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    Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme Disease in an Age of Denial
    Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme Disease in an Age of Denial
    Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme Disease in an Age of Denial
    Audiobook5 hours

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

    Written by Allie Cashel and Dr. Bernard Raxlen

    Narrated by Mandy Kaplan

    5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Allie Cashel has suffered from chronic Lyme disease for sixteen years—but much of the medical community refuses to recognize her symptoms as the result of infectious disease. In Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme Disease in an Age of Denial, Cashel paints a living portrait of what is often called post-treatment Lyme syndrome, featuring the stories of chronic Lyme patients from around the world and their struggle for recognition and treatment.

    In the United States alone, at least 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, and it is estimated that 20 percent of them go on to develop chronic symptoms of the disease, including (but not limited to) muscle and joint pain; digestive problems; extreme fatigue, confusion, and dizziness; sensations of burning and numbness; and immune-system dysfunction. Before reaching a final diagnosis, many of these patients are misdiagnosed with diseases and conditions like lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety, and even dementia. Despite these numbers and routine misdiagnoses, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) claim it is impossible for the Lyme bacteria to survive in the body after standard antibiotic therapy. For these chronic patients who have their suffering routinely dismissed by doctors—and even family and friends—the social effects of the illness can be as crippling as the disease itself. Suffering the Silence is a personal and provocative call to break the stigma and ignorance that currently surrounds chronic Lyme disease and other misunderstood chronic illnesses—but it is 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNorth Atlantic Books
    Release dateAug 15, 2017
    ISBN9781623172152
    Author

    Allie Cashel

    Allie Cashel BA is the author of Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme disease in an Age of Denial (North Atlantic Books) and the co-founder and president of Suffering the Silence. Since starting work with STS, Allie has been invited to speak at events around the US and beyond, ranging from private fundraisers, to medical schools, to bookstores and support groups. Some highlights include: an appearance on Good Day NY (Fox5), a presentation at a United States Congressional Forum and her facilitation of workshops on disability, inclusion and storytelling around the country. Allie is a member of the Young Leaders Council of the Global Lyme Alliance and works as a marketing and content development consultant for both non-profit and for-profit clients.

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    Reviews for Suffering the Silence

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    • 5/5
      I've heard about Lyme disease. But how much did I know about Lyme disease? Not much.

      I heard about this book from a friend, who is a friend of the author. The book was just published, and its a chronicle of what Lyme disease is, and the controversy behind it. I never even knew that there was so much debate! Basically, the question is: Is Lyme disease chronic, or is it a psychosomatic realization of something else that's going on? As someone who speaks openly about suffering with Lyme disease, Allie Cashel's bias is going to be towards the belief that it is a real infection. Despite the subjectivity of blood testing, she and many others like her know that it is a chronic disease that can relapse at different points in their lives. What makes Cashel's book shine, though, is her matter-of-fact interviews of people from both sides of the debate. When interviewing a doctor who was of the belief that Lyme was not chronic, no bias was given in her writing. As I read, I felt that I understood at least the basics of both sides of the debate. And for someone who has no prior knowledge of this disease, it is especially important to be able to read both sides.

      Cashel's writing style is welcoming enough to let in any reader. No background in science or infectious diseases necessary. Whether she is recounting statistics from her research, her interviews with others who suffer from Lyme disease, or her outlook on the future of research, it is all in a style that is easygoing yet knowledgeable.

      The was really only one thing that bothered me about the book, and really was an issue with the copyeditor (or proofreader). Grammar and punctuation mistakes stick out like a sore thumb.