I wanted to share this story about Avril Lavigne. Often when celebrities are effected word starts getting out. I am thankful that Avril is telling her story. Below is a direct quote from Lyme Disease Challenge on Face Book. Want to make that clear for copyright.
"Why a Lyme Disease Challenge? Because even though Lyme Disease is the fastest growing epidemic in the world, patients, including, celebrities experience significant difficulty getting a proper diagnosis and effective treatment In People's cover story, Singer Avril Lavigne opened up about the devastating disease that kept her bedridden for months – and how she's fighting to recover. "I had no idea a bug bite could do this," says Lavigne, who believes she was bit by a tick sometime last spring. "I was bedridden for five months." "I felt like I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk and I couldn't move," she says. "I thought I was dying." "There were definitely times I couldn't shower for a full week because I could barely stand," she says. "It felt like having all your life sucked out of you." Lavign describes how doctors dismissed her symptoms, blaming it on dehydration and exhaustion from her touring schedule. Like so many other patients, doctors refused to even test her for Lyme and when finally tested, standard labs failed to pick up the infection. Sadly, those suffering from Lyme Disease are often left to figure out the root cause of debilitating symptoms on their own due to unreliable tests and prevailing misconceptions. Dr. Richard Horowitz was interviewed by People Magazine this morning: http://www.people.com/people/special/0,,20826806,00.html (53 minute mark) During the interview, Dr. Horowitz explained the fallacies of standard lab tests for Lyme Disease that were developed to detect an antibody response to a single strain of bacteria when there are hundreds that impact humans (100 in the United States and 300 worldwide). Dr. Horowitz also explained that potentially deadly tick-borne pathogens can be transmitted in a matter minutes, not hours as some experts suggest. Based upon recent studies conducted by the CDC, Dr. Horowtiz states that there are between 1-2 million new cases of Lyme Disease in United States alone. Dr. Horowitz explained that if caught early, 75-80% are cured. Unfortunately, late stage disseminated infections cause chronic symptoms and are much more difficult to treat. Lavigne states that after treating for months (far longer than recommended by the IDSA, who claim you are "cured" after only a few weeks of antibiotics) she is now 80% better. While the Lyme Disease Challenge is fun, it is also extremely important because we are spreading awareness to dispel misconceptions about Lyme Disease and raising funds to support better diagnostic tests and more effective treatments."
For more about Avril Lavigne's struggle:
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