Lyme Disease « 2/3 « Cynthia M Chase Cynthia M Chase

Petition for effective treatment for Lyme Disease

Hi,

I have received this information and want to pass it along to you for consideration. I urge anyone who has been affected by Lyme disease to sign this important petition:

“Please sign petition and send to people you know from Connecticut.

Subject: Help us request effective treatment for Lyme Disease

Those of us who have been touched by Lyme Disease, please take action by signing the petition. If you live in CT, please also copy it and get signatures in your area, then send it in by May 31 to Time for Lyme 30 Myano Lane Ste. 20 Stamford, CT 06902 The IDSA has refused to consider new research findings and reconsider findings that it ignored when it generated its treatment protocol for Lyme Disease in 2006. The members of this group continue to:

Require positive test results from inadequate tests before a physician can diagnose Lyme Disease – even though over 40% of patients never generate positive results from these tests.

Refuse to allow treatment for Lyme Disease beyond the 30-day dose of antibiotics that is ineffective against entrenched and chronic Lyme Disease.

Refuse to acknowledge that Lyme Disease can become entrenched or chronic.

The scariest thing about this policy is that insurance companies are now refusing coverage for LD patients who do not present the positive test results or who have entrenched and chronic LD.

I would probably be dead now if I had listened to the doctors that told me my LD was cured – four times. Since I pursued treatment on my own, and without insurance coverage, I was able to lick the disease – but now the treatment I received is no longer effective for most people. Please, if you join no other cause, take the time to sign the petition and send this to everyone you can think of who lives in CT. Thanks, Al Burchsted

LYMEPOLICYWONK: IDSA PETITION –CT RESIDENTS URGED TO SIGN, DISTRIBUTE AND DELIVER!

06 May, 2010 Font size:Connecticut residents are urged to sign the petition to hold the IDSA legally accountable for violating the antitrust Settlement Agreement with the CT AG. Patients in the Lyme community are alarmed by the IDSA’s flagrant violation of the antitrust Settlement Agreement. Those in Connecticut are urged to sign the petition (link below in full story) electronically and to download a print version of the petition and take it door-to-door, at shopping centers, post offices and other public venues to gather signatures. We need to make our voices heard and we need to make them heard now. Paper petitions may be downloaded from the link below this blog post and should be mailed back no later than May 31st to Time for Lyme, 30 Myano Lane, Ste. 20, Stamford, CT 06902. If you are a Connecticut resident or you know anyone in Connecticut, please get this petition distributed and signed. The health and well-being of Lyme patients depends on it!

CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS ONLY!

PETITION FOR ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE MEDICAL CARE FOR PATIENTS!

Treatment guidelines now determine your medical treatment options. Patients need guidelines that are developed without commercial interests or industry bias. Sign this petition to urge Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to hold medical societies accountable for their guidelines by continuing his historic fight against the vested interests of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). All patients need access to effective medical care. If you are a Connecticut resident, click here to sign the petition or to download a paper petition for distribution. Let your voice be heard!
You can follow additional comments on Lyme policy at www.lymepolicywonk.org. You can contact Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA at lbjohnson@lymedisease.org.
–
Albert Burchsted
Retired Field Biologist
-
“The purpose of an Education is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.”
-
Chinese Proverb”

The Kitchen Shrink: Holistic healing through Nutrition

Hi!

I have been encouraged to share with you some food ideas that I find provide incredible energy and at the same time are delicious.

Life force, ( chi or Ki in Chinese and Japanese) is present in raw foods in greater amounts than cooked food, so I try to incorporate some raw foods in my diet every day. The vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients in fresh, preferably organic and free-range foods enhance our own life-force. By providing our bodies with pure, fresh water and whole foods, we encourage the healing capacities in our bodies. Immune function can be supported and the miracle of our bodies can be encouraged to protect and sustain us.

Have you ever wondered how to eat all of those fruits and vegetables we are supposed to eat on a daily basis? Should we just sit down and eat a pile of vegetables and knock down some fruit for dessert? I never understood how to actually ingest all of these fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts in a way that satisfied my desire for pleasurable eating.

After years of experimenting and studying countless cookbooks, here are my first offerings:

SOUPS AND SALADS

Hot Creamy Vegetable Soup:

Ingredients:

Vitamix or strong blender
(Preferably) organic chicken broth – available in your regular grocery store – comes in quart containers
(preferably) organic fresh baby spinach – re-washed for convenience
1-2 carrots (as always, preferably organic)
Ripe tomato (the ones sold on the vine are most tasty)
Red, yellow and orange peppers, either to be put in raw or roasted first
Asparagus, if you like, roasted first then added
Fresh or roasted onion and 1-2 cloves of garlic
Several leaves of fresh basil
Raw or roasted almond butter (you may also use unsweetened peanut butter if you like)
Sea salt, Tamari or soy sauce and fresh ground pepper to taste

Do you have a Vitamix or other powerful blender? Consider using it to make your daily lunch.
First: Heat 1-2 cups of chicken broth in a saucepan.
Add the following vegetables to your Vitamix or blender: two to three handfuls of fresh, organic spinach, one or two carrots, carrot tops if you have them (well washed), one clove of garlic, one ripe tomato, one or two leaves of fresh basil if you have it, one tablespoon of raw or roasted almond butter – or a couple of tablespoons of almonds (this makes the soup creamy and delicious).
Once the chicken broth is hot, add slowly to your blender and give it a whirl. Add chicken broth until you get the consistency you like. You may add sea salt or a touch of soy sauce for flavor enhancement. You will have a hot bowl of vegetable soup in no time.
If you have the time, you could roast vegetables in the oven in a little bit of olive oil – like asparagus, peppers – red, orange and yellow, onions, garlic. These can then be used as a base to your soup instead of raw, or in addition to the raw vegetables. Roasted vegetables sweeten as they caramelize in the roasting process. Roast vegetable at 325 degrees Fahrenheit and 10-15 minutes. Watch that they don’t burn.

Lentil Soup

: Here is a picture of the lentil soup that I had on my recent trip to Spain. It inspired me to create the recipe you see here.

Here is a hot soup filled with vegetables based on a wonderful vegetable protein: lentils. Lentils are a lens-shaped, protein-rich edible seed in the family of legumes. It is one of the most ancient of cultivated foods, and is a good source of vitamin B, iron and phosphorus. Here is one version of how I prepare this soup:

Saute chopped medium onion in olive oil, then add one or two chopped cloves of garlic. Add one or two chopped carrots and continue sauteing, then add one chopped red pepper. You may also add a cup of mushrooms – I like shiitake for the health benefits and flavor, and chopped yellow or green squash. Sometimes adding a chopped potato or about one half of brown rice adds that carbohydrate that enhances flavor and texture.
You may add a good quality tomato sauce at this point, or
If you like curry flavor, add it now and cover all vegetables with about a tablespoon of good curry spice. If you like it hot, a small chopped fresh hot pepper with do the trick. Experiment with spices here. Make it your own creation.
When the vegetables are softened it’s time to add about a quart of (organic) chicken broth. Cover and let it slowly simmer as the flavors and textures meld.
You are the chef: taste and adjust.
Enjoy.

Serve this with warmed whole grain rolls or bread dipped in olive oil (rather than butter) if you tolerate grains.

