Partners in Health and Teen Lyme Support Group

In New Hampshire, there is a program divided by communities for children with Chronic Illnesses. Lyme has recently been included in the definition 'chronic' and this program now includes me in their activities and offers me assistance. They are waiting for some paperwork back from my Lyme doctor but aside from that they will be able to provide a lot of help to me with disability, medical bills, recreational activities, and the new Teen Lyme Support Group they are starting for the Lakes Region. I was going to start a support group for teenagers and I may have posted on here about it before, but I was always too sick to initiate it. Now Partners in Health has secured a nice comfy room for us to all get together for two hours twice a month on Saturday Mornings. The plan is to call it the 'Lyme Lounge', and it will be a laid back support group type gathering on the first and third Saturdays of each month. On the third Saturdays, every other meeting, the parents can leave and go to the Lyme Support group at the Laconia Middle school for the time frame which would be 11am-1pm. That way us girls can have some time alone and get to really open up and the parents can connect as well. I really hope it becomes successful because a lot more people need to be educated about Lyme before this world really 'gets' it. I have been elected spokesperson for the group and I attend family council meetings to share how it's going and what may need improvement and will also be attending what is called the 'YAEH council'? It is supposed to get children active on educating the world around them on what it's like to be chronically ill. These few things should get me to where I want to be, advocating for teenagers disabled by autoimmune diseases.

Lyme Disease Conference and New Book to Read

I forgot to put a post on how the Lyme Disease Conference in Laconia went! Nancy Bourassa did a great job and I got to see Violet Snook's new book that she wrote on epilepsy and Lyme Disease. She is leaving Friday to spend 3 weeks in Pennsylvania training with her new seizure alert dog. I think it's a great experience for her! Just bought a copy of it today, it's called 'Behind the Artists Eyes'.

At the conference, I got to see many familiar faces and listen to Julia Greenspan speak about the connections of Lyme being worse for females than males. Different body types, attitudes, genders, and even races process things differently from one another, including how to combat and respond to the Lyme bacteria. All the speakers did a great job, I had to leave before hearing the last one speak which was my own MD, as I wasn't feeling well. I was in the wheelchair struggling to perform the maneuvers necessary to step forward for the following two days afterwards, until I had the gall bladder attack the second time and ended up in the hospital. Thankfully I'd been walking that day so I didn't show up to the hospital in a wheelchair and have to explain that. They actually used my Picc line for the first time to draw blood and give IV infusion of medications which made me so happy.

So seeing as this post has been sort of all over the place, back to the main point. Here are some pictures of me at the Lyme Conference interacting and gaining even more valuable relationships. In one picture, I am being recognized as the 'Famous 20/20 girl' in front of the crowd. The others were with fellow Lyme inflicted people and of course, the first one with the boyfriend I got into a Lime green shirt. :)

My good friend Cathy!

Lime green toe nail polish, sharing is caring.

Entrance way, greeting new people.

NH Lyme Conference, 'A Team Approach'

This upcoming Saturday, the 19th, our second annual Lyme Disease Awareness Conference in Laconia, NH will take place, run mainly by the Lyme411 Lakes Region Lyme Support Group. This is an event where Doctors and other educational speakers will talk to the general public and other health officials about Lyme, its management, treatment, and a team's job to overcome it. A Lyme Disease literate MD will be speaking on Saturday, at Beane Conference Center on Blueberry Lane around noon. I'm excited to see what he will bring to the table as I have not heard him speak at an engagement like this before, and I'm sure many people will have their eyes opened to the subjects on his agenda. Julia Greenspan, a well known Lyme Literate Naturopath from New Hampshire will also be speaking on  Lyme and Tick Borne Illnesses. She was interviewed on WMUR within the past 6 months, and is a nice addition to the speaking team. Also a licensed RD or Dietician by the name of Marilyn Donnelly of Concord will provide insight into the team approach as well. Hopefully a good turn out will enjoy the speakers, and take the time to come say hello to me in my lime green flip flops and skirt.

For more information visit the conference facebook event page at: http://www.facebook.com/events/383213395052874/?notif_t=plan_user_joined

or comment below.

The Beane Conference Center is at 35 Blueberry Lane, Laconia, NH.
Hope to see you there! Event flyer below.

Amazing new WebSite!

Lyme411, the informational center for Lyme Disease. Lyme 411 is the local Lakes Region Lyme Disease Support Group's page, the support group I attend, and the launcher of this site. Check it out! Join the group on either facebook, through e-mail (lyme411@groups.facebook.com), in the yahoo groups section, or here:

www.LYME411.org

:D Copy and Paste link into URL! :)