Jemsek Specialty Clinic J-Letter May 2009

After a culmination of many months of planning for an exclusive limited engagement run in Charlotte, NC, 450 people gathered at the Ballantyne Village Theatre on Friday, March 20 to celebrate the Charlotte theatrical premiere of the award-winning Lyme disease documentary UNDER OUR SKIN at the Into the Light Gala.

Co-sponsored by New York City's Turn the Corner Foundation and the National Capital Lyme and Associated Diseases Association from Washington, DC, leaders from both organizations joined Dr. Joseph Jemsek and his staff from the Jemsek Specialty Clinic, along with Charlotte City Council members, many benefactors, patients, physicians, and others touched by or curious about Lyme Disease, for an elegant evening of food, fellowship and awareness.

Making special appearances were Andy Abrahams Wilson, of California, the director/producer of UNDER OUR SKIN, and Mandy Hughes, of Florida, a patient of Dr. Jemsek's prominently featured in the film. The evening was emceed by Jordan Fisher Smith, traveling from the mountains of the Sierra Nevadas, an author whose story was featured in UNDER OUR SKIN. Jordan masterfully conducted the awards portion of the evening, honoring individuals whose dedication and contributions to Lyme are immeasurable.

The Visionary Award honored individuals who possess the vision to persevere in their quests to raise awareness of Lyme disease and to pursue research and advancements to better the lives of patients who suffer from Lyme and the physicians who treat them. Recipients of this year's Visionary Awards are: Open Eye Pictures, Gregg and Monte Skall of National Capital Lyme and Associated Diseases Association, and Staci Grodin of Turn the Corner Foundation.

The Courage Award honored individuals who show how the human spirit can overcome adversity with steadfast resolve and an enormous capacity of hope, compassion, grace and strength. This year's Courage Award recipients are: PJ Langhoff, Dave Tierney, Kathy Fowler, Dr. Cara Davis, Kalyn Faggart, David Jacks and Mandy Hughes. Dr. Jemsek was honored with the Horizon Award, given to medical pioneers that possess the strength, courage and conviction to remain steadfast in their beliefs in the face of adversity, to think beyond the boundaries of the status quo, and to seek the truth about Lyme disease while bringing renewed health to their patients.

The evening was capped off by Dr. Jemsek giving a remarkable speech, which highlighted the deficiencies and greed of the insurance industry, and the importance of providing proper treatment for those afflicted with chronic Lyme disease. The text of Dr. Jemsek's speech is available for download as a PDF file.

Special thanks goes to the Village Bistro for providing an outstanding selection of delicious food and cocktails, and to Chris Lemmonds of Lemmonds Design for the attention-grabbing banner displays, gala programs and invitations that were created exclusively for the event. Details on the gala can be found at www.intothelightgala.com.

Traveling more than 4000 miles across the pond, Ria Heslop knows this: that her search for answers brought her here, and that it ends with Dr. Joseph Jemsek. "Coming to Dr. Jemsek for Ria's treatment is like coming home; like finding the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle," says Ria's husband, Dennis.

After many years of misdiagnosis by the UK National Health Service, Ria joined a US-based Lyme disease support group to see where others infected with Lyme sought proper treatment. When she learned that Dr. Jemsek was actively accepting patients, she immediately made an appointment and traveled from Essex, UK, mentioning to her fellow support group members that finally she "was off to see the Wizard." Ria is now starting treatment with the Jemsek Specialty Clinic for her severe case of neurological Lyme disease and associated co-infections.

Growing up in the country, Ria was an avid outdoorswoman involved with regular equestrian activities. It was during her late teens living near the Mendip Hills that Ria believes she was initially infected with Lyme disease when she developed a chronic rash that was noted on her UK medical records. After later adopting a stray kitten covered with ticks and fleas in Brentwood during 1999, Ria believes that she was re-infected (with another rash around her left ear), and soon began to develop extensive neurological symptoms associated with Lyme disease. "I believe I've had one bite too many", says Ria.

