72°
The first time I had Lyme Disease, back in 1988, most of us still weren't very knowledgeable about prevention, detection, or treatment of the illness. Even the medical community was still in the first phases of figuring out how to handle this latest malady. I went in for a blood test the very next day after I found a swollen black tick stuck to my chest, as my doctor recommended. The results came back negative, but two months later - just a week before I started the 7th grade - I woke up with half of my face paralyzed. I'd gone in for my first test too quickly after getting bitten, it turned out, which caused a false positive result - something my doctor didn't know could happen. I did have Lyme Disease, which had progressed to the point where I needed in-patient, intravenous antibiotic treatment. If it had been diagnosed earlier, I could have gotten by with the standard oral dose of medication, and probably would have avoided the years of aching joints and stiff limbs to come.
Luckily, awareness levels have increased about a thousandfold in the past twenty years. There's even an award-winning documentary on the subject. Directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson, "Under Our Skin" made the Oscar short list for its revealing and controversial look into the human, medical and political dimensions of the epidemic. In conjunction with May's designation as Lyme Disease Awareness Month, The Ridgefield Playhouse is hosting a screening of the film tonight at 7:30 p.m. to be followed by a Q & A with Dr. Charles Ray Jones, Dr. Kenneth Liegner and Dr. Stephen Phillips, all of whom appear in the film. Prepare yourself for prime tick season! $10 for adults, $5 for kids. Call 203-438-5795 for more info.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
