TOUCHED BY LYME: Decorated female Air Force pilot now “unfit for duty”
The first patient advocate to address Monday’s inaugural meeting of the Tick-Borne Diseases Working Group in Washington really knocked our socks off.
Air Force Colonel Nicole Malachowski, the first female pilot ever chosen to fly in the elite Thunderbirds, told the panel she will soon be permanently medically retired, due to “damage and ongoing effects of neurological tick-borne illness.”
Listen to her compelling story.
TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org’s VP for Education and Outreach. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org
Thank you for your service! Enjoy your retirement! Enjoy your children and the rest of your life! You are an inspiration! You are my hero!
Nicole, thank you for your 21 years of service to USA, but most importantly; thank you for the wonderful, heartfelt testimony you gave in how your TB illnesses effected your flying career!!
So glad you addressed what we patients have discussed and cussed for years of the diseases our military forces face daily while being trained and being deployed to war zones.
Best wishes on your upcoming retirement where you can have quality time with your family/friends.
A grateful IOWAN who was so glad you started off the patients with your powerful and true delivery of what you have gone thru. Hugs and prayers today and always,
Betty Gordon
48 yrs. chronic lyme; MISDIAGNOSED 35 yrs. by 40-50 drs.; unacceptable!
Oh, my heart goes out to you. I was a Navy WAVE! I would have loved to be a pilot! Thank you so much for sharing. I’ll be buying your book then share it with my Grand and Great Grand children.
I’ve had Lyme for 18 months. Oh forgive me “long term Lyme does not exist. VA has told me over and over again”. I won’t go into details but I doubt if I’m welcome back!
My love and prayer will be with you and your family.
Joy.
PS: Yes, the harsh reality, is that the medical pharmaceutical industry doesn’t make money out of cures, it makes money out of treatments.
And the best way for them to line their pockets… is for YOU to stay sick as long as possible.
I hated to hear that you will be retired from service. A real tragedy!
Thank you for your testimony I am so grateful to hear that I am not the only one who is on this journey. I would love to know what treatment helped you recover. I was diagnosed with ALS 9 months ago. I never believed the diagnosis. My speech is impaired and I have gait issues. I am starting antibiotic therapy tomorrow. Praise God for each and every person who refuses to give up.
Thank you for your testimony. Such an inspiration. I had Lyme 6 years ago and it took over 4 months to get the right diagnosis. I just recently had my second child in September. After that I began symptoms again, and even worse after the flu shot. 4 months later I finally got a diagnosis again of Lyme. I was at my pcp and the ER multiple times until I was referred to to a neurologist. I was being checked for diseases I didn’t even think of. God bless and enjoy your retirement.
Thank you for your Service. My wife and I both have Lyme Diseases, my wife’s in the hospital New Hampshire getting treated for Lyme Diseases this point and I to go to New Hampshire for to see a Lyme specialize
I completely agree with Nicole. I am retired Air Force. Was scratched by a squirrel in my back yard in Rapid City, SD last April. Although I went to an Urgent Care and received augmenten and a tetanus shot I became ill 5 weeks later with neurological symptoms in early June. Spent June, July, and August trying to find a doctor who believed I was medically ill (all said anxiety). Finally found a VA administrator who agreed to see me in Sept 2017 under his specialty as an infectious disease doctor. Within 12 days received positive diagnosis for tularemia. Was admitted at VA hospital and had floor doctor challenge my ID doc’s diagnosis and treatment despite positive test result and state that I really could benefit from an SSRI and cut the antibiotics. My ID doc stuck up for me. Became ill again soon after discharge and tested for bartonella through Galaxy Diagnostics – positive reactivity to both common types of bartonella. Again faced challenge for treatment which again my ID doc stuck up for me. The response I received when trying to obtain diagnosis and treatment both inside and outside the VA was abysmal. I was quite literally asked if I had any mental health issues the VA ER should be aware of. And no one will acknowledge that the delay in diagnosis and treatment allowed the bartonella infection to deeply penetrate my central nervous system resulting in ongoing cranial neuritis and due to severe reaction to the needed extended treatment with gentimicin, I have lost 80% of the function of my inner ears and am permanently disabled as a result. There is no excuse for this kind of treatment of medically ill active duty and veterans.
Thank you for your service. I am a veteran and was given a medical discharge in 2005 due to Lyme disease . The veterans administration gave me a 100% disability while I was on IV antibioticss and as soon as I came off meds they did a Lyme titer and said I was cured and my service connected disability for Lyme disease wend to 0%. Although I still have on going problems and damage caused by the disease the V.A. still will not recognize anything with Lyme. Thank you for your fight for Lyme patients and service members everywhere.