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Sunday, May 3, 2009

PLU Nursing Students Working It!

Tomorrow night, Monday May 4th. at 5pm, nursing students from PLU (specifically Prof. Maureen Barta's students) will be putting on a presentation, at the Longbranch Improvement Club, about Lyme disease. The presentation includes pamphlets they have made, full of education and Washington-specific in its focus. This will be followed by the award-winning documentary, Under Our Skin, and a panel discussion.

The evening is a public health service, to teach you about tick-borne infections...infections that pose a more real and present danger right now in our state than Swine flu, Avian flu and West Nile virus rolled into one. I'm not telling you the sky is falling; I'm asking you to learn how to protect yourself and your family.

These wonderfully dedicated students have done their work, interviewing both patients and doctors politely and passionately. They will also have a booth at the Key Peninsula Liveable Community Fair (I promise more information about when) coming soon.More healthy advocates for the Lyme community is a cause for celebration in our house!

Maureen Barta is a powerhouse of promise and follow-through. In that dedication to her calling she has become a beloved member of our family. The young women who came to our house to interview Anna have also earned our respect and love. To all of them, our family and the Lyme community send our most heartfelt gratitude.

3 comments:

Mizu Sugimura said...

The rousing melody to the old standby "Onward Christian Soldiers" came immediately to mind as I finished reading this post and continues to parade by the desk where I'm typing this in on my computer.
And it as equally true that should I permit, there is no doubt it will also literally lift me up bodily from the folding chair where I sit and carry me completely out of the door.

JosephMcG said...

Thank you, Lorraine, for patiently getting people on board and helping others who are doing the same

Lorraine Hart said...

It was a great evening! Audiences may not be huge...but, at each screening, little ripples have gone out. Each time we do a panel discussion we get great questions and responses from folks.

Just with this little effort, a handful of our neighbours have been properly diagnosed...in the earlier, more treatable stages. With small groups of advocates in every state now, people who would never have known have been helped.

Our goal is everyone being educated enough to take the right precautions beforehand...and know to demand prophylactic antibiotic treatment if they know they have been bitten. It seems it's up to the patients to educate Washington doctors.