This meal provides a balanced vegetable and complete protein without using excessive water or earth resources that beef and other animal proteins require. Some minimal use of meats can add flavor, an energy source and many other life-enhancing benefits, but if you are able to introduce more vegetarian dishes to your repertoire you will be helping yourself and the earth too.

Here is another favorite:

Broccoli Salad:

One package of broccoli and carrot slaw – these are often found in the vegetable session of your grocery store.
Two carrots thinly sliced into julienne strips – 1-1/2 inches long
One half onion, thinly sliced into strips 1-1?2 inches long
One (preferably) organic apple cut into small chunks, with skin on
One orange, peeled and cut onto similar size chunks
1/2 cup of medium cut walnut pieces
Dried cranberries – about one handful
A handful of sliced scallions
Add a couple tablespoons of a healthy oil, like olive oil, avocado or walnut oil.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, then toss. Use your imagination and preferences to adjust just for you!

This is a fantastic tasty and healthy raw salad with just the right amounts of crunch, sweetness and tartness. It provides protein, in the form of nuts, roughage, anti-cancer fighting properties, antioxidants, health oils and so much more: pleasure. Don’t forget the pleasure from whole foods that your body craves. When your body gets what it really needs, it minimizes food cravings, helps to reduce unwanted fat and supports weight regulation. And it provides the life force to support moving forward in your life. Bon Appetit!

Orange and carrot Salad

Ingredients:

Two organic navel oranges
4 or 5 organic carrots
sprigs of mint
a handful of good quality, fresh almonds
and or roasted pumpkin seeds

All you have to do here is peel and chop the oranges, peel and julienne or chop the carrots, then sprinkle almonds and or roasted pumpkin seeds over the top. Garnish with mint, and be sure to eat it. The fresh mint taste adds so much to the dish.

This dish satisfies the need for something sweet and provides protein too. It will allow a clean, grounding feeling and promote a quiet sense of peace. Food as medicine!

Whole Grains

Kasha

Old fashioned and delicious. You can get this grain in your health food store, but most supermarkets carry Wolff’s brand. This grain is wheat and gluten free the the Kasha Pilaf is a wonderful change from other grains and pastas. Here goes:

Ingredients:

2 cups organic chicken broth
olive oil
sea salt
fresh pepper
One cup of Kasha
One egg

Directions

Saute 1/2 cup of chopped onions or scallions and
1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms in olive oil; Set aside
Heat 2 cups of organic chicken broth and bring to a boil; add one to two tablespoons of olive oil
And 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, with generous grinds of fresh cracked pepper
Beat one egg and stir into one cup of Kasha to coat the grain, then in a separate medium-size skillet or saucepan, cook over high heat two to three minutes until egg has dried and the Kasha kernels are separate. Reduce heat to low.
Stir in the boiling liquid and the mixture of sauteed onions and mushrooms; simmer for three to five minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

This dish is rich in nutrition and history. Let me know what you think.

MAIN COURSE

Vegetarian Curry

Here is a way to make your own curry dish at home where you control the freshness of the ingredients, the salt levels and make sure no MSG compromises your food:

Ingredients:

one organic yam or large potato
one medium onion
two to three cloves of garlic
one zucchini
two carrots
fresh ear of corn (or frozen cup of corn)
fresh or frozen peas
unrefined pure coconut oil
one can of light coconut milk
quality curry powder, as fresh as you can find it!
turmeric
fresh cilantro

Take a tablespoon of the coconut oil and saute chopped onion and garlic. When you put in a tablespoon or two of curry powder or paste the scent will be heavenly. Take a tablespoon of turmeric (also know as curcumin) and stir that in too. It is known for its anti-inflammatory effects as well as its aromatic and culinary properties.

Picture yourself at the Taj Mahal, and you are the honored guest. Peaceful gardens surround you, with the sound of splashing water in the fountains. The scent of orange blossoms fill the air. The sound of birds accent the peaceful surroundings. A peacock spreads its feathers in a magical display.

Here is where the peeled and chopped carrots, peeled and chopped yams come in; then add the chopped zucchini, onion, garlic. Watch the coconut scented spices coat the vegetables as they cook. Add corn kernels from off the cob and the peas, then the light coconut milk. As you stir, if you find it too thick you may add a little water or chicken stock.

Cover and let simmer until the vegetables are just tender. Add sprigs of the fresh cilantro, or gently break apart the spice and sprinkle over the top.

Serve with whole grain jasmine rice and green jasmine tea. Your trip to India or Moorish Spain in almost complete. To finish the fantasy, just sit down and enjoy the feast!

BREAKFAST

Do you know what to eat for breakfast? How in the world do we start out the day clearing out the old and bringing in the new? Start out considering a tall glass of water with a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Europeans often drink mineral water which also contains trace minerals that are missing in our de-natured food supply. Drink it up, and your intestinal tract will thank you for it. It clears and cleanses the debris that is still in your body from the previous day – or more. The touch of salt (unless it it not recommended) draws out the toxins, and the lemon re-freshens and cleanses. This will then open the way to allow more absorption of the foods that you do eat.

CONSCIOUS EATING

Remember the axiom: you are what you eat? This is true. So make sure that you are conscious of what you are putting in your body. We are advertised to so often and so consistently that we seem to have forgotten what real food is. What is it that you are eating when you ingest that donut or bagel? Or the coffee cake or white toast and butter? Really think about it. Check in with your body wisdom.

One way to double check how the foods are received by your body is to eat those foods, and note how you feel shortly after you eat them. If your energy plummets or you become irritable you may be experiencing low blood sugar levels following the steep rise immediately after eating. This then causes you to eat more or seek out caffeine to boost your energy after being on the blood sugar roller coaster. Those ill with chronic illnesses may have an even more pronounced reaction.

Grapefruit and Avocado

Try this: do you like grapefruit? If you find the usual culprit too bitter try a pink (if possible organic) grapefruit and cut out the soft wedges in between the thick membranes. Then cut up an avocado after peeling it, and layer it in between the grapefruit slices. I have come to crave this as a breakfast food, or as an appetizer.

This simple and real whole food will provide lots of vitamin C and antioxidants, while the avocado will provide a creamy introduction to healthy oil. This will provide lubrication for your joints, oil to moisturize your skin, and so much more.

Oatmeal

If you would like a grain for breakfast here is another alternative: Irish oatmeal, real oatmeal, cut thick is unlike the cardboard versions you find in the conventional cereal section. I like McCanns from Ireland. You can purchase it in most supermarkets as well as health food stores. It takes about 40 minutes to cook but is so worth the time. Add a pinch of sea salt and water, and follow the directions on the can. I like to add soy milk to it, but you may also consider raw milk at the end which will add active and alive ingredients which pasteurized milk products cannot provide. (Go to mercola.com to review his summary of research on the benefits of raw organic milk versus pasteurized products). Oatmeal provides roughage that our intestines need. It’s like a clean-up and exercise at the same time for our intestinal tract.

Raw Oatmeal

If you want to develop your raw food repertoire, you can soak the oatmeal overnight then whisk it with a pinch of sea salt and soy milk, or milk and swirl it until warm. I find this very satisfying as well.You can put this in your blender or Vitamix to smooth it out and warm it up. Do you want to add honey (good if local to help you deal with any potential allergies) or maple syrup? Good. Would you like a dollop of Greek yogurt (my favorite is Fage – 2 % fat)? A few almonds or raisin add protein and iron.

