HOUSE APPROVES LYME DISEASE BILL

A Bill was just passed in Connecticut which states that it will be easier for doctors to treat Lyme disease without harrassment from authorities. This could be a good thing, however, I am reserving judgement till I see actual results. One of the problems may still be that doctors are not properly educated as to Lyme and coinfection symptoms or as to the course of the disease. If they are taught to believe that many of the symptoms Lyme patients suffer, should be attributed to Fibromyalgia. M.S., ALS, Chronic Fatigue syndrome...etc, then they are not going to want to treat the patient for Lyme disease, regardless of a law that will allow them to. If the doctor does not believe it is Lyme disease, he will still not treat you. Proper education of doctors should be a crucial co-factor to this Bill. However, hopefully this Bill will be effective in allowing doctors who are already lyme knowledgeable to treat as they see fit.

This Bill also does NOT protect patients who test negative but have all the symptoms of Lyme disease. Unfortunately, it is often those who are the sickest who test negative for Lyme disease. It is thought that the immune system is blunted in those who are very sick yet test negative. Therefore their bodies don't mount an immune response that can be measured by the antibody tests.

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/news_wtnh_hartford_housepasseslymediseasebill_200904301610