May is
LYME DISEASE
Awareness Month
A perfect time to help educate families and friends about a TICK-ing time bomb of a health care issue.
WRITTEN BY ANN HAUPRICH
There’s a saying in Lyme Action Network circles that when it comes to fully grasping the complexities of the tick-borne illness maze, most people “don’t get it until they get it.” This adage certainly holds true of Brandi Dean, Linda Reeves and John Romano –whose personal tick-bite recovery journeys form integral parts of this multi-tiered wellness feature by Ann Hauprich. To read the piece in its entirety, please go to SimplySaratoga.com. A companion piece about Andrea Simmons includes Lyme titles recommended by the librarian, who found a tick in her younger son’s ear when he was a preschooler. Rounding out the quest to help educate readers during Lyme Disease Awareness Month is an exclusive Q & A Saratoga Family contributor Hauprich recently conducted with SUNY/ Adirondack Microbiology Professor Holly Ahern, whose distinguished credentials also include cofounding the Lyme Action Network in New York’s Capital Region and serving as Scientific Advisor for Arizona-based Focus on Lyme Foundation. The interview clearly reveals both Ahern’s scientific knowledge and her empathy for the suffering that tick-borne diseases inflict on many patients and families. Read the full story on SimplySaratoga.com saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
Former Ballston Spa Mayor nearly lost his life to a malaria-like tick-borne disease in 2020 As namesake of a scenic nature trail along the banks of the mighty Kayaderosseras in Ballston Spa’s Kelley Park, former Mayor John Romano wants families to enjoy this and a multitude of other upstate New York outdoor sports and recreational settings to the fullest. But Romano, who nearly lost his life to a tick-borne illness in 2020, also wants lovers of fresh air adventures and activities to take Lyme disease prevention precautions before and after each and every fresh air outing.
Former Ballston Spa Mayor and John Romano Nature Trail namesake. Photo by Ann Hauprich.
“I’d never heard of picaridin or permethrin until I was being discharged from the hospital after a three-week long stay during which I ran dangerously high fevers and received both blood transfusions and blood platelet infusions,” says Romano. “Now I won’t leave the house without first applying a picaridinbased insect repellent to my skin and spraying my clothing with a permethrin product that causes ticks to die and fall off.” (Both organic substances are available in the pharmaceutical sections of most stores.) SPRING/SUMMER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 19
