I spent the last weekend attending the Sonoma International Film Festival with my parents and husband. We had a great time and saw some wonderful films. I'll tell you about a few of them over the next week or so...
One of my favorites was a documentary about Lyme disease called "Under our skin". It won the best documentary award at the film festival. I share with you a preview below - however I don't think this preview is really representative of the extent and breadth of the documentary. It wasn't just a showing of people with Lyme disease and how they all suffered - it was so much more than that. It told you the science..., it told you about the research and how they are finding links to Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, and Alzheimers......, it told you about Infectious Disease Society of America and the power they have...., it told you about how the insurance companies deal with physician's who don't comply with the IDSA's guidelines....
It wasn't you typical "disease" documentary. Yes, you saw real people and the troubles they have - but as a scientist myself - I learned a lot about many things like biofilms and why bacteria can't always be detected. I learned about how our insurance companies can instigate review boards of physicians that ultimate result in their licences being revoked because they are actually treating diseases but contradicting biased treatment guidelines :- the politics of the disease.
I highly recommend it. It really grabbed me. Excellent documentary. Here's a link to their website.
Yes, this post may not be jewelry related - but I feel strongly that it is something more people should be aware of.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
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7 comments:
Thanks for posting this. I watched the trailer and will watch the documentary when I have a chance.
I had a similar problem getting a diagnosis for my palmer psoriasis. It took two years and four doctors to get a accurate diagnosis (meanwhile, there were times when I couldn't tie my shoes because my skin was so delicate and damaged).
And what I went through is nothing compared to the poor people with Lyme disease... especially since my symptoms were clearly visible and no one could claim that I was "faking" it.
This is important. Thank you for sharing.
Great information to publicise an awful disease....
Nicx
Gosh Karen. Getting that correct diagnosis is much more difficult than we could imagine. I know with my celiac disease, it took years...... We need more people like "House" - although you have to nearly die 5 times before he gets it right!!!!
LOL... I LOVE House! But you are right... I didn't have any "near death experiences" in my quest for a diagnosis!
I know! When I first starting watching House it was all great and fascinating - but then I recognized the pattern of nearly kill the patient 5 times, then find the problem. Now my husband counts off the near death mis-diagnoses as the program plays - which sort of ruins it!!!
You know what I find unbelivable, is that here in Europe now, in spring, the goverment and medical campaigns of awaremess against Lyme Disease, populate magazines, newspapers... even publicity that comes for free at your home. Tv spots, radio... "if you get bitten by a teack, go inmideately to your doctor's office". Everywhere, doctor's offices, hospitals, there is always especialized and inmediate attention...
Only politics and $$$ can make one disease be a complete different world from one continent to another. I feel for those patients... I wish they could come to Europe for atenttion.
Glad to hear somewhere knows about it! And you are right - it takes a public figure to get the disease or family member of someone wealthy or well connected to get publicity about it and then care plans start to be made...
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