NEWS: ABC's 20/20 to feature teen's bizarre Lyme symptoms tonight
Show will air Friday, May 18, 10 pm ET. Watch preview clip here.
Elaina P, a teenager from New Hampshire, suffers from an unusual case of Lyme disease, with symptoms that includes a speech disorder and seizures.
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My heart hurts for her and all of us going through this. I just wish everyone watching tonight knew how much more common her story is. Her story is not as rare as people think. Praying for some progress in the awareness and treatment of this horrible disease.
To “common?” I have chronic Lyme/CFIDS and have suffered for some time. It is about time the media gives SOME attention to this very serious matter, which is not at all enough information at this juncture. I did not catch this, but will have to watch and see if they did Lyme suffers any good, or more harm. Actually, it is very “common” that Lyme carries co-infections, produces CFIDS, EBV,and every other problem under the planet. This should not be “common” denominator, but should be addressed, just like “acne” or some other condition like diabetes that gets treated without a hitch. Yes, there is pain in this “comment”, but Lyme is very hard, and you are often very understood, and that should not be “common”
For those unfamiliar with Lyme…..
The term “UNUSUAL”, in inaccurate and misleading.
It is actually very common.
I agree I suffer from sever chronic lyme and have suffered many of the similar issues constantly along with my clothes friends. More than unusual its the fact its often misdiagnosed or doesn’t get national attention enough.
It is not unusual at all!! I had the same symptoms! Thank God I don’t have all of them now and I continue to keep improving slowly. But these symptoms are not unusual!!
I had been to three different physicians over the past several months and everyone one of them told me don’t worry about it, your rash is caused by stress. I was give medication for the itching and sent home. Then several months later I started to experience extreme joint pain in my knee, and the sores kept appearing! I knew then something was very wrong. The last physician was reluctant to do the blood test, stated It was highly unlikely because of where I live (Texas) and because I did not experience any flu like symptoms, but I had pictures of the horrible looking sores, he decided to do the test to ease my mind. Well the test came back positive. The rash, joint pain, fatigue, are real!
i sure hope everybody watches this on ABC tonight. Penna. leads the nation with the most cases of LYME DISEASE AND co-infections.STAND UP, LYME VICTIMS AND BE COUNTED !!!! they do not believe us, but we will not, I repeat go away. WE WILL KEEP UP THE FIGHT TO BE CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED AND TREATED. WE ARE NOT CRAZY !!!! WE ARE SICK !!!
I echo Sam’s comment: the neurological symptoms suffered by the profiled patient are not unusual. For those with untreated and under-treated Lyme disease, they are all too common.
Lyme disease is real. Chronic Lyme disease is now a common disease because doctors and people do NOT recognize early or late symptoms of Lyme. Children and teens are contracting Lyme more now…and still doctors are not aware of the long list of symptoms of Lyme. It is time…to be Lyme aware. Read about peoples stories…..know the symptoms. When you get Lyme (not if) you will have more power to you…because you will have to fight for your life…fight for your rights to medical care…fight against ALL the doctors and specialiists that you will have to seek just to get a Lyme diagnosis. That does not inclde the fight to get proper medical treatment. Doctors tell you “you don’t have Lyme anymore you already had 2 weeks of the antibiotic. The Lyme can’t survive that”. Then why can so many other diseases survive antibiotic treatment and make you sick…why NOT Lyme too. We need better testing….Most people do NOT get a rash. Children and families are suffering with this lifelong disease. Become Lyme aware..
Hooray for Dr. Durand and his willingness to stand up for what’s medically right and appropriate. While Elena’s symptoms are startling, it is entirely believable that they are caused by Lyme and/or Lyme’s co-infections. It’s outrageous that the NIH and the CDC won’t commit the funds necessary to research this insidious epidemic and find an effective treatment, or even a cure.
I can relate to everyone, unfortunately. Just 5 months ago I was working, exercising, cleaning…now, after seeing my ninth doctor, some days I can barely get out of bed. It’s crazy how only my knees ached, to now my feet, ankles, hips, spine, etc in a matter of a few months. After months of bloodwork, i tested positive for Eurichliosis, a coinfection to Lyme. I have the neurological symptoms as well….I’ve been “diagnosed” with everything from MS, migraines, hypertension, trigeminal neuralgia, anxiety, depression (because drs couldn’t figure this out, they assumed it was in my head), to now having arthritis & fibro. So frustrating! Everyone thinks this is so rare, but Anyone can have this…I never thought in a million years I would.
I have gone through you exact symptoms and routine to a tee, thank god we have an MD in my community that is well read on these co-infections. She actually gets into pretty heated debates with infectious disease specialists in this area who are either skeptical or turn a blind eye because chronic Lyme is not recognized by the CDC. Its unfortunate that Europe is medically so far ahead of the US. Hope there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel! GoodLuck
I am a school counselor in rural NJ who routinely sees teens misdiagnosed with ADD, ADHD, OCD, Bipolar, etc… who are flamingly infected with Lyme. How do I know? They typically do not respond to standard treatments for their diagnosis, most often get worse over time and develop other symptoms, and when asked if there is a history of tick bites the answer is always “yes”. Often it is , “I had Lyme, but I got better.” Upon further inspection, they were treated for a week to ten days. Our medical centers are destructive when it comes to Lyme, but more than happy to dump kids in their ridiculous IOP programs and make permanent psychiatric patients out of them. Its heinous and its really happening- there is not polite or diplomatic way to express this anymore.
We need to atleast have doctors be able to trwat on symtoms , not possitive tests . If we could do just that this year imagine how many people we could prevent from having cronic lyme disease .
Do you ever wake up and wonder if the person next to you made it through the night? Do you ever go to work and call home several times a day just to check on your loved one? Do you empty a catheter? Do you give someone a bath? Do you need extra help or money and there isn’t any? Do you wonder where you’ll be if your loved one passes away? Have you made funeral arrangements? Are they breathing right? Can they keep from falling down when you’re not around? Have you had to pick them up after a fall? Are they hurt even more? Are you too young for medicare and make just enough not to be eligible for medicaid? Can they urinate well or have a bowel movement? Well welcome to the world of Lyme Disease. It has turned my husband’s world upside down!
I wished to God I had known about this show.
My story is pretty much the same and yet different from Kant of the stories ive red and seen. It took me some time to be diagnosed as well…and finally had a spinal tap that was positive. Central Nervous Systems Disease. At that time of course I had no idea what was in store for me….first and devastating enough I lost my state job, my home and everything that goes with losing ones home… with these losses ive lost my health insurance and unable to get any disability assistance, ive lost my self dignity and self worth.
I too like many others have found Dre that don’t believe in the chronic Lymes as I continue on…..without any treatments, because I cannot afford it. I also suffer fromna nerve disease called Reflex Sympathic Dystrophy which has been aggravated by the Lymes.
Had apt to se regular MD other day. He is so tired of seeing me he pushed me off on his side kick practitioner. Who used a loud voice at me that Hirt my ears that are very sensitive. I think he wanted the whole place to hear him tell me ” I throw up the white flag” I don’t know what to do with you ! I was in because I keep blacking out and joints hurt upon standing along with the rest he didn’t want to hear. Come out of the room to have all 5 nurses stop and stare at me along with the Dr. With a fake smile on like ha ha I didn’t have to see you again. Painful yes ! It made my day….