The Lyme Disease Association would like to thank everyone, who had given us 1% of their payment. We are really grateful for every, even the smallest amount of money. We`ll do our best to use those money as much effective as it`s possible.
We`re receiving some particular information from Inland Revenues at the time, so we`re about to analyze it soon. However, we can already say, that your generosity surpassed all our expectations - IRs has given us over 20 000 zl.

After over a year of our information points functioning, which are also supporting groups for patients, we decided to look a little closer to their work. Almost 20 points of ours had received over a thousand of e-mails, especially from people looking for support or advices about their treatment, from those looking for reasons of their troubles, but also from doctors and journalists interested in the subject of the tick-borne diseases.
We hope, that no e-mail was left without an answer, but we still realize, that we`re not always able to help you in a hundred percent. We don`t do diagnosis, we don`t know all about the quality of the laboratory tests in Poland, it`s sometimes hard to recommend a doctor knowing the Lyme disease problem who would have been near the patient.
After analyzing the numbers of e-mails sent to the particular points we can try to arrange them more rationally. Soon some of the points, which are situated near to each other will be joined, maybe we`ll open the new ones in the parts of the country where we didn`t had them.
We would like to thank everyone who leads a information point or a supporting group. We hope they`re all satisfied with the work they do, because it`s really devoting and needs much involvement, especially it`s done for free.
We don`t forget about those who do it on their own. We all have the same purposes: to warn people from the danger of infected ticks, to support the patients and share with them with our experience, to claim effective treatment from the medical service. Thank you once again - your activity is priceless.

For the "old" members the meeting started on Friday, July 31st in "Adara" dormitory, where All the participants were accommodated. First integration meeting lasted long night hours.
The official summary`s inauguration took place on Saturday, August 1st in the Warsaw University of Life Sciences` main assembly hall. Because of problems with arrival on time of some of our speakers, we had to threw away the summary`s program. We begun with projecting "One tick away", a film by a British Lyme disease Assotiation.

As soon as all the participants have managed to arrive, the lectures began. First of all, vice-president of our Association, Katarzyna Kmieć, presented the basic information about the Lyme disease - mostly for those, who are in the beginning of their treatment.
Next, Agata Kozak was speaking about the influence of Lyme disease for human psyche and about dealing with it.
Afterwards, representatives of Synevo laboratories chain presented the LTT test and its help, in their opinion, in monitoring the disease.
During one of the presentations we had some unexpected attractions - the fire alarm went on and we had to leave the building for a while. Evacuation passed unexpectedly quick, without any panic and the Protection firm worker was helped with turning off the alarm by... one of our summary participants :)

The next presentation concerned all the types of anti-ticks preparations and the ways of protecting ourselves from ticks. It was presented by our Association`s member, Renata Rojek.
We also had a very interesting presentation "Rehabilitation as an important part of Lyme disease treatment" by a rehabilitations doctor, Anna Bogdańska. We often forget, that the treatment is more difficult without physical exercises.
Tomasz Woźniak presented an offer of an Internet Medical Site "Hylostet" shortly.
Than, after a lunch break, the last lecture of this summary took place. Doctor Beata Werbowy was speaking about difficulties during Lyme disease and co-infections treatment. She came to Warsaw for a few hours only, so that she could present us, as much as she could, the most important problems which are occurring during the treatment - we`re very grateful to her for that.

The meeting finished about 6 p.m., about 150 people participated. During the lectures there were posters, leaflets, and other materials were distributed. Also our first book publication, "Lyme disease and Co-infections" was presented.
There was also a possibility of taking a sample of blood and sending it to laboratories in Lublin and Poznań for tests. It was possible thanks to Mrs. Jadwiga Kłys` laboratory in Warsaw.

The later part of our event took place in the Ikar café at the University`s campus. We determined the results of a children contest "Ticks - Monsters of the Forests". You can see all the artworks here: Children`s work gallery
Adults took part in a "Lyme disease school-test". The finalists were: Ewa475, Swigonka and Stachenka, who finally won the competition. Congratulations :)
Both children and adults got attractive awards.

The talks and the meetings were continued in the rooms of Adara till late hours, cause there`s nothing better than that kind of "family". Who would understand you better, than someone who experienced the same thing you did? Some of us have been fighting the disease since months or years. They share with their knowledge and experience.

We would like to thank everyone who helped in any possible way with organizing this summary. We also thank all speakers and the participants. We believe, that we`ll meet in such a big group also the next year.

First book publication of our association is already available for everyone interested. It`s a vademecum based on the Lyme disease Internet forums FAQs.

We believe that this guide will be helpful in understanding this sickness, so difficult to diagnose and treat. We also hope it would be kindly accepted by the community of people affected by Lyme disease.