These are real foods that satisfy your body’s craving for sustaining food to live by. Your hunger will decrease, your mood will stabilize since your blood sugar will even out. In the beginning it will feel strange and your body may revolt if it is used to refined carbohydrates, heavy fats and excess sugars and salt. It may even feel like a toxic reaction. It will just be your body having withdrawal symptoms from a toxic and non-sustaining food supply.

Creative breakfast: Fruit and vegetable smoothie!

Start out with your strong blender and put in: one peeled orange
Add one half or a whole peeled apple (if it is organic, you can put it in unpeeled
Add one half cucumber (can be unpeeled if organic), two or three handfuls of spinach
One tablespoon of almonds or almond butter
If you want it cold you can put in a cup or so of ice (this will make it like cold gazpacho), and some water to make it the consistency you like
Or if you want it hot, add a cup or so of hot organic chicken broth (this will make it more like soup)

Taste it and make adjustments as you go. If you like it sweeter, add more fruits. If you want it red, add strawberries and raspberries, if you want it blue, add blueberries. It is a phenomenal way to eat your vegetables but have it taste like a strawberry or blueberry shake. I also sometimes add yogurt. CREATE YOUR WAY TO HEALTH!!!

Eggs

Last thought: the cholesterol scare should not remove eggs as an occasional source of food: omelet or eggs over easy over fresh steamed or sauteed spinach is a joy. If you can tolerate whole grain bread/toast, there you have a complete meal.

Think for yourself. What choices make you feel whole? How do you feel after a given food? Listen to your body, and give yourself what you need. Let me know how you are doing, and what you are learning along the way!!

Snacks

Edamame Beans

Do you what edamame beans are? they are actually shelled soy beans – already cooked. In the vegetable section of most supermarkets they are carried by Franklin Farms. they are rich in isoflavones, low fat and high in protein. Here is the recipe:

8 ox of Edamame shelled soybeans
a generous dash of dark sesame oil
Another generous dash of soy sauce or Tamari

That’s it! For an afternoon snack it will taste fresh, sween and crunchy, and provide a grounded fullness that will hold you over until dinner.

Afternoon or after school Snack:

Vegetables and dip:

Cut up carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes or other favorites and display in star-burst fashion on a plate
In the middle place a cup containing a mix of the following ingredients:
yogurt, chopped chives and powdered garlic

What makes the difference is if you can “Make it pretty!”, and of course, use the highest quality ingredients you can find.

Desert/Snack

Banana “Ice Cream”

Put one frozen banana (peel and cut up first, then freeze) in your blender (full of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Potassium, Dietary Fiber and Manganese)
If you add a half cup of blueberries it will make blueberry-banana “ice cream”!)
Add one cup or so of soy milk ( or just enough to make a rich, creamy, ice cream-like consistency)
Add one-half cup of your favorite plain yogurt (I prefer Fage); You may use 0 or 2 percent fat and you will still be getting the benefits of the probiotic effects without the fat-laden negatives of full fat products
Add one teaspoon of vanilla, almond or banana extract
If you like, sprinkle some cinnamon in the mixture too
For extra benefit add a teaspoon or more of ground golden flax seed WebMD touts these benefits to flax seeds:

“Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flax seed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flax seed contains 75- 800 times more lignans than other plant foods
Fiber. Flax seed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.”

Consider that although a banana is a carbohydrate, it is a complex one, and this ice cream substitute has no or little saturated fat while providing whole foods which your body craves and needs.

Update on Dr. Jones April 2010

Here is a notice I just received and pass along to you:

From: RLDTF

To: ConnecticutLyme@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 10:21 PM

Subject: [ConnecticutLyme] UPDATE- Dr. Jones April 5, 2010

Dr. Jones Update- Monday, April 5, 2010

Dr. Charles R. Jones is facing an immediate and overwhelming financial
burden due to fines and costly sanctions placed on him by the Connecticut
Medical Examining Board. What we are sadly witnessing is the persecution of
a Lyme-treating doctor for his successful approach in fighting this complex
and controversial disease that very few in the medical field will adequately
address.

FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. JONES AND HIS DEDICATED STAFF- We extend a special
thank you to all and want you to know we continue to do all we can to be
here for you and the children. Dr. Jones has been fighting very hard to
keep going. Now he needs your support, each and everyone of you! If you
could take one minute every day to help him we would be grateful!

UPDATE FROM GOVERNOR’S OFFICE- The Governor’s office stated today that Dr.
Charles Ray Jones situation isn’t something the Governor “typically” looks
into, however, with your continuing efforts we may be able to encourage her
to take a closer look at the repeated targeting and prosecution of Dr.
Jones. It’s up to you to make this happen!

ONGOING ACTIONS- Please continue contacting Governor Rell every day until
she takes steps to stop the ongoing actions against Dr. Jones. Parents and
children who are visiting Dr. Jones office are writing notes and drawing
pictures to encourage the Governor to help them. They need your help.

Contact information for Governor M. Jodi Rell:

Phone Toll-Free: 1-800-406-1527

Email Governor.Rell@ct.gov

Send mail to- Governor M. Jodi Rell

Executive Office of the Governor

State Capitol

210 Capitol Avenue

Hartford, Connecticut 06106

NEW ACTIONS- LET THE MEDIA KNOW! Please contact a Connecticut newspaper
(Letter to the Editor) with your concerns about Lyme disease and the
continuing targeting of Dr. Jones. Remember many papers have word limits
(200 or less) and you must send original letters.

CT Residents- to find a newspaper in your area, see the link below.

http://www.50states.com/news/conn.htm

If you live outside of Connecticut please contact one of the following
papers.

NEW HAVEN REGISTER- <mailto:%20letters@nhregister.com>
letters@nhregister.com

CONNECTICUT POST- edit@ctpost.com

GREENWICH TIMES- <mailto:letters.greenwichtime@scni.com>
letters.greenwichtime@scni.com

DANBURY NEWS TIMES- Letters@newstimes.com

HARTFORT COURANT- Submit your letter on this form:

http://www.courant.com/about/thc-letters,0,2338372.customform

For information and facts concerning Dr. Jones situation:

http://www.lymerights.org/Letter_from_Dr__Jones_Feb_2010.pdf

HOW TO DONATE TO THE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND: There is no doubt Lyme Disease has
drained us financially. Many of us have had to refinance homes, exhaust
college and retirement funds and borrow from family and friends. It is with
sensitivity to this reality that we are asking you to join us in
contributing to this effort in what ever way you can. The deadline for
paying the $10,000.00 fine is approaching fast (April 15, 2010) and there
are mounting legal fees that need to be paid to keep Dr. Jones legal defense
intact.

To donate- write “Penalty or Gift” in the memo field of your checks.
Payable to: Pullman & Comley Trust Account-for Dr. Charles Jones

Mail to: Elliott B. Pollack, Esquire

c/o Pullman & Comley, LLC

90 State House Square

Hartford, CT 06103-3702

PayPal instructions are posted here:

<http://lymesite.com/DrJones_please_send_a_contribution_to_th.htm>
http://lymesite.com/DrJones_please_send_a_contribution_to_th.htm

Please share this information with others and continue to let the Governor
know how important Dr. Jones is to you. Keep up the good work!

