter has been symptom-free for about four months now
- Mr. Caligiuri got Mr. Gilchrest to sponsor a federal bill to improve Lyme disease
research.
The bill calls for more federal money for research, the creation of an advisory panel and a
national education campaign.
Mr. Caligiuri said he hopes more research will help end tests with false results, as well as
address disagreements over how to treat Lyme disease.
The federal government recommends a short course of antibiotics, though some patients
and doctors believe longer courses of antibiotics are necessary to treat chronic cases.
Though the measure has more than 40 cosponsors, Mr. Caligiuri acknowledged Lyme
disease can be a tough sell. There also have been attempts at the state level, including a
failed measure to require insurance companies pay for longer courses of antibiotics.
Mr. Caligiuri said he hopes momentum will build toward getting government action on the
disease.
"We're getting so many calls from people in the same position," he said.
Published June 19, 2006, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.