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By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

This article was published today at 3:57 a.m.

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LITTLE ROCK — Disease’s reach wider

Buddy Gough’s feature on ticks was informative, but I believe
misleading on one point: that Lyme disease is “rare in Arkansas.”
According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society,
Lyme is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the U.S. today,
affecting up to 300,000 Americans each year. It’s often misdiagnosed
as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, dementia,
Alzheimer’s, ADHD or a host of other “chronic illnesses.”

I tested positive and was diagnosed with late-stage neurological Lyme
disease at three independent clinics in Texas, Arizona and Missouri
after eight years of misdiagnoses in Arkansas. Yet, according to the
Arkansas medical community’s protocols, I do not have Lyme.

Arkansas will have its first physician to be certified as a Lyme
Literate Doctor (LLMD) this year, and his motivation is personal as
well as professional. His wife, who has been chronically ill, tested
positive for Lyme last year, as did he and his six children. Once he
started doing research on Lyme, he re-evaluated more than 180 patients
at his clinic with various “chronic illnesses.” About 150 tested
positive for Lyme. So much for “rare.”

For objective and truthful information, I would recommend Coping with
Lyme Disease by Denise Lang and Kenneth Liegner, as well as the
websites underourskin.com and arklatexlyme.com.

“Rare” is definitely not an accurate portrayal of Lyme in Arkansas, in
my opinion. In fact, the opposite is more accurate and frightening.

LINDA SHARP

Little Rock