New York, NY:
This is an absolutely brilliant film. An emotional rollercoaster that ends on a hopeful note, this film explores the maddening controversy surrounding a dangerous epidemic that is being ignored in a way very reminiscent of the early AIDS crisis. An excellent film.
Vanessa:
Amazing work all around! The information, the people, everything!
Nancy:
Incredible film! Thank-you!
Randi:
I think that the film is brilliant!
Doug:
Thank-you for making this film, and opening people’s eyes…
Charlie:
My wife and I were both blown away by the film. I never truly understood how devastating Lyme disease could be until seeing it on the screen. What an informative documentary!
Lynne:
I saw the movie, it was right on. It covered every necessary issue. Thank you for making such an educational, heartbreaking movie that puts the truth of this horror out for public view.
Jill:
I sobbed aloud when I viewed the trailer to this movie. Thank you so much for making it. How I pray physicians, politicians and other people of influence will see your film.
Annette:
We've all been waiting for this film. The world needs to know how prevalent this disease is.
Janet:
I have had Lyme disease for approx 30 years--undiagnosed for 15+ yrs and misdiagnosed for 6 yrs. I still have miles to go yet for minimal health, and of course denied benefits by my insurance company. So kudos to you--many lives (non-lives) are riding on the increased awareness and improvements in care that this excellent film may inspire.
David:
There is a high incidence of Lyme disease in our province, however the current government administration, the medical community and the British Columbia Centre of Disease Control do no believe there is a high infection rate, and therefore many BC citizens are being denied proper diagnosis and medical care for their Lyme disease.
Laura:
I have goosebumps, and almost want to cry, I am so excited about this! I feel like you are telling MY story! THANK YOU...THANK YOU!!!! This brings me such hope that there might be change around the corner...I cannot wait to view this in Minnesota!
Christina:
I was just diagnosed with Lyme after over a 10 year battle with doctors that something was terribly wrong with me. Not just traditional, but holistic and alternative doctors, all led me to believe that is was all in my head. I am terribly ill, but on the road to recovery. I am stunned by all the people I know coming out of the woodworkwith similar symptoms. My heart is breaking and I am determined to make this--my Lyme journey--a mission to help others.
Denise:
I watched the trailer and cried. My daughter has been chronically ill,with every Lyme symptom since about age 8, and diagnosed finally with Lyme when she was 14. At 19 now, she struggles with this monster every day. Every doctor should be required to watch this film.Thanks for giving a voice to Lyme sufferers and their families.
Mark:
This trailer brought a tear to my eye from my own experiences of Lyme, and the sufferings of others. It also installs much anger at the injustices still being undertaken by medical professionals today, and I hope that your film can be used as a positive energy to provoke change. Awareness really will save lives, and this documentary can only further assist in that. I can’t wait to see the full feature.
Wendy:
My family has suffered from Lyme disease and still does to this day. My mother is completely paralyzed, and my brother and I still have bouts of it. I can only pray that one day soon the tests for Lyme are more accurate and more people get diagnosed sooner, so as they can be treated and not suffer like so many people are suffering. God Bless you for directing this movie and getting the word out there about the politics behind this awful disease.
Lesley:
Two people in our family have lyme and co-infections. The film trailer is so powerful. I can only imagine the impact of the entire film!
Connie:
I have suffered from chronic Lyme since 1991. I was infected again in 1997. I live in Tennessee, and was misdiagnosed until 2007. I was told that I just have fibromyalgia and I was also advised to see a psychiatrist to help me “get used to the pain.'” I am better now, despite poor treatment by my doctors in Tennessee. I was finally properly diagnosed and treated, and am now better. I want to share the news that we can get better from this debilitating illness.
Jackie:
I have Lyme Disease, and so do my children. We need physician awareness at the hospital I work at! I want all our doctors to see this great movie! Excellent work and thank you for being our voice!
Kimberly:
I am 36 years old. I was 33 when I was finally diagnosed. I am currently on antibiotics after 2 1/2 years. I did not have the strength to suffer any more. I needed to be bathed and fed. We have been drained emotionally, financially, and physically. The de-conditioning was so severe that I needed cardiac and pulmonary rehab. The fight still goes on. My gratitude could not find the right words for the creation of this documentary. This could finally give a voice to the brave souls that suffer in silence, from an epidemic which is grossly ignored.
Tris:
As a Lyme literate medical doctor, I support your battle and film with all my heart.
Pam:
I am thankful you are exposing Lyme disease. I have had it for four years, and unknowingly passed it to my husband. We just found out in October that both of our children, ages 16 and 20 have had it for probably 8-9 years. Thank you for making this wonderful film.
Kim:
Thank you so much for doing a documentary on Lyme disease. Both my wife and I cried just seeing the trailer, and we are very anxious to see the whole movie.
Ann:
My son is a Lyme sufferer and like so many, went undiagnosed for 2 1/2 years. It has been such a rough road for him as well, we are THRILLED that someone is finally raising awareness.
Muffy:
It is heartbreaking to watch my 15-year old suffer with a debilitating disease that could have easily been prevented. Although she met all of the criteria for being treated, we were told by doctors that this was nothing, and certainly not Lyme. The ignorance of such a debilitating disease is astounding in the medical community, as well as in the general population. Thank you for being our voice, and making such a powerful film.
