"The terrorist in my body has been found." - Amy Tan, bestselling author
In the early 1970's, a mysterious new ailment was discovered among a group of children living around the town of Lyme, CT. What was first diagnosed as isolated cases of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, eventually became known as Lyme disease, a potentially serious illness triggered by spiral-shaped bacteria, similar to the organisms that cause syphilis. Today, cases of Lyme disease have been reported in all states. According to CDC estimates, over 200,000 people may acquire the disease per year--more than cases of AIDS, West Nile Virus, and Avian Flu combined. Many of those untreated will suffer chronic debilitating illness. Some unknowingly will pass the disease on to their unborn children. Many will lose their livelihoods, and still others will lose their lives.
Under Our Skin is a feature documentary that takes viewers into the lives of Lyme sufferers struggling to find answers and a road back to health. We watch a set of diverse characters battle not only a disease, but what they see as a broken healthcare system. While the popular perception of Lyme disease is of a trivial joint-related problem easily cured with a few weeks of antibiotics, our characters tell a radically different story. They are forced to live with confounding and debilitating symptoms for months to years, while searching for a diagnosis and effective treatment. As they visit specialist after specialist, so many are told that their problems are stress related or "all in their heads.” Most are misdiagnosed for years with incurable conditions such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimers or ALS. And when these patients finally receive a Lyme diagnosis, they ask, What is going on? Why are front-line physicians so ignorant of classic Lyme symptoms and the true size of the epidemic? Why does it take the average Lyme patient more than 3 years and $60,000 to be diagnosed? Once diagnosed, why are many physicians and insurers refusing to provide sufferers with lifesaving treatment? And why are many of the physicians who do treat Lyme coming under fire with the threat of losing their medical licenses?
On the other hand, we hear from medical experts who insist Lyme disease cannot be chronic and has become an "epidemic of hysteria"--routinely over-diagnosed and over-treated, with grave risks to public health and our antibiotic supply. The disconnect between the varying perceptions and experiences of Lyme disease is staggering.
Journeying deep into the microscopic and macrocosmic world of Lyme, UNDER OUR SKIN uncovers the shocking human, medical and political dimensions of Lyme disease. As the film delves into the lives of those who have been unalterably changed by the disease, a haunting picture emerges of our healthcare system and its ability to cope with a terror under our skin. --© Official site
