Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme Disease in an Age of Denial

Written by Allie Cashel, who has personally battled chronic Lyme disease for 16 years, this book sheds light on the often-overlooked reality of post-treatment Lyme syndrome.

Despite the medical community’s refusal to recognize her symptoms as a result of infectious disease, Cashel shares her story and those of chronic Lyme patients from around the world, highlighting their struggle for recognition and treatment.

The Alarming Truth About Chronic Lyme Disease

In the United States alone, at least 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. However, it’s estimated that 20% of them will go on to develop chronic symptoms, including:

• Muscle and joint pain
• Digestive problems
• Extreme fatigue, confusion, and dizziness
• Sensations of burning and numbness
• Immune-system dysfunction

What’s more alarming is that many of these patients are initially misdiagnosed with diseases and conditions like lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety, and even dementia.

A Call to Break the Stigma and Ignorance

Despite the statistics and routine misdiagnoses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) claim it’s impossible for the Lyme bacteria to survive in the body after standard antibiotic therapy. This denial of chronic Lyme disease has led to the social effects of the illness being as crippling as the disease itself.

Suffering the Silence is a powerful call to break the stigma and ignorance surrounding chronic Lyme disease and other misunderstood chronic illnesses. It’s also a message of hope and comfort for Lyme sufferers, encouraging them to share their stories, seek out treatment, and remember that they are not alone.

By sharing her personal journey and the stories of others, Cashel hopes to raise awareness and spark change in the medical community’s approach to chronic Lyme disease.

Learn more about chronic Lyme disease, its symptoms, and the struggles faced by those affected. Join the conversation and help break the silence surrounding this often-misunderstood condition.