Welcome to the school of Lyme. 6 tips for those newly diagnosed with Lyme disease. by Jennifer Crystal Every day, I receive emails from people who have recently been diagnosed with Lyme disease. As …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior…Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every few months, Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Here are her answers to some recently received questions. Do you have a question for Jennifer? Email her at jennifercrystalwriter@gmail.com. …MORE
Financing Tick-Borne Disease
by Jennifer Crystal Having Lyme disease is expensive. It can take a toll on you in more ways than one. Below are some resources and insights to help you or the patient in your life. …MORE
Can’t Versus Shouldn’t
by Jennifer Crystal “Should” is one of my least favorite words. Society gets us caught up in the idea of what we “should” be doing—we should work more, exercise more, take on more—and that puts …MORE
Starting Small in the New Year
by Jennifer Crystal New Year’s Day is supposed to be a time of renewal. People celebrate and make resolutions for a fresh start. But for Lyme patients and those with chronic illness, New Year’s can …MORE
Hope For the Holidays
by Jennifer Crystal The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year. But for many people with chronic illnesses—and others suffering in different ways—the holidays can be really difficult. If you’re bedridden …MORE
Books and Resources That Have Helped Me On My J...
by Jennifer Crystal The holiday season is upon us, and you may be wondering what to get the Lyme patient in your life. Or maybe you’re a Lyme patient who is searching for books or …MORE
Top 7 Science-Based Events to Impact Lyme Disea...
GLA’s Chief Scientific Officer and Director of Research and Science identified the Top 7 science-based events to impact the Lyme disease community in 2018 Connection Between Lyme Disease and Depression GLA-funded investigator, Brian Fallon …MORE
Meet the Researcher: Catherine Brissette, Ph.D.
MEET THE RESEARCHER IS A BLOG SERIES TO INTRODUCE GLA-FUNDED LYME DISEASE RESEARCHERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST LYME DISEASE. #MEETTHERESEARCHER NAME: Catherine Brissette, Ph.D. TITLE: Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences INSTITUTION: University of North …MORE
Together in Partnership: Giving thanks to an am...
With 2018 drawing to a close, I want to take a moment to thank you for being a part of our community. Your generous support—whether in research dollars, program participation, or simply standing in solidarity …MORE
GLA Counters IDSA’s Criticisms of Tick-Borne Di...
GLA’s Chief Scientific Officer Provides Evidence-based Rebuttal of IDSA Letter to Head of HHS and Tick-Borne Disease Working Group Report by Timothy J. Sellati, Chief Scientific Officer, Global Lyme Alliance Last month, the Tick-Borne …MORE
The Value of Visualization
by Jennifer Crystal When I was bedridden with Lyme disease and two of its co-infections—babesia and ehrlichia— people sometimes asked if I had tried meditation. Usually, tired of unsolicited advice from yet another person who …MORE
A Marathon Accomplishment by Team GLA Runners
Completing the TCS New York City Marathon, all 26.2 miles of it, is an amazing feat for anyone, let alone for those who suffer from Lyme. Yet last month, five Lyme warriors did exactly that, …MORE
Avoiding Reminders Until You’re Ready
by Jennifer Crystal When I was very sick with Lyme disease and two of its co-infections—specifically, babesia and ehrlichia—friends invited me to a Warren Miller ski movie. Every season, the renowned filmmaker put out a …MORE
A Different Kind of Denial
by Jennifer Crystal In my recent post The Danger of Denial, I spoke about the consequences of denying symptoms or diagnoses when battling serious illness like tick-borne disease. For years I ignored my health issues, …MORE
Five Warriors Tackle the Ultimate Road Race for...
Five runners gave new meaning to the term “Lyme warrior” on Sunday, November 4, 2018, as they completed in the largest marathon in the world—the TCS New York City Marathon. Representing Global Lyme Alliance’s first …MORE
Requests for Tick-borne Disease Research Reach ...
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D., Director of Research & Science, GLA It is no surprise that when funding for research lags, associated progress in science and medicine slows. Perhaps no area of health research illustrates this …MORE
New Research Article, “Ticking Bomb” Offers Int...
A study by Igor Dumic and Edson Severnini entitled “Ticking Bomb: The Impact of Climate Change on the Incidence of Lyme Disease” published in Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology describes the relationship …MORE
Holidays: Relishing the In-Between Times
by Jennifer Crystal The build-up to Halloween is always an exciting time for kids. There’s so much anticipation—what will I be? What will my friends be? How much candy will I get? After the final …MORE
Highlights from LDA/Columbia Lyme Disease Confe...
Highlights from LDA/Columbia 19th Annual Scientific Conference Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases: Turning the Corner Through Research Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) recently attended a conference jointly organized by Lyme Disease Association, Inc. and Columbia University. The meeting …MORE
GLA POV: Essential Oils as Treatment Against Ly...
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D., Director of Research and Science, GLA Global Lyme Alliance’s Director of Research and Science offers perspective on newly published research on using essential oils to treat Lyme disease Global Lyme …MORE
What Can the Red Sox Teach Us About Surviving T...
by Jennifer Crystal When I told my family I was thinking of moving to Boston, my mom said: “As long as you don’t become a Red Sox fan.” I had grown up a Mets fan, …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior … Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every few months, Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Here are her replies to questions she has recently received. Do you have a question for Jennifer? If so, email …MORE
Scheduling Life with Lyme Disease
by Jennifer Crystal Flexible vs. rigid? How keeping to a schedule can impact one’s life with Lyme disease. In 2007, I suffered a severe relapse of Lyme and two of its tick-borne co-infections Babesia …MORE
Meet the Researcher: Ying Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
MEET THE RESEARCHER IS A BLOG SERIES TO INTRODUCE GLA-FUNDED LYME DISEASE RESEARCHERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST LYME DISEASE. #MEETTHERESEARCHER NAME: Ying Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. TITLE: Professor at Department of Molecular Microbiology …MORE
The Idea of Hope
by Jennifer Crystal Hope is a tricky concept for patients with chronic illnesses. It is something everyone—healthy or sick—wants, but summoning hope is not always easy when the world around you looks bleak. Someone can …MORE
Avril Lavigne and GLA: Head Above Water Campaign
Avril Lavigne recently stated that fighting Lyme Disease has been the hardest battle she’s ever fought. If you are reading this post, we have no doubt you understand the sentiment. The Avril Lavigne Foundation supports individuals …MORE
GLA POV: Identifying Vancomycin as an effective...
by Timothy Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, GLA Global Lyme Alliance’s Chief Scientific Officer offers perspective on newly published GLA-funded research out of Northeastern University Although the underlying premise of a recent study by …MORE
REMEMBERING ONE OF OUR OWN
by Scott Santarella, CEO of Global Lyme Alliance Kasey Passen was driven to help others in the fight against Lyme disease Some people have dreams about changing people’s lives but, through no fault of their …MORE
The Danger of Denial
by Jennifer Crystal One of the many rewards of writing this weekly blog is connecting with patients and caregivers all over the world. I receive emails from people telling me their stories and asking me …MORE
The Spectrum of Lyme
by Jennifer Crystal Just this week, I heard from yet another friend who had found an engorged tick on her child. With tick populations soaring, it’s not surprising that so many people are being bitten …MORE
RACING FOR A CURE – MEET TEAM GLA’s 2018 NYC MA...
