Rhonda Buker of Newry and Diane Farnum of Roxbury call themselves “partners in Lyme.”

That’s because, they said, they both had Lyme disease over the same period of years, without knowing it. After finally getting diagnosed and treated, they have dedicated much of their time to educating others about the disease.

As part of that effort, they have organized a Lyme Disease Awareness Conference in Mexico on May 5, which will feature two doctors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education about Lyme, and several panelists.

The two women have known each other for 15 years. Beginning in 2000, they said, they shared the same disease, though Farnum would not be diagnosed until 2005 and Buker until 2008.

Buker says in hindsight, she  knows when she was bitten by a black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick, which can carry the infectious bacteria. but she believed at the time that the swelling and red ring on her ankle had been caused by a spider bite, and she thought little of it.

She said she then developed symptoms that included knee problems, fluid buildup, and flu-like symptoms.

As time progressed, more symptoms developed, including fatigue, migraines, memory  problems, heart palpitations, numbness in her feet, and a long list of other ailments. She passed out several times, twice while driving.

“I felt like I was in a downward spiral,” Buker said.

As she sought a diagnosis, she said, “I was in treatment for eight or 10 different things. I was told I had stress, that I had depression, that I was a hypochondriac.”

In 2008, now unable to work, she was tested for Lyme. It came back negative.

After a long search for another doctor, she went to what is referred to as a “Lyme literate” doctor, who diagnosed her based on her symptoms. She also had a second test for Lyme, a different type (Igenex Western blot) than the first. It came back positive.

She began treatment with oral antibiotics in June of that year. “I was told I may get sicker before I get better,” she said.

Initially her symptoms improved, but she said she then had a Herxheimer reaction (an increase in symptoms when a treatment is started), “which seemed to cycle almost monthly. I was steadily improving, but in the fall of 2008, I began to have more several neurological symptoms, and unexplained eye symptoms.”

Buker continued  to see doctors, including an opthamologist, a neurologist, and an ear, nose and throat specialist, all of whom were skeptical either of the initial Lyme diagnosis, or that she might have chronic Lyme (persistent symptoms and a persistent infection by the bacteria, a condition whose existence is up for debate in the medical community).

“I just could not believe it. Once again I was devastated,” she said.

Her Lyme doctor and an optometrist recommended intravenous antibiotics, she said.

After a fundraiser to help her with expenses, in June 2010 Buker went to Washington, D.C., to see Lyme specialist Dr. Joseph Jemsek.

She said she came home with instructions for 10 months of IV treatment, which was supervised by a doctor in Rumford.

Buker started her IV treatments at home in October of 2010, then after being approved for disability status and going on Medicare, went to Rumford Hospital for treatments, she said.

“I had adverse reactions to some of the medications and was hospitalized on several occasions,” she said.

She had treatments five days a week from February to August of 2011.

“I had to stop in August because the side effects were too much,” she said. “I did it for 10 months and it was worth it. It turned around most of my symptoms, including neurological and eye symptoms. although I finished IV therapy in August, it wasn’t until October that I felt alive again.”

But symptoms began coming back over Christmas, and in January she went back on oral antibiotics. “Now I am facing IV therapy again,” said Buker.

She hopes this time she won’t get as sick, reasoning that the bacteria have had only 10 months to reinfect her, rather than 10 years.

“there is no known cure for chronic Lyme Disease,” she said. “I don’t think I will ever get my old life back. My hope is to restore my health back to a place where I can function. Treatment has shown me that I can get better.”

Note: Longterm antibiotics such as Buker had are questioned by some in the medical establishment. They cite several concerns, among them: that the antibiotics have no effect on symptoms that linger (referred to by the Centers for Disease Control as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, rather than chronic Lyme) after initial treatment; that patients may develop allergies to the medication; and that longtime use can promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Farnum

When Buker was first diagnosed with Lyme, Farnum had been under treatment for three years. unlike Buker, she can’t trace her symptoms back to a bite.