For updates, actions and information please go to www.LymeRights.org

Dr. Dietrick Klinghardt, MD, PhD takes the lead in developing a Unified Theory of Disease

I have been researching the work of Dietrict Klinghardt, MD, PhD, for months now, seeking to understand his overall approach and underlying assumptions. He has been synthesizing traditional and alternative medicine for over 30 years. He has studied medicine, psychology and spirituality with an over-reaching high level of integrative intelligence . He has studied the effect of heavy metals, environmental pollutants and electromagnetic effects on the human body. He seeks to understand the underlying factors of dis-ease and share his wisdom with us all. His work is comprehensive, broad-reaching and at times, erudite.

Dr. Klinghardt is a neurobiologist, an integrative physician and is a leading proponant of holistic treatment. He studies the nervous system in an interdisciplinary way that involves other disciplines such as psychology, computer science, statistics, physics, philosophy and medicine. He is a fierce advocate for patient self-care; he publishes and teaches his approach in America and Europe to educate us about prevention and natural treatments so that we all have access to the means of cleansing, balancing and healing ourselves. His work is , in many respects, consistent with other naturopathic physicians in that he seeks to assist the human body to function optimally through the use of herbs, homeopathic medicine and lifestyle changes. He has added an energy medicine component for both diagnosis and treatment and is in the forefront in proposing this ancient, and at the same time, newest and most promising approach to healing.

The foundation of his approach is based on his understanding of the five levels of healing. While in India about 30 years ago he went to a lecture given by a Guru (wise man) who talked about an ancient (12,000 years old) Tibetan philosophy based on an understanding of humans as beings comprised of five different levels: the physical, the electromagnetic, the mental, the intuitive body, and the spirit body. All but the physical are invisible to the human eye, although some people can “see”, feel or sense fields of energy relating to the other, usually invisible aspects.

The premise that is most fascinating for our purposes is that in order to be well, all levels of the human being must be healed. This is so because the physical aspect of us is the materiel manifestation of all the other components. The other four layers interpenetrate with the physical and affect the health of the physical being.

Let’s reference each of these layers and briefly touch on how each of these layers relate to illness. Let’s say that a person has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. On a physical level it means that bacterial organisms are multiplying in the body, moving to different parts of the body, generating neuro-toxins which cause symptoms in their own right. It may be that the physical body has been diagnosed with heavy metal toxicity, for example, mercury, and that the toxins need to be cleared so that the body may more effectively fight it’s battle against the bacterial invaders. This is the world of orthomolecular and allopathic medicine. On this level antibiotics may be prescribed to kill off the unwanted organisms, detoxifying herbs given for clearing out the neuro-toxins and by-products of the die-off.

On the second level, the electromagnetic level, it may be seen that the patient has developed an inflammatory response (physical level) that produces inflamed, painful energy in response to the direct effect of the bacteria, or the by-products of their living and dying. This energy may be present in the physical mass of muscles, joints,or organs. Since pain causes us to contract, resist or avoid, that energy may become stuck or constricted. Within this model, healing energy work, such as Reiki, Hands on Healing, acupuncture, reflexology, or (in Dietrict Klinghart’s lexicon) Autonomic Response testing may be used. Through the movement and clearing out of painful, inflamed energy the void is then filled with the natural life force within all human beings; it then has a chance to flow and heal. Note: according to this model, the layers below (in this case the physical) are affected positively.

On the third level, the mental body, unresolved emotional conflict creates a disturbance in (what is known in neuroscience as) the bio-photon field which surrounds the body, and is generated by the DNA.

Neuro-science tells us that short term memory is tracked in brain circuitry (first level); according to this way of understanding the human, long term and extrasensory perceptions reside in the energy field that surrounds the body- the physical brain is seen as a “tuner” for memory storage.

Fritz-Albert Popp, a German physicist pioneered research about the vibrational nature of our cells, and is reported to have confirmed the existence of biophotons which emit tiny quantities of light. We are beginning to understand how these invisible entities communicate complex information and orchestrate metabolic function. For details about this go to mercola.com to see an interview of Klinghardt on the subject – fascinating!)

If this Lyme disease patient were to enter into psychotherapy there may be found traumatic, unresolved issues in their own life history, or in the family history that may have been passed on. This unresolved history is held in the field of energy that surrounds the physical body. By facing and resolving this (conscious, unconscious or sub-conscious) pain, that then allows a flow and healing of the energy body that would otherwise weigh down or inhibit full healing.

The forth level of healing is identified as the Intuitive body. It is realm of the shaman, the religious, the spiritual, and your metaphysical experiences. Dr. Klinghardt postulates that on this level unresolved conflict and trauma from a person’s past and from their history can generate physical illness. Unless these traumas are faced and resolved, they may act out these unresolved issues in spite of a medical approach dealing only with the physical body.

So for our purposes, with this same Lyme disease patient, if this person, for example, had parents or grandparents who were sexually or physically abused, the unresolved trauma may be carried on the the person’s memory/field of energy; unless faced, mourned and the associated feelings of anger, rage and despair are released, the effects of the trauma are played out in the present. Klinghardt developed something he calls Family Constellation work to delve into the family history and therapeutically identify and resolve the trauma.

Our Lyme patient may receive the best treatment for the physical components of Lyme disease, but, according to this model, the patient will be vulnerable to continued illness unless this “contaminating” emotional disability is healed through psychotherapy, family therapy or other uncovering and healing teahniques.

The fifth level of healing, the individual’s connection to the divine, is deeply personal, and is the most important and largest part of the human being. This is the level of self-healing and relates to the “highest self”.

Klinghardt’s premise is that illness can originate on any of the four lower levels and unless the source of the illness is healed disease will be resistant to healing, or it may transform into another form of disease. Illness that is treated symptomatically but that does not treat the actual cause of the illness is short-sited and will likely be unsuccessful.

This concludes my summary of Dr. Klinghardt’s work. I hope you have found it as stimulating and as interesting as I have. Please let me know what your thoughts are, and send along any questions you may have!

Cynthia

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge the hard work and commitment that my friend, Kelly Smith offers to the Lyme community. It is though her review of current publications, her attendance at numerous meetings, and her tireless research that I am able to offer to you the best information available on this website. Thanks Kelly!

Review: CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH BY EVA SAPI, PH.D

BIOFILM: A NEW HIDEOUT FOR BORRELLIA BURGDORFERI

It is as though Dr.Eva Sapi is on a Safari in the deepest jungle in Africa. She is mapping out a totally unknown area of the world filled with dangerous animals, new forms of life never seen by man (or woman) and she is armed only with her microscope. She is in this reality Eva Sapi, Ph.D., assistant professor of cellular and molecular biology at the University of New Haven, Connecticut. Her brand new article in the Lyme Times summarizes her research on an entity called biofilm. A rather dry word, but an amazing concept. For those of us lay persons interested in Lyme disease and co-infections and why it appears that some people have chronic infection the concept is revolutionary in its possibilities.

Here is how it works: the research shows that when enough microbes gather they begin to adhere to each other or to living or inert surfaces. These organisms then communicate to each other and start a change in “gene expression” that allows the cells to produce something called “exopolysaccharide” which becomes a “protective matrix“.

Like a moat which surrounds the castle it provides protection from attacking forces – like phagocytes or antibacterial agents! Not only that, German scientists using marine bacteria identified that this biofilm actually is capable of releasing a paralyzing agent. “It appears that biofilm is not just a defensive fortress, it can also fight back.”

