The much anticipated Thursday showing of a rushed report on Lyme disease was actually shown on Friday, July 4th at 7:45a EDT. I set my alarm to get up and see, just in case.

Here's a quick review...GARBAGE!

Not that they just told old information over again, because everyone does that...but in my opinion, they made the Lyme community look like a bunch of desperate medicine seeking hypochondriacs.

The sum total of comments from Dr. Bransfield and the opposing doctor (who I can't remember or ever heard of) amounted to about 30 seconds of total air time. Dr. Bransfield's comments (he is the new ILADS president) were edited to make it sound like the Lyme literate medical community was doing whatever they can think of to help patients...almost like they would experiment with anything that would help.

They took small excerpts from Under Our Skin, that at first showed a bleak picture of Lyme, but they ended it with edited comments from Mandy Hughes (the sickest patient shown in the film), in which she said something to the effect of...when you are sick and desperate, you'll do anything...completely showing the comments out of context from what they were in the film.

Then to just put a big old cherry on top, the interviewer and the medical (doctor) expert had a wonderful conversation. The interviewer managed a comment about how someone who "thinks" they have chronic Lyme will do anything to get better, while the doctor explained that when you are bitten by a tick, you get a bulls-eye rash and should go to the doctor and you will be given the proper anti-biotic treatment.

This doctor was totally clueless and dictated the mainstream medical community view of Lyme to a tee. Not one mention of the people who never see a rash, or how the rash isn't always a bulls-eye. Cut and dried...bitten, rash, antibiotics, done.

Although it will do no good, I am going to send a long email to Good Morning America and let them know that their limited reporting on Lyme disease was biased and damaging to those who are sick...and why would they even consider presenting such a one-sided view of a disease that has more angles than the Hope Diamond?

If anyone saw the report, or views it in another place, and you feel the same - or disagree - please answer back on here. I would be interested to read more opinions.

I will not be back on-line until tomorrow night, so I look forward to seeing some comments.

Thanks, and Happy Fourth to all!

Tom

Thanks for the report! Hope you are having a great 4th!

And I just read over the story that they posted for today, and all other stories they have posted on Lyme...all of them are biased on the side of the IDSA.

All their headlines about Lyme should contain a qualifier...something like...well that's what the IDSA said, and then have a picture of a face sticking out it's tongue.

Tom

I also watched the biased report on GMA this morning. I am so disgusted right now, I just want to scream!! First of all, the Dr. Marisa Vard (I am not sure if I can hear her name correctly on the tape), that was on there on behalf of Good Morning America said that when you catch the bite within a day or 2 days that a single dose of antibiotics will cure this.. Is this correct?? I have never heard of such a thing. What happened to the so called biased guidelines?? (21 days)?? Can you really get rid of this in one single dose after you are bitten?? And what kind of Antibiotics would they be talking about and what kind of milligrams to eradicate this?? I really am dumbfounded by her comment. Maybe I am the ignorant one on this, but like I said I have never heard of a single dose given would ever get rid of Lyme Disease. Here is my second BEEF, that Dr. Martin Blaser the so-called IDSA Dr. that knows everything about Lyme Disease supposedly, says and I quote because I have this recorded,

"We want to help people who who are suffering, that's our our job., but our job is not to make things up, just because the people want answers. We we look at the scientific literature, and we try to guide their Doctors. Then he goes on to say and I quote, "Sometimes doing the wrong thing is worse than doing nothing, it's better to find out what's really going on, and and address that and treat it."

This is what Dr. Robert Bransfield said who is an ILADS Dr.

"There is plenty of science that supports persistence in Lyme Disease. And it's a broader perspective in interpretation in the Science, it means that many people who could be treated aren't, and go on to suffer chronic illness and that could be avoided and prevented." He also says, "Is the risk of the disease worse than the risk of the treatment? If it is, than we want to treat. If it's not, then we don't. It does seem to help some people when you use a well, planned strategy."

The GMA reporter says there is no reliable test to tell you if the Lyme Infection is still present in your body, and that Dr.'s stronlgly disagree over long term antibiotic use which is often prescribed in these Chronic patients, in clinical trials, the results have been mixed, and for some have been fatal.

Everyone that can see this video, should see for yourselves what is being talked about on this mornings Good Morning America Show. This is our health that they are talking about and how we are all suffering so much because of the controversies over treating all of us... The GMA reporter states that many of us are misdiagnosed also. How many of us have had this happen?? GEE, a lot, I bet. He also said at the end that we don't want to scare people, if that's the case than what are we all suffering with, an Autoimmune Disease of some sort, what a joke!! That's what I was told by a Dr. last fall, even after testing CDC positive, he told me that it was an Autoimmune Disease and to seek treatment elsewhere out of there Duluth, MN clinic. I am so wanting to go after this Dr. for what he did, and he also told my Kidney Dr. to go ahead and do a Biopsy with an active infection going on.. He told him (my kidney Dr.), I didn't have Lyme Disease although I had numerous bands for the disease prior to the Biopsy. Just to prove a point, after his 8 week treatment for Lyme Disease with Doxy (which I have been on about 10 times now over the past 9 years), I went out and waited for 8 weeks after the antibiotic treatment and then I got retested through Igenex again, and I was CDC positive, I had 9 out of the 12 bands positive. I had a full blown infection going on during my Kidney Biopsy, which could have put me at more of a risk for having it done.. No wonder that I am a bit upset with what is going on with myself and this disease and countless, I mean countless others out there also going through this National Travesty.. I am upset, and I have every right to be upset. Look what has been done to me. As for the Autoimmune Disease, that they are talking about, I have all the same symptoms as I did just a month or two after being bitten, so nothing has changed but the "Title" of the Disease I have, from Lyme Disease that was not treated properly, to an Autoimmune Disorder that somehow this Lyme Disease inbetween the time that has elapsed has become the name "AutoImmune Disorder". Give me a break!! Who else out there has been told they have an Autoimmune Disorder after having Lyme Disease? We don't have an Autoimmune Disorder. It just happens to be called Lyme Disease. Talk about an insurance cover up. They just don't want to pay for us to get better. What other diseases have this happen to them. Cancer?? How much does that cost to cure?? What really is the difference? Isn't Chemo expensive also?? I am sorry to all that may have loved ones that have cancer, such as my own Father who is battling Colon Cancer right now. He is receiving treatment and this is covered with no questions asked. Why is Lyme Disease so different?? Shouldn't we be able to be treated humanely and given a chance to get better such as a cancer patient?? If I had what my Dad has, then I could have long term treatment that would be covered, I am sorry, this just does not make any sense to me. If someone can make some other sense out of all of this, please write to me and tell me differently.. I hope you all enjoy the time you have with your families on this 4th, we never know how much time we are all given on this earth, and be sure to tell your family and friends how much they are cared for today.. Enjoy your day, and I had to respond to this show this morning to let others know what I believe and why I am also displeased with the controversies of this disease and this show, Luvdtoteeup.

Thanks for the feedback everybody.

Happy 4th.

Ann

Digusted, Denise

Ugh.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5309680

When you, the news organization, give out the wrong information - or partial information - either from you own research or the testimony of an "expert", then you are doing a great disservice and great harm to the topic you are covering.

Dr. Marie Savard, the expert, was mis-informed in more things than she was correct about...and that is just sad for all those that they may have now confused even more.

Tom