My daily dose of reality is that now that I am feeling better I am working. Working more than I have in years. From starting my own travel agency to growing Wisconsin Lyme Network, all while continuing to treat my Lyme and keep the house up. Gee whiz, it’s an exhaustive process let me tell you.
Last weekend I attended a medical conference on Lyme disease and it was amazing. I learned more than I think I needed to know. The good the bad and the ugly of the disease that plagues so many. I makes me want to get involved more and more. Especially now that our children are for the most part on their own. ( still living here yet they do their own thing….)
I wanted to share two of my last posts from both my business as well as the WLN. I will do this periodically as both are dear to my heart.
From Facebook:
Many of you know that Lyme is dear to my heart as our family has been directly affected by this debilitating disease. I am an advocate in finding ways to help others afflicted
5 years ago I was so sick that I couldn’t get to the end of the driveway without the use of a wheelchair, I slept 18-20 hrs a day, the pain I experienced was so bad that no one could touch me, I could recognize faces yet could not remember names, I could not remember how to get to destinations I had driven to for 6 years so I gave up driving (aren’t you all in WI glad I did?), I could not speak in complete sentences, my bloodwork mimicked Lupus and MS, and to say the least I was a complete mess.
Lyme disease is the top vector borne illness currently and it can no longer be ignored. I am working, or I should say volunteering, as President of the Wisconsin Lyme Network, where we are giving a voice to those who are too sick to do so. We are educating and bringing awareness through speaking engagements, farmers market stands, attendance at medical conferences, social media, walks and more. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit that operates on donations. I am asking all of you to consider your 2018 charitable donation to be directed in this way.
Not aware of Lyme disease? Here are a few highlights:
Children, especially 6-10 year old boys are most commonly affected; they are the ones rolling around in the grass, in the woods and climbing trees. Lyme is not however, discriminating and affects ALL ages
Facial Nerve Palsy is one of the most common manifestations of Bb; the bacteria we call Lyme
Vertigo is a significant symptom
There are an estimated >400,000 new cases in the U.S. EACH year; Breast Cancer has an estimated 242,476 (as of 2015 CDC website)
Lyme is transferred NOT JUST BY deer ticks; any insect has the potential to carry the bacteria we know of as Lyme; Mosquitos, fleas, lice, spiders, any tick, etc. They have tested them folks, this is not a joke. Personally, I know of three cases in one year alone just from mosquitos in one state. They spoke of this at the ILADS medical conference….
In WI, surveillance of Bb has been going on since 1980. This is not a new disease.
EVERY state has reported cases with the exception of Hawaii. Those cases in Hawaii are believed to have been contracted outside of the state.
This is just a short list of symptoms and documentation. The symptoms are great, the bacteria’s are very real, this is not going away and we need to be educated.
Won’t you help us? Thank you in advance dear friends.
Did you know? WLN is a 501(c)3 nonprofit? All of us working with WLN are volunteers who do not benefit from any of the funds that we raise.
How do we raise the funds? At this time we are taking donations through several avenues. Our website allows people to make donations through paypal and a receipt of the donation will be sent directly.
Amazon Smiles. We are set up to receive donations as well and you should receive a receipt.
Facebook also has a donation site that one may choose to make contributions.
We have been receiving donations from each of these and this is what has helped us fund our updated new website, our logo, supplies for our farmers market display, sending one doctor and two Lyme advocates to this past ILADS conference.
What does the future look like for WLN?
Our future in 2019 looks like this:
A Lyme Mini Conference and a Lyme Walk, and sending 2+ doctors for training who have not already been Lyme trained.
How can you help?
If you need to make a last minute donation for that write off, please consider the Wisconsin Lyme Network as a place to donate.
Thank you for your support in reading my blogs and keeping me in your thoughts everyone. I know I am absent from this blog quite often yet I am working on it. :).
