Lyme Greeblies was written by Karen Smith (Author/Founder of LARA) in May 2011 to raise awareness about Lyme Disease in Australia. It is basically my "journey" and growing disbelief at the lack of recognition, action or research with regards to Lyme disease. Many Thanks to Lydia for originally posting Lyme Greeblies on her website: Lyme Aware in 2011
Along with the words to the poem, below there is an audio version to the poem, as well as a link to where the poem was originally posted on Lyme Australia Recognition & Awareness Facebook page in 2013.
Along with the words to the poem, below there is an audio version to the poem, as well as a link to where the poem was originally posted on Lyme Australia Recognition & Awareness Facebook page in 2013.
Lyme Greeblies: Audio version
The audio version of the poem came about in : In 2015 when Lisa Hilton put a call out for Lyme & Co., patients all around the world to submit photos and, video's for a "Global Faces of Lyme Video". At this time I recorded the audio version of Lyme Greeblies (below) which also has a short (30 seconds) introduction of myself and how the poem came about.
Lyme Greeblies by Karen Smith
My doctor told me it was all in my head,
But this was a path down which I would not be led,
For I know my body you see,
And I knew there was something very wrong with me.
After countless hours of searching, very many of my kind I did find,
Most of these were overseas, especially America, not holding that against them, mind.
For they had my attention with their talk of a disease called Lyme.
The scattered pieces of the puzzle all began to fall into place,
And I started to believe I might just win my health race.
I read some more and shook my head, those Americans I thought;
Why does everything with them have to be so complex and such a fight,
For everything I read was of patient suffering and political controversy.
You watch I thought, our government will show them how to do it right,
For this is Australia, and we are not all about HMO’s, money and politics. Right?
Oh how very wrong I could be,
For this was not some new disease to Australia I had found,
As I read in disbelief, since the 80’s it has been around.
And only last year one of our own lost his battle.
Karl McMannus, a man so proud and strong, he fought with all his might,
To regain his health and beat the bacteria in order to win the ultimate fight,
Sadly it was not to be, for he was fighting not just the bugs you see,
But also for recognition and knowledgeable treatment in his own country.
The doctors on our shores have no idea of the insidious nature of this disease,
As the Australian government tells them, oh please,
Ignore the rising number of patients and those that are extremely ill and dying, ignore the
majority of studies, just believe us when we say; there is no Lyme disease in Australia.
To my government I would reply; come on, honestly,
Don’t you think we really wish Australia was the only habitable continent in the world to have
been spared from the horrors of this disease?
The politics of this disease are not new, as alluded to previously, Americans face it too.
They have many a great doctor fighting to win this battle,
The likes of Burrascano, Horrowitz, Jones and Jemsek to name but a few,
Names unfamiliar to many, but in the Lyme community they are definitely not new.
They fight for patients rights to be healthy and constantly look for new ways to win the war,
It terrifies me to think that Joe Jemsek may be right in his musings;
That it will be as with the initial controversy and ignorance surrounding AIDs,
When it was not until half a million were dead, and it began affecting well known celebrities,
That proper attention and adequate funding to try and understand the disease was given.
I wonder for a moment then,
Is it wrong of me to wish this disease on some famous personalities?
So that Lyme patients may possibly start to benefit from a little bit of reality
That improved funding and some thorough research would be sure to help shed.
In my heart I know it is;
For this is a disease one would never wish upon another,
Especially when I know firsthand, the anguish it brings upon a mother.
People are sick, our children are dying,
Why won’t they listen to the thousands that are crying.
But this was a path down which I would not be led,
For I know my body you see,
And I knew there was something very wrong with me.
After countless hours of searching, very many of my kind I did find,
Most of these were overseas, especially America, not holding that against them, mind.
For they had my attention with their talk of a disease called Lyme.
The scattered pieces of the puzzle all began to fall into place,
And I started to believe I might just win my health race.
I read some more and shook my head, those Americans I thought;
Why does everything with them have to be so complex and such a fight,
For everything I read was of patient suffering and political controversy.
You watch I thought, our government will show them how to do it right,
For this is Australia, and we are not all about HMO’s, money and politics. Right?
Oh how very wrong I could be,
For this was not some new disease to Australia I had found,
As I read in disbelief, since the 80’s it has been around.
And only last year one of our own lost his battle.
Karl McMannus, a man so proud and strong, he fought with all his might,
To regain his health and beat the bacteria in order to win the ultimate fight,
Sadly it was not to be, for he was fighting not just the bugs you see,
But also for recognition and knowledgeable treatment in his own country.
The doctors on our shores have no idea of the insidious nature of this disease,
As the Australian government tells them, oh please,
Ignore the rising number of patients and those that are extremely ill and dying, ignore the
majority of studies, just believe us when we say; there is no Lyme disease in Australia.
To my government I would reply; come on, honestly,
Don’t you think we really wish Australia was the only habitable continent in the world to have
been spared from the horrors of this disease?
The politics of this disease are not new, as alluded to previously, Americans face it too.
They have many a great doctor fighting to win this battle,
The likes of Burrascano, Horrowitz, Jones and Jemsek to name but a few,
Names unfamiliar to many, but in the Lyme community they are definitely not new.
They fight for patients rights to be healthy and constantly look for new ways to win the war,
It terrifies me to think that Joe Jemsek may be right in his musings;
That it will be as with the initial controversy and ignorance surrounding AIDs,
When it was not until half a million were dead, and it began affecting well known celebrities,
That proper attention and adequate funding to try and understand the disease was given.
I wonder for a moment then,
Is it wrong of me to wish this disease on some famous personalities?
So that Lyme patients may possibly start to benefit from a little bit of reality
That improved funding and some thorough research would be sure to help shed.
In my heart I know it is;
For this is a disease one would never wish upon another,
Especially when I know firsthand, the anguish it brings upon a mother.
People are sick, our children are dying,
Why won’t they listen to the thousands that are crying.
Below is a Link to the poem and comments where it was originally posted on Lyme Australia Recognition & Awareness Facebook page in January 2013. A side note re the name of the poem: Greeblies was intended to just be a draft title - the term came from a friend who would ask: "how are the "Greeblies" treating you today" - though once the poem finished, I could think of no other title for the poem - so Lyme Greeblies it stayed!
