Although health care providers have known about Lyme disease for several decades, we continue to be perplexed by the problem. Lyme disease, spread through the bite of a deer tick, has proven to be much more than a simple bull’s-eye rash. Today we explore this issue with artists Anita Roelz and Pam Creamer, who have become Lyme advocates through their personal experience with the disease, and with naturopathic physician Kristen McElveen, who is grappling with the questions of Lyme in her medical practice.
Guests
Anita Roelz
Anita Roelz is a metal smith and jewelry maker at the Creative Turtle. Anita has been a caretaker and advocate for a cure since her partner, Pamela, was diagnosed with Lyme Disease five years ago
Pam Creamer
Pam Creamer is a lifelong artist who has created work and painted murals all over the country. Pam was the primary breadwinner in their home for years, until her onset of Lyme Disease in 2009, which hindered her ability to paint and carry on with her life as it was before. She has been treated with oral antibiotics since 2009, under the care of one of the top Lyme Doctors in the country, Dr. Richard Horowitz in New York.
Dr. Kristen McElveen
Dr. Kristen McElveen is a naturopathic doctor who has been in private practice in Springvale since 2009. Her focus is in chronic illness, which often includes Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illness. She educates patients on clinical nutrition and lifestyle changes as much as possible before resorting to herbal, nutraceutical or pharmaceutical medicine. After earning her pre-med degree at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, she received her naturopathic medical degree from National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM), the first and oldest accredited naturopathic medical school in the US. After 2 years of residency at NCNM, she moved back to the East coast and started her practice, Bare Medicine, in the heart of Southern Maine.