Re: “Lyme disease digging in as Maine mounts fight against it” (Dec. 12):

For over seven years, I was misdiagnosed with conversion disorder instead of Lyme disease.

My symptoms vary from day to day. Initially I had facial palsy, tics, blurry vision, difficulty with speech, gait issues, memory issues, seizure-like episodes, flulike symptoms and joint pain.

I kept having relapses and could not hold on to a job. Everyone thought it was stress-related.

My original Lyme test was an Elisa test. This usually comes back negative for Lyme if one is already in the “chronic phase.”

My boss in 2013 was a very well-known acupuncturist. She told me to get the Western blot test for Lyme. I had to go through a couple of doctors and it was done. It came back positive.

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I knew that a Lyme-literate doctor would need to treat me. I finally found one in New Hampshire, after consulting with several other doctors. Infectious-disease doctors do not treat the same way. Your article pointed out the reasons why. I can only stress to readers that you do not need a bull’s-eye rash to be tested for Lyme.

The film “Under Our Skin” talks about this illness and the controversies surrounding it. I want others to become educated about this illness. I am finally on the right path to healing.

Maureen Foley-Bolling

South Portland


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