Global Lyme Alliance is thrilled to be the first Lyme organization named an official charity partner of the TCS New York City Marathon, starting with the 2018 race. The TCS New York City Marathon provides …MORE
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
by Jennifer Crystal GLA writer and Lyme Warrior, Jennifer Crystal writes about her experience with “crazy dreams” as a result of neurological Lyme disease Last night I had a dream that a college friend and …MORE
Meet the Researcher: Kim Lewis, Ph.D.
MEET THE RESEARCHER IS A BLOG SERIES TO INTRODUCE GLA-FUNDED LYME DISEASE RESEARCHERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST LYME DISEASE. #MEETTHERESEARCHER NAME: Kim Lewis, Ph.D. TITLE: University Distinguished Professor; Director, Antimicrobial Discovery Center; Department …MORE
Enjoying the Summer While Living with Lyme
by Jennifer Crystal When I first moved to Boston, I took a Duck Boat tour of the city. As the amphibious vehicle cruised the Charles River, the driver pointed out Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. I looked …MORE
Dealing with Lyme-related Fear
by Jennifer Crystal Last week I wrote about the well-founded fear of ticks which alarms us every summer, but especially now that infected tick populations are on the rise. Getting a tick bite that could …MORE
Tick Discovery Highlights How Few Answers We Ha...
By Melinda Wenner Moyer on June 26, 2018 for Scientific American As Lyme and other tick-borne diseases worsen in the U.S., new efforts seek to fill in the gaps Last August Tadhgh Rainey, division manager at the Hunterdon …MORE
Managing Fear of Ticks During the Summer
by Jennifer Crystal I’m that friend. The friend who checks out your Facebook photos and comments “tick check!” every time you post a picture of a hike in the woods, or of your child rolling …MORE
Meet the Researcher: Timothy J. Sellati, Ph.D.
Meet the Researcher is a blog series to introduce GLA-funded Lyme disease researchers, and in this case, GLA’s Chief Scientific Officer. #Meettheresearcher NAME: Timothy J. Sellati, Ph.D. TITLE: Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Sellati has …MORE
MY JOURNEY TO A CHRONIC LYME DISEASE DIAGNOSIS
By Jordan Younger Repurposed with permission from the writer for GLA.org It’s time for a mega health update, especially if you’ve seen my Instagram over the last week or so. I have been sharing openly there about …MORE
Tribute to The Men of Lyme
by Jennifer Crystal In my blog post “Gender and Lyme: Is Tick-Borne Disease Different for Women?”, I cited a study by John Aucott, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University which found that more men than women …MORE
The Quiet Desperation of Chronic and Mental Ill...
by Jennifer Crystal Like many of you, I’ve been shocked and saddened by the news of recent celebrity suicides. While none of these celebrities had Lyme disease, the quiet struggles that led them to end …MORE
Things I Never Thought I Would Do Before Lyme
by Kerry J. Heckman On one hand a doctor treating Lyme may recommend antibiotics, and on the other hand, a doctor treating an autoimmune disease may recommend immunosuppressants. It’s very difficult to know which is …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior…Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every few months, Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Here are her replies to questions she has recently received. Do you have a question for Jennifer? If so, email …MORE
Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future
by Jennifer Crystal A friend recently shared with me the news that her grandmother had passed away. “She was 97,” she said. “It’s not like we didn’t know it was coming, but it’s still sad.” …MORE
Podcast: In The Lymelight Episode 7
A Story of Remission: Ana Saldamando Welcome to In The Lymelight: a show about…well…Lyme Disease. In the Lymelight aims to bring humor and knowledge to an otherwise somber topic with biweekly expert interviews that include, …MORE
Saluting the Caretakers of Lyme Patients
by Jennifer Crystal On Mother’s Day, I read a Facebook post that said “For the sake of equity, shouldn’t we show appreciation for mothers every day?” I agree. But if we’re talking equity, shouldn’t we …MORE
GLA Greenwich Gala 2018: Highlights
Global Lyme Alliance honored Lyme disease patients and researchers at its annual Greenwich Gala on Saturday, May 12 at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. The event supports GLA’s mission to conquer Lyme and other tick-borne diseases …MORE
GLA: Lyme Disease Research Symposium 2018
Highlights from GLA’s 2018 Research Symposium with top Lyme Disease Researchers by Timothy J. Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, GLA (pictured: GLA’s Scott Santarella and Dr. Timothy Sellati with GLA grantee Dr. Nicole Baumgarth) The …MORE
Adding Joy and Pleasure to Life, No Matter When
by Jennifer Crystal I celebrated my 40th birthday by doing a cartwheel on a beach. A few weeks earlier, a childhood friend and I had been bemoaning our upcoming birthdays. We agreed that we would …MORE
Lyme’s Life Lessons: Sonya Rolin and Tatiana Do...
INTRODUCING GLA GREENWICH GALA CO-CHAIRS: PART 3 OF SERIES Anyone struggling with Lyme disease knows it can pretty much take over your life. It is an exhausting, socially isolating, life-altering illness that causes many …MORE
Gender and Lyme: Is Tick-Borne Disease Differen...
by Jennifer Crystal Every Thursday evening, three girl friends come over to eat ice cream with me and watch Grey’s Anatomy. Yes, that show is still on! Despite the fact that it’s been running for …MORE
A Mother and Daughter’s 12-Year Quest for...
Introducing GLA Greenwich Gala Co-Chairs: Part 2 of Series Not every Lyme patient is lucky enough to have a family that stands by their side when no one else will. That’s why Christina Womble …MORE
You Get What You Pay For: Be Wary of Where You ...
by Jennifer Crystal Many people turn to the internet for supplements, where they can find products at discounted rates. But saving a few dollars can be a big gamble that can put a patient’s health in …MORE
#VBGIVESBACK: STACI GRODIN
Republished with permission from Veronicabeard.com For the month of April 2018, veronicabeard.com will donate $10 from every sale to Global Lyme Alliance as part of their ongoing #VBGIVESBACK program. For over two years Staci Grodin …MORE
The Pros and Cons of Social Media When You Have...
by Kerry J. Heckman Before I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, I’d already been diagnosed with multiple autoimmune disorders. At the time, I turned to the internet to learn about diet protocols and treatment options …MORE
A Mother, A Supporter, A Lyme Warrior: Stephani...
Introducing GLA Greenwich Gala Co-Chairs: Part 1 of Series Three years ago, Stephanie Ercegovic (pictured with husband, Brian Foster) began a medical journey that took her from one doctor’s office to the next as …MORE
Video – Living with Lyme disease: A young...