Dr. Sapi in conjunction with Dr. Alan MacDonald has recently worked “in vitro” to study biofilm formation of Borrelia burgdorferi. In her words: “In summary, if we can demonstrate that biofilm structure of Borrelia burgdorferi renders them resistant to antibiotics, it could provide a logical explanation as to why extensive antibiotic treatment for patients with a tick-bite history could fail. The end result from our study could provide novel therapeutic approaches for Lyme literate physicians to explore for chronically ill patients”

Please go to lymetimes.org for the above-reviewed article in its entirety and join to receive the most up-to-date research and support.

Cynthia

Featured Article II by Dr. Jessica Sedita, ND

Here is Dr. Sedita’s second newsletter. It is informative and actually, I find it to be most amazing and helpful in the treatment of the deepest layers of this microbes- so smart and insidious! By “zapping” the microbes, then clearing the toxins from the death of the microbes, we are enhancing our bodies own ability to heal itself. The immune system has a fighting chance to do the job it was intended to do: fight aliens! Check out her fascinating description of how this treatment(s) work:

_{By Dr. Jessica Sedita, ND}

Lyme disease is a complicated condition to diagnose and treat correctly. Treating Lyme is so much more than just taking an antibiotic for a few weeks to rid the body of the Lyme spirochete. First, any present co-infections need to be treated as well, to have any chance of a full recovery. The co-infections are what truly complicate the situation, because each one is a distinctly different type of organism. Ehrlichia is bacterial, Bartonella is similar to cat scratch fever, Babesia is parasitic and Mycoplasma is an anaerobic bacteria. Each one of these has its own pattern and life cycle that it follows. Each organism needs a distinctly different form of treatment that is specifically designed to target that particular organisms make up. There is no one single type of medication that can be used to treat all the co- infections. Multiple medications need to be administered at various times during the course of treatment to attack all of the co-infections as well as the Lyme.

What are the treatment options for Lyme disease? There are many choices that are available to treat Lyme disease some options are antibiotics, herbal formulas, homeopathic remedies and Rife Frequency therapy. Antibiotics are usually used as the first line of defense and if prescribed at the correct point during a course of treatment they can be effective. Antibiotics are most useful if used quickly after contracting Lyme and/ or while it is still active in the blood stream. Once Lyme has changed intothe cystic form and left the blood stream the antibiotics are on longer effective. Antibiotics have the highest effective concentration circulating in the blood stream and cannot leave the blood stream. If the diagnosis of Lyme disease doesn’t happen for months or years after initial infection, antibiotics may not be as useful at this stage. Another common situation is when someone is on antibiotics for months or years continuously they will often reach a plateau in recovery. They often feel they are not progressing and that the antibiotics are not working anymore. They are correct; after a certain time the Lyme becomes resistant and can evade the antibiotics. So antibiotics are useful if given at the correct stage and used for a certain time period.

In addition to antibiotics there are many herbal remedies that are effective for Lyme disease as well as for all the co-infections. Some of the herbs that are capable to of killing Lyme are Venus flytrap, Oregano, Samento, Andrographis, Polygonum and Artemisia. All of these herbs can be administered in all stages of Lyme treatment. They can be used one at a time or in conjunction with one an other. All of these herbs can be taken alone or along with antibiotics. The best way to combine the two is to start herbal remedies along with antibiotics then when antibiotics are stopped continue with the herbal supplements. This combination will often be able to prevent a relapse or aggravation in symptoms and break the cycle of having to go on and off antibiotics.

Homeopathic remedies are also useful in the battle against Lyme disease. They are used most often in the latter stages of a treatment plan when severe symptoms have subsided. Homeopathic remedies can draw the Lyme out from deep within the body and can also stimulate the immune system to seek out and attack the Lyme.

Another important treatment for Lyme is Rife Frequency therapy. Rife is a machine that utilizes electromagnetic frequencies to rid the body of harmful pathogenic organisms. It can destroy bacteria, parasites, yeast, fungus, Lyme (both active and cystic forms) and all the co-infections. The Rife is based on the phenomenon that every organism has its own unique vibrational frequency. When an organism encounters its own vibrational frequency from an outside source it will explode resulting in death. It is similar to the opera singer that can break the wine glass when the frequency of her voice reaches the same frequency as the glass. A typical treatment with Rife first involves scanning with an F-scan machine to determine the exact frequencies of the organisms. Those specific frequencies are then entered into the Rife machine to be treated. Since the treatment is so targeted to kill only the desired organisms, the frequencies will just pass through the rest of body without harming anything else. Rife can reach cyst colonies that have traveled deep with in the body where antibiotics or herbal remedies could not access. Rife is usually used in addition to herbal remedies and/or antibiotics to finish off the organisms that were able to survive and hide from previous treatments. By adding Rife Frequency therapy into a treatment plan the recovery time can significantly be reduced over just using antibiotics and/or herbal remedies. Most every patient that has chronic Lyme has a high chance of cyst colony formation in various areas of the body. These patients would benefit greatly from destroying the colonies with Rife.

If left untreated the cysts will lay dormant until the immune system is compromised or weak, so they can become active again. The key to any successful treatment is to change and rotate various modalities to avoid mutations and resistance to any one treatment. Lyme spirochetes are very good at adapting to their environment to maintain survival. Due to this adaptability any one treatment alone is just not strong enough to kill off Lyme completely. It is like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of water: it just isn’t enough. Lyme needs to have everything thrown at it, including the kitchen sink! No matter what course of treatment is chosen a patient should be constantly monitored by a physician to check the effectiveness of treatment and to check toxicity and detoxification capabilities of the body. The key is to check the functioning of organ systems such as the adrenals and the thyroid, due to the extra stress that is placed on these systems during the treatment process.

^Guilford^{Holistic Health Practitioners}

^{5 Durham Rd Bld 2, Suite B-6}

^{Guilford, CT 06437}

^{(203) 453-1906}

Send any questions, or topic suggestions for future issues to: drsedita@gmail.com

Reference

Rosner, Bryan. When Antibiotics Fail…Lyme Disease and Rife Machines.2004.

Featured Article by Dr. Jessica Sedita

This is news:

Dr. Jeffrey Klass and Dr. Jessica Sedita of Madison Connecticut offer to those of us fortunate enough to live in this area a holistic, complementary healing approach that works at both killing off the microbes (whether they be Babesia, erlichiosis or the Lyme spirochete), but also focuses on clearing and cleansing the toxins that create symptoms as debilitating as the diseases themselves. (For those of you in other areas of the country, please check internet sources for the same or similar resources, or check with me.) The area of “vibrational medicine” is a “new” and exciting adjunct to the healing of the person with Lyme disease (and the coinfections). When combined with the principles of naturopathic medicine, it offers a powerhouse of tools to add to the wellness approach that is at the foreforont of the treatment of Lyme and other coinfections. Here is a newsflash from Dr. Sedita that I am sure you will find enlightening and helpful:

_{Dr. Jessica Sedita, ND}

Just a few years ago Lyme disease was only heard about once in a while; today the situation is much different. Today the chance of contracting Lyme disease has significantly increased, putting everyone in the northeast at great risk. This condition is becoming much more common than anyone could have ever imagined. Anyone afflicted with Lyme needs to fully understand the condition and its progression. Lyme is an organism in the spirochete family that is similar to syphilis. It is transmitted through a bite by an infected deer tick. Once infected, a person will experience flu like symptoms as the immune system attempts to fight off the invader.

