LIVE from ILADS: Kristina Petterson Bauer - Lyme Advocacy in Texas

·18 min·1 clip

Why is a Lyme disease conference being held in Texas, a state many believe has no Lyme?

The episode begins with the host welcoming Kristina Petterson Bauer to the Tick Boot Camp Podcast at an ILADS conference in San Antonio, Texas. Bauer expresses excitement about the conference being held in Texas, challenging the misconception that Lyme disease isn't present there. She references a 2016 study sampling 1,238 ticks in the southern Mexico-Texas region, finding 45% of Ixodes scapularis ticks contained Borrelia. Bauer explains that Lyme is in all 50 states due to migration of birds, deer, and people. She shares her personal experience, having moved from Illinois to Texas with Lyme, and notes that positive Lyme tests in Texas are not followed up by health authorities, highlighting a reporting gap. Bauer details her diagnosis in 2012 after a doctor noted her muscles felt like beef jerky, leading to CDC and Igenix positive results. She has four children, all diagnosed with congenital Lyme, and they are now in remission after a decade of treatment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bauer founded Texas Lyme Alliance in 2016, focusing on congenital and pediatric Lyme patients, advocating for better medical training and access to care in Texas. The organization has sponsored two IRB studies, including one on disulfiram, and published a survey on medical gaslighting showing women are disproportionately affected. Bauer also hosts events showing documentaries like 'The Quiet Epidemic' and works with Dr. Bruce Patterson on long COVID and Lyme research. She is involved in legislative advocacy at state and federal levels, including with Center for Lyme Action, which has raised over $405 million for Lyme funding. Bauer mentions her roles as an integrative Lyme coach, ILADS ambassador, and Texas state lead for Center for Lyme Action. The episode concludes with calls to action for listeners to engage in advocacy efforts through txlymealliance.org and centerforlymeaction.org.

As heard by us

A Texas Lyme advocate links recovery, pediatric care access, and legislative work in a candid patient-centered conversation.

Texas follows a Lyme advocate whose public work is rooted in a private ordeal. The founder of Texas Lyme Alliance describes being bedridden, wondering who was speaking for patients, and later tying her recovery to a promise to advocate once she was well enough.

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Why you'd press play

You want to understand how a bedridden promise turned into Texas Lyme advocacy and a near-term legislative push.

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