Story of Recent Loss of Childhood Friend on lyme.org

For days I've hesitated tp post this because of the sad nature of the story. But after conferring via email with several people on this forum, I decided to bring it forward.

A friend I grew up with, Russell (Russ) Bell, recently passed from Lyme-created dementia. As kids, Russell and I were in the same classes together and our fathers flew for the Air National Guard together. As we grew through junior high and high school, we were still friends but had different interests - his were music (he was phenomenal with a guitar) and academics. Mine were sports and my academics were okay, but nothing like Russell's. Fact is, he was always one of the most intelligent people I have known in my life, which makes what happened to him irritate me even more. We attended the same college, where he made nothing but A's all four years. He was also one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet.

Rather than go into more detail, his story, written by his wife, is now on lyme.org. The link is https://www.lymedisease.org/personality-changes-nicole-bell/. I'm sorry I can't direct link it.

Nicole's story of Russell will sound so familiar to most all who read it. I hope it's okay that I have linked the story.

While Russell and I had not talked for many years because of living in different places, news that he had experienced what he had was a shock to me and, sadly, the circumstance all too familiar. This is not to put fear into anyone, as his case was as extreme as it gets. But it is a story every ignorant doctor should have to read, and there are thousands of them.

Because of the system, Russell leaves behind a wife and two younger children. Should have never been allowed to happen.

I’m so sorry wild!
https://lymedisease.org/personality-changes-nicole-bell

running wild,

Glad you shared this. I am sorry about the loss of your childhood friend. I went on to read his obituary. Very glad to see his family talked about Lyme in the obituary. People need to hear the message.

Do you know if both of you contracted the tick borne infections in or around Marietta, GA? It’s scary and a shame that doctors in GA are so ignorant. Atlanta area in general has more knowledgeable medical professionals and more options for integrative and alternative healthcare than down here. There’s basically nothing here, except Dr SA from Maryland who helps some patients here.

I don’t know where I contracted the infections. I have had mild to moderate symptoms of bartonella and maybe babesia since childhood.

We went on some camping trips when I was young - to Santee, SC and TN. I did have a high fever once between the age of 4-6. I don’t know if it was close to the timing of any of those trips or not. If it was, it wasn’t immediately afterwards.

Where we lived all my life, there were trees and brush all over the property. When we had pets later on, they all picked up ticks in the yard. I never thought anything about it. I would just get the tweezers and pull them out. We never found any ticks on us, and for some reason it never occurred to me to be afraid of them, check for them, or use any protection against them.

When I was 12, I went with the youth group to the church campgrounds in Forsyth. On the ride home, there was a girl in the car who had a tick embedded in her chest. It got on her at the campground. She went to my school, but I didn’t really know her. I have wondered many times over the years what happened to her after that. Seeing that tick on her freaked me out, and I never forgot that.

WBF - Over the years, I finally came to the realization it doesn't matter when I got it because there are so many symptoms I can look back on that started long before full symptoms hit.

Looks like you had a lot of possible exposure to it since you were a kid.

Girlie - The link with Russell and his wife's picture on it bring to life this happens to real people. It's not like we don't know that, but actually seeing people it has impacted so badly adds a heightened reality to it all. Russell was a good memory for me as a kid and growing up. His family, however, will have to learn to deal with his loss over the years.