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* Elyssa Cherney at the Tribune…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning about a rise in insect-borne diseases — and Illinois is right up there, ranking sixth among states with the most mosquito-related illnesses.

Between 2004 and 2016 nationwide, diseases from mosquito, tick and flea bites tripled to more than 640,000 cases, according to the study released Tuesday.

Illinois saw the number of mosquito- and tick-borne diseases jump from 226 in 2004 to 772 in 2016, according to CDC data. Data for flea-borne illness couldn’t be located for those individual years. […]

The most common type of tick-borne illnesses was Lyme disease, the report said. In the time period examined by the CDC, 352 cases of Lyme disease were reported.

* Despite the headline (explained here) this is definitely not a joking matter. Here’s my old pal Kristen Strawbridge…

Hi friends. You probably haven’t heard from me in too long, and that is not intentional. Many apologies for being out of touch. I have been struggling for years with rapidly declining health, and I chose to suffer in silence, but I’m not doing that anymore. I desperately want to live again, and I need help and support to do that. 

 I’ve been sick for over six years and have seen so many doctors. It’s a very long story, so to put it simply, my body and my brain are broken. I’m fighting Late-Stage Lyme Disease, Endometriosis, and Severe Fibromyalgia. These three monsters cause pain storms that are indescribable. I’ve been totally disabled for three years, and I have had a constant fever for that time too. It’s an ongoing battle with debilitating fatigue, wipespread severe pain, brain fog, neurological issues, muscle twitching and spasming, extreme weakness, migraines, dizziness, vision problems, and disturbances in heart rhythm. I could go on, but you get the idea. I’m basically bedridden and forced to live a life on the sidelines. If you know me at all, you know that’s heartbreaking for me.  

If you can’t place the name, here’s a pic…

* Kristen sent me an e-mail asking for help sending people to her GoFundMe page. Here’s the end of it…

Thank you for considering this. I still read the blog several times a day, and I really miss being there sometimes. It’s a lonely disease. I hope you are well.

Click here.

* Related…

* Rep. Swanson passes “Lauryn Russell Lyme Disease Prevention & Protection Law” in honor of Mercer County student

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:34 pm

Comments

Poor Kristen. This is so tragic.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:38 pm
Lyme Disease is no joke. Seriously, check for tics after being out in the woods or tall grass. Check your kids, too.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:11 pm
Had a teacher friend hospitalized with a high fever, aching joints, etc., and getting worse. Docs could not figure out what was wrong with him and were pumping him full of meds. Then his wife reminded him that she had taken a tick off of him at Barkley Lake in Kentucky during Spring Break.

Armed with that info the docs were able to diagnose him with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and could administer the right drugs. This was back in the ’80s. Nowadays, there is a good chance for Lyme Disease as it is no longer just in the east. Wordslinger is right–check for those ticks!

Comment by Nearly Normal Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:44 pm
Awful. I worked with Kristen some years back but I had no idea. she is a truly nice and decent human, which can be hard to come by these days. I’ll be circulating this to others from the old agency days. A worthy cause.

Comment by Recovering Former State Employee Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:08 pm
Unfortunately, there is a possibility it is spread by mosquitoes. 60% of people with chronic Lyme indicate they never saw a tick on their body or the infamous bulls eye rash.
Almost impossible recovery.

Comment by Belle Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:12 pm
Bill HB 4515 is only a protection for our Drs (I seem to share one with Kristen)—so they can treat us without fear from loss of license. That’s all that’s in the bill—maybe we’d all like some of our old health back too but don’t think that can be legislated.
It’s heading to the Senate soon.

Comment by Belle Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:30 pm
don’t know her, but my heart goes out to her and anyone struggling with these serious health issues.

Comment by jim Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:21 pm
Can our pets get Lyme Disease too?

Comment by Mama Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:39 pm
I was fortunate. I picked up some ticks several years ago while exploring a Civil War battlefield in Virginia. I went to a doctor right away when I started to get sick and they were able to stop it quickly. I really do hope Kristen van find some relief.

Comment by G'Kar Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:27 pm
“Can our pets get Lyme Disease too?”

Yes, Mama, they can. That’s why you need to go over them and check them for ticks whenever they walk in any wooded area. I have vaccinated my dogs when we vacationed in a heavily wooded area.

Comment by Bootleg Carhartt Designer Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 6:24 pm