Anyone else get this reply?

[Guest guest]

This response received today is from Assemblyman in NY state, my

original e-mail letter to her is beneath her reply. Poor Dr Oren's fate is

beyond our help it appears. Were Dr Burrascano's patients writing

complaining about him too? How about Horowitz and Raxlen? I am totally

confused in this matter, and need answers if anyone knows.

Marta

January 26, 2000

Dear Ms. McCoy,

Thank you very much for sharing your concerns with me and bringing the

important issue of Lyme disease treatment to my attention. I am sorry that

you and your family had to suffer through such an ordeal. Lyme disease is a

grave and threatening disease, and I as a New York State Assemblymember,

take it very seriously. In recent years I have been exposed to the

debilitating effects of Lyme disease, both through watching the suffering

of personal friends, and through hearing about our very own Governor

Pataki's experience with this illness. Needless to say, I was very alarmed

at the idea of a New York State agency targeting Lyme disease specialists

and treat them unfairly.

To my great relief, the Office of Governmental Affairs at the New York

State Office of Professional Medical Conduct did explain the situation

quite satisfactorily. There is no task force specializing in the

investigation of over-treatment or over-diagnosis of Lyme disease. All

cases handled by the OPMC are investigated on a complaint basis. This means

that a physician's client or several clients feel that they have been

treated unprofessionally, unethically or in a medically unsound manner.

These clients will request that an investigation be made by the OPMC and if

their claims are valid, charges will be filed against the doctor.

In New York State, there is only one Lyme disease specialist, Dr.

Orens, who has lost his license due to an OPMC investigation. The Office of

Professional Medical Conduct, after investigating several serious

complaints from former patients, charged Dr. Orens with 34 separate counts

of misconduct, gross negligence and incompetence, practicing fraudulently

and ordering excessive tests and treatments. Even though Dr. Orens and his

lawyer had a seven (7) day hearing where he had fair opportunity to defend

his practice, the state found him guilty on all charges. It was clear that

Dr. Orens was taking advantage of his clients and coercing them to spend

great amounts of money on unnecessary treatment. In the reported cases, Dr.

Oren's negligent treatment caused severe damage to the patient's health.

The Office of Medical Professional Conduct stresses that the disease

involved is completely unrelated to the disciplinary actions. His license

was revoked for unethical and dangerous practice of medicine, not because

he was specializing in Lyme disease.

You expressed concern about the fact that many doctors rely on short- term

treatments that often result in relapses of Lyme disease. There is a great

divide among the medical community about the proper strategy for dealing

with Lyme disease. Although no " correct " solution has been found, I support

further research that will help the medical community in New York State and

around the country deal with this crippling illness.

Thanks again for expressing you concerns about this important matter. Feel

free to contact me further on this or any issue you feel is important.

Sincerely,

Assemblymember V.

>

> January 18, 2000

>

>

> Dear Legislator,

>

> I am writing in regard to what I think is a great injustice toward the

> medical community of Lyme disease educated physicians. Presently, the

OPMC

> in New York State has began investigating and terminating the licenses of

> physicians who dare to treat Lyme disease longer than the conservative

two

> to three weeks of antibiotics.

> In my own case, I found a tick in my scalp in August 1996, I became

> immediately ill, and displayed a bulls eye rash at the site, and other

> rashes on different parts of my anatomy. My primary physician in New

Jersey

> quickly diagnosed Lyme disease and started me on antibiotics, when I

> continued to have severe symptoms after a month or two, he told me I

could

> not still be ill, and suggested anti-depressants. I traveled from Doctor

to

> Doctor and was told by one doctor that I needed a psychiatric exam.

Finally

> I learned of a Lyme literate physician in my area. I saw him in January

> 1997, he tested me and advised me that I not only had Lyme disease, I

also

> suffered from another tick disease called Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis.

> This disease is fatal if untreated, and he told me I was lucky to be

alive.

> I also received notification from the Department of Health in NJ advising

me

> that I was positive for this disease. Many times during my search for

> answers I felt like I was dying and should just give up.

> Because of the delay in receiving proper treatment for these tick

> diseases, I have third stage disseminated Lyme disease. I have lesions

on

> my brain, multiple neuropathies, carpal tunnel in both hands, nerve

damage

> to limbs, not to mention constant chronic pain. My Lyme doctor is

currently

> appealing to my Health insurer, begging for Long term Intravenous

antibiotic

> therapy. So far he has not been successful because of unscientific

> protocols practiced by physicians who treat (don't treat) Lyme disease.

> I implore you to look into this travesty, there are many studies that

> prove the persistence of Lyme disease during pathology testing at

autopsies,

> yet due to unreliable blood testing currently available, the consensus is

> since the bacteria (Bb) does not appear in testing, there is no proof

that

> the patient is still infected. Proof of absence is not absence of proof.

> Must I die in order to prove that I am very sick with this disease?

> This one tick bite has ruined my life, I am unemployed, currently on

> Social Security Disability, I have no social life, my family is

devastated

> because I suffer constant pain, my only hope right now is sufficient

doses

> of Intravenous antibiotics. If Lyme literate physicians lose their

> practices, I will have nowhere to go for help.

> Please use your political clout to look into this travesty.

>

> Sincerely,

> Marta L. McCoy