Publisher's Point Of View
Robert Allan Hooftallen

Today, I saw beauty in the grey of the rainy, foggy morning. I heard the beauty in the sound of car tires hissing through the rain on the streets in front of our office. And as the rain stopped and the sun struggled onto the scene, I thought how perfect it would be if every day were just like this one.

I was at ease with myself and my responsibilities and was sure that, as Bob Marley wrote, "every little thing, (was) gonna be alright."

Usually, I have to work at getting myself in that mindset, but today my mental labor was not necessary.

That's because my emotional equilibrium is balanced in my heart, not my head or my pocket book. And my heart, for the first time in weeks, felt pretty darn good.

For over a month my wife Britta and I have watched as our little girl became less and less of herself each day. She was sick and we couldn't figure out why.

We doctored weekly, my wife took copious notes about every detail and I researched her symptoms relentlessly. We couldn't nail down a culprit. That feeling of helplessness wrenches my guts as I write. I am the kind of person who needs an enemy. And when I have one in my sights, I enjoy the labor of trying to decapitate it.

Because if there is anything worse than fighting an enemy that has no head, it's having a child so sick that all the love in the world can't cure them.

Thankfully the snake revealed its head Monday night when tell tale signs of lyme disease began to show- those "bulls-eye" like rashes. And believe it or not, we took it as good news. We had an enemy, now we needed the remedy- antibiotics.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection people get when they are bitten by an infected deer tick. And sadly, this place is lousy with them these days, thanks, in part at least, to our more mild winters.

With our sites set on getting the antibiotic we called the hospital to see who the pediatrician on call was. It was Dr. Smith who was willing to write the prescription that night, but the pharmacies were closed. We headed to the emergency room, hoping to get a dose there and then fill the prescription in the morning.

I believe in God, 100 percent, simply put, and I love to see Him working through people.

When we left for the hospital that night, I could sense this feeling of protection around the three of us. It was strange and I even told my wife about it at the time. My instincts were true.

On the way, we were pulled over for speeding. We were immediately released to head for the hospital as soon as the officer heard the condensed version of our situation.

Good things kept taking place once we got to Cole Memorial.

The emergency room, as usual, was very busy. In the waiting room, people suggested that we contact a pharmacy and see if someone would come out. I had left without my phone. No problem. A woman in the waiting room lent me hers.

I hated to, but I had to. I called Dick Buchanan at home. He heard me out, but needed a doctor to confirm the prescription need.

No problem. We got a hold of Dr. Smith who called him at home. It was after 10 pm.

Both medical professionals knew the importance of administering the antibiotic as quickly as possible and, despite it not being a life or death situation, went out of their way to see that Rylee got it.

Among the other blessings:

• Dr. Smith, knows lyme disease well, having seen thousands of cases on Long Island, where she had previously worked. She prescribed the antibiotic upon hearing the history of Rylee's case and the new symptoms.

• The pharmacies were closed, but in this place we call home, we still have small businesses and small business people who understand that service is their best product.

I mention that part of the story not only to thank those people, but to remind us all that its not the conveniences or the amenities that make our communities great places to live- it's the people.

I mention the following for parents.

Rylee almost religiously wears deet when she is outdoors. We don't live in the woods. We live in a rural neighborhood in southern Potter County, where ticks are a relatively new problem.

Her mother obsesses over checking her for ticks anytime she comes in from outdoors. She found one in May and doctors don't even believe that was the one that transmitted the disease.

My advice: use tick repellent, but be careful. Deet is nasty. Real the label and administer the proper dosages for children.

Spray your yard with repellent.

Check your children for ticks every night.

Unfortunately, lyme disease is very difficult to prevent. But, it is very curable in children if it's caught soon enough. If you child has flu-like symptoms that carry on for more than 10 days or come and go in spurts, start being suspicious of lyme disease. The most noticeable sign in our seven-year-old was that she just was not herself. She was tired constantly and preferred to spend the day on the couch, even when it was beautiful outside. Her favorite foods didn't interest her.

When these things are taking place with your child, ask for blood tests if your pediatrician hasn't already recommended it.

And speaking of blood tests, the medical community is not unanimous on whether or not there is even an accurate test that positively identifies lyme disease.

Rylee had every imaginable blood test. The only result not yet in? The one for lyme disease.

And remember, the sure sign of lyme disease- the bulls eye rash- only shows up in about 50 percent of cases, so knowing your child and monitoring how they feel is absolutely key. You must help your doctor diagnose lyme disease.

Finally, the life lesson.

Some days in life are tough, but most days are tougher. And it's real easy to know the difference when you are not far removed from the latter.

Learn to appreciate the average days as not so average. If your family is healthy, it's a good day, no matter what else seems to be going wrong.

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