People who are unfamiliar with Lyme disease, and the medical and political controversy that now surrounds it, frequently ask the question, "How could this possibly be?" In the spirit of a-picture's-worth-a-thousand-words, this column will be uncharacteristically brief. The following video is courtesy of the renowned Dr. Joe Jemsek, of the Jemsek Specialty Clinic. Dr. Jemsek is speaking at the Into the Light, Lyme Disease Awareness Gala, which was held in March 2009. Enjoy.
Ok, just a few comments... ;-) to add a Canadian context. How does this American tragedy affect us on this side of the border? Well, you take Health Canada's bogus statistics for Lyme disease and our seriously flawed Lyme tests. Then add the IDSA's 2006 Lyme treatment guidelines, which declares Chronic Lyme disease to be all in our heads. Add to that the CDC announcement that Lyme is an "emerging epidemic" in the US. What do you get? At best, you get a confused Canadian medical system that's faced with some conflicting input. At its worst, you get Canada's regulatory Medical Colleges declaring war on the handful of Canadian doctors actively involved with treating Lyme disease -- and the Colleges are not answerable to anyone for their obscene actions.
At least 3 cases of heavy-handed actions by Medical Colleges have been publicized to date. First was the now late Dr. Philip Williams, whose treatment of Lyme disease was restricted by the CPSO in 2004. Then in early 2008, the CPSBC forced Canada's Lyme disease guru, Dr. Ernie Murakami, into retirement with the threat of removing his licence. Most recently, Dr. Jozef Krop had the files of 20 of his Lyme patients seized by CPSO investigators in October 2008 -- that investigation is ongoing in spite of the fact there had not been one patient complaint against him. Sound like the sort of environment that will encourage doctors to seriously consider Lyme disease in their differential diagnosis?
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I have Lyme. I get better... incredibly better... with long term antibiotic/antiparasitic treatment that Dr. Murakami started me on years ago. But I can't find even a single local doctor to acknowledge that there's anything wrong with me, much less treat me according to internationally recognized guidelines - despite a long list of symptoms that matches the description of late-stage Lyme disease exactly.
ReplyDeleteI need help, access to care - and I can't get it. There are treatments I could benefit from... which could cure me... and doctors aren't allowed to administer them.
What the h3ll is wrong with the medical system in this country?
Great video to know about lime. Recently I had visited the doctors who treat lyme disease in a very easy and for less cost.
ReplyDeleteHere is what the IDSA says about their Guidelines:
ReplyDeleteAbout Practice Guidelines
Practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioners and patients in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. [Institute of Medicine Committee to Advise the Public Health Service on Clinical Practice Guidelines, 1990] Attributes of good guidelines include validity, reliability, reproducibility, clinical applicability, clinical flexibility, clarity, multidisciplinary process, review of evidence, and documentation. [Institute of Medicine Committee to Advise the Public Health Service on Clinical Practice Guidelines, 1990]
It is important to realize that guidelines cannot always account for individual variation among patients. They are not intended to supplant physician judgment with respect to particular patients or special clinical situations. IDSA considers adherence to the guidelines listed below to be voluntary, with the ultimate determination regarding their application to be made by the physician in the light of each patient’s individual circumstances. http://www.idsociety.org/content.aspx?id=9088
What part of this do they not understand.
The doctors who choose to deny Lyme can be a death sentence are greedy and arrogant. And, clearly money corrupts. That is the fault of our government. No doctor benefiting from monetary or employment, prestige, from companies etc., should not be allowed to write opinion about the disease they are being commenting on or spearheading opinion on. They are murderers
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