“I lived on Main Street in Mexico,” she said. “I’m not an outdoor person.”

After experiencing a progression of symptoms similar to Buker’s that began in 2000, Farnum was finally tested with the Western blot blood test and found positive. “I’ve been on and off antibiotics and herbals since 2005,” she said.

With the initial treatment, she said, “I had an immediate improvement in the amnesia, within the first few weeks.”

But, she said, “It was over a year into the treatment before I actually felt good. I still have days when I am totally disabled and in bed. Those days are few and between, and they are not as long or as intense as they used to be.”

Farnum formerly worked full-time, but now works part-time.

Tips to avoid infection

Both women have also had recent encounters with ticks. for Farnum, it was a telltale red ring on her scalp that was found by her hairdresser, resulting in another round of antibiotics.

For Buker, it was a deer tick she found on the back of her head during last month’s warm spell, also prompting more antibiotics.

Both said they know numerous other local people who have had Lyme Disease.

The women have some suggestions for preventing infection.

People going outside during tick season – anytime other than the frozen parts of the year – should wear strong tick repellent and check themselves and their family members. Because the ticks and their nymphs (young stage) are so tiny, the women said, they personally find it easier to feel them than see them.

“When my grandchildren come inside, we do ‘tick checks,’” said Farnum. “We’ve done it since they were babies.”

But it’s still not foolproof – her grandson was bitten, got a rash and had a course of antibiotics.

They are also wary of the general rule that ticks that are on the body less than 24 hours rarely transmit Lyme. “I think any attached tick puts you at risk,” said Buker, suggesting people still watch for symptoms or see a doctor.

The women keep their yards clear of leaf and grass litter, places that ticks and nymphs love to hide while they wait for a warm body to come along.

Buker and Farnum have also been working to educate others about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment by making brochures available at many locations. Information sources that the women cite include organizations such as Maine Lyme, the Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Lyme Disease Association, inc.

They also attend conferences, and it was a conference in New Hampshire a year ago that prompted them to organize one here.

“When we came out, we said ‘we’re going to do this next year,’” said Farnum.

Conference

Their conference, the first annual Western Maine Lyme Disease Awareness Conference, will take place May 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico. It is free to the public.

The women have arranged for Dr. mark Weatherbee, an optometrist, and Dr. Bea Szantyr, a pediatrician, to speak. Szantyr is a member of an online support group in which Buker and Farnum are active, said Buker, and she does voluntary Lyme Disease presentations throughout Maine. Weatherbee, Szantyr’s husband, also does such presentations, Buker said, and he was the optometrist who evaluated her.

A representative of Maine Lyme will also participate. Panelists will include an adult and a child patient, as well as relatives of Lyme patients.

For more information contact Buker at 824-3076 or ; or Farnum at 357-1926 or .

Following is information on Lyme Disease taken from the websites of the Maine Center for Disease Control and the Federal Centers for Disease Control:

Maine Center for Disease Control

Removing ticks: Using tweezers, grab the tick at its mouth, and using firm, steady pressure pull the tick out. if a tick is known to have been attached to the skin for less than 24 hours, the chance of getting Lyme disease is very small. in general, ticks need to be attached for 24 to 48 hours before they can give someone Lyme disease. but to be safe, people bitten should monitor their health closely for one month after a bite, and call a doctor with any early signs of the disease.

Symptoms: Early signs usually occur within the first month after the tick bite. Later symptoms would occur several weeks to several months later. Symptoms may include: a ring-like rash around the area of the tick bite — the rash could resemble a bull’s eye with a clearing center and a distinct ring around it; Flu-like symptoms (fatigue, headache, fever, muscle or joint soreness). Stage signs of Lyme disease include: arthritis, neurological (nerves) problems, cardiovascular (heart) problems.