One could assume that they would be sick for a few days or a week while the immune system fights of the infection then leading to a full recovery. Unfortunately this is not how the events unfold at all. The Lyme spirochete is able to evade the immune system so most of the time it is not completely killed off. This allows the Lyme to roam free and proliferate in the body undetected for years. The longer it is present in the system the more time it has to set up colonies all over the body. Once it has left the blood stream and traveled to multiple areas it is said to have progressed from acute to chronic Lyme. During periods of stress, physical or emotional, the immune system becomes suppressed and the Lyme is able to further advance and colonize new areas of the body. This is why many patients will notice a flare-up in symptoms during or shortly after even small periods of stress.

The array of symptoms Lyme can produce are so numerous and constantly changing many people think they are imaging it. Lyme can imitate almost any disease that exists and should be considered as a possible diagnosis of any condition that is not resolving with treatment. Lyme can mimic various conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, bells palsy, ADD, MS, ALS, RA, migraines and any other autoimmune diseases. Lyme produces a significant amount of inflammation in numerous areas and organ systems of the body. The majority of the inflammation is due to the secretion of a neurotoxin produced by the Lyme that travels around the body which puts stress on all organ systems. The Lyme and its neurotoxin can pass through to the brain with the potential to cause encephalopathy and meningitis, which is swelling and inflammation of the brain. The exposure to the neurotoxin over time can cause liver dysfunction, fatigue, headaches, mental confusion, muscle and joint pain. These symptoms can indicate possible dysfunction in other regulatory organs such as the thyroid, hypothalamus and adrenals. All of these symptoms can come and go just a quickly as they appeared or they may persist and there could even be periods that are symptom free. Many people think the symptom free periods are when they have finished their battle with Lyme and won. But that is not correct. Often when there is a remission in symptoms it can mean the immune system is not actively fighting off the Lyme. This leaves it free to travel around the body causing inflammation, dysfunction and then ultimately hiding so the immune system can not destroy it.

Many patients are lead to believe that after being infected with Lyme all that needs to be done is take antibiotics for a few months or even a few weeks and then they will be cured. This may have been enough to treat Lyme in the past but currently for most patients this often is not effective enough to provide a full and complete recovery. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed in all stage of Lyme disease. They can bring a person from acutely ill to a stable point. There are however a few drawbacks to treatment with antibiotics alone. They are often unable to kill off the disease completely. The presence of the antibiotics stimulates a defensive mechanism causing the Lyme to become dormant and will avoid being killed. This change to the dormant state is called the cystic form of Lyme. In this form, a protective coating is formed around a group of spirochetes. This coating protects the Lyme by not allowing the antibiotics to penetrate.

They are also only able to kill the Lyme when it is in the active form in the blood stream.

In the cystic form it is able to move deeper into the body and wait until it senses the absence of the antibiotics. Once the antibiotics have left the body the Lyme will become active again and move back into the blood stream and begin multiplying again. This migration

back to the active form can cause a sudden spike or relapse of intense symptoms. While the Lyme is in the cystic form a person can be symptomatic or still extremely ill. Since antibiotics are not able to access other areas well outside of the blood stream the cysts are left to hang out all over the body producing symptoms. The specific symptoms that are experienced are often dependent on what areas in the body the cysts have traveled to.

As if Lyme alone is not enough there are a myriad of other organisms that the tick can be harboring and transmitting during the bite. These other organisms consist of Mycoplasma, Ehrlichia, Babesia and Bartonella, known as the co-infections. The co-infections are commonly present in people with Lyme disease. They can add to the array of confusing symptoms by further stressing the immune system and increasing the overall number of pathogenic organisms in the body. In a large number of cases antibiotics are not able to eradicate any of these organisms from the system completely. They are able to hide in the body, mutate and evade the antibiotics and the immune system. Having all or even just one of these co-infections in addition to the Lyme can complicate the case significantly.

Guilford Holistic Health Practitioners

^{5 Durham Rd Bld 2, Suite B-6}

^{Guilford, CT 06437}

^{(203) 453-1906}

Send any questions, or topic suggestions for future issues to: drsedita@gmail.com

Reference

Rosner, Bryan. When Antibiotics Fail…Lyme Disease and Rife Machines.

2004.

Lyme in the News – Good News

Update: More good news

CT Doctor Protection Bill Passes House

April 30, 2009- Connecticut Lyme groups and the national Lyme Disease
Association, Inc. are pleased to announce that H.B. 6200, with a floor
amendment by Representative Betsy Ritter et al., passed through the
Connecticut House of Representatives.

The House vote was unanimously in support of the bill by a final vote of 137
to 0.

The discussion on the floor this morning clearly delineated the protective
intent of the bill. The bill will now proceed to the Senate for
consideration.

H.B. 6200 contains language that will protect CT licensed Lyme treating
physicians from prosecution by the State of Connecticut Medical Examining
Board solely on the basis of a clinical diagnosis and /or for treatment of
long-term Lyme disease.

The bill provides the definition for Lyme disease which includes , “the
presence in a patient of signs and symptoms compatible with acute infection
with Borrelia burgdorferi; or with late stage or persistent or chronic
infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, or with complications related to such
an infection.”

It also defines clinical diagnosis as determined by a physician “.that is
based on knowledge obtained through the medical history and physical
examination alone, or in conjunction with the testing that provides
supportive data for such clinical diagnosis.” In addition, it provides for
updating the definition if other strains are found to cause Lyme disease.

The final bill was the result of months of negotiations between Legislative
leaders, the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the undersigned
groups representing patients.

We would like to thank Representatives Jason Bartlett, Kim Fawcett, Chris
Lyddy , Peggy Reeves and all of the legislators who supported this bill.

We would also like to thank the Legislative leadership for taking time from
their busy schedules to meet with us over the past several weeks. We
particularly thank the joint Public Health Committee Chairs, Representative
Betsy Ritter and Senator Jonathan Harris and the Public Health Committee for
understanding this complex issue and its importance to patients in CT.

We would like to extend our appreciation to the patients, families and
members of the Lyme community who wrote letters, made phone calls and
testified in support of H.B. 6200.

We have confidence that the Connecticut Senate will fulfill its commitment
to CT residents and pass this important piece of legislation intact.

Please note this bill has moved from the Public Health Committee; it still
needs to be passed by the House; Senate and Rell; but is big step!

=========================

http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12005818

Controversial Lyme disease bill passed by legislative Public Health
Committee
By Brian Lockhart
Staff Writer
Updated: 03/26/2009 11:03:49 PM EDT

HARTFORD — The Legislature’s Public Health Committee unanimously passed a
bill about tick-borne Lyme disease Thursday that could rock the health care
industry if it becomes law.

“This is a huge message,” state Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, the bill’s
sponsor, said after the panel approved the proposal without debate.

The proposal would validate the treatment of chronic Lyme disease in
Connecticut. It clarifies to physicians, despite an opinion from the
Infectious Disease Society of America that chronic Lyme disease does not
exist, that they do have the right to diagnose and prescribe long-term
antibiotics for the illness without fear of reprisal by the state.

“The thing that’s important to us is we send a clear message, ‘It’s OK to go
outside the Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines,’” said
Fawcett, who is not a member of the health panel.

Discovered in the mid-1970s in Connecticut, Lyme disease is transmitted to
humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.

Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a rash. If untreated,
infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.

The commonly accepted treatment is up to 28 days of antibiotics. But some
patients are convinced they suffer from chronic Lyme disease and need longer
courses of antibiotic treatment.

