“I have chronic Lyme Disease and it’s chronic because it took so long to get it treated.”
William and Mary student Alexis Plofchan is the subject of a seven-minute documentary directed by Patrick Linehan, about the long-term effects of Lyme disease, and the consequences of not getting diagnosed and treated appropriately.
What I found incredibly compelling about Alexis’ case is that she was tested multiple times for Lyme, and each time it came back CDC negative. Unlike my own personal case, I was never tested until I went to an infectious disease doctor after over a decade of symptoms, and I basically stuck out my arm and said, “Take my blood and test it for Lyme.”
Eventually, Alexis did receive a Lyme diagnosis, thanks in large part to her mother Katie’s diligence and persistence to get her daughter better.
In this doc, you can see the realities of living with chronic Lyme are a lot like other autoimmune diseases, with sorting multiple vitamins to support your system, bouts of exhaustion, mental strife and the need for family/friend support.
For me, this documentary hits home hard, not just because I have suffered since adolescence with chronic Lyme, but also because I have spoken in-depth with Alexis and her family about their battle with this disease. They understand, perhaps better than most, the need to spread awareness of the dangers of delayed diagnosis.
As Alexis told me that while “seven minutes cannot explain nine plus years of this journey… I am very happy with how [the documentary] turned out!”
So take a look at this compelling piece and spread the word, because May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