Video created by the Poughkeepsie Journal Ella Buss, 9, was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in 2016. Her mother and family have become advocates for Ella and others who suffer from the disease. For more …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior…Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every few months, Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Here are her answers to questions she has recently received. Do you have a question for Jennifer? Email her at …MORE
You’re Not Crazy—You Have Lyme
By Jennifer Crystal I knew there was something physically wrong with me, but when my blood work came back clean and I didn’t fit into any classic diagnostic box, the nurses decided the symptoms were …MORE
Podcast: In The Lymelight Episode 6
Welcome to In The Lymelight: a show about…well…Lyme Disease. In the Lymelight aims to bring humor and knowledge to an otherwise somber topic with biweekly expert interviews that include, yes, the “heavy” stuff, but also …MORE
Seasons of Lyme
By Jennifer Crystal The change in seasons is usually an exciting time for most, but the jump from season to season can be especially trying for Lyme patients In the past couple weeks, many people …MORE
GLA POV: FDA Clears Quidel Lyme Disease Immunoa...
by Timothy Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, GLA Global Lyme Alliance’s Chief Scientific Officer offers perspective on the new FDA approved Lyme disease blood test. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently cleared the Quidel company’s …MORE
What is Air Hunger, Anyway?
By Jennifer Crystal Chronic Lyme disease & its co-infections, like Babesia, can produce unique symptoms. One of them is referred to as air hunger. When I tell people I have chronic Lyme and some of …MORE
How to Show Someone With an Invisible Illness T...
by Kerry J. Heckman Invisible illnesses like Lyme disease are not always detected by your outward appearance. Here are 7 ways that you can show someone with an invisible illness that you “see” them. Last …MORE
New test for Babesia approved by the FDA
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D. Director, Research and Science Global Lyme Alliance Screening the blood supply for infectious microbes should be an obvious and ongoing health sector priority, especially for those microbes known to cause disease. …MORE
Could a pathogen be the cause of Alzheimer’s di...
By Philip Perry Originally published on bigthink.com For the last 40 years, a minority of researchers have considered the notion that a pathogen might be behind Alzheimer’s disease. In 2011, Judith Miklossy (former GLA Scientific Advisory Board member) and fellow …MORE
Are Mold and Mycotoxins Compromising Your Recov...
By Jennifer Crystal When I was in elementary school, I developed a barking cough every spring. Loud, disruptive and persistent, the cough drew annoyed looks from teachers and students alike. Hearing me coming down the …MORE
GLA Point of View on “First Multiplex Tes...
by Timothy Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, GLA Advances in Serodiagnostic Testing for Lyme Disease Are at Hand …the TBD-Serochip represents an important advance and significant improvement over existing tests for tick-borne diseases (TBDs), which …MORE
Coming to Terms With the Truth About My Health
by Emily Croot #MyLymeLife Learning to acknowledge my Lyme disease is a powerful gift that only I can give to myself I recently rewatched one of my favorite TED talks, Susan David’s “The Gift and …MORE
Feed Your Body to Fight Lyme
by Kenzie Vath It has been a long nine years since I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I have been suffering from chronic Lyme for twice as long or over 18 years. After my diagnosis, …MORE
Learning to Love Lyme/ A lesson in self-underst...
By Jennifer Crystal The recent celebration of Valentine’s day got me thinking about past posts I’ve written about the holiday. I’ve written about various matters of the heart: about Lyme carditis and about Valentine’s Day as …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior…Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every few months, Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Here are her answers to questions she has recently received. Do you have a question for Jennifer? Email her at …MORE
What’s In a Name? When talking about Lyme...
by Jennifer Crystal Before becoming so debilitated by illness that I could not work, I was a high school English teacher. My ninth grade students read Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and I’ll never forget our …MORE
GLA Point of View on New Lyme Disease Study
by Timothy Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, GLA A study funded in part by Global Lyme Alliance could spur further investigation into the cause of persistent symptoms, a source of medical controversy. A controversial aspect of …MORE
CureTalks – Listen Now
Highlights from the International Lyme and Associated Diseases (ILADS), 18th Annual Scientific Conference – Boston Lyme disease is an illness caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, a complex microbe known as a spirochete. Lyme disease is …MORE
The Strange Symptoms I Never Knew Were Related ...
by Kerry J. Heckman …each symptom was a piece of a puzzle. The pieces were scattered throughout my life and I didn’t know if they were all pieces of the same picture or not. In …MORE
In The Lymelight Episode 5
Welcome to In The Lymelight: a show about…well…Lyme Disease. In the Limelight aims to bring humor and knowledge to an otherwise somber topic with biweekly expert interviews that include, yes, the “heavy” stuff, but also …MORE
Forget Ebola, Sars and Zika: ticks are the next...
by Mackenzie Kwak Ticks carry a wide array of pathogens – and environmental changes mean they are spreading Since the beginning of our species we have been at war. It’s a continuous, neverending fight against the …MORE
My #1 Headache Trigger? Lyme disease
By Jennifer Crystal Skiing has always been part of my life. I went to a college in Vermont that had its own ski run. After graduation, I moved to Colorado to teach high school, and …MORE
We Are the World: What I Learned About the Glo...
By Jennifer Crystal It’s frightening that tick-borne disease is so globally prevalent. But I’m encouraged that so many doctors and scientists are studying the problem and sharing their findings. As 2017 drew to a close, …MORE
Not Immune
by Erin Walker Something is Not Right As the wife of PGA TOUR player and major winner Jimmy Walker, I am used to supporting him during challenges. In April of this year, my husband …MORE
Making the Holidays Work For You
By Jennifer Crystal Many people with Lyme disease don’t have the physical capacity to celebrate the holidays. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them! Here are some tips to work around your illness during …MORE
GLA POV: Advances in Serodiagnostic Testing for...
by Timothy J. Sellati, Ph.D. Chief Scientific Officer Global Lyme Alliance GLA Point of View on “Advances in Serodiagnostic Testing for Lyme Disease Are at Hand” published in Clinical Infectious Diseases In 2016, a scientific …MORE
Ticks Are a Year Round Threat: Don’t Let Lyme d...
By Jennifer Crystal Writer Jennifer Crystal discusses common Lyme disease misconceptions. Many are surprising! Read on to ensure you are up to date. In late November, a friend told me she’d just found an engorged …MORE
Chronic Illness is a Big Waste of Time
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife Every Sunday evening I get out my pill organizer and about 20 bottles of medication and supplements. I set up a station at my table and start dividing pills into little …MORE
In The Lymelight Episode 4: Things I wish I kne...
