Celebrities with Lyme disease

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Welcome to another selection from my book “An Expert’s Guide on Navigating Lyme disease.” The book highlights the findings of my first 600 Lyme disease Science blogs.  In this episode, I will discuss the struggles and successes for celebrities with Lyme disease.

Celebrities shared their struggle.

The following celebrities shared their struggles with Lyme disease in a People magazine article. Ryan Sutter  • Kelley Flanagan  • Debbie Gibson  • Kelly Dodd & Rick Leventhal  • Amy Schumer  • Ramona Singer  • Justin Bieber • Avril Lavigne • Shania Twain • Alec Baldwin • Yolanda Hadid • Anwar & Bella Hadid • Ben Stiller • Kelly Osbourne • and Ally Hilfiger Read more.

Katina Makris: Healing from Lyme Disease for Body, Mind, and Spirit.

“At the peak of her career, classical homeopath and health-care columnist Katina Makris was stricken with a mysterious “flu.” Only after 5 years of torment— 2 completely bedridden—and devastating blows to her professional and family life was Katina’s illness finally diagnosed as Lyme disease.

“Out of the Woods: Healing from Lyme Disease for Body, Mind, and Spirit” not only shares the brutality of Lyme disease through the telling of Katina’s story, but it also describes her incredible journey back to full recovery, giving thousands of Lyme sufferers hope for their uncertain and frightening futures. Book available on Amazon.

Ally’s journey from sickness to health.

In her book “Bite Me: How Lyme Disease Stole My Childhood, Made Me Crazy, and Almost Killed Me,” Ally Hilfiger, daughter of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, shares her heartbreaking and hilarious stories that moved her forward on a journey from sickness to health, set against the backdrop of the fast-paced fashion and entertainment industries.

“Ally was pushed to a psychotic break after struggling since she was seven years old with physical symptoms that no doctor could explain – everything from joint pain to night sweats, memory loss, nausea, and brain fog. A doctor in the psych ward was finally able to give her the answers she and her family had desperately been searching for and the diagnosis that all the previous doctors had missed.” Book available on Amazon.

Angeli VanLaanen overcomes Lyme to make Olympic Team.

“VanLaanen, 28, took a three-year break from halfpipe skiing in 2009 to treat Lyme disease, which went misdiagnosed for 14 years,” wrote Zaccardi in an NBC Sports article. “Angeli VanLaanen won the final Olympic selection event in ski halfpipe Saturday, capping one of the most inspiring runs to the U.S. Olympic Team across all sports…. She released a 30-minute documentary about her treatment — “LymeLight” — last year.“ “She proudly represented her country and finished 11th in the first-ever Olympic halfpipe skiing event. VanLaanen also finished 3rd in the AFP Halfpipe World Ranking” in US ski and snowboard. Read more at NBC Sports.

Other Individuals Share Their Struggles with Lyme Disease 

Two individuals with Lyme disease share their stories.

Sophie: (VIDEO) At 10-years-old, Sophie was diagnosed with Lyme disease. She developed headaches, blurred vision, inability to concentrate, and lost her ability to walk. She became confined to a wheelchair.

Ira: (VIDEO) Lyme disease affected this attorney’s cognitive functioning. He couldn’t sign his name or dial the telephone.  Tests for Lyme disease were negative.

A mother’s struggle to save her daughter from Lyme disease.

“Lyme Rage: A Mother’s Struggle To Save Her Daughter from Lyme Disease” is the true story of one family’s experience with the disease. Their harrowing journey begins when 9-year-old Sophie develops symptoms that their family doctor cannot explain. When her symptoms worsen, and doctor after doctor refuses to treat her for a lack of diagnosis, her family is at a loss for what to do.

The final disaster comes when Sophie collapses and is unable to walk. Her road to recovery begins when her parents find a doctor willing to treat their daughter despite not having a positive Lyme test. Book available on Amazon.

There is cause for doctors and their patients to be optimistic.

“The past decade’s advances in precision medicine and biotechnology are reshaping our understanding of Lyme disease and accelerating the discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat it, such that the great divide previously separating medical communities is now being bridged.”

“Conquering Lyme Disease: Science Bridges the Great Divide” by Dr. Brian Fallon and Dr. Jennifer Sotsky provides readers with an up-to-the-minute overview of the science that is transforming the way we address this complex illness. It argues forcefully that the expanding plague of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can be confronted successfully and may soon even be reversed. Book available on Amazon.

The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery.

“The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery Hardcover” by Ross Douthat is a story about what happens when you are terribly sick and realize that even the doctors who are willing to treat you can only do so much. Along the way, Douthat describes his struggle back toward health with wit and candor, portraying sickness as the most terrible of gifts. It teaches you to appreciate the grace of ordinary life by taking that life away from you. It reveals the deep strangeness of the world, the possibility that the reasonable people might be wrong, and the necessity of figuring out things for yourself. And it proves, day by dreadful day, that you are stronger than you ever imagined, and that even in the depths there is always hope. Book available on Amazon.

Majority of Lyme disease patients responded positively when following ILADS treatment guidelines.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) differ in their recommendations, including treatment duration. “In this study, patient outcomes were evaluated from a cohort of 210 Canadian Lyme disease patients seeking treatment at one US Lyme disease clinic following a treatment regimen conforming to the ILADS treatment guidelines. It was found that the majority of Lyme disease patients at the clinic responded positively to treatment and a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in symptoms was observed over time” (Rogerson and Lloyd, 2020). Read more.

(Author’s note: I am first author of ILADS 2004 and 2014 evidence-based treatment guidelines referred to in this published article.)