Terry's Lyme Disease Treatment Fund
Donation protected
Four years ago Terry Jennings, the Executive Director for the Barrington Park District, was overwhelmed with a debilitating illness. Having just lost her mother, Ginny Steinmetz, whom she cared for 28 years after she suffered a stroke, Terry initially thought maybe she was suffering from grief and exhaustion.
The body pain and mental cloudiness continued long after her mother’s death and became much worse. She developed disabling pain in parts of her body making mobility difficult.
Responsible for overseeing the many activities, parks and staff associated with her position, Terry continued to push herself. She continued to see many different doctors who addressed her various symptoms and tried to diagnose and treat her. Finally, a blood test was ordered to test for Lyme disease which is caused by tick bites, a growing concern in this area. She tested positive. Unfortunately, the late diagnosis had allowed the disease to wreak havoc on her body for years.
Physicians often overlook Lyme disease as the symptoms mimic other more common ailments. This causes many patients to miss the window of treatment where traditional courses of antibiotics are effective. Unfortunately, Terry is one of those patients. Four years of antibiotics and medication used to treat diseases like Malaria, provided limited relief. Her symptoms continue to progress, including hearing loss and issues with her kidneys.
Many patients end up with numerous tick borne co-infectious diseases in addition to Lyme. Recently, Terry received the news that she had tick borne co-infections including: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Bartonella Bacilliformis, Ehrlichia, Protomyxzoa, and Borrelia. Although learning about these infections helped her better understand her multiple symptoms, the prognosis for treatment continued to create additional frustration.
There are a limited number of doctors in the country who understand and specialize in the treatment of Lyme disease. Terry travels to Dr. Joseph Jemsek, and infectious disease specialist in Washington DC. She is also a patient of Dr. Perlmutter, a neurologist, located in Naples Florida. Limited research has been done, or is currently in process, for treatment of long-term advanced and persistent Lyme disease and the many related co-infections. Insurance companies typically cover only short-term antibiotic treatment for the disease.
Terry is currently on courses of alternative treatments that are starting to show promise at alleviating some of her symptoms. She is currently undergoing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which has been used more frequently in the past ten years to treat Lyme disease.
Research studies demonstrate improvements in overall condition of Lyme patients treated with hyperbaric. The treatment has been shown to reduce pain significantly, modulate the immune system, increase energy, alleviate sleep dysfunction, and reduce cognitive impairment. Not covered by insurance, she is currently doing a 40 day treatment of Hyperbaric which estimates to $8000.00 and may have to continue based on her condition. .
In addition to the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Terry is taking a course of homeopathic medications prescribed to help clean out toxins so that she can better fight the infections prevalent throughout her system. Not only a long and complicated series of herbal medications, it is also incredibly expensive.
Although she battles her condition daily, Terry is actively involved with the Lyme Support Network as Vice President, where she works to help create awareness and prevention of the disease. She also works fulltime as the Executive Director of the Barrington Park District.
A mother of two grown children, Matt and Kelly, and grandmother of Maggie, Terry lives locally with her dog Maddie.
Other Ways To Donate:
You can mail in a check or make a deposit in person at:
Barrington Bank & Trust
201 S. Hough Street
Barrington, IL 60010
Contact: Nancy Carol
The body pain and mental cloudiness continued long after her mother’s death and became much worse. She developed disabling pain in parts of her body making mobility difficult.
Responsible for overseeing the many activities, parks and staff associated with her position, Terry continued to push herself. She continued to see many different doctors who addressed her various symptoms and tried to diagnose and treat her. Finally, a blood test was ordered to test for Lyme disease which is caused by tick bites, a growing concern in this area. She tested positive. Unfortunately, the late diagnosis had allowed the disease to wreak havoc on her body for years.
Physicians often overlook Lyme disease as the symptoms mimic other more common ailments. This causes many patients to miss the window of treatment where traditional courses of antibiotics are effective. Unfortunately, Terry is one of those patients. Four years of antibiotics and medication used to treat diseases like Malaria, provided limited relief. Her symptoms continue to progress, including hearing loss and issues with her kidneys.
Many patients end up with numerous tick borne co-infectious diseases in addition to Lyme. Recently, Terry received the news that she had tick borne co-infections including: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Bartonella Bacilliformis, Ehrlichia, Protomyxzoa, and Borrelia. Although learning about these infections helped her better understand her multiple symptoms, the prognosis for treatment continued to create additional frustration.
There are a limited number of doctors in the country who understand and specialize in the treatment of Lyme disease. Terry travels to Dr. Joseph Jemsek, and infectious disease specialist in Washington DC. She is also a patient of Dr. Perlmutter, a neurologist, located in Naples Florida. Limited research has been done, or is currently in process, for treatment of long-term advanced and persistent Lyme disease and the many related co-infections. Insurance companies typically cover only short-term antibiotic treatment for the disease.
Terry is currently on courses of alternative treatments that are starting to show promise at alleviating some of her symptoms. She is currently undergoing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which has been used more frequently in the past ten years to treat Lyme disease.
Research studies demonstrate improvements in overall condition of Lyme patients treated with hyperbaric. The treatment has been shown to reduce pain significantly, modulate the immune system, increase energy, alleviate sleep dysfunction, and reduce cognitive impairment. Not covered by insurance, she is currently doing a 40 day treatment of Hyperbaric which estimates to $8000.00 and may have to continue based on her condition. .
In addition to the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Terry is taking a course of homeopathic medications prescribed to help clean out toxins so that she can better fight the infections prevalent throughout her system. Not only a long and complicated series of herbal medications, it is also incredibly expensive.
Although she battles her condition daily, Terry is actively involved with the Lyme Support Network as Vice President, where she works to help create awareness and prevention of the disease. She also works fulltime as the Executive Director of the Barrington Park District.
A mother of two grown children, Matt and Kelly, and grandmother of Maggie, Terry lives locally with her dog Maddie.
Other Ways To Donate:
You can mail in a check or make a deposit in person at:
Barrington Bank & Trust
201 S. Hough Street
Barrington, IL 60010
Contact: Nancy Carol
Organizer and beneficiary
Terry Jennings
Organizer
Barrington, IL
Terry Jennings
Beneficiary