One-Of-A-Kind Lyme Disease Program At Spaulding In High Demand

BOSTON (CBS) — Looking back at baby pictures reminds Brandi Dean of a terrifying scare during her second pregnancy. It turns out the Wellesley mom had Lyme disease. “All of a sudden, the right side of my body was completely numb. My heart was racing. I was disoriented and I said, ‘I think you need to take me to the hospital,’” she remembered. After the standard antibiotic treatment, Dean still didn’t feel right. “I’d gone to 12 different specialists and they all had diagnosed me with anxiety.” She had what the Centers for Disease Control calls Post-Treatment Lyme Syndrome. She eventually found a doctor who understood her condition and recovered. Brandi Dean (WBZ-TV) Doctors don’t always know what causes the lingering symptoms, making the diagnosis controversial and it is difficult for many patients to find help. “There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people who are severely debilitated from this disease and don’t have the access to the care that they need,” Dean said. She and her family helped create a special program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital that focuses on treating the lingering effects of tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme, including pain, fatigue, and brain fog. “We have the ability to get them into physical therapy,” explained Dean Center co-founder, Dr. David Crandell. “If people are having problems with fatigue, we’ll work on ways to improve their efficiencies and if they’re having problems with their cogni...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Boston News Health Healthwatch Syndicated Local Dr. Mallika Marshall LYME DISEASE spaulding hospital Source Type: news