Federal Centers for Disease Control

Accuracy of testing: the accuracy of the test depends upon the stage of disease. During the first few weeks of infection, such as when a patient has an erythema migrans rash, the test is expected to be negative. several weeks after infection, currently available ELISA, EIA and IFA tests and two-tier testing have very good sensitivity. It is possible for someone who was infected with Lyme disease to test negative because: Some people who receive antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline) early in disease (within the first few weeks after tick bite) may not develop antibodies or may only develop them at levels too low to be detected by the test. Antibodies against Lyme disease bacteria usually take a few weeks to develop, so tests performed before this time may be negative even if the person is infected. in this case, if the person is retested a few weeks later, they should have a positive test if they have Lyme disease. It is not until 4-6 weeks have passed that the test is likely to be positive.

Testing positive after treatment: the tests for Lyme disease detect antibodies made by the immune system to fight off the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. Your immune system continues to make the antibodies for months or years after the infection is gone. this means that once your blood tests positive, it will continue to test positive for months to years, even though the bacteria are no longer present. unfortunately, in the case of bacterial infections, these antibodies don’ t prevent someone from getting Lyme disease again if they are bitten by another infected tick.

Recovery after treatment: Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stages of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. most patients who are treated in later stages of the disease also respond well to antibiotics, although some may have suffered long-term damage to the nervous system or joints. Approximately 10-20 percent of patients experience fatigue, muscle aches, sleep disturbance, or difficulty thinking even after completing a recommended course of antibiotic treatment. These symptoms cannot be cured by longer courses of antibiotics, but they generally improve on their own, over time.

A 23-year-old pregnant woman hailing from Dhule, who had tested positive for H1N1 virus, died on Thursday at city?s JJ Hospital, a day after she delivered a baby there. following the death, the doctors have said that pregnant women should especially be cautious as they fall under the high-risk group.

?The immunity levels in such women are already compromised owing to their pregnancy. they should be careful and should stay away from anyone who shows flu-like symptoms such as cold or cough. in case, they start showing symptoms themselves, there should be no delay in starting a treatment before the situation gets aggravated,? said Dr Abhay Chaudhary, director of Haffkine?s Institute.

Chaudhary said that testing for the flu is not necessary and people can start taking Tamiflu as a preventive measure on showing flu symptoms. Mumbai has seen 14 positive cases of swine flu over the past one month.

Meanwhile, public health minister Suresh Shetty said there are no reports of mutation in the H1N1 virus but promised to launch an extensive awareness drive at railway and bus stations Speaking in the Legislative Council, Shetty said National Institute of Virology, Pune and CMC, Vellore have not reported any mutation in the strain of the virus. He said there was stock of 1.8 lakh Tamiflu tablets in Mumbai and 11.5 lakh tablets in rest of Maharashtra.

Asked about the availability of swine flu vaccines in the state, Shetty said the Centre had supplied vaccines to medical practitioners and the use of vaccine was not recommended for general public. ?The vaccine is effective for eight to ten months,? said Shetty.

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Jackson Health System

Angela’s father Petrit Bushi, Angela and her mother Valbona, smile after the 6-year-old girl received a new liver, two kidneys and pancreas.

By Rita Rubin

Valbona Bushi, 28, knew even before the doctors did: her daughter Angela’s liver was failing, just as Angela’s younger sister’s had.

At first, emergency room doctors dismissed the kindergartener’s flu-like symptoms as nothing serious. but the next day the 6-year-old’s abdomen was slightly swollen. Bushi, whose 18-month-old daughter Alicia had died of liver failure just a few months earlier, rushed Angela back to the hospital near their home in Jacksonville, Fla. after tests revealed the little girl needed a liver transplant and she was referred to Holtz Children’s Hospital, affiliated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

A new liver would save Angela from imminent death, but doctors wanted to do more — to try to actually extend her life. Angela, whose parents had moved to Jacksonville from Albania seven years ago, had been newly diagnosed with a rare, fatal genetic disorder called Wolcott-Rallison Syndrome. only about 60 cases of the disorder – which causes infant-onset diabetes and liver failure, as well as bone fractures, intellectual impairment and frequent infections — have been reported. only one of those children lived into young adulthood. It had killed Angela’s younger sister and damaged Angela’s organs.

