Lyme disease has been in the Vernon area for longer than you realize.
I have been treated for Lyme disease for over a year now. I probably got it back in the eastern Ontario/Quebec area where I lived, not too far from Napanee, Avril Lavigne’s hometown (she recently disclosed her Lyme disease).
For me, it was dormant for quite a while but was activated for some reason and I started showing symptoms a few years ago.
My naturopathic doctor diagnosed it and confirmed it with a blood test which my medical doctor was not able to do. I began treatment with my naturopath last year which my medical doctor was not able to do. Treatment is slow and expensive and not covered by B.C. Health.
My naturopath has diagnosed and is treating more than 60 people with Lyme here in the Vernon area.
There are probably many more undiagnosed cases out there because it manifests itself in different ways and is currently difficult to diagnose.
Also mainstream medicine is not equipped and reluctant to diagnose it.
That is another controversial issue which should be dealt with now, since a private members bill, introduced by Elizabeth May, was passed by Parliament in 2014 requiring the medical profession to examine Lyme disease more closely.
You have a better chance, at the moment of being diagnosed with malaria in this country than Lyme. Ironic since we don’t have malaria mosquitoes here but we definitely have Lyme-bearing ticks.
Robert Vedan
Vernon
