In Your Neighborhood: Remembering The Lyme Warriors

Monday, May 31, 2010

Remembering The Lyme Warriors

Before the month of May bows out to June, I want to remember the warriors who have fallen from Lyme disease, while fighting for care and compassion in a shark tank of medical business. I want to thank the doctors and researchers and advocates who work tirelessly for a quality of life for Lyme patients and to educate the public about this very misunderstood disease.

Just today I received a call with another story of a doctor...a pediatrician...telling a mother not to worry about her four year-old who had just been bitten. He insisted that we do not have Lyme in Washington State. Our online support group now has 98 members, with 33 pending...and that's just the Puget Sound area. There are too many patients and not enough doctors skilled in combating these complex, chronic infections.

Here are some links for a short documentary on how to protect yourself from exposure to ticks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX-lOOqs3z0&feature=player_embedded

part one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLUcWADNjQ0&feature=player_embedded

part two

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5nvsBjqFNk&feature=player_embedded

part three, last part

If you don't have time to watch the documentary, keep this in mind:

How a scientist assesses risk for Lyme inside yards:

1. Rodent habitat (wood piles, leaves, mulch piles)

2. High humidity areas are where ticks can be found - shade, leaf coverage on the ground.

3. Evidence for deer.

4. Relationship between tick habitat and the risk for human exposure.

5. Do pets come through the yard or do you have a dog that goes out?

This post is dedicated to our beloved Leslie Wermers, Lyme-Warrior extraordinaire...and to her sister Tracie Schissel, who still fights the good fight.

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Stephanie Frieze

Stephanie Frieze
…has always liked to write. Her experience includes three years at the University Washington School of Communications studying journalism. She had a stint at the Chinook Observer in Long Beach. Raised in Bellevue, she’s lived in Gig Harbor for nearly 18 years. She and her husband have a home in Ilwaco, where they spend as much time as possible. This mother of four loves books, spending time with family and the color purple. Contact her at dbandstefery@comcast.net.

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...is a blog contributor from Greenwater. Greenwater is the last stop before Crystal Mountain, Mount Rainier and the surrounding wilderness areas. When not exploring the next mountain peak or forest trail, Tracy also contributes to the Greenwater Community Council and the Explore-Greenwater.com web site. He writes about topics ranging from favorite foot, bike, and snow trails to community events, local merchants and politics. Contact him at dmountains@explore-greenwater.com.

Joseph McGowan
…is a chaplain who supports patients, families, friends, nurses and doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Being 67, he’s learned this about living: Meet people on their own ground and you will discover that this Earth is our special place to meet and support each other. His motto: Live now. Share yourself now. Every living thing you experience is a pure gift. Love all life unconditionally. Contact him at mcg9940@yahoo.com.

Mizu Sugimura
…is a third-generation Japanese American living in Federal Way. She’s married and a parent of one adult child. A lifelong resident of the Puget Sound area, she graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Washington School of Communications. and served on Federal Way’s Diversity and Art Commissions. Her interests are politics, art, the history of minorities in Washington and family history. She’s written a self-published family history about her paternal grandfather. Contact her at mizusugi@yahoo.com.

Kim Thompson
…is a Grit City native who was born and raised in Tacoma’s Old Town neighborhood by the gulch. She boasts that she’s a former Lowell Leopard, Mason Mustang and Wilson Ram, a short-time PLU Lute and a longtime UW Husky. This former corporate businesswoman is a wife, a mom, a school volunteer, a substitute teaching assistant, a writer and a born-again distance runner. She has convinced friends from Bellevue that Tacoma is worth the drive. Contact her at kimricksy@comcast.net. ugi@yahoo.com.