TOUCHED BY LYME: The World According to Harrison
Harrison the dog lives in British Columbia and has his own blog on Facebook. He teaches the world about Lyme disease. Recently, he participated in the Lyme Disease Challenge.
Guest post by Harrison:
GRRRR!! Harrison has a bone to pick with people doctors!
Harrison advocates for Lyme disease awareness – for better diagnosis & prompt treatment because he has seen first-paw the devastating effects that delayed diagnosis & treatment has had in the lives of his human family and he knows that many people are continuing to go undiagnosed because the false certainty, “There is NO Lyme here!” continues to be emphatically insisted upon in doctor’s offices and ERs across Canada.
Myth: Lyme doesn’t exist where you live.
Fact: LYME IS EVERYWHERE. IT HAS BEEN FOUND ON EVERY CONTINENT except Antarctica.
When Harrison got bit by a tick, the vet he saw could readily identify his tick bite & without further ado, prescribed adequate antibiotic treatment.
His vet stated, “Lyme is a serious illness and if it is not treated promptly it can become a chronic disease. Dogs & humans can get very sick, debilitated and suffer greatly. They can develop arthritis, paralysis, depression, heart issues and neurological disorders. We don’t want that to happen to Harrison.”
Because Harrison received prompt treatment he is healthy today.
The same cannot be said for his human family. His Momster & 2 brothers all have (chronic) Lyme disease. Sadly, despite presenting with classic symptoms of Lyme disease, the many Canadian doctors they saw failed to recognize or diagnose them. In fact, they all insisted that, “It is IMPOSSIBLE to get Lyme in BC, Canada (where they live).” As a result, all three developed late stage, neurological Lyme disease. The disease caused severe disability & radically altered their ability to live their lives.
Harrison knows how lucky he was to have a vet in the know. Learn about Lyme because what your doctor does NOT know could cost you your life.
Follow “World According to Harrison” on Facebook. Harrison’s family members also have a blog. Read their story here. Harrison contracted Lyme disease in 2012. This earned him a starring role in the documentary, “Ticked Off: The Mystery of Lyme Disease.” Viewers in Canada can watch the full documentary here. (Not available outside of Canada, alas.)
Click here for more information about the Lyme Disease Challenge.
TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org’s VP for Education and Outreach. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org. On Twitter, she’s @dorothyleland. (And LymeDisease.org is @LymeNews.)
I didn’t know a dog could be so hipster. And I think it’s time for me to move to the Antarctic, nah. I love the uplifting style of writing, it’s just what this community needs. Keep it up! -Yessi