On December 29, in an unprecedented multiple-organ transplant on a child, Angela received a liver, two kidneys and a pancreas, doctors said.

 The operation – the first time a transplant has been used to treat the disorder —  “might offer some hope for these children with this rare syndrome, that life can be prolonged, hopefully in a very meaningful way,” Dr. Andreas Tzakis, transplant surgeon, told msnbc.com Thursday. Tzakis is the chief of the liver and digestive tract program at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

A viral infection, the kind most kids easily bounce back from, caused Angela’s liver failure, said Dr. Olaf Bodamer, director of the pediatric genetics program at Holtz Children’s Hospital. In children with Wolcott-Rallison, a protein doesn’t function normally. When patients contract a virus, their cells are unable to clear the resulting waste products, Bodamer explained. “Theoretically, any organ could be affected,” he says, but the liver, pancreas and kidneys are most vulnerable.

Angelad was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as as a baby, but, since her transplant, is no longer diabetic.

Her post-operative course “was tougher than expected,” says Tzakis. but she recovered and was discharged from the hospital on Feb. 23.

Now, Angela can’t wait to return to kindergarten which she had attended for only two weeks before becoming ill, her mother said.

“Every day she says, ‘I miss my school,’” Bushi says. Angela’s return to the germy world of elementary school will have to wait until she’s more stable, but Tzakis has “guarded optimism” that the transplant operation will halt or slow the normal course of her disorder.

“they saved my daughter’s life,” Angela’s mother Valbona told msnbc.com.

December 01, 2011 1:36 PM

continued from A1

and can cause fever, headache, and fatigue. if left untreated, the disease can then cause joint problems, cardiac issues, and neurological issues. there is typically a rash that appears at the site of the bite that looks similar to a bulls eye. this disease can be contracted numerous times without your body creating a defense against it due to the fact that it hides in your lymph nodes and can even change their structure.

Lyme disease is not the only disease that can be contracted from a tick. Another disease is called Anaplasmosis. this pathogen invades your white blood cells and causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches and headaches. The other is called Babesiosis, a pathogen that invades your red blood cells and, according to Mr. Dapsis, “blows them up.” this disease causes malaria-like symptoms such as sweats, chills, gastrointestinal distress, respiratory distress, and severe anemia.

The issue that plagues many is how to successfully keep ticks from attacking people and transmitting these diseases. there are several things people can do to help reduce the likelihood of a tick bite, such as using an insect repellant that contains DEET or Permethrin. there are also Permethrin sprays for your clothing, which last for approximately six washes before needing to be reapplied. there is now even Permethrin-treated clothing that can repel ticks for up to 70 washings.

“In terms of protecting yourself, what really has been under-communicated is the potential benefit of repellent treated clothing,” said Larry.

Mr. Dapsis had a pair of these slacks on hand, made by the company Insect Shield, and demonstrated their power. He placed three female deer ticks on the pants and we watched as the ticks appeared to become increasingly more disoriented until they eventually stopped moving altogether. The whole process took approximately 10 minutes. according to Mr. Dapsis, the ticks are doomed if exposed to the chemical infused apparel for more than 60 seconds.

“These pants act like a tick waterslide, the grab on then slide right off. I have been using these pants as well as spraying my boots and socks with Permethrin and have not had a single tick bite all year, and I am out there in the brush looking for them,” Mr. Dapsis said.

According to Mr. Dapsis, there are simple ways to protect one’s yard and pets as well. Homeowners can spray the perimeter of their yards with a repellent that must be used in early spring and again in early summer. Homeowners can purchase the chemical or hire a company to provide this service. The chemical acts as a barrier to help keep ticks away from your property. Homeowners can also mulch the perimeter of their property, which helps keep ticks at bay. other, easier methods include keeping bird feeders away from the home, and staying away from plants that attract white tail deer. Bird feeders attract white footed mice, which are known carriers of ticks. Deer are also carriers of a large number of ticks. according to Larry, a deer can carry as many as 200 to 300 ticks around their ears.

