By Larry Kelley, Special to the Times:

Brian Hodge of Groton personified power five years ago, climbing on roofs and hauling around lumber for his contracting job and bench-pressing 350 pounds off the job in his hobby of weightlifting.

Then he contracted Lyme Disease. To many, there is a misconception that Lyme may seem like an affliction on par with poison ivy. Just take antibiotics for 30 days and it will go away. But if you knew how seriously Lyme Disease has affected Hodge, two relatives, and their immediate families, you would never underestimate the devastation caused by what is believed by many to be an easily curable disease.

After he was diagnosed five years ago, the once robust Hodge is limited to ground work only a few hours a day in his contracting job because Lyme has afflicted him with a severe case of vertigo, muscle twitches, tremors, and insomnia. His strength has been sapped to the point where he can’t bench press more than 100 pounds now.

The Hodges’ Lyme Disease pain doesn’t stop there. Brian’s wife, Jessica, has a brother, Jerred Pierson, who has contracted Lyme. Brian’s cousin is in a wheelchair, nearly dibillated from late-stage chronic Lyme Disease.

“It’s so frustrating because most doctors are of the belief that 30 days of antibiotics, which is all insurance covers, is sufficient to cure the infection,” said Jessica. “Brian’s cousin is in a wheelchair and probably no one ever thought of Lyme. But my husband’s symptoms have mimicked his. There has never been a study that only 30 days of antibiotics cures Lyme. My husband, like many, has needed to nearly lose our life savings to continue taking the antibiotics to treat it.”

The Hodges and Piersons are taking a step to raise public awareness about the misconceptions of Lyme Disease. The Groton-Mystic Falcons youth football program, from where Brian and Jerred were once coaches, will sponsor a Lyme Disease Awareness Walkathon Aug. 15 at Poquonnock Plains Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A viewing of the acclaimed 2008 documentary “Under Our Skin” will be shown, plus booths will be set up offering Lyme Disease pamphlets and information.

“The walkathon is to raise awareness for Lyme Disease and not to raise money,” Jessica said. “It’s in support of all those who suffer with the disease and those that will contract it in the future. More than 200,000 people are infected every year. The likelihood of you knowing someone with Lyme Disease is greater than knowing someone with cancer. Lyme Disease is so often overlooked and misdiagnosed.”

Duane Pierson, brother of Jessica and Jerred, coached for 17 years with the Falcons and now heads the Southern Connecticut Sting semi-pro team locally. He hopes local efforts such as this will help to educate the public.

“Watching my little sister try to hold it together while her husband is battling this debilitating disease, as well as helping him to take care of his cousin who’s been almost entirely decimated by it, has been very emotional at times,” Pierson said. “Then to top it off, my little brother is now battling it. It’s possible that he’s had it for many years without knowing it. He’s tried a couple different therapies and now has a tube running straight into his heart for some new type of medication. If there is any infection it could kill him.”

The disease is named for the village of Lyme, Conn., where a number of cases were identified in 1975. Although in 1978 Lyme disease was discovered to be a tickborne disease, the cause of Lyme remained a mystery until 1982 when scientist Willy Burgdorfer detected the infection of the virus borrelia transmitted to humans by infected ticks.

Because the disease is relatively new, there is much controversy surrounding what is proper treatment. There are two established camps at odds, the standard medical profession and the International Lyme Disease Association Society. The Hodges fall into the latter group, which hopes to demonstrate to lawmakers that Lyme Disease should be upgraded to a serious illness on par with cancer and AIDS.

The Hodges see some slowly-moving momentum in their favor. Gov. Jodi Rell signed a bill recently to prevent lawsuits against doctors who prescribe antibiotics for more than 30 days to treat Lyme. Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal has also been an advocate to change treatment guidelines.

“Hopefully every community will stage an awareness walkathon or similar event to show that changes need to be made in Lyme Disease treatment and emphasis,” Jessica said. “Most people you speak to about it say, ‘What’s the big deal?’ But until you deal with doctors or have someone close to you suffer with chronic Lyme Disease, you may not realize it for the pandemic that it is.”