During her struggle to seek a suitable Lyme-literate physician to treat her, Ria has had to overcome many obstacles to find her way to Dr. Jemsek. Testing CDC positive for Lyme on an IGenX test and having positive bands specific to Lyme disease from a second lab, Ria was told by many physicians that "there's no point in (receiving) treatment. You only have a virus and you will get over it."

Ria and her husband Dennis say that UK authorities have engineered a bizarre system whereby the HPA (Health Protection Agency) insists that every Lyme test, even those tests shown to be insensitive to Lyme, be sanctioned by a single microbiologist: Dr. Susan O'Connell.

According to Ria and Dennis, Dr. O'Connell refuses to accept that Late Stage Lyme Disease exists, and that treatment for this chronic condition is not warranted - she insists "it's just post Lyme syndrome". In a disturbing coincidence, Dr. O'Connell also happens to be a colleague of Dr. Gary Wormser, an IDSA member and a discredited 2006 IDSA Guidelines author.

After nearly a decade of being previously diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Addison's disease, Multiple Sclerosis and various endocrine system issues, Ria feels as though her journey through eventual proper diagnosis of Lyme disease in 2006 to Dr. Jemsek is like earning a Master's degree. "I feel like I am finally going to graduate," says Ria.

Dave Tierney was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in January of 2007. A pilot with Delta Air Lines and a retired Marine, he faced the possibility of losing his airline job because of this diagnosis. After self-administering weekly injections of the MS drug Avenox, his symptoms were not alleviated. Not convinced that he had MS, Dave began to research his symptoms on the internet. He found that Lyme disease symptoms closely matched his own. He recalled having two Erythema Migrans (EM) rashes from unknown insect bites in the mid 1990's while serving with the Marine Corps in North Carolina. As a Connecticut resident for 24 years, he knew he could have also been exposed to Lyme while living there. He then sought a specialized physician to evaluate the possibility of a Lyme disease diagnosis.

Dave made an appointment with Dr. Joseph Jemsek, a prominent Lyme disease specialist in the Charlotte area. After his symptoms and medical history were evaluated, Dr. Jemsek felt that Dave's symptoms and medical findings presented a strong clinical case for persistent Lyme disease, or neuroborreliosis. After starting treatment with oral antibiotic regimens, Dave made little or no progress. A decision was made jointly to initiate IV antibiotic therapy and Dave was treated three times weekly for approximately 14 weeks. After nearly a year off from his job, Dave was able to return to flying the friendly skies in February 2008.

Since receiving his initial diagnosis of Lyme disease, Dave has been a diplomatic and important advocate for Lyme with his tireless activism. His persistence in getting recognition for the disease in the state of North Carolina has helped many patients find the courage to seek answers to this debilitating illness.

"I visited over 25 different doctors in the past seven years. When I finally got the MS diagnosis, I was just ready to quit looking for another explanation. But as I became more ill while taking the MS drugs, I began to suspect that this was the wrong diagnosis. Had I not challenged my initial diagnosis of MS, I would still be suffering today. Doctors here in the South do not adequately consider Lyme disease when evaluating patients and their symptoms."

Anne Walch graduated from Duke University's Physician Assistant program in 1985. She worked for seven years on faculty at Duke's Family Medicine Department, including their Women's Health, Sports Medicine, and the Travel Medicine clinics. Anne then worked in Nepal for three years, gaining more experience in adventure medicine, tropical diseases, and pediatrics.

Anne has worked at Asheville Integrative Medicine in Asheville, NC since 1998, seeing a variety of patients with complex medical problems, including those with tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease. With Integrative Medicine Anne learned principles and practices from the best of conventional and alternative medicine to look deeply and comprehensively at the roots of illnesses. Some of her special interests are in nutrition (using diet, herbs and supplements), endocrine disorders, natural hormones, and environmental toxins.

Since 2006, Anne has expanded her knowledge of tick-borne illnesses and caring for these patients through Dr.Jemsek's tutelage as an expert consultant on their shared patients. She looks forward to working in even closer collaboration with Dr.Jemsek as a fellow clinician at the Jemsek Specialty Clinic assisting Lyme patients on their path to healing.

"Be the change you want to see in the world"

~ Mahatma Gandhi