Linda:
I was misdiagnosed for 20 years. I had a history of at least 80 tick bites from our summer cabin. Because the Western Blot test was negative, they said I did not have Lyme disease, though I had the classic symptoms. Now, the joint damage is so severe and I live in constant pain. I understand.
Jeff:
God bless you for creating this. I can't wait for it to be released.
Bruce:
I tested positive for Lyme 1 1/2 years ago and I am now half crippled and in serious, chronic pain. Doctors tell me I'm cured, and that now it may be fibromyalgia or something else! Was once an athlete, a deep-sea diver and pipe welder, and an advertising photographer, but now, a vague shadow of all that. I NEED to see this movie! Thank You!
Alice:
God bless you for the movie and the awareness it will bring! My daughter and I have been battling Lyme since about 1991. She has had it twice, while I had 10 negative tests. Last April, after 12 1/2 years without treatment, the Lyme destroyed the electrical system in my heart and I had a heart block. My heart stopped, I was miraculously resuscitated, and given a pacemaker. But my daughter and I still have Lyme, and at 32, she would like to have her own family, and is desperate to get well. Thank you, you are an answer to prayer.
Tracy:
My husband and I are looking forward to your new documentary. He has been fighting Lyme for two years and is now partially paralyzed from the disease (although doctors keep saying that it is not Lyme - they cannot provide any other theories) Thanks for the interest in this disease and for making this film.
Anne:
After becoming debilitated in 1999 after seeing a zillion doctors, I finally learned that I was dealing with chronic Lyme disease. What has been SO frustrating is that I was actually tested for Lyme disease 6 months after I became so ill. Now, though the new treatment is extremely difficult to endure, just the hope of getting to return to the land of the living, after all these lost years, makes me keep wanting to push on through, until we fully beat it! Thank you for putting this epidemic out there in the open and putting faces to the zillions of heart-wrenching stories! Bless you all at Open Eye Pictures!
Linda:
This video hits my soul, what a wonderful job you all did.
Denise:
My heart aches and tears roll down my cheeks...I am there...I live this Lyme life...Thank you...people need to know our pain, our truth.
Natalie:
I've had Lyme disease since I was at least 12, possibly since I was 8. I am 25 now. I have said most of the things said by the other people with Lyme in the trailer. Thank you for helping get the word out. We are not fakers, we are braver than most.
Jeff:
Thank you, thank you, thank you for completing "Under Our Skin". Many thousands of sufferers, including my daughter, will be forever grateful.
Christina:
This is a great first step for educating the public about this disease. I've had Lyme for 15 years (half my life) and no one has understood this pain I've been through. Thanks.
Colette:
I have Lyme. For years the doctors told me it was a mental illness. Lyme has cost me my life. Thank you for doing this. I need a voice and some sense of belonging.
Janice:
I have chronic Lyme and I am no longer able to drive due to vision problems. I am on permanent disability from my job, suffer daily with all kinds of symptoms. I have had bladder cancer 4 times in 14 months due to my weakened immune system. My insurance company says that I'm well, so they will no longer pay for treatment. My husband and I are financially broke, and the emotional toll that Lyme has taken on us words cannot describe. God bless you for doing this film. I just hope people will open their eyes.
Amy:
Thank you for bringing attention to this disease. Your actions can and will make a huge difference. Just know that they already have in the hearts of many of us suffering. So thank you, thank you, thank you! br>
Leslie:
This film is about to save us all. Thank you for giving me a voice and for giving me the strength to fight. br>
Emily:
Bravo to Open Eye Pictures for bringing this project to fruition! You are raising awareness of a critical health issue. I hope, because of the work of Open Eye Pictures and others that others will not have to suffer and go undiagnosed as I did. Thank you for taking on this controversial and critical medical issue!
Donna:
I have been sick for 22 years and told I had CFIDS and to go home, rest, and adjust my lifestyle. I was practically homebound for 20 years until I was correctly re-diagnosed with Lyme disease. After two years of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals I am able to help my daughter with her wedding--including one of my dreams of making her wedding dress. Thank you for making this documentary.
James:
Dazed and confused and tired of being tired all the time. Lost my health, my job and some friends who can't understand. This film will be a big help to show others that I'm not lazy, loony or a hypochondriac.
Jaime:
I too suffer with Lyme disease. I've been undiagnosed/misdiagnosed for 20 years. I remember my dad burning two engorged ticks off my back when I was nine. But of course I have fibromyalgia, Lupus, RA, scleroderma (even though no tests come positive for any of those), so of course, it's in my head. I finally found a Lyme literate doctor who is treating me. I have two toddlers who I have likely infected, who have all sorts of issues because their mother is so sick. I just want to be there for them.
Pam:
Thank you for all your hard work. We need to bring the “Lymelight” to California. Most people think that it is not here. Most doctors think it is not here. There are many people that need answers, or a little ray of hope that maybe someone will listen.
