Sharon Ulrey prepares materials to be sent to all physicians in the area providing information about Lyme disease. Ulrey caught Lyme disease when she was 15.
By Rick Charmoli, Cadillac News
Cadillac, MI, USA
Helsel is not a drug addict but says he won't quit taking his pills. He is living with Lyme disease and the Manton resident said compared to a year ago he feels better.
"When I first came down with it, I felt like someone hit me with a sledge hammer.
"I would think about it most of the night with intention of putting it all behind me and starting fresh the next day," he said. "Then you find yourself on the couch with one shoe on and the other lying there, you never went anywhere. I'm doing a lot better."
While the logger of more than 40 years believes taking the medicines has helped to improve his quality of life, they also have a few side effects.
One pill he takes make him more sensitive to the sunlight and if he is exposed for too long he will burn to the point of blistering.
Still, he would rather deal with the occasional blister on his hand or arm then go back to the way he was when he first started showing symptoms of the disease.
"It changes your life. To tell you the truth, there were six or seven times I would have rather died. When I was on the couch I wanted to go to work and then get there and couldn't do it," he said. "I can handle it better now. The medicines are working now and regulating it better."
Helsel's wife, Amy, said it has been about two years since her husband first started having symptoms associated with the disease. They believe he contracted it while working in the woods. The Helsels first noticed something was wrong when he started having red "bulls-eye" type rings on various parts of his body.
Although his wife does not have the disease, it too has taken a toll on her as well.
"I would say it impacted me more than the kids because they are grown. I had to do more work. The truth is I sometimes get resentful," she said. "I know I shouldn't but it changes your life together. It is sort of like I was married to someone one age and then the next day married to someone 30 years older."
Besides having an impact on Helsel's health, his wife said it also has had a tremendous impact on their finances.
The Helsels do not have health insurance and some of the prescriptions are between $200 and $300 apiece. With the amount of medicines needed, the Helsels started to go in debt.
"Not only do we not have insurance, but when he couldn't work we were really screwed. What happens is you get in debt," she said. "I would say the worst part besides his health is the financial aspect."
For another Cadillac area resident, Lyme Disease also has played a role in their life. Unlike Helsel, Sharon Ulrey has been living with the disease for almost her entire life.
Growing up in the Saginaw area, Ulrey said she believes she was infected with the disease at the age of 15. Now the 63-year-old said she just wants to help others who suffer from the disease.
"Where we live is beautiful but we have ticks. Everyone should have someone help with a tick check before they go to bed," she said. "This disease can lie dormant. They start having symptoms that are like flu-like symptoms when in fact it could be Lyme disease. That is why it is so very hard to diagnose and many of the tests come back with false negatives and positives."
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and in the Midwest is spread through infected deer tick bites, according to the Center for Disease Control. The two tests are the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test or ELISA and the Western immunoblot test or Western Blot. One reason the tests are so inaccurate is because there are about 100 strains of Lyme disease, Ulrey said.
"My doctor saved my life. I was so bad he actually saved my lifeŠ. If I can help one or two people so they can find out what they really have to get the right treatment, it will be worth it," she said. "I was considering starting a support group."
Ulrey said May is Lyme Awareness Month and she can be contacted at 775-2549. Likewise, a person may call the Michigan Lyme Hotline at 888-784-5963 and ask for Linda Lobes, president of Michigan Lyme Disease Association.