But the Infectious Diseases Society, which in 2006 developed updated
treatment guidelines for doctors, dismisses chronic Lyme disease as
Advertisement
a myth.

“There are no convincing published scientific data that support the
existence of chronic Lyme disease,” Anne Gershon, president of the
Virginia-based society, wrote lawmakers in February.

She wrote that the concept of chronic Lyme disease has been promoted by “a
small group of physicians” but the dangers of long-term antibiotic therapy
are well-documented and should not be encouraged by legislation like the
bill passed by the committee Thursday.

State Rep. Jason Bartlett, D-Bethel, another bill sponsor who sits on the
Public Health Committee, told colleagues Thursday the legislation would
address the dueling “standards for practice” that have arisen over chronic
Lyme disease.

“Because of these two disagreements the (Connecticut) Department of Public
Health, we feel, has been biased towards the 28 days of antibiotics,”
Bartlett said.

He said the result is a “chill effect” on physicians who might otherwise be
willing to diagnose and treat chronic Lyme disease.

Following a public hearing on the bill in early February, William Gerrish, a
spokesman for the health department, said there is no state policy against
long-term antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease.

Gerrish said state health officials are concerned the bill as written would
strip the department of its ability to review complaints and violations,
particularly in cases where the care being provided to a patient deviates
from current, evidence-based practice.

No doctors offered testimony in February that they felt persecuted by the
state health department for treating chronic Lyme disease.

But at the time, Matthew Katz, vice president of the Connecticut State
Medical Society, confirmed there are concerns among physicians over the
state’s recent actions against Dr. Charles Ray Jones, a New Haven
pediatrician renowned for treating chronic Lyme disease.

In December 2007, the state Medical Examining Board, responding to an
investigation by the Department of Public Health, fined Jones $10,000 and
put him on probation for two years for diagnosing children with Lyme disease
and treating them with antibiotics before examining them.

Jones is appealing the decision.

Katz said news coverage focused on the doctor’s reputation as a last resort
for those complaining of chronic Lyme disease.

“What appeared in the paper and on the news — Lyme disease mistreatment –
it raised a lot of concerns,” Katz said at the time.

Fawcett’s bill states that as of July 1, 2009, the Medical Examining Board
may not discipline a licensed physician “solely for” prescribing,
administering and dispensing long-term antibiotic therapy to a patient
clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease as documented in their medical
records.

The State Medical Society backs the concept of the bill, but is not taking a
position on the existence of chronic Lyme disease.

Gerrish said the Department of Public Health is still hoping to work with
the health committee to “preserve our ability to conduct a thorough
investigation to protect the public.”

“That bill is perfect in our eyes,” Fawcett said.

But Health Committee co-chairwoman state Rep. Betsy Ritter, D-Quaker Hill,
told her colleagues before Thursday’s vote the legislation may change before
going to the full General Assembly.

“There will be “at least a bit more work going on with this bill before
we’re finished,” Ritter said.

On 3/27/09 6:06 AM, “Maggie Shaw” <Lancaster60@aol.com> wrote:

Click here: Controversial Lyme disease bill passed by legislative Public
Health Committee – NewsTimes.com <http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12005818>

_____

For more information visit
http://www.lymedisease.com

Psychiatric impact of Lyme Disease

Untreated or delayed treatment of Lyme disease or coinfections can lead to spirochete involvement in the brain. Some researchers believe that bacteria may migrate to the brain even early on in the infection.

Many psychiatric and neurological conditions can manifest in degrees ranging from mild to severe. It is critical that treating professionals and patients themselves understand that this medical condition may be at the bottom of clinical manifestations of conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings that may mimic bi-polar disorder, sleep disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism-like disorder, rage and impulse disorders, psychosis, seizures and cognitive losses.

Dr. Robert Bransfield, a Lyme-literate psychiatrist from Red Bank, New Jersey has developed an amazing and comprehensive neuropsychiatric evaluation. What makes it ground-breaking is that he understands what happens to the brain and mind from the inside-out. He tracks common neurological and psychiatric conditions that can be associated with Lyme and associated illnesses.

This is not a blaming, as in “It’s all in your head.” This is a validation and understanding that bacterial invasion into the body and brain can produce unusual and unexpected effects that color the way we feel, sense and experience the world.

By discretely and in a detailed way tracking the inner world, he allows the patient to understand how these strange and seemingly unconnected pains, feelings, thoughts and experiences are tied to a physical illness that demands healing – not just one-dimensional medical treatment.

Here is a description of Dr. Bransfield’s evaluation:

Cognitive symptoms that are commonly associated with Lyme disease and other coinfections are associated with:

A. Attention span:

Is sustained attention possible?
Can attention be prioritized and allocated in an effective way?
Is attention easily distracted by frustration?
Is attention distracted by excessive sensitivity to auditory stimulation?
Is attention distracted by visual stimulation?
Is attention distracted by tactile stimulation?
Is attention distracted by olfactory stimulation?

B. Memory

Can information be kept in the mind long enough to complete problem solving?
Can awareness be maintained of structures in surrounding space?
Can information be recalled that was learned in prior years?
Is information stored correctly in the mind?
Is memory retrieval slow when retrieving:

1. words

2. numbers

3. names

4. faces

5. motor sequences

6. geographical and spatial data

Is there a decreased ability to spell correctly?
Is there a tendency to reverse the sequence of letters in words?
Is there a tendency to insert opposite, closely related or incorrect words in a sentence?
Is there a tendency to reverse numbers when writing a number?

C. Processing

Is there a decrease in the ability to understand what is read?
Is there a significant decline in the ability to understand spoken language?
Is the ability to track where a sound is generated from reduced?
Is the ability to track spatial awareness of the environment reduced?
Is there an increased difficulty targeting movements through space (for example, bumping into doorways)?
Is there a loss in the ability to rotate something 180 degrees in your mind?
Is there a tendency to confuse left and right?
Have calculation abilities declined?
Does speech flow fluently, or is there a tendency to it to be interrupted?
Has stuttering increased?
Is speech slurred at times?
Can thoughts be put down in writing, or has that ability declined?
Has handwriting deteriorated?
Is there at times a feeling of loss of connection with physical existence?
Is there a loss of the feeling of reality?
Is there a loss in the ability to recognize familiar objects?
Is there a loss in the ability to perform skilled tasks?

D. Imagery

Is there a loss in the ability to visualize an image in your head?
Do images intrude that may be aggressive, sexual or in other ways disturbing?
Is there a tendency to dream even when awake?
Is there a tendency for vivid nightmares?
Are objects in peripheral vision sometimes distorted?
Is there evidence that you may hear, see, smell or feel things that are not there?

