Kevin Brabaw continues to operate his archery business despite Lyme disease.
The first thing I noticed about Kevin Brabaw was his eyes.
He had the look of someone who believes he’s been misled; someone to whom trust doesn’t come automatically.
I held out my hand but he withdrew his.
“I can’t afford to get sick,” he said.
Nearby was a hand sanitizer that looked like it got frequent use.
I’d met Kevin years before when I wrote stories about him when he was an archery prodigy. A lifelong outdoorsman, he and his father Gary started a successful archery business in Wallaceburg.
Life was good until he fell into a pit of government policy, where there are many warnings issued about his condition but few forms of help and recognition for those who contract it.
Kevin has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, a bacterial ailment transmitted through the bite of infected deer ticks, animals as small as a poppy seed.
The initial effects include fever, headache and fatigue but if left untreated can cause arthritis, ravage the immune system, leave sufferers unable to have any quality of life, and in extreme cases cause death.
As much as he is battling the disease, Kevin is waging war against a medical establishment he says refuses to acknowledge his condition.
“Tell someone in the medical field you have Lyme disease and you sense the hostility right away,” he said. “The denial is widespread. They don’t want to deal with you – I call Lyme disease the new leprosy.”
Kevin believes he contracted Lyme disease two years ago while in a local woodlot.
“I was clearing trees in our bush in August (2013) and I started feeling bad in September.”
His symptoms continued to worsen, and by the start of 2014, Kevin was bedridden.
He had severe abdominal pains, chills, shaking, and pain in his arms and chest.
“I had about every test, from X-rays, scopes, ultra sound and everything else,” he said. “I went through stress tests, had blood work over and over.”
One of the strangest symptoms was deep pain in the soles of his feet during the middle of the night.
“It was the strangest feeling, lying in bed having this pain and no idea why.”
He’d heard of Lyme disease and during his research he was able to get a checklist of systems, many of which he had.
Last May, he heard of a test being done by a lab in California.
“I had to get a physician to sign, but there was real resistance to me getting the test. The test result showed I had Lyme but it’s not recognized in Canada. My doctor said he didn’t even know how to read the results.”
Kevin said the test used in Ontario is for an extremely narrow type of lab-grown bacterium that represents a very small percentage of Lyme cases.
Kevin sent the results to CanLyme (the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation), which confirmed the diagnosis.
Kevin has also sought help in British Columbia and last week travelled to Michigan to explore treatment.
“I know about a dozen people in the area with Lyme and when someone finds a treatment that seems to work, we investigate it,” he said. “It’s something you would think the government would do.”
He’s been fighting a war on two fronts, battling the disease while doing the same with the medical establishment, something all too common for those with Lyme disease.
“If you come in with traditional symptoms, you can get antibiotics for a short time which may or may not help.” He said.
“If you don’t respond or if you don’t fit the narrow definition of Lyme, you are abandoned,” he said. “They make you think its something else or that you’re crazy.”
“The government spends a lot of money warning people about not getting Lyme disease but they almost turn their backs on you unless you fit their very narrow definition,” he said.
Kevin urges anyone who may be concerned that they have Lyme to go to canlyme.com and check the list of symptoms listed.
“If you find that you have many of the symptoms listed, you may want to contact the people at the foundation to determine what you should do next,” he said. “The symptoms can come and go in various time periods according to what strain you have, but without treatment they will never go away. Knowledge is power.”
As much as Kevin has been knocked down by his experience, he’s determined to beat the disease.
“I have a life to live,” he said. “I want to get back to the kind of life I had before where I can walk in the woods, I can enjoy the outdoors and be myself, and I’m going to do it no matter what.”
So sorry he has to go through this. I understand his frustration because of my Fibromyalgia. People need to realize these are real conditions.
Ingesting Cannabis oil will fix lyme…
Keep fighting!!!
Sorry to hear this. I myself suffer from chronic lyme…. i certainly didnt make the news for it… but most days are a struggle. 30 yrs old and a battle everyday to continue to do the things i love.
If it wasn't so debilitating it'd be comical, the baloney I've gone through here in Ontario. I caught mine in northern France, nasty! Ten years ago. At times now unbearable, but I keep doing doxy…this time its starting to work!
all da best 2 u MON' AMI''….. IT MAKES 1 WONDER, SHOULD I EVER GO CAMPING AGAIN I'M NOT SURE
ITS DIFFICULT 2 BELIEVE THAT A TIC CAN MAKE SOMEONE THIS SICK,….LIKE I SAID I WISH U ALL DA BEST MY-FRIEND.
Many misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia go on to find out that it's actually chronic Lyme disease.
Dr. Murakami in Hope, BC, an avid Lyme crusader is finding the CBD kills the Lyme bacteria (Bb Spirochetes). He has a university in the U.S. doing more studies on this, so crossing our fingers!
I hate for anyone to have this disease. I have been fighting for 10 years. Fought with doctor's that have the positive results from a lab in California. They tell me I have RA, which always come back negative. How would you explain this? I have had IV treatments and shots, but still chronic. WHY??? They do not give them long enough. I think it should be left to the carrier to decide if they want it for the rest of their life. I felt better when I was on the IV. I could actually function. I also have babesia, that calls for different antibiotics. Did they treat me for that? NOOOOOO. I am so sick of doctor's. I have seen over 30, and it hurts that none of them will listen to you.
It is Lyme disease, but you can't tell the people that have FIBRO that. They will not listen.
Just hope you never have to find out, Randy. It is a nightmare. I pray everyday for God to take me away from this life.
I know of a person suffered 19 years, ate Cannabis oil for 6 weeks now its gone.. I have before and after pics of her blood thru a microscope, and the cells are now back to normal.. If you think Cannabis is illegal to protect you and your kids from drugs, you may want to look into its many uses for yourself, and stop believing what the government tells you. Its all about big Pharma profit… wake up sheeple
Someone please tell Mr. Brabaw that pain on soles of feet is a classic Bartonella–much worse than Lyme, itself– symptom.
Get yourself tested for the Lyme co-infection, Bartonella. The foot pain you describe is indicative of this illness. Best wishes for a healthy recovery!
Go for it Kevin. I was bedridden for a time in o5. I have regain some of my pride back and all in your article is as true as it gets, even here in the USA. You will get there with the right help. I went to the woods last week to see if I could get a Spring gobbler. I was quite satisfied that I could just be out there. It was a great experience with no turkey. Any questions or support, just holler.
I wholeheartedly agree. You may have already and I understand.
Thanks to the Chatham Voice for the article and for Kevin for bringing awareness about this disease. Keep fighting Kevin!
Thank you . I feel the same symptoms and the docs think I'm just crazy even though I tested positive in four of the five areas for Lyme.
I've heard about a new ultraviolet machine called the UVLRx that's being used for Lyme patients. It uses a fiber optic thread which is inserted directly into the vein and the treatment lasts for an hour, so all the blood is treated. Has anyone tried this?