Sheri:
Finally. Thank you God for sending Lyme disease sufferers our “Moses” to deliver us all. I pray that all who see this film will know our suffering and open their minds to the reality and magnitude of what we unfortunately already know. Words cannot begin to describe the importance of this film. It is a long time coming, the answer to thousands of cries for help and validation that fall on deaf ears. For the ones who lost their battle, for the persecution of the brave doctors who risk everything to try to help, and finally for the future education and understanding of this hidden plague that is upon us all. Please hear us.
James:
Three and a half years of this. I don't know how I'll deal with this nightmare any longer. I just know I'm lucky to have chronic Lyme diagnosis. But even so, I'm still very sick, out of work, out of money, homeless and deep in debt. Still no doctor will help. Twice denied social security benefits. It seems like it's a big cover up. I'm fed up. I am going to put my frustrations and remaining energy in Lyme activism and public awareness.
Steve:
This story needs to be seen by all decision-makers in this country….I'm tired of being ridiculed by ignorant neurologists, dentists, rheumatologists and others. I've seen them roll their eves and heard their comments while I'm suffering and waiting of care in the ER. This type of behavior is unconscionable for professionals and laypeople alike. Your film will go along way in at least putting a face on the suffering that is going on.
Tracy:
God bless you for making this movie. My 14-year old daughter now has a feeding tube and a PICC line because of a disease we supposedly “don't have in Georgia.” Thank you and good luck.
Anne:
Anxiously awaiting the film's release. My husband has Lyme and is on the road to recovery. However, due to his contracting this disease we have met many other who are suffering and are not yet anywhere near to regaining their health. The lack of treatments for this disease is an outrage.
Elizabeth:
Thank you for making this important film. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease after being misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia for two years. I have been sick most of my adult life, but have been very ill the last twelve years and disabled for the past four. People have no idea the kind of suffering that Lyme disease causes. I hope that this film changes that.
Cathy:
Thank you so much for this film. My daughter has Lyme and it has taken over our lives. I quit work to take care of her and her 5-year old daughter while her husband works two jobs and tries to make ends meet. My family thinks it is all a big joke and she is just trying to get attention. They turned their backs on us when we needed them the most.
Gladys:
If I were a dog right now I would be getting better treatment. No doctor will diagnose me with Lyme nor will they treat me because they don't take patients with Lyme. In despair I went to a doctor who said that depression could cause many of my symptoms. I have nowhere left to turn. Watching this film is compelling and frightening and I am soothed a little to hear of others with shared frustrations.
Christie:
I too, like so many, was on the carousel of doctors for over a year and not taken seriously about my symptoms. One doctor said I was the healthiest "sick" person he had ever examined. Finally I was diagnosed and found a Lyme literate MD, and after nine months of extensive antibiotic treatment I was cured. That was three years ago. There are success stories for those of us who get the treatment we need before it is too late. Thank you, thank you for doing this for all of the Lyme sufferers who have not been as lucky as me.
Heidi:
It will be a miracle when this disease is brought to everyone's attention. Thank you for the film, can't wait to see it. My daughter and I have both tested CDC positive, and I'm not sure where to turn for help. For now we just suffer alone, hopefully this will help us all.
Dottie:
Bravo! It is about time we took a stand. This is an international tragedy. Maybe with this wonderful film we can stop the tyranny.
Lisa:
Thank you so much for telling the truth about Lyme. It's about time someone told the horrifying truth surrounding this illness. Thank you, thank you, a million times, thank you!
Beckie:
Thank you for producing such a powerful film. I was diagnosed with ALS in 2003 and knew it was wrong. Headaches, muscle spasms, foot drop, chronic fatigue, light/sound sensitivity… the list goes on. Thank you bringing awareness into our hidden world of despair.
Lisa:
Thank you so much for doing this film. It is just unreal what I see going on and it's getting worse. I don't understand it. I have a doctorate degree in a health care field and never thought I would be treated so terribly if I ever became ill. It has been a shock to me. My life has been ruined by this disease. How long can this problem be ignored?
Sheila:
My four children and I all have Lyme. It's changed our lives forever. Thank you for this film. I was moved to tears by the suffering of these people who are like us.
Nolan:
My wife has had Lyme for over a year now and we had no idea for that whole year. We saw over 20 doctors and our bills skyrocketed. We had no hope until seeing a Lyme specialist. We are still struggling to this day with the disease and don't know what to do. It gives us some relief to see that there are people like you trying to open the eyes of everyone around us.
Jean:
I'm praying for this film. People need to understand that Lyme disease is out there. I'm a young mother of three. I have Lyme and babesia. It has taken me two years to get some antibiotic treatment. My children all have signs because I didn't know I had it when I was pregnant. My husband also has a lyme rash for the past two years still without treatment. Lyme disease has changed my life from running five miles a day to not being able to get out of bed. Thank you for this film.
Maureen:
What a phenomenal film! I can't wait to see the entire documentary. I had "MS" for 10 years until I was properly diagnosed with Lyme. I hope this opens people's eyes.
Emily:
Thank you for shedding light on this illness. I was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease after many, many years of misdiagnoses and progressively getting worse. I, too, am a young woman who was dismissed as “anxious and depressed” and misdiagnosed with CFS, etc. The stories you shared in the trailer resonated deeply. Bravo!