Welcome to In The Lymelight: a show about…well…Lyme Disease. In the Limelight aims to bring humor and knowledge to an otherwise somber topic with biweekly expert interviews that include, yes, the “heavy” stuff, but also …MORE
How Chronic Lyme Disease Changed My Life
by Skye Cowie How a professional athlete at the start of her career was sidelined by chronic Lyme disease People always say that life can change in a blink of an eye, but I never …MORE
Chronic Lyme Disease Series: Bryce’s Story
Reprinted with the permission of itslyme.com #MyLymeLife Doctors tested me for MS, ALS, Lupus, Lyme disease and vitamin deficiencies but everything kept showing up normal. When I was 18 I got very sick with a flu-like …MORE
TURN YOUR ANGER INTO ACTION
By Lori Dennis I’ve been in the Lyme world for several years now. And if there’s one palpable emotion that reverberates throughout this community … it’s anger. For reasons we all understand, Lyme sufferers and …MORE
Highlights from ILADS Boston 2017
by Jennifer Crystal A Lyme Warrior’s take on ILADS Boston 2017 Tick-Borne Diseases: The Global Perspective This past weekend, November 9 through 12, I had the opportunity to attend the International Lyme and Associated …MORE
Video: GLA CEO Scott Santarella’s speech ...
Scott Santarella’s speech from the gala highlights GLA’s mission and some notable accomplishments in the past 12 months Good evening. I am Scott Santarella, CEO of the Global Lyme Alliance. It’s an honor to be …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior…Help!
By Jennifer Crystal Every couple months, Lyme Warrior Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering her readers’ questions. Here are her answers to questions she is frequently asked. I found a bullseye rash, but my …MORE
“And,” Not “But”: Taking Power Back With One Si...
by Jennifer Crystal It’s all about perspective. Sometimes, changing the way you say something, can change the way you think about it. Writer Jennifer Crystal has some good advice for Lyme patients who need empowerment. …MORE
In The Lymelight Episode 3
Welcome to In The Lymelight: a show about…well…Lyme Disease. In the Limelight aims to bring humor and knowledge to an otherwise somber topic with biweekly expert interviews that include, yes, the “heavy” stuff, but …MORE
The Pressure of Platitudes: Patients Are Only H...
by Jennifer Crystal As I wrestled through the darkest years with Lyme disease and its co-infections, there were times when I had to be brave…Now that I am in remission, I try to offer inspiration …MORE
Team GLA – Wall of Fame Fundraising Photos
Special thanks to our Team GLA family for doing whatever it takes to support our mission to create change in the fight against Lyme disease!
How Pets Help Us Heal
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife It’s a proven fact that pets help us heal. Just petting your animal all by itself is known to lower blood pressure. It will also release the relaxation hormone oxytocin in …MORE
Podcast: In The Lymelight Episode 2
Welcome to In The Lymelight: a show about…well…Lyme Disease. In the Lymelight aims to bring humor and knowledge to an otherwise somber topic with biweekly expert interviews that include, yes, the “heavy” stuff, but also …MORE
Marisol Thomas: Existing with Late-State Neurol...
Below is Marisol Thomas’ Honoree speech given at the 2017 Global Lyme Alliance New York Gala on October 11, 2017, printed in full with her permission. When the Global Lyme Alliance reached out to me …MORE
Bursting the “Woods of New England”...
by Jennifer Crystal JENNIFER CRYSTAL ADDRESSES THE COMMON MYTH THAT LYME DISEASE ONLY EXISTS IN NEW ENGLAND. Last summer, a friend who lives in Oklahoma found a classic bullseye rash on her seven-year-old daughter. …MORE
Chronic Lyme Disease Series: Chelsea’s Story
Reprinted with the permission of itslyme.com #MyLymeLife My Lyme disease story starts two years ago. At 27 I was fully devoted to my career and would blow off steam from a long day’s work at …MORE
Podcast: In The Lymelight
Welcome to In The Lymelight: a show about…well…Lyme Disease. In the Lymelight aims to bring humor and knowledge to an otherwise somber topic with biweekly expert interviews that include, yes, the “heavy” stuff, but also …MORE
The Dangers of Playing Doctor
by Jennifer Crystal Being a Lyme-literate patient doesn’t mean you’re a Lyme-literate doctor. It’s important to know the difference. Remember the old TV ad where the actor says, “I’m not a doctor, but I …MORE
Post Traumatic Growth: Reframing the Trauma of ...
by Jennifer Crystal Jennifer Crystal discusses how you can grow from chronic illness trauma and how it can change your life for the better. After reading one of the most intense chapters of my upcoming memoir—about …MORE
Should I Tell My Employer I Have Lyme Disease?
by Jennifer Crystal The chronic illness conundrum. When personal issues enter the workplace. One of the many factors that led to my 2007 relapse was a huge research project I was doing for the …MORE
I’ve Been Sick So Long I Can’t Remember W...
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife Lyme disease, like a shadow, is always there even if you don’t see it. Every facet of a person’s life is affected by it. It determines when and what we …MORE
Chronic Lyme Disease Series: Kelly’s Story
By Kelly Gibson Reprinted with the permission of itslyme.com #MyLymeLife With modeling, I was on my feet 8-12 hours a day on jobs or running from casting to casting, and was under severe pressure from …MORE
Tackling 57 Miles to Take on the Fight Against ...
Allison Donaghy is taking her fight against Lyme disease to the streets, for 57 miles to be exact. As countless thousands prepare for the grueling 26.2 mile New York City marathon this fall, a …MORE
Lyme Disease: The View from Canada
by Lori Dennis #MyLymeLife Lori Dennis shares insight into the Lyme madness facing Lyme patients in Canada Ever since my adult son fell ill with Lyme in the fall of 2012 and we were …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior … Help!
by Jennifer Crystal EVERY COUPLE MONTHS, LYME WARRIOR JENNIFER CRYSTAL DEVOTES A COLUMN TO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS. HERE ARE HER ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS SHE IS FREQUENTLY ASKED. Do you have a question for Jennifer? …MORE
To Be Blunt: How Chronic Illness Made Me More D...
by Jennifer Crystal Having a chronic illness can sharpen your communication skills A dear friend of mine passed away from cancer last year at only 38 years of age. In one of many conversations …MORE
Natural Isn’t Always Better: Getting Real About...
