The New York Times review of the Lyme disease documentary “Under Our Skin” isn’t too bad, considering the huge controversy that Lyme disease has become as doctors, insurance companies, lobbyists and those suffering with the disease all jockey for position. The review begins by describing the documentary as “inflammatory.” Well….. I guess in some ways it is, but as a victim myself, I see it more as a cry for help. Lyme disease is so complex and debilitating that there are essentially two types of people. Victims and their close family and friends, and… everyone else. The first group get it. When I first saw the lengthy preview for “Under Our Skin” everything made perfect sense. I could see myself in their place, and understood every feeling and frustration and roadblock that the victims portrayed in the film experienced.

It appears to me that the reviewer, Stephen Holden, although well-intentioned, doesn’t really get it. To be honest, the “media” doesn’t usually, and when they do, they don’t often stick their necks out. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) puts a very high premium on tight-lipped orthodoxy, and maintains it with periodic edicts and journal articles, especially when the heat is turned up. Any changes in practice that would provide more support to victims of Lyme disease and increase the likelihood of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment would compromise the positions of many in their ranks who have conflicts of interest – see Connecticut Attorney General’s Office 2008 Press Release – or who may not like to admit that they could well have always been wrong (professional “ego” ??). Getting back to my point, Stephen Holden’s review is a well-written summary that doesn’t really take sides, in the spirit of objective journalism, I guess. I am not so sure that it will make the public flock to see it, though. Most media personnel (and the general public) just cannot fathom that so many people could be at risk of a mysterious disease that masquerades as so many other medical conditions, is difficult to detect, and is virtually impossible to successfully treat. If I didn’t live it every day, I would be perplexed by the “medical mysteries” portrayed in the film, and might well stay away from such a film that doesn’t appear to have anything to do with me, and is essentially a “downer,” even if it has won numerous international awards. In short, disease is depressing.

So, what is the answer? Personally, I think that everyone should see this documentary. Lyme disease is an ever-increasing public health threat that likely infects about 200,000 Americans and 10,000 Canadians each year (not to mention tens of thousands across Europe, etc….). Official numbers (especially in Canada) reflect poor diagnostic knowledge and criteria, testing practices that haven’t been deemed reliable for years, the lack of medical and political will, and willful blindness that something so grave could be wreaking havoc right under our noses. So the answer lies in reaching the critical tipping point. Reviews in the New York Times are a great beginning. So, too, is the appearance of the film in New York theatres. Whether or not it is a passing fancy or grabs people will be determined in part by followup coverage, by word-of-mouth, and by the advocacy of a small but growing “lyme-aware” group of victims, along with their families and friends.

Let’s reach that tipping point.