Stephanie:
Thank you so much for what you are doing! My heart breaks seeing my three children sick, and I can do nothing about it. We are seeing a doctor 900 miles away. We can't afford to do this.........but we can't afford NOT to do this. I am scared for my children. Scared for what their future holds. Will their sickness ever end and when will doctors come to realize this is an epidemic in the U.S. Forget terrorists killing us--we have death in our back yards and nothing is being done!
Nancy:
The medical denial and ignorance around Lyme is almost surreal. Stephen King couldn't have created a greater horror story.
Jeanne:
I'm so thrilled about this documentary I feel like screaming from the mountaintops! Instead, I'm channeling my energy into telling everyone whose experienced my irritability and rage about your film. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Ann:
I have chronic Lyme disease which was not diagnosed until I read a magazine article 20 years after being bitten. My husband was not diagnosed until I asked him to get tested. He was bitten in the army at 18-years of age in Missouri, had multiple problems throughout his life, and is now dealing with ALS symptoms at age 70. We will do everything we can to promote your movie. I hope you get it out there ASAP!
Sherrie:
Why does this veil continue to cover our medical professions' eyes and ears? Is it a conspiracy to keep the fact that if there real numbers of Lyme patients came to light, our government would have to admit we have an epidemic of Lyme in the USA?
Philip:
This film needs to be seen! Thank you for making this film!
Kathleen:
The world needs this film; we (people with LD) need this film; I need this film. There are too many of us suffering and not enough health care professionals who understand. Education is our only hope--both for preventing and curing this devastating disease.
Heidi:
Three years ago, my arms and legs started flailing; I began having convulsions, sweats, and the sense that bugs were crawling through my feet and legs. My doctor was unwilling to even test me for Lyme disease, saying "we don't have lyme here." Three months later, I had a grand mal seizure and almost died. One doctor told me I'd had the seizure because I drank too much water. Another said I had obsessive compulsive disorder. A third thought I was faking. I was subsequently diagnosed with Lyme. How much time, and life, and health have I lost because of ignorance? People who could be and want to be functioning and contributing members of society are being lost because of small mindedness and arrogance. I pray that the doctors who refuse to listen, or who lack even the most basic curiosity come to terms with the suffering their attitudes are causing.
Rima:
I have been struggling with Lyme since 1994 and have seen over 30 doctors and spent over $100k and was finally diagnosed a month ago. My insurance company is not willing to pay for my medical bills.
Light:
Lyme has overwhelmed my life. The inability to find doctors who will treat us is overwhelming. This disease has bankrupted us and forced us to move out of our home. I have lost my ability to earn even a little money to live upon. I've gone from a long distance runner and college English teacher to a "retired" person by age 42 years old. At 56, it has been a long hard road. I do have faith that things will be better for us all. I have to keep that faith, for my own survival.
Brandon:
My wife and I have Lyme disease. We have seen many doctors with many refusing to treat us, and still have not gotten on the road toward wellness. We hope this film will have an impact on the masses who require more information on this disease.
Skyler:
Thank you so much for taking on the Lyme disease issue! You will be saving lives with this film.
Larry:
For ten years I saw many doctors and hospitals, including the Mayo Clinic. Many dollars were spent and I was told there was nothing wrong with me: “It's all in your head. Go home and take pain medications.”
Terry:
My husband was diagnosed with Lyme disease two years ago after countless doctor visits and over $200,000 dollars spent out of pocket. He was bed ridden and could barely make it to the bathroom which was 12 feet away from the bed. He felt like his life was slowly slipping away. It is a never ending battle and I fear it will only get worse as time goes on. Somehow, we must all strive to make the medical profession, the insurance companies and the politicians become more aware of the rapidly growing epidemic of Lyme disease that seems to be taking over our country. Science must find a vaccine and fast.
Kerry:
I can't wait for this Lyme Disease move. I am in the same mess as the people in this movie and it's about time that someone has the guts to stand up and tell our story. Thank you.
Charles:
I was encouraged by your website. It helped me to know that I am not alone and I needed to know this. To the world, I look fine. Inside, I am dying! I hate this disease.
Jordan:
I was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease-running in circles and hundreds of thousands spent on every medical test imaginable. Hospital stay after hospital stay and doctors are running the other way from me. I'm 32, just got married and thinking about having a baby and starting a family of my own…and now we have to deal with this?
Emily:
The trailer made me break into tears. I am a Highway Patrol Officer who got Lyme disease trying to keep California's freeways safe. No one ever thinks that the grassy shoulder of a highway is infested with Lyme disease carrying ticks. Thank you for doing this.
Marko:
I write to you from Slovenia, a country in Europe with the second highest rate of Lyme patients the world.
MacLaren:
I am anxiously awaiting the release of "Under Our Skin". I am sliding down into my 3rd relapse after having Lyme for 17 yrs (the first 11 going un-diagnosed). Thank you!
Lisa:
Thank you so much for making this film. I hope it will be broadcast soon. The entire United States needs to know that every state has ticks and that a lot of them carry one or more forms of tick-borne diseases. Ticks don't know borders.
Julia:
I am so happy that the public will finally be made aware of this devastating disease and the unbelievable controversies that surround it. I can finally tell my friends and family to watch the documentary and they'll understand: I am not druggged...I have lyme! Thank you!!
