(HUTCHINSON, Kan.) — Life for the Green family in Hutchinson goes on, but things have changed the last three years.
Andy Green was bitten by a tick and soon developed flu-like symptoms. He was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease.
"The most frustrating part is, I'm supposed to be the provider for the family," Green says.
Lyme disease is traditionally rare in Kansas. Although, the number of confirmed cases has been increasing steadily. Many sufferers contend it often goes undiagnosed.
"It does exist here," Green says. "We have ticks here and it's a tick-borne illness.
Green and other Kansans with Lyme disease say that because the CDC doesn't recognize the Lyme as a chronic illness, insurance often doesn't cover all the treatment they need.
"It's supposed to be an easy disease to cure, so they give two weeks worth of antibiotics, and we're supposed to be better," Green says.
