Lyme Disease: Please Boost Awareness Virally (Online, Etc.) About This Horrible Epidemic! Listen Tuesday to Famous Author Rebecca Wells, Journalist Pamela Weintraub, Renowned Doctors & Other Experts

Do you love nature? Do you love tromping through the woods? Frolicking in the grass? Or even hanging out in city parks?

If so, please keep a lookout for disease-bearing ticks, which proliferate from mid-May to mid-August throughout most of the U.S. and parts of Europe.

Without your knowing it, a tick can attach itself to you and suck you so that you become sick, sick, sick from Lyme disease, one of the fastest growing infectious diseases now hitting people worldwide.

In fact, Lyme disease is “a major health threat to our nation” that “has increased in incidence dramatically over the past 15 years,” according to the recently formed Columbia University Lyme Disease Research Center, headed up by Brian Fallon, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Learn more about one of the fastest-growing infectious disease in the United States on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern (or later) on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show. (Here’s the direct URL.)

You’ll get enlightened and educated by the following fascinating people:

• Science journalist Pamela Weintraub, author of the fabulous new book, Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic (See her story in Psychology Today.)
• Patricia (Pat) Smith, president of the national Lyme Disease Association
• Bernard D. Raxlen, M.D., known for his treatment of Lyme disease as a complex infectious-neuro-immune phenomenon.
• Steven J. Bock, M.D., acclaimed for his complementary approach towards Lyme disease
• Dr. Qingcai Zhang, recognized for his Chinese medicine approach, including acupuncture and herbs, to treat Lyme disease.

In addition, you’ll hear from two other fascinating guests, who will share their insights and experiences.

• You’ll listen to the gut-wrenching tale of renowned actress, playwright and author Rebecca Wells, who, of course, is acclaimed for her novels, Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Ya-Yas in Bloom and Little Altars Everywhere.

Please read Rebecca’s poignant story about how Lyme disease has robbed her of her health. This essay/letter she wrote brought tears to my eyes.

Unfortunately, Wells is one of a number of authors, who can best be dubbed a “Liberati With Lyme.” (This was also the name of an event featuring authors Amy Tan, Meg Cabot, Jordan Fisher and E. Jean Carroll.)

In addition, on the Gab With the Gurus Radio Show you’ll hear from Kris Newby, senior producer of the eye-opening, new documentary, “Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease.”

This important film, which is being billed as “an infectious film about microbes, money and medicine” — has received some fabulous reviews.

“Well-researched…suspenseful…artfully shot. Takes a creative, humanistic approach that makes the complex material dramatic and visually interesting,” wrote Alissa Simon of Variety.

“[The film] gets under your skin and into your heart…[and] moves the viewer to ask serious questions about modern medicine. This film is a wake-up call that should reverberate through the halls of Congress, as well as doctors’ offices and research facilities,” contended James Swan, ESPN.com.

Watch riveting video clips here of “Under Our Skin” here. (Also, check out the amazing resource list posted on the film’s website.)

This Show is Intended to Help You & Your Loved Ones

Please, please spread the word about my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show focusing on Lyme disease. The show is designed:

• To help everyone — nature lovers and city dwellers alike — learn how to avoid getting Lyme disease.
• To help people plagued by mysterious symptoms find out if they’re indicative of Lyme disease. (Of course, you’ll be encouraged to get a doctor.)
• To help these suffering people find what are called “Lyme literate doctors.”
• To offer you valuable insights so you can help your suffering friends and relatives.
• To educate you and arm you with important information about the sad and contoversial politics surrounding the treatment of Lyme.
• To give you important facts about how to treat it.

Learn how to prevent this disease. Get the scoop on how to treat it. Get equipped with facts on how to spot it when it strikes.

Lyme Disease: The Great Mimicker

Did you know that Lyme disease has been misdiagnosed often? People have been wrongly told they have chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and more.

Please, I invite you, please spread the word about this August 5 radio show to nature-loving, healthy friends and family members and those not so healthy, who are suffering from a host of Lyme-induced , baffling symptoms.

