Under Our Skin – April 8, 2009
On April 8, Awareness Film Night will present the film “Under Our Skin”.
A dramatic tale of microbes, medicine and money, this 2008 film investigates the untold story of Lyme disease. The evening will be a benefit for Nicole Bottles, the 16 year old East Sooke resident with Lyme who has had to go to Connecticut for treatment. “Under Our Skin” is a powerful and often terrifying look not only at the science and politics of Lyme disease, but also at the personal stories of those whose lives have been affected and nearly destroyed by being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed after having presented to their doctors with symptoms of Lyme. The screening will be attended by Dave Bottles, father of Nicole and David Cubberly, Saanich MLA who has been a strong advocate for people with Lyme. In a recent letter to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. Mr. Cubberly has written: “Lyme is the fastest rising infectious disease in North America….Given that many British Columbians have acquired it walking on the west Coast Trail, vacationing in Shawnigan Lake or gardening in the suburban savannahs of Saanich, its hardly rare or uncommon”. He goes on, in a further letter, to point out that the B.C. guidelines around Lyme disease have been consistent with the United States’ Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guidelines. However these IDSA guidelines are now the subject of an antitrust investigation by the Connecticut Attorney General because the panel that wrote them had “financial interests in drug companies, Lyme disease diagnostic tests, patents and consulting arrangements with insurance companies”. Lyme disease can be passed through the placenta to the fetus and there is evidence that it may be sexually transmitted. We all need to be aware of the symptoms of Lyme, the ways it is contracted and the ways it should be treated. Showtime is at 7 p.m. at the Edward Milne Community School theatre. Admission is by donation to Nicole Bottles.
