Awareness efforts appreciated
Bartholomew County resident Gary Poland discovered first-hand the difficulty in dealing with Lyme disease, the bacterial disease spread by black-legged ticks also known as deer ticks that produces symptoms — fever, headaches, fatigue, joint pain, skin rash — that often cause doctors to misdiagnose the problem.
Poland wondered if he would die because he felt so awful. Only after two years of persistence was the true cause of his ailments discovered. Now he has to take more than 60 pills daily to treat his symptoms.
We commend Poland for using that ordeal in a positive way to educate people about the disease. He did so by working with Indiana Lyme Connect in sponsoring a free, local showing Feb. 25 of an award-winning documentary, “Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease,” at YES Cinema.
Awareness of the disease and its symptoms is important because of the misconception that it doesn’t exist in Indiana. Actually, 704 cases have been confirmed, but estimates are that more than 5,000 Hoosiers have it, in that Lyme disease is easily misdiagnosed.
Growing interest
The second annual Columbus Area Food Summit Feb. 22 produced a couple of headlines that both would be good developments if they come to fruition.
The Columbus Food Co-Op is scheduled to open a long-discussed grocery store next year that primarily would be stocked with items from more than 50 county and regional farmers. That new option could be a nice boost to the local farm-to-table economy.
Also, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. food service manager Nancy Millspaugh said she is hoping to add more local growers as food suppliers for local school lunches. Not only would that support local farmers, but also boost efforts to provide healthy meals to students through fresh foods.
Second lady’s good cause
Columbus native Mike Pence is understandably in the national and international spotlight in his new role as vice president of the United States, but Pence’s wife Karen has shared her own ideas on the national and world stage, too.
She has extolled the importance and benefits of using art therapy to help people explore their feelings, resolve emotional conflicts, manage behavior and addictions, reduce anxiety and boost self-esteem. The former school teacher makes great points.
Karen Pence’s platform as the nation’s second lady offers the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives by supporting worthy causes. She’s certainly found one.