Pet protection is pretty straightforward: simply apply flea and tick medication such as Frontline or Advantix as directed. this has proven to be a successful tick inhibitor, and is all that is necessary to help ensure a pet is protected.

Ticks only feed three times in their two-year life cycle. there are four stages to a tick’s life cycle. They are egg stage, the larva stage, the nymph stage, and the adult stage. a bite from a tick in the larva stage holds no real threat as they have not had the chance to contract anything from biting an infected animal. The nymph stage is the most dangerous, because ticks in this stage typically bite small rodents or birds and contract the diseases from them. once they finish feeding and detach from that animal, they are now infected for life and can transmit that disease to another organism it attaches to.

Mr. Dapsis said 25 percent of nymphs carry at least one of the three main tick-borne diseases, and they transmit these diseases most often due to their small size. a typical nymph is the size of a single poppy seed. Fifty percent of adult ticks carry at least one of the three diseases, but transmission is less likely as they are more readily seen and are removed before anything can be transmitted. Mr. Dapsis said it takes approximately 24 hours to contract a tick-borne disease.

For more information visit Barnstable County’s website capecpdextension.org or call Larry Dapsis at 508-375-6642.

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A life-threatening bacterial infection has struck more than 20 dogs in the metro Detroit area within the last three weeks.

This severe strain of leptospirosis is very deadly and particularly rare.

“Since 2000, we’ve seen 20 or 30 cases in the whole state of this type of leptospirosis,” said Dr. Carole Bolin, director of MSU’s Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health.

Dogs can catch the disease from rats or from standing water or animal urine. This type of leptospirosis can also transmit dog-to-dog and even dog-to-person.

Symptoms worsen rapidly, starting with the dog refusing to eat or not looking like itself, growing within days to vomiting, liver or kidney failure and death.

Infections in humans have similar symptoms with feelings of flu-like symptoms, fever and muscle cramps.

Leptospirosis is treatable if caught early enough.

“This is a bacterial disease so antibiotics can be helpful, but they have to get in early before all of the damage has been done to the organs,” said Dr. Bolin.

Another important step to take is to make sure your pet is vaccinated against leptospirosis. If you’re unsure, you can ask your vet to check.

No leptospirosis cases of this type have been reported in the mid-Michigan area yet.

The good news, Dr. Bolin says, is a good hard freeze will help to kill off the bacteria responsible for the infection.

since you have the use of the internet,
why not get accurate info by googling it ?

you may not get all the info from strangers, right ?

The most common sympton is a giant red circle around the actual bite sometimes in the shape of a bullseye, but that uncommon. mostly its a just a red rash around the bite, it can occur 3-30 days after the bite.

Then what follows are migraines, flu-like symptoms, muscle soreness and fever.

Next time just google Lyme Disease, might easier than just sitting around waiting on someone to answer.

Good sources of info about Lyme disease:
lymedisease.org
ilads.org
canlyme.com
lymenet.org
lymeinfo.net
lymediseaseassociation.org
lymedoctor.com
touchedbylyme.org

Fever, rash, fatigue.

My husband has been sick on and off for a couple of months, he keeps getting flu like symptoms and then gets better for a week, a few days, then gets sick with the flu again, this time around he's also been complaining of a sore jaw and has these painful ulcers in his mouth which makes it hard to eat, what could this all mean?

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Q my husband has been having a problem for at least a year with having to get up several times at night. then he had a burning sensation when he went to the bathroom.

He started taking a product called Super Beta Prostate. he went to a urologist, who gave him antibiotics and said he was retaining a day’s urine in his bladder.

Is there anything he can do, take or eat to help with the retention? the urologist said he could wear a catheter, but my husband is 83 years old and will not do this.

A my guess is that your husband suffers from prostatitis, the swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland. This walnut-sized gland is located directly below the bladder in men.

