Book Review - THE WAITING ROOM: INVISIBLE VOICES OF LYME by Vickie Gould

If there were a way to make this book required reading, I would. Not because all of it is so well written ... no, the compiler left some of the typos in. Not because I love the story ... no, it's rather horrifying, really. Not because it's the greatest novel of the 21st century ... no. It's not fiction. I wish it were. I'd recommend it because it gets down and dirty about the horrors of Lyme Disease.

Some doctors tend to think the people are whiners who come in and complain of a bunch of these symptoms:

* Bullseye rash
* Headaches
* Extreme weakness
* Confusion
* Rages
* Aching joints
* Fevers
* Blurry vision
* Digestive issues
* Muscle spasms
* Vertigo
* Depression and anxiety
* Chemical sensitivities
* Noise sensitivities

Patients are told that Lyme doesn't occur in their part of the country or where they've been. A standard test (if they even do one) often comes back negative when a person really does have it. The patient is given medications that don't work, pooh-poohs on their description of symptoms, and an insistence that there is no such thing as Chronic Lyme Disease. Are they referred to specialists? Well, yes, but often to the wrong ones. What the patient needs is a Lyme literate doctor.

It's not a quick fix, even with the best of care. It does help to catch it at the very outset--when the tick (or tick nymph) bite is first evident. But the likelihood is that you could be in for years of treatment. Worse, your insurance might not cover the doctor, tests, or meds.

I have some of the above symptoms, which is common for people with my particular diseases (not Lyme)--BUT if you have a bunch of the symptoms, get yourself to a Lyme literate doctor, fast!

For the rest of you, if you have a friend with a lot of the listed ailments, I'd ask you to buy this book for them.

By the way--I'm not suggesting or touting any or all of the treatments that helped the victims who wrote stories for this book. Some, frankly, I wouldn't touch with the proverbial ten-foot pole--but you need to decide for yourself AFTER finding a medical professional who knows enough about Lyme. It's available from Amazon in e-book format.

I was given a free copy of this book by one of the authors, but the opinions expressed are my own.