Kevin:
We have a tick control company and we have seen this topic swept under the rug the more people get sick! Many people are not aware of how serious Lyme is. Thank you.
Makayla:
In my 17 years of life, I have had symptoms ranging from learning and cognitive issues to asthma, to uncontrollable nerve and arthritic pain, to severe depression. Now I am finally feeling better. I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting back to my life-working on my online schooling, hanging out with my friends; I'm a teenager, and loving it-talking on the phone so much, and trying to help teens who are going through what I did get through tough times.
Louise:
I can't wait for this film to be released. My 18-year old grandson suffers from this disease. After about $15,000 and visits to doctors that know about it he finally has gotten out of his wheelchair. But we know it will come back because we were not able to get IV antibiotics. He fears everyday when it will come back.
Kay:
Thank you for producing this movie. People do not understand the devastation of Lyme disease and all too many doctors around the U.S. are not treating Lyme as it should be treated. I live 20 miles from the Medical College of Virginia and no doctor there will see patients with Lyme disease. It is a travesty that people have to suffer with this disease. Some days I can barely get out of bed. There is such a feeling of hopelessness in having this disease, especially when doctors will not treat you. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night feeling so badly that I pray for God to take me in my sleep. Thank you for confronting Lyme disease.
Julie:
I can't wait for my family and I to be able to see this film. Thank God for all of you. This is our story and so many others. My husband has suffered for so many years with multiple diagnoses and treatments that did more harm than good. He is still suffering, but finally it all makes sense because we finally found the root cause of the multiple symptoms.
Penny:
I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in late 2004. I look forward to the movie and it's FACTUAL presentation of this horrible disease. Hopefully it will open the eyes of many who refuse to hear our voice.
Kiri:
I was recently diagnosed with Lyme after months of chronic unexplained pain. Thank you so much for addressing this devious little evil that is plaguing so many people and is so utterly under diagnosed. I can't wait to see the final results.
Katherine:
I have had Lyme for over 10 years and was finally diagnosed two years ago. It has dramatically changed my life and how I live it. It has limited me in so many ways. This film is needed and will help so many people in so many ways.
Alexandra:
I am a sufferer of chronic Lyme for the last 20 years. While I am in good hands with my doctor and doing my best to treat it, I have to say thank you for this film. It is something that everyone so desperately needs to see.
Andrea:
I have Lyme and was undiagnosed for 13 years. I found out this past August that I have been struggling with moderate encephalitis as well as chronic neuro Lyme. My new brilliant doctor knew it at our first metting and ordered a spect scan, lumbar puncture and bloodwork. When I heard the test results I cried with relief! I hope your documentary reaches other misdiagnosed patients and the multitude of ill informed doctors.
Karen:
I was diagnosed with Lyme in 1984 and after two years of intravenous and oral antibiotics I was told I was cured. 23 years have passed and I have been chronically ill, diagnosed with fibromyalgia, lupus, deviated septum, allergies, depression, polymyalgia rheumatica, and at least 10 other diagnoses. After viewing your video I am unsure as to whether I've had Lyme disease all along!
Maryann:
This little bug has destroyed my life. It seemed it was easier for doctors and my children to believe I was nuts and belonged in a mental hospital than it was to believe I was truly sick with Lyme.
Kristina:
My daughter was rediagnosed 11 years after her initial tick bite. She had gone for years with physicians telling me that she had Attention Deficit Disorder, and that when she was writhing in pain from abdominal pain that she was attention seeking. Luckily she has been treated and cured with antibiotics. She is currently a freshman at a top college and doing beautifully.
Sherry:
I cannot wait for this film to come out. It is going to do so much good for those suffering. Finally, a voice for the sick!
M.G.:
I am 38 years old. Seven years ago, my primary care doctor looked me in the face and said, “Western medicine cannot help you.” I was an award-winning designer with an amazing life ahead of me. Now I sit in the house most of each day with chronic pain…. Thank you for making this film.
Sally:
I look great for 53--hair, makeup and a smile. But beneath lies a body wracked with pain, and a mind that lives in a fog. The last week it was debilitating migraines, tonight it is chest pains and searing back and neck pain. Living with illness and pain has become the standard for the past 8 years despite treatment. Nothing works, nothing lasts, and no one believes me. Thank you for being our voice.
Rose:
No one seems to understand the severity of this disease and I'm getting frustrated coming up with excuses for my many absences from school. This film gives me hope that finally my teachers will stop looking at me like I'm crazy when I say for the hundredth time “I was sick.” A million times, thank you!
John:
My two adult daughters, my wife, and I have been fighting this horror for over 20 years. We have run support groups, we have fought the insurance industry, we have seen docs lose their licenses, and we have lost our life savings. Yet like so many others we persist.
Keith:
My wife is the victim of chronic Lyme disease and has gone through a painful hell. Thank you for trying to bring attention to this growing problem.
John:
We have spent an exorbitant amount of our own dollars in fighting this disease. We have declared bankruptcy, and we live in fear that tomorrow we may not have a place to live. Your documentary asks the question that I have been asking for over 20 years. "What is going on?" Thank you, thank you, thank you for finally presenting the nightmare of Lyme in a documentary that is of the highest quality, and is extremely compelling. My wife has been crying with tears of gratitude and joy since she saw your web site. You are all heroes and angels of mercy for doing what you are doing: opening eyes.
