Single Copy Cost 50¢ Volume 147 No. 49
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Wednesday, August 5, 2015
‘Tick’-ing time bomb
Lori Sprung encourages action after her life-altering bout with Lyme disease By Eric Engel
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on Lyme disease. It doesn’t always take a huge event to change your life. In Lori Sprung’s case, it only took a deer tick the size of a pencil point to change hers. Sprung, a paraprofessional for the LaMoille School District, was sitting out in a pasture waiting for a cow to have a calf back
in March 2003. She went about her business in the following months, but one day in late May of the same year, she unexpectedly woke with stiff wrists ... and the mysterious pain proceeded to dictate all aspects of her being. “The pain just got worse, and my right ankle starting hurting really badly,” said Sprung, who was working in Dixon for Lee County special education at the time. “It progressed from my right ankle to my left
ankle, then up my knees to my hips. It got so bad I couldn’t even sit in a chair without dropping down because my ankles were so swollen.” Sprung, a LaMoille resident, began researching all the possibilities of what was ailing her, because by June 2003, she could not even walk without terrible pain. She went to her doctor on June 3, and he put her on anti-inflammatory medication and told her to return at the end of
the month. It is said that time heals all wounds, but Sprung decided the time to act had arrived. “A storm was rolling in, and while trying to get a few things indoors, I fell and hurt my good knee, which made everything worse,” said Sprung, who described pain so intense that it severely limited her body control. “The school nurse said, ‘Call the doctor and tell him you want a Lyme test.’ So I called the hospital and they eventu-
Lori Sprung ally confirmed it was Lyme disease.” Sprung went to the
emergency room and was put on strong IV medication that very night. She was diagnosed with second stage Lyme disease, and received IV therapy every day for three straight weeks before being put on an oral antibiotic for two weeks after that. Sprung assumes she may have been bitten by a deer tick out in that pasture, but never noticed the signature bulls-eye rash associated with Lyme disease, hence her lack of initial action. “I want to thank the doctor in the emergency
Lyme Page 2
Of water and wheels Ottawa Firefighters Local 523 hosts international motorcycle rally By Eric Engel
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
Firefighters understand the balance and focus necessary during operation. They are fine-tuned on the speed of ignition and the importance of every component to be firing on all cylinders. They caution against reckless behavior and dedicate their lives to grasping every hand they can as they fly toward the open road to freedom. It’s no wonder so many of them ride motorcycles. Ottawa Firefighters Local 523 hosted the 2015 International Association of Fire Fighters - Motorcycle Group national rally Thursday, July 30, and around 300 bikers motored into Central Illinois. Adam Wampler, a Local 523 firefighter for 11 years, likened the celebration to a family reunion. “It’s awesome that it all came together,” said Wampler, voicing his excitement about Ottawa Local 523 pulling the event, seeing as they are the smallest department ever to host with only 27 firefighters on staff. “No one is a stranger because we all do the same job, so an instant
Motorcycles Page 3 Vol. 147 No. 49 One Section - 20 Pages
© The Putnam County Record
PCR photo/Dave Cook
Tasha, a rescued Pitbull mixed breed, sails over the hurdles during an agility dog demonstration at the Putnam County Community Center in Standard. Trainer Jen Rhodes had several dogs there who ran the agility course, caught discs and helped show the importance of training. Lucky audience members helped guide the dogs through the course and throw discs.
By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountynews.com
STANDARD — The crowd of approximately 40 people at the Putnam County Community Center broke into applause and cheered as Chase, a
Keeping best friends together Border Collie, charged toward the obstacle and effortlessly cleared a high jump which was several feet high. They were equally impressed as he darted back and forth, leaping into the air and catching discs thrown by
his owner/trainer. With every throw, Chase was exactly where he needed to be in order to make the catch. Jen Rhodes was initiated into the world of dog training when she was 12. Her family raised Cocker
Spaniels, but when she brought home a puppy who was going to grow up to be a big farm dog, her mother wanted her to take it back. “But, my dad said I could keep it if I trained it, and I did. It’s been a
passion of mine since,” said Rhodes, who began showing her family’s dogs and also training police dogs with the woman who taught her how to train.
Agility Page 2