At 44 years of age, Laura Watt-Closser is no stranger to fighting for what she wants. This former teen mom put herself through school, working jobs at a pet store and with developmentally disabled children while earning a BA, then as a lead head start teacher while pursuing a Masters degree in counseling psychology. She was a lead counselor for the department of health and the VNA, then MSPCC Early Intervention and finally a mental health counselor while pursuing an advanced graduate degree. Then, 13 years ago, she found a tick on her body. Her doctor removed it, identified it as a dog tick, and said she would be fine. That wasn’t the case, and she struggled with frustrating symptoms which later proved to be undiagnosed Lyme disease. Om January 2011, Watt-Closser lost her position when she could no longer cope with the lingering effects of the disease.
Losing her job has been the most devastating aspect of battling Lyme. “I love my career as a mental health counselor. I have a passion, and I know from spiritual signs this is my calling,” Watts-Closer said” I am fighting and will not give up I know I will have my career back.”
“Hand in Hand for Lyme disease means hand in hand we pray for each other and hand in hand we support each other. I used this motto when I was bedridden and the only way I had to connect with others was through Facebook,” she continued.” It was obvious to me what to name the nonprofit. www.handinhandforlyme.com, wattla@yahoo.com Facebook Laura Closser to find Hand in Hand for Lyme”
Q: Why do you feel it is so important to raise public awareness about Lyme disease?
A: There is an imperative need to raise awareness for Lyme disease and chronic Lyme disease for so many reasons.
Many people do not even realize a tick has bitten them. Ticks can be as small as the top of a pin. Most people do not get a bull’s eye rash and may not even recognize symptoms because they could mimic a common cold or flu. Many of these individuals, camp, hike, and do other outdoor activities. Since they are unaware they are not following any precautions. They should wear white socks tucked into shoes, wear a deet free repellent like permethrin, or the Herbarium in Chicopee has an all-natural one BugZaway Repellent use is a must, especially this year because ticks are in epidemic proportions due to the harsh winter.
If you get Lyme disease and it goes undetected – the Lyme sensitive bands have been eliminated from The Elisa and Western Blot – you will become extremely ill with a full attack by bacteria called spirochetes on every system and organ in your body. Watch “Under our Skin,” a documentary about Lyme disease or “Lyme Disease Exposed” on You Tube. I suggest getting the Igenix test immediately, if you have symptoms of Lyme and also save the tick for testing. Never put anything on a tick to get it off of you. Pull it straight out with tweezers and save it for testing.
Q: What prompted you to start your nonprofit, Hand in Hand for Lyme Disease?
A: My husband and I have been appalled at the treatment that I have received by the traditional medicine community. As I began getting worse I was tested for so many things: cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, heart conditions, and was even told it was a somatoform disorder. We sought Lyme treatment after the boyfriend of my daughter’s friend suggested it. He was a med student, and his mother has chronic Lyme disease.
Traditional doctors literally refused to accept my diagnosis. I was told by a well-known neurologist that I just I just needed to go back to work, though I could not walk or stand most days.
I saw an infectious disease doctor who followed the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and gave me antibiotics that made me so sick. I went to another doctor recommended by a very Lyme doctor, spent thousands of dollars and was given only supplements that cost thousands as well. I suffered through vision and speech loss, cognitive decline, seizures, and numbing, burning, tingling and severe joint pain. I went on a strict Lyme diet, went to physical therapy and found a new doctor.
This is so typical in the Lyme community because we do not have a huge selection of doctors that take insurance. Or insurance companies or anyone to protect us.
When I was able to talk and speak and think clearly again, my husband and I decided there were others we could help. I believe that God has a purpose for all he gives us and mine was to try to learn as much as I could and share that knowledge and raise money to help people with chronic Lyme pay for their medical treatment.
Q: What do you hope will be the outcome of creating your nonprofit?
A: My hope of creating this nonprofit is it will go global. I want the name Hand in Hand for Lyme Disease Inc. on the lips of everyone globally. I want big corporations to donate to our cause because we do not have any national campaigns.
I want enough money so not one person with chronic Lyme is homeless, which many are, that every person with chronic Lyme has the ability to have a Lyme diet, I want anyone needing home care gets it, I want people to get the vitamins and supplements they need, the care they need and respect they deserve. This nonprofit would not be necessary if the CDC and Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) would recognize chronic Lyme disease.