Alex:
The media is our only way to eliminate this horrendous disease. This is exactly what is needed to get the word out regarding this epidemic. My wife was misdiagnosed with MS 20 years ago. She has actually had Lyme since 1976.
Matthew:
Please get the word out. I am a 13-year victim of chronic neurological Lyme. It is a nightmare.
Melissa:
I am so grateful for the production of your film and this web site. My brother uses an electric wheelchair to get around. He and his family have been dealing with misdiagnoses for 10 years, and he has been denied insurance coverage until last year. Now he is taking the proper medication and seeing results.
Jeannie:
I have had symptoms for a long time, possible my whole life. I recently found out that it's Lyme diease. My mother has it and my three children show signs. I'm grateful for this information and it's wonderful to feel that I'm not the only one.
Travis:
My dad has been sick with chronic Lyme disease for three and a half years. I believe this movie will help insurance companies and doctors see what is really happening with people with chronic Lyme, and they will also realize that this disease is a worldwide epidemic.
Carolyn:
My old doctor said, “You have Lyme disease. Take this antibiotic and see me in six months.” I am looking for a new doctor. I am so frightened.
Brenda:
I lost my job, spent my life savings, now the worst part: I live in North Carolina. I took two months of oral treatments and now North Carolina Medical Board has decided that's enough and that I should be well. Guess what? I am sick again, and this time I'm angry. I can get any doctor to write narcotics, but can't get antibiotics. What's wrong with this picture? I'm glad someone cares.
Paul:
Far too many people are afflicted and going to get worse. It's a silent epidemic.
Sharon:
Never has such a film been needed more than now. I truly believe this film will save lives.
Bettina:
I caught Lyme five months ago in London and couldn't get any treatment for it. The bacteria disseminated rapidly. After six weeks I moved back to Germany, my home country, because I thought I might be dying, and I wanted to do that at home. Here the situation is better, and at least I am getting some treatment and am improving. But I probably have to face a life-long battle with the disease and the ignorance surrounding it.
Jennifer:
My husband and I have two daughters with tick-born illness. Our 15-year old can no longer get treatment because of the mainstream medical community and political issues surrounding this dreadful disease. We have high hopes that your film can help change things for her and others in agony.
Tami:
I've suffered with chronic pain for eight years now. I was told for the first three years that I must have had a bad childhood or was raped! If I didn't have two kids I would have killed myself by now.
Elize:
I had Lyme disease for 35 years before I was diagnosed in 2005. I gave it to my three children transplacentally. My family of origin all show symptoms of Lyme disease, including diagnosis with MS. My 7 siblings, mother, aunt and uncle all appear infected, but they and their doctors refuse to do the proper testing.
Joan:
I too suffer from chronic Lyme disease. It robs its victims of any normalcy in life. It is very difficult for others to understand the pain, if you are not the one feeling the pain. It is difficult to understand why someone with Lyme disease can feel so sick, yet look pretty darn good. God help all of us who suffer with this horrible, ugly disease.
Michelle:
I was misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia for the 10 years before getting the correct diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease. I have had to drive and fly hundreds of miles to find doctors to get the help I needed. It has cost me thousands of dollars that I have financed on credit cards to get the medications and doctors I needed. After 2 1/2 years of treatment, I am getting well and am able to function 80% better. This illness has cost me my career, my husband, my children, and put me in financial ruin.
Sarah:
God I hope this film helps. Otherwise we are doomed!
Gay:
I have had Lyme disease for 25 years, which went undiagnosed after seeing over 40 different doctors. I have severe health problems and I am mad at the medical community.
Sonja:
The trailer is already a tear jerker, I can't wait to see the whole film. I have chronic Lyme, so does my husband and we suspect it in one of our children. This film is absolutely needed to create awareness!
Dawn:
I can no longer do the everyday things so many take for granted. Somehow, through all of this I have become stronger. I have more determination to fight even harder to live and do what I can, so others do not have to endure a life of pain as I have.
Jean:
My children and I caught Lyme in Utah where the common belief is that no Lyme exists. We were ill for more than a decade before diagnosis. I am disabled but improving after years of antibiotics. Our lives will never be what they were, what they could have been.
Becky:
I pray that this film will meet the cry of Lyme disease patients. My daughter has suffered with Lyme for 7 years. She not only suffers with the disease, but we battle the medical field, insurance companies, college attendance expectations, etc.
Kim:
I have been battling progressive MS for 7 years only to find out a year ago that I have Lyme disease. Thank you for making this film and making people aware that Lyme is serious and misdiagnoses are common.
Megan:
I am 29 and have had Lyme since 1996. Mine went misdiagnosed, undertreated for 6 years. Now my Lyme specialist no longer takes insurance. I'm scared to death. I can't find anyone to treat me.
Barbara:
Viewing your work-in-progress made me feel less alone in my fight against this pernicious disease and the attitudes of many health practitioners.
Tracie:
Thank God for what you're doing! I'm on my 7th month of IV antibiotics for my Lyme disease. I must be getting better because I haven't prayed for death lately! Thanks for giving me strength today.
