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.. My name is Kimberly and I'm one of the many faces of chronic lyme disease. After being MISdiagnosed for several months to years, from several doctors to hospitals, from being sane to being told I'm insane, from blood tests to cat scans, from MRI's to MRA's, from 4 inch needles placed in my head to block nerves to repairing a bad spinal tap, etc., etc., there it was...... LYME DISEASE and the saga continues.........After several months of being MISdiagnosed from several types of physicians, I lie in my bed just praying for the LORD to take me since the pain was so excruciating and every minute seemed liked days. By this time I had lost my sight, my hearing in the left ear, my legs and face completely numb and it felt like something was eating my brain but yet no one could figure out what was wrong?!?!? It was now day 63 and the phone call came through at my mom’s house, that I had advanced Lyme disease. Finally a diagnosis, after several drugs, CAT scans, MRI’s, MRA’s, spinal taps, large needles put into my head for nerve blocks, hospitalizations, ambulance rides, blood draws over and over…………..LYME DISEASE! Ok, now that we have a diagnosis, put me on the right drugs and let me get my life back! Well, that was 10 months ago and now I have a picc line in my arm that goes directly into my heart and I have to sit on an IV pole every day for 2 hours receiving my infusions.Lyme disease is not an easy fix, as a matter of fact, there is no cure and guess what? It’s here in Lake County, possibly in your back yard or the forest preserve you enjoy taking your walks. On May 3rd of this year, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a proclamation for Illinois making May Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Lyme disease is becoming more and more prevalent here in Illinois and the community plus all the doctors need the fullest education on prevention and symptoms in order to prevent chronic Lyme disease since its so debilitating. If Lyme disease is caught early on, a few weeks to a few months, antibiotics will cure the disease. If left needlessly untreated or misdiagnose, the symptoms for Lyme disease can be very debilitating and can persist for prolonged periods of time.As outdoor activites and sport events increase with the warm weather the community should have adequate knowledge about this disease and take appropriate measures to prevent transmission. There are three stages of Lyme disease: early localized, early disseminated and late Lyme disease. The first stage – early stage occurs from a few days to weeks and tends to be non-specific. The most common early symptom is a bull’s eyes rash known as erythema migrans that appears where the tick was attached. Although this is a classic symptom, the rash does not appear on all persons and if it does appear can be warm or itchy, but it is usually painless. Other symptoms of this stage are: fever and chills, headache, stiff neck, sore and aching muscles and joints, fatigue and swollen lymph glands.Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease caused by a spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The infection is transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, known as the deer tick. Lyme disease can affect both people and animals. The tick must remain attached to the body for about 24 to 48 hours in order to transmit Lyme disease. Prompt treatment is important during the early stages to ensure a full recovery and prevent complications.The second stage as the infections spreads called early-disseminated stage, occurs from a few weeks to years. At this stage without appropriate antibiotic treatment the infection is beginning to spread and is affecting certain body functions. Symptoms include: Arthritis in knees, elbows and or wrist which can move from joint to joint and become chronic, meningitis, facial weakness (Bell’s palsy), pain in the hands, arms, feet and or legs, heart slowing down and fainting.The most aggressive stage – referred to as late stage, occurs weeks, months, or even years after infection in untreated patients. The symptoms of late Lyme disease can be debilitating and can persist for prolonged periods of time. Symptoms include: chronic arthritis in large joint such as the knee and shoulder, central nervous system impairments, including memory loss and difficulty concentrating and chronic pain in muscles.If discovered, proper removal of the tick is important. To accomplish this, use a fine point tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Gently pull the tick out by the mouth parts. If the mouth parts break off, remove them with tweezers. Wash your hands and clean the bite site with soap and water. If able to save the tick, place in a covered jar and bring it to your physician to assure the identification of the type of tick.Remember that Lyme disease is preventable and begins with you!!!! Discuss with your family the importance of personal preventive measures which include:Wearing long-sleeved, light colored shirts and long pants tucked into socks. Tick to main pathways and the centers of trails when hiking. Use repellents containing DEET and permethrin. It is very important to choose a product that will provide sufficient protection for the amount of time spent outdoors. Talk to a veterinarian about the best ways to protect pets. Have your family members check or check your own skin and your pets for ticks after spending time outdoors.I have co-founded a support group for the Lake County area called Lyme-Aide Patient Network and to date, since founded only 3 months ago, we have 15 members and our numbers are climbing. All I want is educated communities and I feel that it is my calling since being diagnosed to get out there and be the face and voice of the new epidemic which is sweeping across the United States. There is a dramatic increase in the reported numbers and I can’t even imagine the true numbers with all the vastly under-reported cases to date, it has to be staggering! Lyme disease can mimic many other conditions and diseases, primarily MS but also Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus and ALS. Also, the testing for Lyme disease is very, very poor, you can be negative before positive where I had two negative tests prior to the final third test in which came back positive. Thank GOD for that third test in which resulted positive and I’m grateful for the doctor who was persistent in my testing for the disease. All the Lyme disease victims I have met are so willing to help in getting the word out in our county that we’re hoping to have a booth at the Lake County Fairgrounds this year and if not this year, definitely next year. Plus I want to get in all the schools and have some sort of an assembly for the kids to help educate them and then have a take home package to help their parents have an understanding as well.Last year the Lake County Health Department in conjunction with the county Forest Preserve District and North Park University in Chicago, conducted a series of tick surveys throughout the county. The surveys confirmed the presence of deer ticks and 37% tested positive for the pathogen of Lyme disease. We must take a stand and make some noise as to how severe this epidemic is and just how close to home we have it here in Lake County. Whatever it takes, I’m going to get the word out there and make our communities aware of this debilitating disease.