E. Thought processing and Executive Function

Memory impairment or loss – also called Lyme fog
Difficulty in concentrating
Inability to absorb information
Tangential thinking – that is, starting in one direction then going off in a different direction
Difficulty in planning and prioritizing multiple tasks
Difficulty in performing multiple simultaneous tasks
Racing thoughts
Obsessive, repetitive thoughts that cannot be controlled
Mental apathy, or lack of spontaneous thought, ideas or initiative
Lost ability for abstract reasoning

F. Mood Symptoms

Decreased frustration tolerance
Sudden abrupt mood swings
Hypervigilance
Paranoia

G. Behavioral Symptoms

Lack of normal inhibition (disinhibition)
Exaggerated Startle Reflex
Explosive anger
Suicidal
Homicidal
Accident Prone
Decreased social functioning
Decreased Job or school performance
Marital or family problems
Substance abuse
Legal difficulties
Dissociative episodes (feeling separate from your own self)
Compulsive behavior to compensate for feeling of failure
Dropping objects
Crying spells

H. Psychiatric Syndromes

Depression (this and all other conditions not previously experienced)
Manic depression rapidly alternating between depression and mania
Panic disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (not previously experienced)
Social phobia
Generalized anxiety

I. Maintenance of Life functions (also called Vegetative Functions)

Impaired sleep wakefulness cycle

This can vary from not feeling well-rested in the morning to initial, mid and late insomnia. It may also be that one sleeps too much (called hypersomnia) or looses the 24 hour cycle altogether.

Eating disorder

Newly diagnosed anorexia, weight loss, or overeating not motivated by hunger; there may be weight gain with increased food intake and at times there may be weight gain even without increased food intake.

Sexual disorders

There may be decreased or increased libido; there may be decreased capacity for arousal or orgasm or pleasure. There may be a change or alteration in sexual imagery. Menstrual irregularity may occur as well.

Disturbed temperature control

There may be body temperature fluctuations, flushing, night sweats, low grade fevers and chill, intolerance to heat and cold.

J. Neurological Symptoms

There may be a variety of headache types: general, cervical radioculopathy, migraine, or orgasm migraine. It is also possible to have headaches associated with TMJ (temperomanidbular joint syndrome), tension, cluster or sinus headaches.
Cranial nerve involvement

1. Olfactory nerve

There may be loss of the sense of smell altered sensation of smell or hypersensitivity as well as altered taste.

2. Opthalmologic involvement

When this nerve is affected there may be blurred vision, aversion to light , either bright, florescent or flickering light (photophobia). There may be excess floaters, light flashes, conjunctivitis, eye pain or dry eyes. There are sometimes blind spots, night blindness, peripheral shadows, inflammation of the iris, inflammation of the uvea, optic neuritis and papilledema (swelling of the optic disc). There may be double vision or the eye may drift when tired. There may also be drooping of the upper lid.

3. Sensory Loss; what this means is that there may be areas of numbness. It can feel both without sensation, or painfully numb.

4. Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis)

5. Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss, dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness or sound-induced vertigo, dizziness, nausea and/or eye movements (tullio’s syndrome)

6. Episodic loss of speech, choking on food, difficulty swallowing

7. Paresis is partial loss of movement, or impaired movement. It usually refers to the limbs, but it also can be used to describe the muscles of the eyes and stomach.

8. Tongue veers off to one side

Seizures

1. There may actually be Tonic-clonic seizures (previously called Grand Mal Seizures) which are a type of generalized electrical firing or overstimulation affecting the entire brain.

2. There may also be complex partial seizures. Complex partial seizures take place in a discrete part of the brain, usually in the temporal or cortical part of the brain and cause impaired consciousness. What this means is that there may be decreased responsiveness and awareness of the self and surroundings. It may be difficult to communicate, respond to commands or remember events. During a complex partial seizure, the patient may not communicate, respond to commands, or remember events that occurred.

Other Neurological problems

Numbness
Tingling
Sensory Loss
Burning
Static electric sensation
Crawling sensation under the skin
Stabbing sensations
Partial loss of movement (paresis)
Tremors
Twitching
Muscle tightness
Muscle discomfort (like restless leg)
Myoclonis – brief, shock-like jerks of muscle or group of muscles.jerks of a muscle or a group of muscles.
Torticollis, or wry neck, is a condition in which the head is tilted toward one side, and the chin is elevated and turned toward the opposite side.
Tourette’s syndrome - that is, a complex of symptoms that include multiple involuntary muscle movements called tics, and impulsive verbal (sometimes in the form of swearing or insulting) tics.
Ataxia, that is gross lack of coordination of muscle movements
Fainting
Herniated disks
Spasticity
Meningismus – that is an intolerance to bright light and headaches

Musculoskeletal

The joints may be painful, there may be swelling, tightness; there may be bone thinning or fractures, bone pain, inflammation of the elbow, plantar fascitis (heel pain), muscle pain (chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia (chronic widespread pain), inflammation of the cartilage – it may turn red and be warm to the touch (of the ear and nose for example), tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome (painful wrist/s)

Cardiac

Microbial involvement in the heart may manifest as chest pain, mitral valve prolapse, racing pulse, episodes of rapid and slow heart rate, inflammation of the pericardium, cardiomyopathy (that is, the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn’t work as well as it should), heart murmur, hypertension, or hypertensive crisis.

Pulmonary/Upper Respiratory

Complication in this system may include shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, swollen glands, or asthma. There may be upper gastro-intestinal distress, chronic or recurrent indigestion, irritable bowel, abdominal bloating, delayed gastric emptying (the vegus nerve may be impaired, which gives direction to the intestines to promptly move digested food out of the bowel), hepatitis, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel, inflammation of the gall bladder, gall stones or fecal incontinence.

Genitourinary Problems

There may be genital pain, breast pain or tenderness, inappropriate lactation, irritable bladder, interstitial cystitis – this is a painful condition of the bladder, urinary incontinence, atrophy of the genitalia, numbness of the genitalia or recurrent urinary tract infections.

Autoimmune Symptoms

Since Lyme disease affects the body’s ability to defend itself, there are a multitude of possible repercussions. Here are some of the symptoms or syndromes that can result: alcohol intolerance, hair loss, thyroid dysfunction. There may develop a syndrome called Wilson’s Syndrome which is an alternative medical diagnosis (controversial) in which the syndrome’s manifestations include fatigue, headaches, premenstrual syndrome, hair loss, irritability, fluid retention, depression, decreased memory, low sex drive, unhealthy nails, easy weight gain, and other symptoms, in the absence of a blood test indicating hypothyroidism.

A condition called adrenal insufficiency may develop in which the adrenals, located above the kidneys, do not produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones (chemicals produced by the body that regulate organ function), primarily cortisol, but may also include impaired aldosterone production which regulates sodium, potassium and water retention.Craving for salt or salty foods due to the urinary losses of sodium is common^.

Hypoglycemia is a medical condition in which the blood contains lower than normal glucose levels. Hypoglycemia can produce a variety of symptoms and effects but the principal problems arise from an inadequate supply of glucose as fuel to the brain, resulting in impairment of function. Symptoms can range from vaguely “feeling bad” to coma, seizures and (rarely) permanent brain damage or death. Hypoglycemia can arise from many causes and can occur at any age.

Vasculitis may occur. This is a condition referring to destructive inflammation of the arteries and veins. Sometimes abnormal buildup of fluid is found in the ankles, feet, and legs called peripheral edema. Tooth pain and periodontal disease is sometimes associated with Lyme disease. Nose bleeds and multiple chemical sensitivities may develop along with severe allergies. Enlargement of the speen has been observed in chronic Lyme patients, and easy bruising has been observed as well. Chronic pain may be experienced in bone or muscle, or other locations, sometimes roving.

A condition called Lymphocytoma may co-occur: this is a circumscribed mass of mature lymphocytes.

The overview here is that since immune function is compromised and the body is not able to protect itself fully, many unrelated conditions may develop.

Fluctuation of Symptoms

To be continued!

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Cynthia M. Chase

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