Teens with Lyme

[Guest guest]

Teenagers with Lyme disease are often advised by the adults in their lives to

focus on the " light at the end of the tunnel, " while going from doctor to

doctor, trying to keep up with school, working to maintain friendships, and

undergoing treatment.

However, to a teenager mired in the muck of an all-encompassing chronic illness,

the promise of a better life at some distant point in the future can seem

impossibly remote. Meanwhile, as their teen days, months, and even years slip

away, the concept of a light at the end of the tunnel offers little hope or

comfort.

That's why family therapist Kathleen Steele, LCSW, encourages teens to bring and

create " Light IN the Tunnel, " finding ways to live life richly and with meaning,

even amidst the difficult circumstances of dealing with Lyme disease.

That is the theme of the upcoming workshop for teens with Lyme that Steele will

offer in conjunction with CALDA's GETTING HEALTHY AGAIN IN 2010 conference.

The workshop will offer teens the chance to meet others in their age group who

are dealing with similar challenges. They'll share coping strategies and learn

from each other how to bring happiness and satisfaction into their lives,

despite having a chronic illness.

Kathleen Steele not only has years of experience as a therapist helping teens

and families in crisis, she has personal experience with Lyme disease. In 2001,

her two children became quite ill with what was eventually diagnosed as Lyme and

coinfections. But the diagnosis didn't come until 2004. So, she knows first-hand

the frustrations and uncertainties of dealing with a medical system that doesn't

recognize Lyme disease, as well as the thorny family issues that can arise with

chronic illness.

The teen workshop will be limited to 20 participants, so early registration is

recommended.

The main session of GETTING HEALTHY AGAIN IN 2010 will feature four Lyme

specialists, speaking about different aspects of Lyme treatment: Dr. Dave Martz,

MD; Dr. Green, MD; Dr. Ray Stricker, MD; and Dr. Deborah Metzger, MD.

The conference will be held April 24, 1-4:30 pm, at the Dougherty Station

Community Center, 17011 Bollinger Canyon Rd, San Ramon, CA. (San Ramon is east

of San Francisco Bay.) Admission donation is $40 for adults/$20 for teens. For

registration information, go here:

http://lymedisease.org/activism/lyme_events.html