Hello all! Please help your fellow Lyme sufferers by writing to their senators on behalf of their disability claims. This is a way we can help each other even though we are tired and in bed most of the time! Often times people with Lyme are denied disability, that is very much needed and deserved, because of lack of evidence. One way to help fellow Lyme sufferers is to write to their senators on their behalf. The more letters received on a case, the more likely they will be successful in getting approved. My goal here is to have an “army” of Lymies, who are looking for ways to be of service to their community, signed up to be “letter writers”. If you are interested in becoming a letter writer email me  @ carpedium11@yahoo.com saying so and from this point on, we can all write letters on an as needed basis. I will write and publish the standard letter that can be sent out, and all you have to do is go to the websites for each Senator (two) and fill out the email form on their website with this letter and sign your name. Our first Lymie we will be helping is Cheryl Eibert and the following are links to her Senators

http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/ , http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/

In the subject line, be consistent, put– CHERYL EIBERT SSD CASE #7854191

Here is the letter to copy into your email:

Dear Senator,

I am writing on behalf of Cheryl Eibert and her disability claim. She is a facebook friend of mine within the context of the Lyme Disease community. I write on her behalf because she is extremely ill with Lyme Disease and multiple other related disorders. She cannot function due to this disease and has reached out to her community for assistance. I, myself, have Lyme Disease and know it’s devastating effects personally. I ask that you review her case and help her to quickly get approved for social security disability as she is facing homelessness and worsening of her diseases. She has no health insurance and truly needs this assistance. Her functioning is greatly impaired due to Lyme and related disorders and she cannot work due to this decline. Lyme disease is a multi-systemic infection that effects multiple systems in the body and makes functioning especially difficult in those who have had the disease for years, as is the case for Cheryl. The following are the ways she is unable to function in each category:

Marked restrictions to activities of daily living: 

Extreme Fatigue, unresolved by resting or sleeping for any amount of time, effects Cheryl’s ability to clean her home. Her house chores are often left undone due to fatigue, dizziness while standing, and arthritis of multiple joints which results in pain.

Cheryl’s ability to vacuum her home has diminished due to extreme low back, knee, and hip pain from Lyme disease

Sitting upright is no longer possible for any normal period of time due to the pain this causes her, which affects her abilities in most areas of daily living. This includes leaving her bedridden for most of the day.

Bending over, stooping and other activities are no longer possible for Cheryl due to extreme pain

 Marked restrictions to activities of social function:

Dizziness when attempting to communicate has made social interaction extremely difficult for her.

Cheryl has memory loss and this affects her ability to function in social conversation.

Cheryl often cannot leave her home due to Lyme disease, and this prohibits her from developing and maintaining normal or even limited social function with friends and loved ones.

Cheryl is often isolated because her ability to leave her home has diminished due to severe fatigue

Agitation and anger associated with Lyme disease have affected Cheryl’s relationships negatively

 Marked difficulties in maintaining concentration, persistance, and pace:

Cheryl’s ADD, dizziness, and Lyme disease has created marked decline in her ability  to concentrate. She forgets what she is saying in mid-sentence and often cannot finish a task or even a movie due to lack of ability to concentrate.

Extreme fatigue and pain prevent Cheryl from being able to complete tasks in a timely manner.

Repeated episodes of decompensation:

Cheryl worked as a house cleaner for many years, but now cannot even stand up long enough to do her own dishes. Her own home is now too much for her to keep up, as she can no longer bend or stoop, she gets extremely dizzy and fatigued within 10 minutes of starting. She used to be able to do these things consistently and now she has decompensated to the point of being mostly bed bound.

Thank you for your consideration,

Lisa Sikes

Lyme Advocate