I fell into the alternate reality of Lyme disease four years ago when, seemingly overnight, my teenage daughter became seriously debilitated and none of the medical specialists we took her to could figure out what was wrong.

I fell into the alternate reality of Lyme disease four years ago when, seemingly overnight, my teenage daughter became seriously debilitated and none of the medical specialists we took her to could figure out what was wrong.

Like many of you, we finally landed at the doorstep of a Lyme-literate medical doctor who recognized that we were dealing with Lyme and co-infections and put our family on the road to recovery. (Even if only one person is sick, the whole family is affected by Lyme.) And like many of you, we discovered that proper diagnosis of tick-borne disease is only the first step in a long, hard journey.

When I first started out in this bizarre adventure, useful information seemed mighty hard to come by. I began by scouring the internet. Initially, one of the best sources I found was CaliforniaLyme, a CALDA-sponsored on-line support group, which now has more than 700 members. (There are affiliated yahoo groups for most states, such as MassachusettsLyme and PennsylvaniaLyme. For more information, click here.)

My participation in CaliforniaLyme drew me into the work of the California Lyme Disease Association, which has in fact been offering useful Lyme information for years via its quarterly Lyme Times. I soon became more involved in the organization. I’ve come to believe that helping get the word out about Lyme disease is one of the most important ways I can contribute to this cause. My New Year’s resolution for 2009 is to produce this blog, where I hope to offer useful information—be it scientific, political, or about Lyme-related events. I’ll also share insights I’ve gleaned from living what has amounted to a crash course in Lyme Basics over the past several years. I hope this blog will be enlightening, practical and constructive.

For those of you who may just be starting out on your Lyme journey, here are a few informational websites to get you started:

https://www.lymedisease.org

http://www.canlyme.com

http://www.lymenet.org

http://www.lymeinfo.net

http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org

http://www.ilads.org

In the coming days, I hope to explore a variety of Lyme-related topics. You’re welcome to offer your thoughts as well, by emailing me at dleland@lymedisease.org.