Betsy's Life in the Lyme Lane
Donation protected
In 2010, my best friend since college, Betsy, started getting incredibly sick. Her symptoms ranged from various persistent complaints like migraines, extreme fatigue (falling asleep to and from work), air hunger and a number of respiratory issues, chronic pain, fevers, swollen lymph nodes, fainting, light/sound sensitivity, cognitive issues (getting lost in familiar places, extreme brain fog and forgetfulness), GI issues and visual disturbances, among other symptoms. She saw nearly every specialist in the state of New Hampshire, all with little to no answers as to was going on. She has been diagnosed with everything from MS to Fibromyalgia, Mono, Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Asthma, Mold Toxicity, border-line for Lupus, to there's nothing wrong with her - that it was all in her head and was told she needs psychiatric help.
Finally, in December of 2013, after suffering from these symptoms for over 3 years already, she suspected her illness may have been related to mold in her home, she had tested positive for Lyme Disease, Babesia and Bartonella (co-infections of Lyme Disease). In that moment she felt relieved, she thought 30 days of antibiotics would allow her to return to her normal life and feel herself again. Only this was not the case and she continued to get worse. As a child Betsy was apparently bitten by a tick which was infected with Lyme Disease and it's co-infections Babesia and Bartonella. Her primary care Doctor at the time felt it was just a "bug bite" because she did not show any signs or symptoms of Lyme and did not display the classic bullseye rash associated with the disease so she did not receive treatment. This "wait and watch" approach is what led to this disease becoming late stage, Chronic and/or Persistent.
Because the disease was slowly establishing in her body and had been lying dormant for so long, the standard short course of antibiotics would not cure her severe symptoms. While over 300,000 people get diagnosed with Lyme Disease every year, the CDC does not recognize Chronic Lyme as a health concern or the epidemic that is has become. Betsy has been unable to work due to her severe symptoms. Since the CDC does not recognize Lyme Disease beyond 30 days of antibiotic treatment (in all cases), her insurance company (as most insurance companies) do not cover any of her medical related costs. The CDC writes the guidelines for treatment for all diseases, and because they deny the existence of Chronic Lyme Disease, hundreds of thousands of adults and children and left to suffer the consequences every year. Short treatment courses have resulted in upwards of a 40% relapse rate, especially if treatment is delayed. There has never been a study demonstrating that 30 days of antibiotic treatment cures Chronic Lyme Disease. However, there is much documentation demonstrating that short courses of antiobiotic treatment fail to eradicate the Lyme spirochete (bacteria).
Most recently, Betsy has paid out of pocket to have PICC line placed in her arm so she can administer her own medications at home. Among the other thousands and thousands of dollars she has spent on specialists, treatments and everything in between over the years, she paid $600 dollars to get the PICC line inserted and now must come up with $419.00 every 2 weeks for the IV medication she needs. On top of that, it costs $95.00 per week to get her PICC line dressing changed so she does not develop a life threatening infection. Each month she also must come up with approximately $300-400 for supplements and probiotics and another $300.00 every time she sees her specialist (LLMD) which is every few weeks. With only a small amount of state aid to live on, it is next to impossible to come up with the $2000-$2500 for all her health care needs, on top of gas to get to and from appointments that are an hour away and stick to a special diet.
At this point in time, Betsy does not know how she is going to afford her next round of antibiotics which she is due for in a weeks time (as of 8/7/16) and has outstanding balances with her providers as it is. If you can even donate just a few dollars so she can continue this life changing antibiotic therapy, which could send her into remission, please, take the time to do so. Share with your friends and family if you feel so inclined. No donation is too small. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read this and let's get Betsy better again, so I can have my best friend back and she can have her life back.
Finally, in December of 2013, after suffering from these symptoms for over 3 years already, she suspected her illness may have been related to mold in her home, she had tested positive for Lyme Disease, Babesia and Bartonella (co-infections of Lyme Disease). In that moment she felt relieved, she thought 30 days of antibiotics would allow her to return to her normal life and feel herself again. Only this was not the case and she continued to get worse. As a child Betsy was apparently bitten by a tick which was infected with Lyme Disease and it's co-infections Babesia and Bartonella. Her primary care Doctor at the time felt it was just a "bug bite" because she did not show any signs or symptoms of Lyme and did not display the classic bullseye rash associated with the disease so she did not receive treatment. This "wait and watch" approach is what led to this disease becoming late stage, Chronic and/or Persistent.
Because the disease was slowly establishing in her body and had been lying dormant for so long, the standard short course of antibiotics would not cure her severe symptoms. While over 300,000 people get diagnosed with Lyme Disease every year, the CDC does not recognize Chronic Lyme as a health concern or the epidemic that is has become. Betsy has been unable to work due to her severe symptoms. Since the CDC does not recognize Lyme Disease beyond 30 days of antibiotic treatment (in all cases), her insurance company (as most insurance companies) do not cover any of her medical related costs. The CDC writes the guidelines for treatment for all diseases, and because they deny the existence of Chronic Lyme Disease, hundreds of thousands of adults and children and left to suffer the consequences every year. Short treatment courses have resulted in upwards of a 40% relapse rate, especially if treatment is delayed. There has never been a study demonstrating that 30 days of antibiotic treatment cures Chronic Lyme Disease. However, there is much documentation demonstrating that short courses of antiobiotic treatment fail to eradicate the Lyme spirochete (bacteria).
Most recently, Betsy has paid out of pocket to have PICC line placed in her arm so she can administer her own medications at home. Among the other thousands and thousands of dollars she has spent on specialists, treatments and everything in between over the years, she paid $600 dollars to get the PICC line inserted and now must come up with $419.00 every 2 weeks for the IV medication she needs. On top of that, it costs $95.00 per week to get her PICC line dressing changed so she does not develop a life threatening infection. Each month she also must come up with approximately $300-400 for supplements and probiotics and another $300.00 every time she sees her specialist (LLMD) which is every few weeks. With only a small amount of state aid to live on, it is next to impossible to come up with the $2000-$2500 for all her health care needs, on top of gas to get to and from appointments that are an hour away and stick to a special diet.
At this point in time, Betsy does not know how she is going to afford her next round of antibiotics which she is due for in a weeks time (as of 8/7/16) and has outstanding balances with her providers as it is. If you can even donate just a few dollars so she can continue this life changing antibiotic therapy, which could send her into remission, please, take the time to do so. Share with your friends and family if you feel so inclined. No donation is too small. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read this and let's get Betsy better again, so I can have my best friend back and she can have her life back.
Organizer and beneficiary
Amanda Noel
Organizer
Malden, MA
Betsy Covey
Beneficiary