If you have loved ones, with a combination of some of the following ailments, they may have Lyme disease:

·         Fatigue

·         Low grade fevers, “hot flashes” or chills

·         Night sweats

·         Sore throat

·         Swollen glands

·         Stiff neck

·         Migrating arthralgias, stiffness and frank arthritis

·         Myalgia

·         Chest pain and palpitations

·         Abdominal pain, nausea

·         Diarrhea

·         Sleep disturbance

·         Poor concentration and memory loss

·         Irritability and mood swings

·         Depression

·         Back pain

·         Blurred vision and eye pain

·         Jaw pain

·         Testicular/pelvic pain

·         Tinnitus

·         Vertigo

·         Cranial nerve disturbance ( facial numbness, pain, tingling, palsy or optic neuritis)

·         Headaches

·         Lightheadedness

·         Dizziness

My Lyme Disease Intrusions & Frustrations

It’s time for a confession. If this blog entry sounds a bit all over the map, with less-than-smooth transitions and somewhat disjointed comments, I do hope that you’ll forgive me. Blame the Lyme disease!

You see, today and yesterday have been incredibly challenging days for me as the heavy dose of antiobiotics and the Chinese herbs I’m taking to kill this Lyme disease are apparently triggering a strong Herxheimer reaction, which means I’m getting way worse before I’m improving.

Apparently, large quantities of toxins are being released into my body as bacteria. (I have to keep remembering to drink lots of water to flush out this awful stuff.)

The upshot is that I’ve been hit by Lyme disease symptoms galore — a crushing headache in front, one that’s lasted for hours and hours!; a nagging, fog-like, pressing sensation on the back of my head; a horrible neck ache and stiff neck; overpowering fatigue (though I can’t shake feeling really wired from a new herb I took but won’t do so any more); really achy, sore eyes; swollen glands; a really stiff neck; sensitivity to light and noise; extreme mental confusion; sensitivity to light and noise; and really bad forgetfulness.

The Lyme disease-triggered memory problems are among the more frightening and downright annoying symptoms. For instance, on Friday night, it took me an hour and a half to remember the name of the movie I saw and who starred in it. (I refused to look it up, and it wasn’t even a bad movie.)

Then, earlier tonight, I tried to recollect the name of the second autoresponder company that keeps track of part of my mailing list, because I notify people about my upcoming radio show. (Its name kept eluding me.)

What’s more, no thanks to the Lyme disease, I’m forgetting people’s names for periods that last from about 30 seconds to maybe one or two minutes. (I won’t tell these people their names slipped my mind, because I don’t want to hurt their feelings, but these are people whose names I always remember!)

What’s more, for days now, I’ve been constantly misplacing things. Or I’ll forget what I’m in the middle of doing. And just about whenever I’m on the phone, inevitably I catch myself saying, “Now what was I saying?”

But I’m normally quite coherent and with it. I’m telling you, this is the strangest sensation. It’s like a temporary delete button was implanted into my brain without my consent, and some short-term memories have been briefly eliminated willy nilly.

But then, usually, almost magically, generally within a few minutes, presto, I remember what I was doing or who I was thinking about. “Oh yeah, that’s what I was doing” or “Of course, that’s the person’s name.”)

The good news is that I’m over Friday’s depression about also having the malaria-like babesiosis, a co-infection which can come with Lyme disease. (Now it looks like I may have to get on another antibiotic, too. Aargh!)

Thankfully, I can still concentrate in spurts here and there, because I must, must, must get the word out about this radio show on Lyme disease despite how bad I feel. I want to help lots of people!

But do NOT get me wrong. I am sooo grateful, because I’m luckier than most. You see, apparently the Lyme disease was caught early. (As I mentioned before, I’m sooo indebted to my friend, the amazing nutritionist J.J. Virgin, for telling me to get checked for Lyme disease when I rattled off my strange ailments one night on the phone.)

And I’m also very thankful — OK, I do need to remind myself at times — that I’m having these off-the-chart pains, aches and memory woes, because, “herxing” as I doing, is apparently a really good sign that I’m getting better.

Anyhow, despite my numerous ailments, I’m determined to be coherent and articulate on Tuesday for my radio show on Lyme disease. You better believe I’m preparing and planning well and coming equipped with notes galore.

Please join us Tuesday. This show is to help you and your loved ones.

Learn how you, too, can catch or prevent this terrifying Lyme disease on the Gab With the Gurus Radio Show. (Remember, you can listen live or later.)

Again, I encourage you, please join the amazing experts Tuesday on the Gab With the Gurus Radio Show devoted to Lyme disease.

To prepare you for the show, I encourage you to read Jane Brody’s fascinating article, “A Threat in a Grassy Stroll: Lyme Disease,” that appeared recently in The New York Times.

OK, no more taxing myself by writing. My brain and body need to rest, relax and recuperate.