Mark Asher had always considered himself to be an outdoors person, running up to 22 miles per week and frequently working in his yard.

The Ellicott City resident never thought anything of the dozens of tick bites he suffered over the years, especially in the early 1980s when he lived in a farm house near Brookeville.

Little did he know how those tiny bites would come back to haunt him in the form of chronic Lyme disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2005.

"It was truly a living hell," said Asher, 52, describing the symptoms he began feeling in late 2004. "The fatigue (was) indescribable."

Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by an infected tick that has been attached to the skin for at least 24 hours, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

If not treated, the disease may cause chronic symptoms that can include joint pain, heart palpitations and neurological problems.

County health leaders say Howard has the second highest incidence of Lyme disease in the state. Because of that threat and the coming warm weather, when more people are outdoors, those leaders are planning a series of informational events on the disease, beginning next week.

"It's still a case where patients, citizens and doctors even are not as aware of what the signs and symptoms can be," Howard County Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson said. "It's an under-appreciated condition that can be serious when it becomes chronic."

Beilenson and the county's Communicable Disease Director Elizabeth Bohle will participate in a discussion titled "Lyme Disease: Focus on Howard County" at the Central Library on Tuesday, March 24. That will be followed by a showing April 2 of "Under My Skin," a film that details the long-term effects of chronic Lyme disease, and on April 30 by a presentation by Master Gardener Donna White entitled "Preventing Deer Dining."

All three programs will be held at 7 p.m. at the Central Library, at 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy., in Columbia.

Incidence is high here

The most recent figures available show that in 2007, Howard County had 358 of the 2,576 cases of the disease reported in Maryland-- second only to Montgomery County with 475.

The county's high incidence of Lyme disease is due to the large number of developments near former wildlife areas.

"People are living very close to deer and mice in woodland areas," Beilenson said.

Asher's wake-up call came in the form of severe fatigue and chest pains, followed by visits to a slew of doctors and hospitals before he received proper diagnosis and treatment.

A low point, he said, came when he was lying down and his then-11-year-old daughter asked him what he was doing for his 47th birthday. He realized he was unable to move.

"I was basically nonfunctioning as a father," Asher said. "It has been very trying."

Today, Asher is functioning considerably better, thanks to the help of his doctor and antibiotic treatment. His focus remains on staying healthy and helping those in similar situations to his.

He helped found the Howard County Chronic Lyme and Associated Disease Association, a support group, last year.

"The book is still being written on it," Asher said of the disease.

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user comments (5)

user asherms1 says...

There is bill pending in congress: The Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Prevention, Education & Research Act of 2009 (HR 1179). The goal of this bill is to ensure diversity of scientific and medical opinion in Lyme research and government advisory bodies. This bill was blocked in committee last year by Congressman Frank Pallone of New Jersey. See http://www.lymedisease.org/news/lyme_disease_views/60.html

Posted 11:01 PM, 03.19.09 | Permalink

user mariejoy says...

The difference in opinion stems from conflicts of interest of patent holders and university based researchers. They knew how to make and OspA test, which is worthless, and an OspA vaccine, which was dangerous and taken off the market. Huge money in both was responsible for tossing human decency out the window. As a result, new diseases and syndromes have been named such as CFS, fibromyalgia, ADD, dyslexia, autism... all undiagnosed NEUROLOGICAL lyme. Many cases of MS and Parkinsons are lyme. The damage to millions is horrendous, all for greed.

Posted 11:18 PM, 03.19.09 | Permalink

user asherms1 says...

In my support group there is a young lady whose insurance will not pay for -any- Lyme related treatment, even though she has a CDC (+) Western Blot. Her symptoms are very similar to what mine were in 2005... The difference between us is that she is just starting out, with no track record with an employer to back her up, and no money. Therefore she is forced to accept whatever abuse the insurance and medical industry offer up.

Posted 6:50 AM, 03.20.09 | Permalink

user grosvenor says...

Educating our doctors and supporting research is critical. Is the county dedicating any resources in support of Lyme disease research, especially work dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease? It seems the most important steps, after educating the public, is educating our doctors and supporting further research to treat this chronic disease.

Posted 2:36 PM, 03.21.09 | Permalink

user freethinker says...

Please go and see the patents many of the IDSA/CDC personnel own, and how they narrowed the disease defination of Lyme to profit off the sick and dying. . http://www.lymecryme.com . View LymeCryme Overview PowerPoint presentation: http://www.lymecryme.com/rich_text_18.html . HELP END THE SUFFERING! . EMPOWER yourself, EMPOWER others...

Posted 10:43 AM, 03.28.09 | Permalink