Symptoms include difficulties with urination, a frequent urge to urinate, dribbling, pain in the groin/pelvis/genital area and flu-like symptoms. the most common cause for prostatitis is a bacterial infection that can generally be treated with antibiotics.

Your husband’s condition may be caused by bacteria, stress, trauma to the pelvis, insufficient fluid intake or an immune or nervous system disorder.

Diagnosis might begin with a digital rectal exam so a physician can determine if the gland is enlarged or inflamed, blood and urine testing, cystoscopy or urodynamic testing.

If a cystoscopy is performed, a urologist then inserts a camera into the bladder to rule out other possible causes for symptoms.

Urodynamic tests can determine how easily a man can empty his bladder when he feels the urge to relieve himself and allow his urologist to make an appropriate decision regarding the next step.

Treatment might include an antibiotic to fight any bacterial infection, over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen, or through the assistance of a group of drugs known as alpha blockers that should reduce his symptoms.

Moving forward on the home front, he might soak in a bath with about 2 inches of warm water, sit on a pillow to lessen any pressure placed on the prostate, try acupuncture, or eliminate excessive alcohol and spicy foods.

If need be, have him request a second opinion through another urologist who might have a different point of view.

The Super Beta Prostate to which you refer is an herbal remedy for the treatment of an enlarged prostate. the key ingredient in this remedy is beta-sitosterol, a white plant sterol found in almost all plants, rice bran, wheat germ, soybeans and corn oils.

I have not had any experience with Super Beta Prostate, nor have I ever recommended it, but am led to believe it is not as effective as one might hope.

Perhaps you might save your money, see a top-notch urologist and put the money toward an effective treatment deemed appropriate for his condition.

Write to Peter Gott, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., Fourth Floor, new York, NY 10016.

I have recently ben having unsafe sex and I am worried about contracting STD or HIV. please help.

some people dont have any others have symtoms so if your feeling different go to the doctor

For hiv the symptoms can include: cold or flu like symptoms, night sweats, fever, diahreah, swollen lymph nodes, thrush, and unexplained weight loss. NOTE: not everyone experiences symptoms of hiv and the only was to be sure is to get tested. Test 3 months after the sexual encounter.

Everybody knows his or her body, so if u are very familiar with your own natural body scent and u know how u normally feel on the regular, u will know when something is wrong from day 1. Each person has their own distinct body scent, u should know yours, it only changes when something changes in your body or with your diet. some common std symtoms would be a thick white cottage cheese-like, yellowish or greenish discharge from the vagina or penis, with or without a fishy foul scent. Most of the time u will get a burning sensation when u urinate, feeling like u have a bladder infection, this is because the urinary track is inflamed, u will also notice a slight change in your hygiene, like u feel u need to take extra showers more often than usual. you know it's unusual to be able to smell yourself just three hours after u took your last bath, if all of a sudden u r starting to feel sticky or icky something isn't right.

about it you can get information from here cadmedans10.notlong.com/AAl9330

These types of signs and symptoms typically adhere to the HIV infection in males usually due to the insufficient immunity. And when we take a look at the HIV infection signs and symptoms in females, the signs and symptoms show up a little later. And also men may uncover the infection sooner and begin the therapy just before the infection advances completely.

Depending on the particular person, the symptoms of HIV could be experienced earlier or later. Regrettably, the first signs of HIV in many cases are confused with the signs of flu virus or not so serious virus-like infection.

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Flu Symptoms Groin Pain List of 197 causes for Flu-like symptoms and Groin pain, alternative diagnoses, rare causes, misdiagnoses, patient stories, and much more.Support us by submit your tutorial, articles, and share together with your friends all over the world. This article about flu symptoms groin pain posted by Groger, one of our free article writer. Feel free to comment but no SPAM. we hate SPAM and SCAM. Thank you. source: symptoms.wrongdiagnosis.com/cosymptoms/flu-like-symptoms/groin-pain.htm

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