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The Atlantic, September, 2019 By Meghan O’Rourke In the fall of 1997, after I graduated from college, I began experiencing what I called “electric shocks”—tiny stabbing sensations that flickered over my legs and arms every morning. They were so extreme that as I walked to... Read More »

Question: why does an organization that is supposedly set up to cure sick people—the Infectious Diseases Society of America—spend so much time and effort to deny access to proper medical care to people unfortunate enough to contract Lyme disease? For example, the latest version... Read More »

Governor JB Pritzker has signed two new laws expanding insurance coverage in Illinois. One is for people suffering from Lyme disease, and the other is for children whose allergies require life-saving EpiPens. “This legislation takes a big step forward in protecting our... Read More »

The following are my written comments to the ninth meeting of the Tick-borne Disease Working Group (TBDWG) on June 4, 2019. Dear Members of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group: My name is Lonnie Marcum. I am a physical therapist in California. Seven years ago, I had to quit work... Read More »

Hours before its self-imposed deadline of August 10, the Infectious Diseases Society has given a brief reprieve to frustrated patients trying to comment on the IDSA Lyme guidelines. The new deadline is September 9. Here’s some background on what transpired: In June, the IDSA... Read More »

Back in 2011, a young Florida woman named Wendy Phillips traveled to Vermont with her now-husband to attend a wedding. At one point, they walked through fields and woods with the family dog. Afterwards, they were both covered with what looked like flecks of dirt. Alas, it wasn’t... Read More »

One thing Lyme disease teaches us relentlessly is where we hold stress and tension in our bodies. There’s always something legitimate to feel stressed about – especially for those of us in the long process of healing from chronic Lyme. (Bio weapons, anyone? I haven’t yet... Read More »

Military.com, August 2, 2019 By Patricia Kime The Defense Department is exploring a replacement for permethrin, the bug repellent and insecticide that is soaked into most military combat uniforms. Officials declined to provide details on the new product, which is still being... Read More »

In June, the IDSA released a draft of its new Lyme disease treatment guidelines. The organization has asked for feedback from healthcare professionals as well as individuals such as “patients, care givers, patient organization members, advocates, and researchers.” In a previous... Read More »