by Jennifer Crystal Our society’s focus on living naturally has created a stigma around the “dangers” of pharmaceutical medications. But for patients with complex illnesses, like Lyme, it’s not that simple. One of the most …MORE
A Lyme Warrior Bites Back
Heidi Buono wants others to have a fighting chance against Lyme disease. She is raising awareness about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through her “Bite Back Against Lyme Run-Walk” in Albany, NY. Nine years …MORE
Adjusting to a Lyme Diet
by Emily Croot #MyLymeLife Learning to Love What There is to Eat When You’re on a Lyme Diet For anyone familiar with the Lyme diet, you will know that while it is a useful …MORE
Partisan Politics in Lyme Disease
by Jennifer Crystal This past year we’ve seen our country’s politics become sharply divided, even though our politicians are supposed to be working together for the greater good of the American people. Watching the news, …MORE
Podcast: tick bite prevention
Our Director of Research and Science, Dr. Mayla Hsu talks to us about tick bite prevention, and what you can do to protect yourself from tick-borne infections. Transcript below: Lindsy: Welcome everyone, I’m …MORE
Tough Mudder and Lyme Disease
by Scott Santarella, CEO, Global Lyme Alliance I have always been intrigued by the endurance event concept and its connection to charity fundraising. More specifically, I have been a huge fan of Tough Mudder, which …MORE
Care Versus Overcare: A Fine Line
by Jennifer Crystal Well-meaning Lyme caregivers can easily cross the line from care to overcare. Here are some simple rules to follow for both patient and caregiver. Recently a friend was going through a …MORE
One Family’s Motivation to Raise Awareness Abou...
by Global Lyme Alliance #TeamGLA Team Gottlieb is running on #TeamGLA in the Tough Mudder for their Mom Kathie Gottlieb has always loved the outdoors and spent as much time as possible hiking, gardening and …MORE
The Roller Coaster of Lyme Disease
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife Living with Lyme disease comes with constant ups and downs The MRI results were sitting in my email inbox a week before my doctor’s appointment. I couldn’t bring myself to …MORE
Promising New Research: PrEPping for Ticks
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D. Director, Research and Science Global Lyme Alliance Stopping Lyme disease before it starts. Promising new research based on pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. It’s frustrating that there are so few ways …MORE
7 Tips to Organize Your Medications
by Jennifer Crystal 7 Tips to Organize Your Medications, from One Lymie to Another Every Sunday morning, I pull out a big bag of pills and set about organizing my medications for the week. …MORE
Tough Mudder Weekly Training Tips
By Sean Aqareva, Certifed Personal Trainer #TeamGLA Trainer Sean Aqareva of Multilevel Fitness offers weekly training tips for our Tough Mudder participants. Hey guys, This week we are going to tone it down a …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior … Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every couple months, Lyme Warrior Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Here are her answers to questions she is frequently asked. Do you have a question for Jennifer? …MORE
You’re Not Alone Anymore
by Jesse Ruben #MyLymeLife My battle with Lyme Disease was easily the most difficult experience of my life. A journey that lasted almost 3 years, that included more than 15 doctors, several incorrect diagnoses, and …MORE
The Pursuit of Answers: What My Doctors Said
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife What was the path to your Lyme diagnosis? I’m in middle school the first time it happens. I’m 13, I think. Possibly younger. We’ve just returned from a school camping …MORE
A Letter to My Sick Self
by Bonnie van Geffen #MyLymeLife One Lyme Warrior’s Letter to Herself Dear Me, Dear Humiliated Me, Please don’t ever call your body weak again. It had to fight so much for so long, that …MORE
When I Miss My Life Before Lyme
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife Do you reminisce about your life before Lyme? This morning my co-worker walked around to each of our offices to tell us that there were muffins the conference room left …MORE
Meditation and Lyme: How it Helps, How it Doesn’t
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife Without a cure, meditation can provide a relief of Lyme symptoms. Sometimes meditation is offered up as a cure-all for chronic illness. This is certainly not true, and occasionally dissuades …MORE
A Lymie’s View from 39
by Jennifer Crystal Birthdays and milestones can have a different meaning for Lymies and people with a chronic illness. When I was six or seven years old, I asked a great-aunt how old she …MORE
Determination Through Despair: A Lyme Warrior S...
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife From one Lyme warrior to another. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t a difficult time. I’m still struggling to recover from this disease—the raw feelings surrounding this daily …MORE
Fear of Lyme Reinfection
by Jennifer Crystal Hoping you don’t get another tick bite and Lyme reinfection this spring. This time of year always makes me happy: the tulips come out, everything blooms, and the world feels hopeful …MORE
Lyme Moms: We Salute You
by Jennifer Crystal A tribute to the mothers of children with Lyme disease and mothers with Lyme disease, out there on the front lines fighting for awareness, research, treatment, and validation. When I was …MORE
Loving Yourself Through Lyme Disease
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife Living with Lyme disease can damage both your body and your soul. How do you take care of yourself, emotionally? This May it will be five years since I was …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior … Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every couple months, Lyme Warrior Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Here are her answers to questions she is frequently asked. Do you have a question for Jennifer? …MORE
Why I’m Getting Dirty for Lyme Disease
by Scott Santarella, CEO, Global Lyme Alliance pictured here with GLA teammate, Lindsy Brophy I need your support for Team GLA and Tough Mudder On Sunday, July 23rd I will Captain the Global Lyme Alliance …MORE
Fighting ‘Fight or Flight’
by Jennifer Crystal Does stress impact your Lyme symptoms? How do you react? For a few days last week, I had trouble napping. This is usually a result of being physically and neurologically overtaxed, …MORE
Taking Lyme One Day-Minute-Second At A Time
by Jennifer Crystal How do you manage Lyme symptoms that can change day by day, minute by minute, second by second? Last weekend in Boston we had a nor’easter. I wondered if it was …MORE
Short-Circuited by Lyme Disease
by Jennifer Crystal Understanding how everyday functions can be short-circuited by Lyme disease. During my 2007 relapse, I was sent to a state-approved doctor who was supposed to decide if I really had Lyme …MORE
When We Build Cathedrals
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife Finding the strength to build when your chronic illness leaves you feeling exhausted and invisible. I recently read a powerful story by author and speaker Nicole Johnson about a gift …MORE
GLA: Lyme Disease Research Symposium Highlights
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D Director of Research and Science, GLA GLA hosts top researchers to discuss Lyme disease research. How can we understand Lyme disease better? Are there drugs that can kill persistent bacteria? Why …MORE
Getting Involved: When Your Intention Says Yes,...
by Jennifer Crystal You’re feeling better and want to get involved, but your chronic illness has other plans. Last January, a friend asked if I had attended a recent local Women’s March. I shook …MORE
Chronic Fatigue or Feeling Tired?
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife There is a difference between chronic fatigue and feeling tired. Have you developed chronic fatigue as a result of your Lyme disease? I remember the moment when my husband said, …MORE
What’s Luck Got to Do with Lyme Disease?
by Jennifer Crystal For many Lyme disease patients, luck starts with getting an accurate diagnosis. Whenever someone hears my story and says, “Wow, you’ve really been through the wringer,” I respond, “Yes, it was …MORE
The Mighty White-Footed Mouse
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D., GLA Director of Research and Science What makes the white-footed mouse more mighty than a lab mouse when it comes to tolerating Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease? …MORE
What the proposed NIH budget cuts mean for Lyme...
GLA CEO Scott Santarella shares his view on what the proposed NIH budget cuts could mean for Lyme and tick-borne disease research. by Scott Santarella, CEO, Global Lyme Alliance As we learned last week, …MORE
Podcast: Tick-Borne Co-Infections, Bartonella a...
