WGME airs segment on Lyme disease, featuring both survivor and expert perspectives at UNE
On Tuesday, May 26, 2015, WGME aired a news story about Lyme disease that featured two 91直播视频employees鈥擜ngela Coulombe, communications manager of Institutional Advancement, and Meghan May, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology.
Coulombe, a marathon runner who is currently in training for her next race in Berlin, shared the story of the long road to recovery that she traveled after being diagnosed with Lyme disease several years ago. She recalled not being able to turn her head from side to side, raise her arms above her head to dress herself, pick up her legs to climb stairs or get in and out of bed without assistance.
May explained that in some individuals who contract Lyme, like Coulombe, the physical symptoms linger much longer than the infection, itself. "After the infection is gone," she said, "the immune system is behaving as though it鈥檚 there."
She cautioned viewers that this is the season for nymph ticks鈥攖he type of ticks most commonly associated with contracting Lyme disease, as their small size makes them difficult to see or feel.
While keeping covered, using bug spray and performing daily tick checks are the best defense against the disease, for those who are affected by Lyme, Coulombe co-created Lyme Buddies, a support and educational organization.