Pokemon Go Berks County, trainers apart of the Silph Road and I are doing the Lyme disease challenge during May Community day! We want you to participate to help spread awareness of Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses since May is Lyme disease awareness month.

Link to my Approved Silph Road Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheSilphRoad/comments/8gvv9m/catch_pokemon_not_lyme_disease/

TL:DR

May is Lyme awareness month and Pokemon Go Berks County, the Silph Road team and I challenge you to “Take a Bite Out of Lyme” by doing the Lyme disease challenge. Find out how to do the challenge by visiting: http://lymediseasechallenge.org/join-lyme-disease-challenge/

Hello trainers!

My Discord (Pokemon Go Berks) wants to challenge everyone here on the Pokemon Go Subreddit to take the Lyme Disease Challenge. May is Lyme disease awareness month. The challenge is called “Take a Bite Out of Lyme” and it is very simple! Pokemon trainers all over Berks county and other places around the world are planning meet ups during the May Community Day event to “Take a Bite Out of Lyme”. We want you to take the challenge during May Community Day! If you cannot do it then feel free to do it any time during May. Every bit of awareness helps! If you participate please join our discord to share your photos on our channel dedicated for the Lyme disease challenge! Invite to join our discord is: https://discord.gg/FM8HnAs

Why are we challenging you to take the challenge?

As Pokemon trainers we go outside a lot to play and catch Pokemon. Because we are outside a lot we are at an increased risk of being bitten by a tick, which increases our risk of contracting Lyme disease or other tick borne illnesses. It only takes one bite to ruin your life. The key is to become aware of how severe Lyme disease can be and take preventative measures to protect yourself and your family (don’t forget your pets)! You can get bit any time of the year. Ticks can be as small as a poppy seed. You can get infected from regular ticks and deer ticks. You can get Lyme almost anywhere in the world. It is an epidemic, sadly a mostly silent one.

An effective tick repellent is Ticks-N-All tick repellent which is organic and made using natural essential oils and it works. I personally use it for my family. Before having this tick spray my family had five tick bites in one week, with over twenty bites a year between three people. Since using this tick spray we have around two bites a year which is still not good but it is so much better than before. Where I live is a tick infested area (Eastern Pennsylvania and on a farm).

How to do the Lyme Disease Challenge:

1. Take a Bite out of a Lime: take a photo or a short video of you taking the bite – the more sour your face, the better and funnier! It is more fun with friends, so invite them to take a bite with you!

2. Share a Fact: State one brief fact about Lyme disease. You can say them in your video, write them on your photo, or include them in your post. Help us spread the true facts about Lyme Disease! Use the hashtag #lymediseasechallenge on social media.

3. Challenge Others: Keep the campaign going by challenging three other people to take the challenge! Challenge your friends, family to take a bite! Mention them in your video or if you do a photo tag them in your post.

Optional: Donate to ILADS to help fund research for a cure and to help ILADS train medical professionals how to diagnose and treat Lyme and other tick borne infections.

Facts can be found on the Lyme disease challenge website and International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS):

http://lymediseasechallenge.org/join-lyme-disease-challenge/

http://www.ilads.org/lyme/about-lyme.php

Why do I do the Lyme disease challenge?

I do the Lyme disease challenge because I am battling chronic (late stage) Lyme disease and multiple co-infections. I got officially diagnosed right after I graduated high school (summer of 2011). Based on my symptoms, my Lyme literate physicians believe I have been infected since I was a child. When I was eight years old I had the classic Lyme symptoms: migrating joint pain, fatigue and headaches, a weak immune system yet I had no bulls-eye rash. I did not get a quicker diagnosis due to the fact the blood tests are not sensitive enough, which means false negative happen very often. For me I had several false negatives over 10 years despite being symptomatic. I try to spread awareness year round since I am disabled due to Lyme. I want to prevent others from dealing with Lyme disease and co-infections. I encourage others to participate in the Lyme disease challenge which occurs during May. I lost my ability to walk much when I was only 18 years old. Despite years of treatment I still cannot do a lot of walking due to the fact the Lyme bacteria has damaged my joints and nerves especially in my left foot and ankle. Please consider doing the Lyme disease challenge and sharing this information with those you care about. If you are interested in joining the Pokemon Go Berks Discord here is our invite link: https://discord.gg/FM8HnAs

Helpful Links:

How to remove a tick:

http://www.ilads.org/lyme/what-to-do-if-bit-by-tick.php

Find a Lyme literate doctor (LLMD) near you:

http://ilads.org/ilads_media/physician-referral/

Prevent Chronic Lyme Disease:

http://www.ilads.org/lyme/lyme-tips.php

Link to the Treatment Guidelines:

http://www.ilads.org/lyme/treatment-guideline.php

A special thank you to everyone involved with Pokemon Go Berks County, the Silph Road team and everyone who has reached out to me. Thank you for spreading awareness!