Bartonella is a tick-borne co-infection. As with Lyme disease, its symptoms can be debilitating. While the most common tick-borne infection is Lyme disease, infected ticks may carry more than one kind of microbe or …MORE
25 Ways to Be a Good Friend to Someone with Lym...
GLA and The Mighty asked the Lyme community for some ways to be a good friend to someone with Lyme disease. Here’s what they said: 1. “Call, text or message regularly just to say ‘checking in.’ …MORE
Fear of Relapse
by Jennifer Crystal Is Lyme disease ever really gone from your body? Relapsing is a constant reminder and reality that the bacteria are still lurking. I am writing a memoir about my journey with …MORE
Dear Lyme Warrior…Help!
by Jennifer Crystal Every couple of months, Lyme Warrior Jennifer Crystal will devote a column to answering your questions. Here are her answers to some frequently asked questions she has recently received. Do you …MORE
Why You Should Never Make Fun of a Restricted Diet
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife For some patients with chronic illness, including Lyme disease, a restricted diet can improve their lives. So why the ridicule? The jokes are everywhere. There is a popular meme that …MORE
Addressing the Ongoing Controversy Facing Lyme ...
In the January 15, 2017 issue of the The New York Times Sunday Magazine, a column called “The Ethicist” ran an item under the headline “What to do about a physician who may be a …MORE
It’s OK to Be Angry
by Jennifer Crystal What role does anger play in your Lyme journey? For the last three winters, I have had the opportunity to teach an intensive “Healing Through Writing” course at my alma mater. …MORE
The Lyme Disease Divide
How to Make Sense of Conflicting Lyme Disease Facts by Scott Santarella, CEO, Global Lyme Alliance With the possible exception of HIV, no infectious disease in recent history has been as misunderstood and divisive …MORE
Keep It Simple: You’re Just Tired
by Jennifer Crystal Fatigue is such a central part of Lyme disease that it can be easy to overlook. Don’t. Recently I was on the phone with a friend telling her my woes. Angst …MORE
A Matter of the Heart
by Jennifer Crystal Lyme carditis: When it comes to maladies of the heart, don’t overlook Lyme disease and its co-infections. In the summer of 1999, after studying abroad in Paris, I backpacked with a friend …MORE
How to Be Your Own Health Detective
by Kerry J. Heckman #MyLymeLife Getting an accurate Lyme diagnosis can take years. With poor diagnostic tools and limited support patients are often forced to be their own health detectives. Here are six tips to …MORE
Groundhog Day: Casting a Shadow on Lyme Disease
by Jennifer Crystal The repetitiveness of living with Lyme disease can feel like Groundhog Day, over and over again. When I was studying in France, I had dinner with my landlady on Groundhog Day. …MORE
Dreaming of Better Days
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife Do you dream of the day when rest is a choice, not a need? And when your friends and family truly understand the toll that Lyme disease takes on your body …MORE
Winter Ticks Take a Toll: Rise of the “Gh...
by Hannah Staab Over the past few decades, warmer winters have been associated with major declines in the moose population. These massive and majestic animals are dying across the U.S.—from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont …MORE
Being Lyme Brave
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife When you’re finally diagnosed with Lyme disease there’s a feeling of hope. That hope can turn to pain and desperation as new treatments induce Herxheimer reactions. “Does she have Lyme …MORE
Podcast: Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Co-Infections
The most common tick-borne infection is Lyme disease. However, infected ticks also carry and spread numerous co-infections. The newest Global Lyme Alliance podcast, with GLA’s Dr. Harriet Kotsoris and Dr. Mayla Hsu, discusses Lyme disease …MORE
What It’s Like to Have an Illness No One Believ...
by Kerry J. Heckman #MyLymeLife 4 Lyme Bloggers Speak Out About Living with Lyme Disease A doctor recently told me, “I don’t believe you have Lyme.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard it …MORE
Living with Lyme Brain
by Jennifer Crystal Short-term memory loss, confusion, brain fog, and word repetition are just a few symptoms of Lyme brain experienced by many Lyme patients. How has Lyme brain affected you? I was recently …MORE
The Double-Edged Sword of Boredom
by Jennifer Crystal Are you bored of being bored? Pace yourself. With the holidays over, winter is settling in to its usual slow rhythm. If you don’t love winter activities like skiing and snowshoeing, …MORE
Tainted Transfusions: Why Screening Blood is Mo...
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D., GLA Science Officer The importance of screening for babesia in our blood supply is the focus of a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The last …MORE
Looking Back, Looking Ahead, Giving Thanks
by Jennifer Crystal The end of the year is a time to reflect. For those of us with a chronic illness, like Lyme disease, it can take a little more effort to look back, look …MORE
Locking Up the Obstacle of Guilt
by Jennifer Crystal Patients with a chronic illness, like Lyme disease, can carry more guilt than symptoms. The holiday season is, as the Andy Williams song goes, “the hap-happiest season of all.” While many …MORE
What to Do When You Get Bad News About Your Health
by Kerry J. Heckman #MyLymeLife Getting bad news is hard for anyone. For people with a chronic illness, like Lyme disease, it can happen often. Here are 8 tips to help you manage the bad news. …MORE
Tick-borne Infections on the Rise in Gray Wolves
by Mayla Hsu, Ph.D., GLA Science Officer As the majority of emerging infectious diseases stem from wildlife, the rise of tick-borne Infections in gray wolves is a good indicator of the future of Lyme and …MORE
It’s Not All or Nothing
by Jennifer Crystal Suffering from a chronic illness, like Lyme disease, can make you feel like you are missing out this holiday season because you can’t attend a party or visit with a friend. But …MORE
A Naval Aviator’s Experience with Lyme Disease
by Luke D. Miller #MyLymeLife When I was 21, I earned my bachelor’s degree and accepted a commission as a Marine Officer in Quantico, Virginia. Serving my country was my only dream. I spent many …MORE
Lyme Disease Prevention Needs Co-Operation, Not...
by Hannah Staab and Mayla Hsu, Ph.D., GLA Science Officer With the election of a new President in the United States, the heated rhetoric about reinforcing America’s southern border has ignored the critical need for …MORE
Trauma and Lyme Disease
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife How could I compare my experiences with Lyme disease to those who had endured worse? It’s taken me a long time to get to this point, to be able to admit …MORE
From Lyme to the NYC Marathon’s Finish Line
Running a marathon of 26.2 miles is a herculean effort even for most healthy people. But for those who suffer a chronic health issue, like Lyme disease, it requires determination and drive that most of …MORE
What We’re Thankful For–Thanksgivin...