Leslie:
I refuse to allow this uninvited "guest" to continue to invade my body. You empower all of us. Our lives are priceless, yet, we have to continue to prove this to the ones who took an oath to heal us.
Daniel:
Three-years plus of continuos hell, but my MS is going away!
Janice:
I woke up on day with the worst headache of my life and I have had one ever since. I cannot remember what I am doing from minute to minute. I have problems thinking, walking, talking, and seeing. My body hurts like a million bees stinging me over and over. I have not been able to work for 1 and 1/2 years. I have been denied disability. We are in financial trouble because I cannot work and my husband works two jobs. I have had three neuro/psych tests because they think I am faking the answers because of the low test scores. I have low-grade fevers all the time. I'm either sweating or freezing. I have stomach and digestive problems. Insurance doesn't pay for anything. Some days I feel as if it will be my last. When I drag myself lifelessly to bed I wonder if I will wake up.
Mary:
As a 10+ year sufferer of the disease, I have been part of a life-altering experience due to one unknown tick bite that changed the course of my life. The losses are immeasurable, but with this type of illness if you do not have hope, then you may as well die. So thank you with much gratitude and appreciation for producing a very important film that will hopefully bring not only awareness but truth to this devastating disease.
Olivia:
My husband was diagnosed with ALS in 11-01. We finally discovered in 8-05 that he has Lyme. At least three times over the years, I asked his ALS neurologists to test him for Lyme. They looked at me like I was an idiot and didn't say a word. We've finally been getting antibiotic treatment since last year, but a lot of damage was done during those long years of misdiagnosis.
Selma:
Same story here in Switzerland. The medical community refused to diagnose me with Lyme even after three positive tests. This film is extremely important to try to make the public aware of the dangers of a disease that disables, destroys families, bankrupts many. The situatin here in Western Europe looks even worse than in the US.
Alexa:
With tears in my eyes I write to say thank you. I watched this video for the first time last night. My 12-year old daughter stood behind me and cried. She had to leave the room when it was over. She came back a few minutes later and said, with watery eyes, "I am going to find a cure for Lyme disease when I grow up.”
Jill:
I have been misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia for 8 years. This year I was diagnosed with Lyme. It has been an uphill battle finding a doctor who is willing to treat me. It is time for the medical field to open their eyes. How many people out there are suffering and dying because the establishment thinks we are all hysterical?
Beth:
I have Lyme disease, my good friend has Lyme disease, and my research patients have Lyme disease. Most physicians tell us in Alabama that there is no such thing as Lyme. It has got to gain respect from the medical community.
Tiffany:
Thank you so much for caring enough to do this! Listening to the trailer just makes me sob: there are people out there just like me!
Marcia:
I had Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever in 2005 and nearly died. During that time they found I also had chronic Lyme disease. I cried when I finally had a name put to why I have been sick since I was 8 years old. (I am 65 now.) My local doctor, a Lyme specialist, has had to go to a fee only basis, which we can't afford as we are living on Social Security. There is no one to turn to and no one to help. Thank you for your wonderful work.
Brandi:
We have lost a friend of the family due to Lyme disease and wonder why no one can do anything about it. I hope that one day someone will wake up and realize that this is a real disease and needs to be combated just like the rest of the diseases out there!
Vicki:
I have had Lyme disease since 1991. I was the second person in Louisiana listed with the CDC to be diagnosed with Lyme. My symptoms were classic, but unknown and unrecognized by the local doctors, and thus misdiagnosed over and over and over. It has been a long journey. Thank you for making this movie.
Diane:
I cried reading the comments of others because my daughter has Lyme disease and has been misdiagnosed for the past 6-8 years. The stories of these people fit what she has been experiencing, and we just don't know how to get help. They tell us it "doesn't exist" here [in California] but we know it does.
Michael:
I am diagnosed with and have been treated for MS for several years. Interestingly, both my brother and I developed "MS symptoms” at the same time, just a few weeks after a rare golfing trip in a wooded area in central Illinois.
Natascha:
Thanks for making the docu on Lyme disease. I have been waiting for something like this for ages!
Eleanor:
My grandmother and her family lived in Texas. She had told me that just a few weeks before her 8th birthday (in 1898), she had had a tick bite on the back of her knee which family members tried to remove. The tick was embedded too deeply and the contents burst. Within a couple of days, my grandmother became very ill with extremely high fever and was in and out of consciousness for about a week. She recovered from the fever, but, was ill the rest of her life, as were her children and, now, her grandchildren.
Teresa:
My partner has had lyme for over 10 years and is now disabled, in pain every day, depressed to the point of wanting to die, and hopeless about her future. I am at a loss regarding how to help her. Our lives and the challenges this devastating disease has produced seem truly overwhelming most of the time. I hope your film helps someone, somewhere to act and make a difference that will help the lives of all Lyme sufferers.
Ingrid:
I hope this will make the dormant Swedish scientist/doctors wake-up before we have lost a generation.
Lois:
Your website, the trailer, and everything I have seen show intelligence, quality, refinement and a clear understanding of the complexity, the magnitude, the devastation of Lyme disease. Thank you for representing us with respect and dignity and for giving us something to be proud of.
