UPDATE: For some reason, when I first posted this, I only included two of the three clips of the segment. I have since found a complete clip, and I'm updating here for accuracy. Sorry about the confusion. I'll blame it on Lyme brain. ;)
Last year, the Dr. Phil show did a segment on Lyme Disease. It's interesting to watch. The entire segment is 18 minutes long. The third clip is the "after show" with Dr. Phil and his staff discussing how it had gone.
I am heartened to see that America is starting to talk about Lyme Disease. Aside from all the controversy and political drama, Dr. Phil probably had motivation to do this segment because one of his Senior Producers, whom he has worked with since the beginning of the show, contracted Lyme Disease, and having known her a long time, he saw how it affected her over several years, along with her difficulty in getting diagnosed and properly treated.
An up-close-and-personal example is very effective in illustrating the seriousness of this illness. Unfortunately, I think that's probably the only way this disease is going to continue to come out of the shadows and into the full light of day -- eventually getting the awareness, funding, research and public safety campaigns that it warrants and rightfully deserves. I believe the Lyme Literate Doctors - whose practices are overflowing with patients that have been debilitated by an epidemic that is being ignored - when they say that Lyme Disease is the next big epidemic after AIDS. How many people are going to have to get sick before public outcry reaches a level that will bring about the change we need?
Dr. Phil's observation during the after show might just sum it all up: "Well, I thought we missed a big element, just because of time. And that is the political/financial/insurance aspect that impacts diagnosis. Because, if the bill payers can decide this stops at 30 days -- this disease doesn't exist after 30 days -- they save billions of dollars. There's a conflict of interest where you, you've got people that are lobbying to pigeon hole something, and they've got a vested interest in the outcome of that debate." Well said, Dr. Phil. Well said.
If I've piqued your interest or curiosity, you can read more about the great debate in my recent post: Why the Lyme Controversy?
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