As we approach Thanksgiving, many of us pause to reflect on why we are thankful. Without a doubt, the challenges with Lyme remain—better diagnostics and improved treatments are still sorely needed. But there are …MORE
Spreading the Light of Gratitude
by Jennifer Crystal The importance of finding gratitude when you suffer from a chronic illness like Lyme disease The upcoming holiday has us all thinking about being thankful. Thanksgiving is a time for feasting …MORE
How to Be a Good Partner to Someone with Chroni...
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife How do I know how to be a good partner to someone with chronic illness? Because I have one. But that wasn’t always the case. I was diagnosed with my …MORE
Never Give Up
by Jennifer Crystal Lessons for Lymies from Winston Churchill and the Chicago Cubs During the most intense period of my treatment for tick-borne illness, I lived with my parents and sometimes other family members. …MORE
Falling Back: It’s Not Real
by Jennifer Crystal Changing clocks, Lyme disease, and Herxing Twice a year I dread changing the clocks. Even in spring when extra daylight heralds warmer, brighter days, I know the shift will cause a …MORE
Night Sweats & Lyme
by Anthony Brandt #MyLymeLife The real estate ads never mentioned the deer. Thanks to a very smelly mix of chemicals we can still grow hosta, their favorite food, but the chemicals have to go on …MORE
Stabilizing Blood Sugar During a Season of Sweets
by Jennifer Crystal Hypoglycemia and Lyme Disease The first symptom of tick-borne illness that I experienced was one I’d never heard of: hypoglycemia. I was working as a summer camp counselor in the woods …MORE
Halloween: No Costume Necessary
by Jennifer Crystal I never liked playing dress-up as a kid. I didn’t like pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Sure, I could get into the spirit for Halloween. There are photos of me …MORE
Fall Tick Season is in Full Swing
8 Ways to Protect Yourself & Your Family Fall tick season is in full swing and so are popular outdoors activities, whether hiking in the woods to enjoy the peak leaf season, raking, or …MORE
Grieving the Loss of a Career to Chronic Illness
by Kerry Heckman #MyLymeLife For an educator, the start of the school year is filled with energy and excitement. There are students to meet, classrooms to decorate, and coworkers to catch up with. There is …MORE
Searching For Home When You’re Stuck in Lyme Land
by Jennifer Crystal Where are you from? It’s a standard question, asked as casually as “How are you?” or “What do you do?” In today’s world, however, there isn’t always a standard answer. I …MORE
Seasonal Fear of Missing Out
by Jennifer Crystal Many Lyme patients can’t enjoy the wonders of the fall season. Autumn in many places is beautiful. In New England, leaves ignite in rustic colors and then fall in fun jumping …MORE
What Failure to Control Ticks in Uganda Teaches...
by Hannah Staab Tick populations across Africa have negatively impacted many communities by carrying and spreading one of the most frequent bacterial diseases in Africa, tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). In addition to infecting humans, …MORE
Dream Like New
by Susan Pogorzelski #MyLymeLife I used to revel in the thought of living in solitude like Thoreau at Walden Pond. A cabin nestled between pines, a farm sprawling across a dozen acres, a cottage by …MORE
Tick, Tick, Tick: The Race Against Time
by Jennifer Crystal When I was first sick with Lyme disease, time dragged endlessly. I lay in bed or on the couch—too neurologically impaired to do “normal” sick-day activities like watch TV or read …MORE
The High Cost of Telling Someone ‘You Don’t Loo...
by Kerry J. Heckman #MyLymeLife I remember the first time someone told me, “You don’t look sick.” I was sitting in urgent care and the doctor told me I had a rare infection in my …MORE
Tackling To-Do Lists When You’re Too Tired To D...
When Lyme, or any chronic illness, turns once mundane tasks into the near impossible. by Jennifer Crystal With the calendar turned to September, school has started and life for many people has picked up …MORE
Missing the Summer of Life
by Jennifer Crystal For years during my convalescence, I had a recurring dream. It took place at summer camp where my favorite activity was water-skiing. In real life, I’d spent many summers learning to get …MORE
The Effect of Drought on Tick-Borne Disease in ...
By Hannah Staab Lyme disease, which is endemic in the United States, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi . In Africa, however, there are different tick-borne diseases affecting communities. Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is …MORE
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
What are the effects of Borrelia burgdorferi on the body? When early-stage Lyme is not properly diagnosed and treated, symptoms can worsen. Dr. Harriet Kotsoris, chief scientific officer with Global Lyme Alliance, discusses some …MORE
Lyme and the Olympics, Part Two: Of Dashed Drea...
By Jennifer Crystal In Part One of this two-part series on Lyme and the Olympics, I wrote about athletes who have survived Lyme and gone on to compete in the Games. These people are nothing …MORE
Is Lyme Disease Treatable?
Dr. Harriet Kotsoris, chief scientific officer with Global Lyme Alliance, discusses Lyme disease treatment, prevention, and transmission. Below is an excerpt from, “Lyme Disease: An Overview”, a podcast with Dr. Kotsoris and Dr. Mayla …MORE
Lyme and the Olympics: Part One of a Two-Part S...
By Jennifer Crystal When I was in fourth grade, I won an Olympic gold medal. Okay, it wasn’t a real Olympic medal, but when my gym teacher put it around my neck after my gymnastics …MORE
Podcast: The Facts on Lyme Disease
Understanding Lyme disease can be as complicated as the bacteria that causes it. Global Lyme Alliance is launching a podcast series to help make sense of it all. The podcasts will cover everything from basic …MORE
HOT, HOT, HOT: WHAT A HEAT WAVE MEANS FOR LYME ...
BY JENNIFER CRYSTAL When I opened up Facebook on July 4th, the app showed me a photo I’ve posted every year on that day since I joined the site. The scene is summer camp in …MORE
Blood and Water: How Infection Changes Tick Beh...
By Hannah Staab In order to survive, ticks constantly struggle to balance their two vital resources: blood and water. However, a tick’s maintenance of blood and water are in direct competition with one another, forcing the …MORE
Letter from CEO on Lyme Disease Research Initia...
Global Lyme Alliance CEO Scott Santarella highlights key research initiatives in the 2015-2016 grants cycle. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Global Lyme Alliance has had an exceptionally productive year. We have awarded …MORE
Steps to Avoid Tick Bites This Summer
Important steps to avoid tick bites, and Lyme disease, for a safer summer. It’s the little ones that you have to watch out for. Case in point, an insect the size of a poppy seed: …MORE
Effect of Landscape Fragmentation on the Preval...
By Hannah Staab Even though climate change is believed to be a major influence on tick abundance and Lyme infections around the world, there are other human practices that have the potential to contribute to …MORE
If there’s a Lyme vaccine for dogs, why n...
Dr. Harriet Kotsoris, chief scientific officer with Global Lyme Alliance, answers this question and many more as a guest on “Steve Dale’s Other World,” a WGNPlus podcast, part of the StopLyme Campaign. Steve Dale, a well-known …MORE
Lyme Disease Spread by Migratory Birds
By Hannah Staab & Mayla Hsu, Ph.D. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that diseases spread by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas tripled between 2004 and 2016. More than 640,000 of such …MORE
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR POST-TREATMENT LYME SYND...