Joan:
Thank you for giving me a voice. I am 54 years old, the past 5 years have been hell, all due to Lyme disease. My 27-year marriage to my physician-husband just recently ended--once he heard "mental disorder " from my internist. I am crying because of your gift of hope. Thank you for this gift. I hope and pray it goes farther than one can imagine.
Geoff:
The team at Open Eye Pictures has revealed a world so strange that up becomes down, and left becomes right. This is a place where Alice would feel uneasy, even after her trip to Wonderland. In the midst of such internal and external conflict, the audience can look in on the very best, and worst of humanity. The viewer is left with an emotional experience they will not soon forget.
Alicia:
This is the first time I have heard of this disease.
Penny:
Wow! Amazing job so far. I cannot wait to see the finished product. Keep up the wonderful work. No one else has had the guts or the interest to put a real face to our fight.
Cynthia:
Finally, something that can help others understand that do not have Lyme. I know this will make the impact so desperately needed.
Ann:
This is a deadly disease that is being ignored. Thank you for the movie you plan to air.
Dorothy:
Thank you for covering this important subject. We lived in a tick-ridden rental home back in 1966. Though our daughter was sick on and off through the years, none of us knew we were infected until our daughter began having severe symptoms in 1995 and nearly died last year of complications. She passed it on to her children and her husband. Her entire family is sick and, as you say, struggling with a medical community that refuses to believe what they see and hear and insurance companies that refuse to pay. It's a nightmare you can't believe until you live it.
Susan:
Can't wait to see this. I know my body is dying from this disease and I just can't afford further medical attention. Thank you for making a film for all of us.
Lisa:
This has destroyed my family emotionally, financially and spiritually--and could have been prevented with proper diagnosis and treatment. Those with Lyme are struggling and too sick to be advocates for themselves. Please help! I am all alone and so sick--everyone has walked away. This is the worst nightmare that anyone would ever have to go through. Words cannot adequately describe the daily struggle and torture that this disease causes. I was an active high functioning wife, mother, daughter and nurse, and now it's all I can do to get out of my chair to empty the dishwasher every day.
Michelle:
Does your film answer the question of where do patients turn when all of the treatments given for Lyme have failed? I have heard stories of patients being misdiagnosed and then suffering, and even dying for lack of treatment. My husband was diagnosed with Lyme within four days of being bitten. He suffered from severe meningitis and spent several days in the hospital. After being released, he relapsed. He still suffers daily and is unable to work. More people need to know that the ill are not lying about their symptoms.
Merle:
I went 10 years undiagnosed. Every doctor seen gave a different diagnosis, but none would take into consideration ALL the symptoms. A good study in just how poor our health care system is.
Patricia:
I have had chronic Lyme disease for about 16 years now and I am not getting any treatment because I can't find a doctor to treat me. I hope this dreaded disease can be stopped before it kills any more of us.
Christine:
I have had lyme disease for 6 years and used to be a marine biologist and long distance runner. I have seen over 30 doctors and have been through a nightmare; now I can 't get up most days. Thank you for what you are doing here. I don't feel so alone.
Tom:
Your timing could not be more perfect. The rising tide of awareness and discourse across various sectors of our society should elevate your production to center stage, either as the most polished professional resource ever, or possibly even becoming the pivotal tipping-point in perception and policy regarding this important topic.
Lyle:
Very eye opening!
Debbie:
Thanks for the story you are doing on Lyme disease. We have a lot of cases in the middle Tennessee area. Hopefully, this help will help a lot of people-the undiagnosed and misdiagnosed.
Laurel:
Your film [trailer] is accurate and beautiful. My daughter and I both have Lyme. I can't thank you enough.
J.J.:
You are a pioneer to be addressing this topic through film. Thank you!
Susan:
I am so saddened by the silence, the ridicule, the cover-up of this disease. Perhaps you will help lift the veil. Thank you from the deepest place in me.
Stephanie:
Having recently been diagnosed, your video gives me hope and strength for the battle that lies ahead.
Diana:
Thank you so much for producing such an excellent film about this horrible situation. I have had chronic Lyme disease since 1998. I suffer with the same barrage of excruciatingly painful and debilitating symptoms as those described in the trailer. I was also misdiagnosed, insulted and neglected by several mainstream doctors. Now, here it is eight years later and I'm still sick. I've lost my job. I've spent all my money on doctors that continually refuse to treat the problem.
Miguel:
I am thrilled to see that finally there is a bona fide effort by the media to raise awareness of the social and personal costs of this disease.
Christie:
Watching this clip, I felt like someone was seeing into my heart and understanding me for the first time since I became ill.
Anne:
Tears came to my eyes right away just knowing someone even mentions this secret disease. I got and still get the run around from docs all the time. I have no choice but to live with the unbearable pain, arthritis, memory problems, balance problems, headaches, blurry vision, terrible aches and pains, dry mouth, insomnia, and so much more. I have not had a pain free day in so many years that I don't know what it would be like!
"Breathwork":
Thank you for doing this with integrity, professionalism, and heart.
Lisa:
Someone needs to fix this, and you are helping in a very big way.
Ray:
I've watched your trailer and IT REALLY WAS an eye opener. Thanks and keep up the good work!!
Nanette:
My God, how we all need this film!
