It’s time to be worried about tick prevention. While I am very grateful to the people cutting the downed trees for our safety, I am also concerned about them getting bitten by infected ticks.
Chronic Lyme disease is not covered by insurance, and the tests are not reliable. There are now 20 known infections in ticks, and if you are lucky enough to find a doctor who will treat you, they give doxycycline, which only covers three of them.
When I was bitten while taking up golf in 1995, over 30 doctors told me I needed a psychiatrist. That went on for a dozen years. I had five infections in my brain. I have now been sick for 30 years, and the cost so far has been $400,000.
Spray your shoes with permethrin, see The Quiet Epidemic streaming free and check for ticks. Use tweezers to remove them and send them out to be tested.
— Jan Dooley
Asheville
