The public is invited to attend the February meeting of the Lyme disease support group for residents of Juneau, Monroe, Richland, Sauk and Vernon counties from 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Hillsboro Public Library meeting room, 819 High Ave.

Sun Tzu, the Chinese general best known as the author of ‘The Art of War,” an influential work of military strategy that has influenced both Western and Eastern philosphy, wrote, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”

Do we know the enemies a deer tick (and other ways, too) can pass into those of us who live in western Wisconsin? Some of these enemies invading us may be the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi and other co-infectors such as the two proteobacteria, Bartonella, and Anaplasma, and the blood-borne piroplasm, Babesia. The enemies are knowable.

Do we know how to attack these enemies? If caught early enough, tick borne infections may be defeated by antibiotics or other treatments. But if the disease agents are able to settle deeply in our bodies too long, antibiotics often struggle against them because they are able to hide or to go dormant. The timing of the battle is critical.

Do you know your friends from your enemies? There are many bacteria and other little creatures which live naturally in our bodies. They are not our enemies. These friends living in and all over us work many good things for our bodies.
But do antibiotics attack these good bacteria and creatures, too? Yes. Antibiotics reduce the population of these good creatures in us. Fewer good friends like these allow the sneaky enemies to attack our health in many ways. Antibiotics cannot tell enemies from friends.

How do we prepare to do battle wisely against the infectious enemies and to promote our friends?  The answer lies in the friends which build up our health, particularly our immune system and other enemies which tear it down.

It can be simply said that we can choose food friends and avoid food enemies. Food friends alkalize our body; food enemies acidify our bodies.

Wise daily activity is our friend, enabling our body to be productive in fighting the disease enemies within. Conversely, unwise daily inactivity can our enemy.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, and a good friend. Who and what produces cheer in our hearts? Who and what generates our life’s cheerlessnesses?

Our support group meetings help us learn more about is briefly presented in the above paragraphs. Our tools are materials which can be take home to study, and friendly mutual support inside and outside of our meetings. We look forward to your presence.

Our coordinator can be reached by e-mail garycepek@yahoo.com, telephone 608-489-2725 (ask for Gary), or surface mail: Gary Cepek, S1468 Cepek Rd., Elroy, WI 53929.