Global Lyme Alliance grant recipient, Dr. Alla Landa is currently seeking volunteers for her study, “Reducing Chronic Pain in Post-Treatment Lyme Syndrome: a Brain Imaging and Treatment Study” at Columbia University’s Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases …MORE
How Climate Change Can Impact Lyme Disease
By Hannah Staab Climate change has the potential to expand the incidence of Lyme disease. For example, shifting environmental conditions in ecosystems in the northeastern United States may contribute to the rising prevalence of Lyme …MORE
How To Stay Tick-Safe on the Golf Course This S...
Another in our summer series on Lyme prevention: How To Stay Tick-Safe on the Gold Course This Summer. Originally published in Executive Women’s Golf Association Newsletter, June 28, 2016. Global Lyme Alliance’s Advice to Golfers: …MORE
Tips for Lyme Disease Prevention at Camp
It’s time for summer camp! Here are 6 easy tips for tick safety and Lyme disease prevention this season. As staffers, parents and kids prepare for another memorable summer at camp, there is one important …MORE
The Bigger Picture: Part Two By Jennifer Crystal
Taking Care of Our Overall Health Within the Context of Chronic Lyme In the first section of this series, I cautioned that not every ache and pain is Lyme disease; we must be sure to …MORE
Lyme Disease Needs Better Test, Better Answers
Dr. Harriet Kotsoris, Chief Scientific Officer, Global Lyme Alliance and Dr. Mayla Hsu, Science Officer, Global Lyme Alliance It’s now 35 years since a corkscrew-shaped bacterium was identified as the cause of Lyme disease. But …MORE
The Bigger Picture By Jennifer Crystal
The Bigger Picture: A Two-Part Series on Taking Care of Our Overall Health Within the Context of Chronic Lyme When you have a serious case of tick borne disease, it’s natural to get completely immersed …MORE
Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Global Lyme Alliance is pleased to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for research grants to be awarded in 2016. The proposals must be aligned with GLA’s mission to study prevention, basic science, diagnostics …MORE
Federal Lyme Bill Needs Your Support Now!
For nearly 20 years, Senator Richard Blumenthal has been a leader in the fight against Lyme disease and a strong supporter of those suffering from the illness. He introduced the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, …MORE
GLA Disagrees with NEJM Study Conclusions
The March 31, 2016 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine published a study of antibiotic treatment for long-term Lyme disease (Berende et al.). Individuals were treated with a two-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone, …MORE
Valentine’s Day: a Celebration of Self-Love By ...
This week my mailbox started filling with cute cut-out cards and cupids. Stores are selling red and pink balloons and boxes of chocolates, and roses are suddenly a dime a dozen. Despite temperatures that would …MORE
Reclaiming My Identity: Part Two By Jennifer Cr...
In last week’s poem “Never Say Never”, I wrote about getting back on my skis for the first time since being sidelined by tick borne illness. It was a proud, humbling, and cathartic moment, one …MORE
Reclaiming My Identity: Part One of a Two-Part ...
This week, my creative writing students read Taylor Mali’s poem “Tony Steinberg, Brave Seventh Grade Viking Warrior”. We then wrote our own poems, mirroring Mali’s “Have you ever…?” style. What would yours be? Here’s mine: …MORE
Staycationing By Jennifer Crystal
During last winter’s Snowpocalyse, posters advertising trips to Florida started appearing around Boston. As I trudged through ten feet of snow in big boots, I caught glimpses of people in bathing suits and flip flops …MORE
Laughter Really Can Be the Best Medicine By Jen...
January can be a tough month. With the holidays over and temperatures dipping to a deep freeze, the horizon can look as bleak as frozen tundra. This time of year is difficult for many people, …MORE
GLA Awards Over $1 Million In New Grants!
Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), the nation’s leading nonprofit funder of Lyme and tick-borne disease research and education, announced today that it has awarded a record total of over $1 million in grants to eight researchers …MORE
Top 22 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Lyme
1. Lyme is the fastest growing vector-borne disease in America. Source: CDC 2014 2. Over 329,000 new cases in US alone each year according to the CDC – that is 38 new cases each hour. …MORE
‘Rhony’ Heather Thomson “Biting Back” Against L...
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and we’ve launched a Bite Back Against Lyme campaign in partnership with Heather Thomson, one of Bravo TV’s “Real Housewives of New York City.” Thomson, who has never had Lyme …MORE
10 Top Myths About Lyme Disease
Lyme disease has become one of the fastest growing epidemics in the nation. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 329,000 new cases in the U.S. each year. But …MORE
Smart Landscaping to Outsmart Ticks at Home, Pa...
When working to make property as tick safe as possible, residents need to pay special attention to the property’s most frequently used areas. They should also keep in mind that drier areas are more apt …MORE
Smart Landscaping to Outsmart Ticks at Home, Pa...
When working to protect the home and surrounding property from ticks, homeowners should deter deer from feeding on vegetation in the yard because deer are almost always infested with feeding ticks. Once fed, these ticks …MORE
Smart Landscaping to Outsmart Ticks at Home, Pa...
Over the next few weeks, TBDA will share a three-part series of posts exploring ways to protect homes and surrounding property from ticks through a comprehensive landscape management plan aimed at creating low-risk tick zones …MORE
Holiday Hints by Bob Oley
It is that time of year again when we are getting in the holiday spirit, and thinking about going out and buying a Christmas tree or cutting one down on your own. Before doing so …MORE
Hidden Dangers In The Cold Fall & Winter b...
Just when you were breathing a welcomed sigh of relief that the cold fall and winter weather would bring an end to the unforgiving spring and summer tick season, think again. Thanks to a protein …MORE
Think Twice About Those Fall Activities by Bob ...
Once again it is fall when we look forward with eager anticipation to those outside activities that take up our weekends, whether it is raking leaves in our own backyard, watching our children play soccer, …MORE
Choosing the Right Tick Repellent for Your Skin...
Choosing just the right tick repellent for use on one’s skin to prevent getting bitten by a tick is a task not to be taken lightly. Your health, and that of your family members, depends …MORE
Preventing TBDs will Make You a Happy Camper by...
Summer camp season has arrived, and you have probably packed your children for some memorable weeks away from home. Weeks spent in nature though will also carry risks, and you have no doubt done everything …MORE
Lyme Disease, Deer Ticks and Campers by Bob Oley
Summer camp is right around the corner, and that means there are lots of details to be taken care of before your children head off to camp. One important detail that often escapes parents’ notice …MORE
Winter Warning! Beware of Deer Ticks by Bob Oley
Outdoor enthusiasts beware! Whether you are walking your dog, playing winter golf, enjoying cross country skiing, hunting, or just going out to the woodpile to get wood for your fireplace, you need to know that …MORE
