An open letter to the editors of the Washington Post
On June 17, 2017, David Michael Conner of the Huffington Post published a long message to the editors of the Washington Post, objecting to their recent article about Lyme disease and the CDC.
Conner states in part:
Your publication, the Washington Post, on June 15 published an egregiously biased, contextless and misleading story that is an affront to tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of people who are living with complex, serious, life-affecting, disabling effects of tick-borne illnesses including but not solely Lyme disease today are being dismissed and derided by both federal public health agencies and the press—by your colleagues—as AIDS patients once were. This has got to stop. READ MORE.
Other responses to the CDC (and the Washington Post’s coverage of it).
Dorothy Leland, LymeDisease.org: CDC ignores ethics, attacks “chronic Lyme”
Pat Smith, Lyme Disease Association: Who Controls Fake Lyme Disease News?
Dr. Raphael Stricker & Lorraine Johnson: Protesting CDC’s biased reporting in PubMed Commons
David, thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts for a well-documented letter to the editor.
I recently moved after 42 years ago and trying to get my apartment set up here so my Internet PC is not available yet.
As a 48.5 year Chronic Lyme patient, I lost my reading comprehension decades ago
so as I eventually get my PC working, I will edit your entire piece to short paragraphs for people like me who can’t read your article as is
Then I will be able to read your entire article.
Thank you for being our voice with your journalistic skills to accomplish what you did above
Between my late husband, Jack GORDON and me, we’ve had four 83 1/2 years of chronic Lyme disease.
Jack’s brain autopsy made worldwide history showing two diseases never found together in a autopsy before.:
Lyme disease and Lewey body dementia causing the visual and violent hallucinations like Robin Williams had.
Dr. Alan McDonald called me November 22, 2015 giving me those results and also saying,
“Betty we will get Jack’s case published and you will be the first co-author over this scientific medical journal article over us three medical folks!”
To date this hasn’t happened yet, but I’m still working to make it happen.
I tried posting this at the side of the article or Facebook and it wouldn’t post so posting it here so at least I can get done.
I have moved from my home in 42 years and trying to get organized again in my new apartment; wish me luck gang.
So far I’m looking for my checkbook, I cash, and they let record my lift out chair for relaxing in the evenings! Uffda/ oh yes goodness!!
Yes, David, thank you for your article. It’s a long piece here and I have a lot to say but most important is your mention of the politics. What bothers me so much is the anger from physicians towards patients with this disease. So angry they were that I wondered if Lyme disease is really what this is. And you are right too that any neurological disease resulting from late treatment of neurological infections could be dangerous for someone, just like patients with syphilis as well. No brainier that makes me believe doctors are lying about Lyme disease, that they know it’s something else and refuse swift treatment to prevent serious damage. And they refuse high antibiotic treatment early on deliberately. Do you realize the profit they make on our exploitation? I had been diagnosed with Lyme more than 25 years ago and the discrimination I encountered was frightening. Finally, I find that – politically speaking – the more power we give government, the more the left will follow along and take up the same narrative. Personally, i don’t believe I had Lyme disease. But if it weren’t for my insistence I be given antibiotics I don’t think I’d be alive today. Thank you for this article.
I pleaded with the NJ doctor that confirmed my diagnosis of Lyme to extend the Doxcycycline script by at least one week (she gave me 3 weeks) so as to prevent chronic Lyme. Despite facial palsy, among many other symptoms, she would not extend the treatment claiming she consulted with the ID dept and the CDC and said 3 weeks was fine. I was on vacation in CT and came across many folks who had Lyme and were given a 30 day treatment. I then went to a CT doctor who extended the meds by one week and also tested me for other tick borne illnesses, of which I had anaplasmosis. The babesia test came back inconclusive and a second test showed that I didn’t have this one. So happy to get the extra week of meds from the more knowledgeable CT doctor but wondering if that was enough. I have lingering brain fog, slower processing speed and a slight dizzy feeling (like on a boat) all the time. I did have a concussion in September 2016 so that might be the cause but I worry about bacteria on the brain. Not sure what to do and feel like the NJ doctors won’t be of any help to me. Is there a test to find out if one has the spriochetes in the brain?
Susan, I know what you mean when you describe brain fog. Cloves in a gel cap can be purchased on VitaCost.com. Also, oils like flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil and a good fish oil help the head and muscles. But herbs would benefit your recovery and some good ones are sold at Wilner Chemist
Thank you Mr. Conner, you said it all.
Now I must go back to my chronically ill daughter who has been suffering since the age of 15 (now 29) She was in remission 3 yrs but now has a raging infection in her when a surgeon left a surgical clip in her abdomen. Now out of remission she is screaming, yelling, short term memory loss etc etc…
Francine Roca, your comment about your daughter breaks my heart. I am so sorry to hear of your sufferings. I wanted to ask you if you tried herbal therapies. Don’t give up. The body is an amazing healing machine and your daughter is young and I at least know from my own experience that even in what seems like an impossible physical and emotional challenge there’s hope. Don’t give up.
This is the most remarkable letter I have ever seen. I read that article and was incensed, but the thought of writing a letter to the editor seemed overwhelming because it’s such a complex issue, so thank you for your very thoughtful response. Please let us know what we can do to keep pressing the issue with the Washington Post so that (a) David gets a response and (b) he WaPo editors start doing their job with regular and responisble reporting of the Lyme epidemic?
Was recently diagnosed with irregular heartbeat and my heart skips beats. Had a cardiac catheritzation and MRI which determined no fluid around the heart and no scarring and no blocked arteries