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Making light of Lyme Disease

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Posted 12/23/2015 10:10 AM (GMT 0)
This NatGeo article by Jarret Liotta really p*ssed me off. I'm so sick of reporters making light of a debilitating disease:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140228-lyme-disease-borrelia-burgdorferi-deer-tick-science/

You'd never get this light-hearted tone in an article about AIDs or ALS. Why do these reporters feel that it's fine to take a light-hearted tone towards Lyme disease? This is acceptable somehow?

Someone should write to NatGeo and tell them the tone of this article is offensive, and send them a link to a youtube video of someone suffering with chronic Lyme disease.
Posted 12/23/2015 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
gfields, I read the entire article and I thought he did a great job of introducing lyme disease to the average American. As far as I read he acknowledges that the CDC reporting may be 40 times higher than they report. He also tells people that there are many false negatives. And, surprisingly he tells of sexual transmission. For a GENERAL view of lyme he does an adequate job.

However I do not think he went into the symptoms and how long it can be to get rid of them. I would have liked him to expound more on that side of the story and tell how debilitating it is for people. How they lose friends, family and jobs because of the symptoms related to lyme.

But at least lyme got press and it is a good start for a big magazine to publish this.
Posted 12/23/2015 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
I actually try to ignore those articles - so I haven't read the article that you linked to. They generally leave me feeling upset and wishing I could do more, but we can't educate everyone, many will need to find out on there own what it's like to be in our shoes.

There was a time when reporters actually looked up information and dug down into it before writing a story, but more often now we have people just jotting down their opinion of the few articles they have read on a subject and expound on their opinion and no more. The days of real reporting are over.

If, as PeteZa has said, the article did say those things, then it's better than the average article on Lyme disease.
Posted 12/23/2015 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
why shouldn't natgeo make light of lyme it seems everyone else does. like my family for instance. they arm twisted my wife and i to hold the holidays at my house this year even though i'm sick every single day. one of them turns around and says well every time we see you you seem fine. maybe if i had a nail coming out of my eye socket they would have more compassion? people truly don't understand this disease its like if they can't see it physically then it doesn't exist.
Posted 12/23/2015 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Rikky1, I said to a relative that I was not feeling well and they said "what's wrong." I said it is just lyme rearing its head. They said "you still have that?"

Uninformed.......
Posted 12/23/2015 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
Rikky,
You could always have one of the activities be watching "Under Our Skin"!! Bwahahaha!!! devil

I'd be just ornery enough that these would be printed out and hung around the house! Sure you can push your way into my house, but you Will learn some of what I live with!! turn

So you know someone with Chronic Lyme disease:
www.tiredoflyme.com/so-you-have-a-friend-or-family-member-with-chronic-lyme-disease.html#.U3dTc3bbS1t​


​" Dear Family of a Lyme Disease patient ​​​"
/www.lymedisease.org/lymedad/?print=print

Top ten things you can do for someone with lyme
cancerfactscentral.org/top-ten-things-you-can-do-for-someone-with-lyme/


10 Things To Remember If You Love A Person Who Have Lyme Disease
/www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-things-know-when-someone-your-life-has-lyme-disease-annie-dance
Posted 12/23/2015 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
Traveler, you are a woman after my own heart! LOL!!

I can hear it now: "Here, let's watch a nice Christmas video" LOL!!
Posted 12/23/2015 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
Why not? They want to push their way into my life, then they get to know what it's like!! LOL!!! Maybe that's why only my kids show up for the holidays??? smilewinkgrin
Posted 12/23/2015 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
LOL peteza and Trav I am laughing so hard right now. I say gift every single one of them the DVD and replace the cover with the cover of A Charlie Brown Christmas movie. Boy will they be surprised when they pop it in the DVD player.
Posted 12/23/2015 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
LOL! Too funny Sunfun! Yes, they would surely be surprised, but I'd have them watch it at my house, as in it would be the only thing allowed on the tv! Otherwise they will just turn it off. Yep - full of it lately!! smilewinkgrin
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