The year is coming to a close so I thought it would be a good time to provide an update and some information that has been brought forward during recent Lyme Support Group meetings. However, before I get into that, I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays. I hope you all get an opportunity to enjoy whatever you celebrate.

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times but this year it has been more of a struggle to get things done. I’m fortunate, however, to have my two adult children home for the holidays. I hope you all get a chance to spend some time with loved ones.

Although I had hoped that more would be done this year to increase awareness and education of Lyme and tick-borne diseases (TBDs), it hasn’t been a stellar year in that regard. TBDs still don’t seem to receive the concern that they should and many are still very uneducated about how to prevent, diagnose, and treat. If you are able to help in this regard, whether it’s posting on social media; talking to your neighbours; educating your health care professionals; or anything that you can; it all helps.

Unfortunately, many more people have become infected with tick-borne diseases this year. Many also have no idea that they have been infected and others have not received an appropriate treatment. These people are all dealing with health issues that many health care providers will blame on aging, stress, mental health, diet, etc.

As symptoms of TBDs can vary from person to person, and day to day, it is VERY difficult to get a quick diagnosis and appropriate treatment. It has also become much more common to acquire more than one TBD from a bite. For the most part, health care providers know very little about all of the various things that ticks can transmit. There are a few links that I like to make sure that people are aware of:

• For Early localized (or Acute) Lyme, this federally funded document is my go to – https://cep.health/clinical-products/early-lyme-disease/.
• For those dealing with a large assortment of symptoms, that change from day to day, or hour by hour, this document is very helpful in trying to determine if you might be dealing with TBD’s – https://restorativehealthclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Horowitz_LymeDiseaseQuestionnairev.pdf.
• If your health care provider only allows short appointments, yet you have multiple health complaints, this document may be helpful for them (and you). It allows for a quicker clinical review – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6908481/.
• To learn more about the symptoms of all the possible TBDs that can be transmitted you may have to look at a number of places but the CDC does have some information. In Nova Scotia, Lyme, Babesiosis, Powassan virus, Anaplasmosis, and Tularemia are all reportable diseases – https://novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/documents/06026_itsthelawposter_en.pdf. Also found in ticks in Nova Scotia are Bartonella (Can it be transmitted?); Borrelia miyamotoi (can cause a Lyme-like illness); and Rickettsia. It has also been suggested that Alpha-gal Syndrome (https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/alpha-gal/index.html) has found its way here. There may be others.
• If you remove a tick from a person or pet, I always suggest that you get the tick tested. Although that is not a diagnostic tool, it may help you move forward with appropriate treatment if symptoms do start. As ticks can carry more than, or just, Lyme, I always suggest testing for common TBDs via Geneticks, which I believe is the only place in Canada providing testing for ticks at this present time – https://geneticks.ca/submit-a-tick-for-testing/. Although there is a fee, knowledge of potentially transmitted diseases, or piece of mind, can be worth the price. Dealing with late stage Lyme and/or other TBDs can be very costly.

I run a NS Lyme Support Group that meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:00 noon, via Zoom. Meetings generally run for 1-2 hours, depending upon the number of people in attendance and the number of topics discussed. Attendees can arrive, and leave, when they want. I have an email list that I send a reminder out to every month and people then let me know if they want the Zoom link. I also post a notice in three of my Facebook pages/groups. The group is my closed “Lyme Support Group – Atlantic Provinces” which is helpful for those that can’t attend Support Group meetings. As it is a closed group you need to get approved by me to join. Usually quick and easy. However, if you have requested to join, and you haven’t heard from me in a reasonable period of time, check you “hidden” Facebook messages from non-friends.

We discuss anything and everything during these meetings. The last few have resulted in some interesting topics:

• Pepto Bismal (Bismuth) – this is an interesting potential Lyme treatment that has recently been raised by someone that has tried it, with some success. Not a lot of information on it and if done incorrectly it can be harmful to your health (has caused death in at least one case). It can apparently also cause kidney issues. You have to do your own research and make an informed decision. Pepto Bismal has been around for a very long time and many people, including my Mother, used it for an assortment of stomach issues, etc. There are now groups on social media full of people that are trying it to see if it helps with their symptoms.

• Stevia is something I mentioned early on in my blog entries. The initial research was printed in 2015 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4681354/. There has been little information since but I know that a few people have added Stevia to their treatment protocol, just in case. This is a 2019 review by Dr. Marty Ross which suggests that it is not helpful – https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/stevia-lyme-disease. This research document also suggests that Stevia does not help to eradicate the Lyme bacteria, but does mention other potential natural and botantical medicines – https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.00006/full. Can it hurt? I don’t think so and it’s a better sweetener than some.

• The fact that ticks do not tend to be found in old growth forests has raised lots of questions. Research has been undertaken with Balsam fir needles and essential oil that determined that they can kill ticks – https://www.dal.ca/news/2022/08/15/balsam-fir-solution-blacklegged-ticks-lyme-disease.html. More research is required but it may eventually help in the reduction in the number of ticks.

• As most know, deer are a preferred feeding and breeding ground for ticks. However, deer apparently do not get, or transmit, Lyme. Why? This question was asked, and answered – https://www.umass.edu/news/article/white-tailed-deer-blood-kills-bacteria-causes-lyme-disease. This finding could eventually result in treatments for humans and suggests that deer can actually be valuable to have around.
• Many of our discussions are regarding the things people are doing to help improve their immune system so it can prevent or fight health issues. There is a Netflix show about Blue Zones around the world that investigated how and why residents were living to old age more healthy and happy than people in other areas. Lots of good advice on food, exercise, companionship, etc. If you don’t have Netflix, there are a variety of articles, books, etc., on the topic. Airdrie, in Alberta, was going to be the first “Blue Zone” community in Canada but, unfortunately, COVID struck and things changed. This is a good article about Blue Zone communities – https://seniorsbulletin.ca/blue-zone-communities/. We can all put some, or all, of the suggestions to use.

• One of my earlier blog posts was a list of things that people have tried to help improve their health. I try to update it as we talk about things but there are no doubt many more that have been discussed over the years. Here is the post, in case you are interested – https://shiningthelymelight.com/2021/01/14/there-is-lower-cost-help-for-the-rich-mans-illness/.

As you can see, we talk about anything and everything, and because of that we sometimes get off track, but that is occasionally when interesting tidbits of information are discussed. It is a time for those dealing with a health issue that is relatively unknown and misunderstood to talk to others that get it. Used frequently is the statement “You don’t get it until you get it.” All of us have friends and family that don’t understand so the support is very important. Anyone dealing with TBDs, either themselves, or as a support person for someone that does, are welcome to attend. We also do not exclude anyone from other provinces. It is hoped that an in person Support Group meeting will start up again in 2024 for those in the Bedford area; however, the monthly Zoom meeting will continue as there are people from all over the province, and elsewhere, that attend.

As always, feel free to reach out to me with questions, comments, concerns, AND any suggestions for a blog topic. I could use the help!

Happy Holidays!