As his symptoms worsened, the local clergyman called on a priestly philosophy to cope with the blurred vision, loss of balance and difficulty walking and standing.

"It's minor suffering compared to what Christ endured," he said. "But it's never been easy."

Then, earlier this spring, Yarrish's burden suddenly became lighter. A physician from suburban Philadelphia, the "one more doctor" a friend urged him to consult, said he didn't have MS, but Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can attack the nervous system.

"It was nothing short of a miracle. I was much relieved," said Yarrish, 52, who was recently named vice rector at Pius X Seminary in Dalton after serving as pastor of St. Boniface Church in Wilkes-Barre.

The priest, once a regular jogger and squash player, believes a long-term regime of antibiotics, vitamins and exercise will bring back much of the ease of movement he lost. His new doctor thinks so, too.

"We've had well over 100 cases where we've gotten people out of wheelchairs," said Dr. Greg Bach.

The osteopathic physician diagnosed Yarrish's Lyme disease after finding a "bull's-eye" rash on his scalp, where it had been hidden by his hair, and sending his blood to a research laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif., for tests.

Bach had good news for Yarrish - a diagnosis of a treatable illness instead of a disorder for which there is no known cure. But the physician has sobering news for the rest of us.

Although the national Centers for Disease Control reported 17,000 cases of Lyme disease last year, Bach believes the actual incidence is much higher.

As evidence, he points to 387 confirmed cases of Lyme disease.

He said "only 8.7 percent (of those cases) showed positive" in a widely used ELISA test. The acronym stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the test checks the blood for antibodies that develop in response to the bite of an infected tick.

Since the ELISA incorrectly indicated that 90 percent of those infected people were free of Lyme disease, Bach has no use for it. "It's an antique. It should be taken off the market," said the doctor, who prefers a more sensitive "Western Blot" test.

Without sensitive tests, Bach said, thousands of people with Lyme disease may be told they have arthritis, fibromyalgia, Lou Gehrig's disease or multiple sclerosis.

While they're treated for the wrong illness, their conditions may worsen - and result in anything from chronic fatigue to vision problems to crippled limbs and, in rare cases, fatal heart and lung problems.

"People have to stop thinking (Lyme disease) is a joke," said Bach, whose wife, Debra, suffered through a bout that affected her vision years ago. "We've got a problem."

Pat Loughran of Wilkes-Barre agrees. When her husband, James, died in 2001 at age 62, the autopsy stated the underlying cause of his cardiac arrest was Lyme disease.

"My husband suffered so much. He went undiagnosed for a year," Loughran said. "He ended up with a tracheotomy and a feeding tube."

Loughran has arranged for a free informational Lyme disease seminar with Bach as guest speaker, to take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 9 at St. Elizabeth Center on Route 115 in Bear Creek.

"I am on a mission to tell as many people as possible about this," she said.

Loughran said an insect bite on her husband's leg showed a definite "bull's-eye" pattern, which is a symptom of Lyme disease in 60 to 80 percent of cases. Despite that, "We were told it was a spider bite."

"About three months later, he began feeling pains in his shoulder. If he wanted to play the piano, he had pain and stiffness in his fingers."

After James Loughran's Lyme disease was diagnosed, Pat Loughran asked to be tested as well.

"I had a higher rating (of antibodies) than my husband, and I had no symptoms," she said.

That underscores Bach's premise that everyone is in danger. Not only are most Americans bitten by ticks more frequently than they might imagine, he said, it's possible Lyme disease could be transmitted through intimate contact or even through the placenta from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.

"Most of us have been exposed multiple times," said Bach, who believes the cumulative effect of Lyme disease antigens can build up for years before anyone notices symptoms.

The Rev. Anthony Urban, pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Bear Creek, is as eager as Bach to share information about the tick-borne illness. Two years ago, he found out Lyme disease was the cause of his tremendous pain.

"I was told I had rheumatoid arthritis and went to about eight different physicians," Urban said. "There were times I couldn't walk. ... I could barely get through Mass. I had an 80-year-old altar server who used to help me off the altar and I'd ask, 'What's wrong with this picture?' "

After Urban found his way to Bach's Family Practice in Colmar two years ago, he began taking antibiotics intravenously.

"I'm walking, I'm feeling better, I don't have constant pain and I don't take narcotics. At one time I was on many, many drugs," said Urban, who was so pleased with his progress that he convinced Yarrish to consult Bach.

Heartened by each story of a recovering patient, Pat Loughran hopes the Aug. 9 seminar will prevent more needless suffering.

"I want people to know," she said. "There is hope."