Over the Edge (35 page)

4. The Lyme Disease Foundation,
"the premier nonprofit dedicated to finding solutions for tick-borne disorders."
LDF was cofounded by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner and Thomas E. Forschner, whose young son, Jamie, died in 1991 during a relapse of Lyme disease. (http://www.lyme.org/front.htm)

5. Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.
"A federally registered charitable organization dedicated to promoting research, education, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme and associated diseases since 2003."
(www.canlyme.com)

6. California Lyme Disease Association.
"The California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA) is a non-profit corporation acting as the central voice for all tick-borne disease issues in California and a supporting voice for national issues."
CALDA publishes the Lyme Times; was instrumental in establishing the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee (LDAC), which advises the California Department of Public Health on matters concerning Lyme disease; and is active in legislation regarding Lyme. (http://www.lymedisease.org)

7. Lyme Disease Research Database. Covering
"Lyme disease symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, prevention, and research."
Members receive access to the large database of LDRD resources. (http://www.lyme-disease-research-database.com)

8.
Lyme-Aware.
This organization was formed to
"create a unity among all of the [Lyme] organizations, websites, blogs, authors, etc."
(www.lyme-aware.org)

9.
Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease
by Dr. Joseph J. Burrascano. This is an in depth medical abstract about the symptoms and treatment of the disease. The symptom checklist is particularly helpful if you are experiencing symptoms that might be caused by Lyme. (http://www.lymenet.org/BurrGuide200810.pdf)

10.
Under Our Skin,
an award-winning documentary that follows the stories of numerous Lyme patients and includes interviews with doctors on both sides of the Lyme wars.
Under Our Skin
is well worth watching. It is both heartbreaking and hopeful. You can see firsthand what the symptoms of Lyme look like. And you'll be amazed at certain doctors' attitudes against recognizing the chronic form of the disease. You can order a DVD of the documentary from its web site at http://underourskin.com.

11.
Cure Unknown,
by scientific journalist Pamela Weintraub. This book is a highly researched and fascinating look into the Lyme wars, from their beginning history to present day. Weintraub and her entire family were infected with Lyme disease after moving to an idyllic setting in Connecticut. Her ensuing years of discovery about the disease and its controversy within the medical community make for a richly detailed and often horrifying picture of the patients and doctors embroiled in the battle.

12. My own web sites contain answers to questions about Lyme disease and links to helpful organizations. See www.brandilyncollins.com and www.seatbeltsuspense.com. The story of my miraculous healing from my first bout with Lyme is on www.brandilyncollins.com. On my Lyme-
Over the Edge
blog are many incredible stories of Lyme patients and their struggles. Read these stories, and you'll understand how they suffer, and why they continue to cry out for proper testing and treatment. (www.lyme-overtheedge.blospot.com)

Finally, dear readers, I always love to hear from you. You can contact me from my web site. I am also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/brandilyncollinsseatbeltsuspense and Twitter: www.twitter.com/brandilyn.

God's blessings and health to all of you.

Acknowledgments

MUCH OF MY RESEARCH FOR THIS STORY WAS GAINED THROUGH living with the disease myself and talking to numerous doctors over the years. Also very helpful were writings by the organizations listed in my author's note, as well as the book and documentary film I mentioned—
Cure Unknown
and
Under our Skin.
I also studied countless papers of clinical trials regarding Lyme, and read transcripts of hearings about the disease.

For help with specific issues in the book, I turned to a few wonderful people.

First, my particular thanks to these experts in the field of Lyme, who reviewed
Over the Edge
regarding facts about Lyme disease, its testing and treatment, and the controversy of the Lyme wars:

Dr. Christine Green, a highly knowledgeable Lyme-literate doctor who has treated the disease for years.

Jim Wilson, president and founder of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.

Dr. Nick S. Harris, President/CEO of IGeneX, Inc.

Thanks to Mark Mynheir, whose career in law enforcement spans well over two decades. With all his experience in working as a narcotics agent, on a S.W.A.T. team, and as a homicide detective, Mark proved very helpful in telling me about the latest information on tracing phone calls. Mark Young, a retired police officer with over thirty years' experience, was also helpful with the phone tracing issues and with explaining how a detective might handle Jannie McNeil's strange case. You can blame me, not these two professionals, for any police work in the story that doesn't completely align with their guidance.

Dr. Richard Mabry, now retired, guided me through Jannie's stay in the hospital and the tests that she would face.

My thanks again to all of these experts. Any factual errors remaining in the story are mine.

Discussion Questions

1. How did Jannie's childhood experiences as the daughter of an alcoholic help define her marriage?

2. If you experienced the sudden symptoms Jannie experienced at the beginning of the book, what would you think was wrong?

3. If you know someone with Lyme disease, how are their symptoms similar to or different from Jannie's?

4. Describe a time in your life when you willed yourself to praise God through difficulty.

5. To what extent did Jannie's desire to have the perfect home and marriage allow her to close her eyes to hints that her husband was having an affair?

6. Did you ever feel any sympathy for Stalking Man? Why or why not?

7. Did you ever feel any sympathy for Brock? Why or why not?

8. How did Jannie exhibit strength in the midst of her body and mind being so weak?

9. Psalms 94:17–18 says, “If the LORD had not been my help, I would soon rest in the silence of death. If I say, ‘My foot is slipping,' Your faithful love will support me, LORD” (HCSB). To what time in your life does this verse most apply?

10. What Bible verse has been particularly helpful to you when you were going through a difficult time?

11. What was the most tense part of the story for you?

12. What part of the story most surprised you?

13. At the end of the book, how is Jannie a better person for having gone through her trials?

14. Describe a difficult experience in your own life that has made you a better, stronger person.

15. Did you want Jannie and Brock to get back together at the end? Why or why not?

16. At the beginning of the book Stalking Man spills ticks “over the edge” of their bottle onto Jannie. At the end Jannie nudges the tick in her kitchen “over the edge” of a glass to capture it. What symbolism is there in the use of the book's title in these two scenes?

17. What have you learned about Lyme disease and its treatment from reading
Over the Edge?