This article shares Dorothy Leland’s verbal comments to the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group on December 3, 2018.
M y name is Dorothy Leland and I live in Davis, California. In 2005, my then-13-year-old daughter became seriously—mysteriously—disabled with unremitting, body-wide pain that kept her in a wheelchair for more than three years.
Medical experts we consulted had no clue what was wrong and could do nothing to help her.
When we asked if it could be Lyme disease, they answered emphatically “No!” Because, they said, there’s no Lyme disease where we live.
That’s what I now call “misdiagnosis by geography.”
Lyme Disease — A Worldwide Complaint
That was 13 years ago. Eventually, we found Lyme-knowledgeable practitioners who recognized what she had and led her back to health. It was a long, arduous process.
I soon became involved with LymeDisease.org and also co-authored a book called When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide.
Over the years, I have met hundreds of Lyme patients and their families—either in person or online—literally from around the world.
And “misdiagnosis by geography” is one of their chief complaints.
Whether they live in California, New Mexico, or Arkansas; Canada, the UK, or Australia, they tell me that when they first went to the doctor, they were told it couldn’t be Lyme disease because there is no Lyme where they live………… Join or login below to continue reading.
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