My Lyme Disease is not the IDSA Lyme Disease

This article was posted by Ashley van Tol in response to an earlier article in the Chicago Tribune.

I became ill myself in 1985 after my first dose of Tick bite fever.  The 7 day anti-biotic treatment was not enough to stave off damage to my system by the bacteria.  Nor was the second lot of meds in 1994 !!  I continued to get ill, but the doctors could not tell me what was wrong.

Ashley's report could well have been written by me.  It took me 25 years to get a diagnosis of Lyme disease and it's co-infections... My Lyme doctor has told me to expect at least 2 to 3 years before I feel better.  Two to three years where I have no income because I am unable to work and because I do not qualify for disability as the Old Mutual insurance companies said, I should be better in 3 months.  They know SQUATT !!  I have even paid for a life policy with disability cover for over 16 years...  They are happy to take your money, but when it comes to a claim, it seems they turn their head away... !!

Lyme Disease : Medical compensation or NOT !!

I was forced to stop working earlier in 2010 due to ill health, (Lyme + 4 co-infections) but do you think my then employer gave a damn.

 NO!!  But I am made out to be a liar and a cheat because I was advised by someone to apply for disability. Although I have been ill for well over 12 months, my Ex boss claims I did not leave for ill-health. So, according to him, I am a liar and I am also 'possibly in denial' of my how my health was affecting my performance at work - how he contradicts himself...  This despite the fact I gave them 3 months notice (normal is 30 days) despite how ill I was feeling, to find a replacement School Administrator.  So now I sit with NO income, and NO medical aid to pay for my medical expenses which amount to about R3000-00 per month.  I cannot afford the R8000-00 to have more blood tests to see if there is any improvement in my health!  As a result of his statement, I was declined a disability claim by OM.

A letter to the Dean of the Faculty to inform him of this situation, and to ask for an intervention, goes ignored. It seems to me that at you are just a number. And if you are ill, you count for even less.

When you become ill, through no fault of your own, you are just chewed up and spat out when they are finished with you.

There is NO concern for your health and well being. You are now useless and therefore no longer of any good to them.  Isn't Wits wonderful...  They are so concerned about their 2010 Vision (where did that go to) that they have no morals when it comes to long serving staff who have given their all to the institution, even at risk of personal health !!   How I wish I had left the day I was given the diagnosis of my illnesses!

I didn't ask to be bitten by ticks in 1985 and again in 1994. When I asked my doctors to treat me for Lyme Disease, they laughed at me and said it was impossible for me to have it as it did not exist outside of the area of Lyme, Connecticut, USA!! So i was diagnosed with ' possible MS'.

These people have no idea of the life they have stolen from me by their arrogance and ignorance.

I have been treated by 14 specialists between 1985 and 2010.  Neurologists (6), Gastrointerologists (2), Neuro surgeon (1), General Physicians (2),  Opthalmologist (1), Retinologist (1), Pulmonologist (1),

God knows if I can face another 15 years of antibiotic therapy to recover....  they say it can take as long to recover as you have been suffering with this illness.

Click title for link to video on this subject.