Main chapters:
* Diagnosis of tick-borne diseases
* Treatment
* Coinfections
* Mycosis - prevention
* Tick-bites - frequency of appearing and risk of getting a tick-borne disease
* Controversies about Lyme disease
* World`s Lyme disease patients movement

[...] What if my sister never received a Lyme diagnosis and subsequent treatment?
Sometimes I say the film is my way of making penance for the way I treated my sister when she was sick.

...For The Treatmnt Of Lyme Disease - State of Connecticut, USA

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened (Effective July 1, 2009):
1. "long-term antibiotic therapy" means the administration of oral, intramuscular or intravenous antibiotics, singly or in combination, for periods of time in excess of four weeks;
2. "Lyme disease" means the clinical diagnosis by a physician, licensed in accordance with chapter 370 of the general statutes, of the presence in a patient of signs or symptoms compatible with acute infection with borrelia burgdorferi; or with late stage or persistent or chronic infection with borrelia burgdorferi, or with complications related to such an infection; or such other strains of borrelia that, on and after July 1, 2009, are recognized by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a cause of Lyme disease.
Lyme disease includes an infection that meets the surveillance criteria set forth by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other acute and chronic manifestations of such an infection as determined by a physician, licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 370 of the general statutes, pursuant to a clinical diagnosis that is based on knowledge obtained through medical history and physical examination alone, or in conjunction with testing that provides supportive data for such clinical diagnosis.

On and after July 1, 2009, a licensed physician may prescribe, administer or dispense long-term antibiotic therapy to a patient for a therapeutic purpose that eliminates such infection or controls a patient's symptoms upon making a clinical diagnosis that such patient has Lyme disease or displays symptoms consistent with a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease, provided such clinical diagnosis and treatment are documented in the patient's medical record by such licensed physician. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 20-8a and 20-13e of the general statutes, on and after said date, the Department of Public Health shall not initiate a disciplinary action against a licensed physician and such physician shall not be subject to disciplinary action by the Connecticut Medical Examining Board solely for prescribing, administering or dispensing long-term antibiotic therapy to a patient clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease, provided such clinical diagnosis and treatment has been documented in the patient's medical record by such licensed physician.

Governor Jodi Rell signs bill that shields doctors in treatment of Lyme disease - details

On 28th March a meeting for doctors called Tick-borne Diseases Academy took place in Warsaw. The organizers: Medical Education Centre and partners - BAXTER as well as CBDNA and EUROIMMUN Polska as sponsors invited some members of our Association to the meeting.
Presentations were given by scientists and doctors actively dealing with tick-borne diseases. The main issue, however, was the problem of tick-borne encephalitis - its symptoms and treatment - and Lyme disease. The burning problem of co-infections was left untouched. The problems connected with Lyme disease were unfortunately shown only in the light of the standards currently valid in Poland. In our opinion - doctors who participated in the symposium were told nothing new concerning symptoms, diagnosis or treatment of Lyme disease.
The meeting did not meet our expectations as there were only not scientifically confirmed opinions repeated, the procedures used widely in Poland were glorified and said to be 100% efficient, whereas not only did they not help many of us but also worsened their health condition through spreading bacteria all over their bodies.
In conclusion we can repeat what we heard from the participants: "we are still on the way" and "we still do not know much about this disease".

On the 1st Jan`09 a new Act on Infections and Infectious Diseases came into effect. That means the previous Act dated from 2001 is not valid any longer. However, until new regulations are prepared, the old ones will be used. In an attachment to the Act - the list of infectious diseases - LB can be found at 5th position.

... in Canadian British Columbia.

"I write to express my deep concern about the advice on diagnosing Lyme disease..."

letter - full version

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Kafeteria.pl

At kafeteria.pl a new subject started existing: Lyme Disease. We would like to invite all of you to read interesting articles on LD, new ones are to be published there regularly.

Lyme disease at kafeteria (PL)

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Donations at ammado - program launched

International social portal Ammado enables people to contact, help and be informed on the activities of non-profit organizations. With its help people can support organizations they want to using the "charity circle": you can choose the organization and donate it openly or anonymously. Donations have never been easier!

here you can find us among other organizations

After having been invited to the international portal, we have joined the great international family of organizations which aim at improving the lives of those in need fighting for their rights be free and healthy.

Finding ourselves among such charity organizations and foundations as: Amnesty International, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Caritas International, MONAR-MARKOT, Save The Children, SOS Wioski Dziecięce, UNICEF, Mimo Wszystko (Anna Dymna`s foundation), Czerwony Krzyż, La Strada, Reporters Sans Frontieres, Transparency International, France Lyme, etc. is a real honour for our young Association.

We hope that now, having joined the family of organizations working pro publico bono, it will be easier to reach people who are ready to help not only in Poland but also abroad.

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