Three decades after Lyme disease was identified in southeast Connecticut, its neuropsychiatric fallout remains misunderstood, not just by local doctors but also by many of the rheumatologists, dermatologists, and neurologists who defined the disease at first. Patients with this controversial but common outcome, most often a consequence of late diagnosis, may negotiate arduous paths back to health. Yet once the problem is recognized, aggressive treatment can help. Now, my son Jason, the sickest in my family, is about to graduate from Brown. His brother, David, will be a junior at Vassar. As for Mark and me, we work long, hard days as writers and editors, in a place we love, Manhattan, as far from the tick-infested forests of Westchester County as we can get. —Pamela Weintraub
Protect Yourself!
The best way to avoid neuroborreliosis is through early diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease. Remember, Lyme in its initial stage is usually easily treatable; however, delayed diagnosis or inadequate treatment can lead to serious brain, heart, or joint problems.
