Neurological Lyme disease subject of ''Mystery Diagnosis'' episode

[Guest guest]

Neurological Lyme disease subject of ''Mystery Diagnosis'' episode

http://lymeblog.com/modules.php?name=News & file=article & sid=957

LymeBlog News

Lexington, KY USA

By LymeBlog News Staff

Neurological Lyme disease is the subject of a " Mystery Diagnosis " episode

on the Discovery Channel this week. This is a new episode featuring the story

of Doug Posluszny of New Jersey.

At 27, Posluszny is having one of the best years of his life-he's

successful, engaged to his longtime girlfriend and in perfect shape. But one day

as he's driving to an appointment, everything changes.

He becomes disoriented, sweats profusely, feels numbing and tingling in

his hands and has stabbing pains in his chest and lower back. He rushes to an

urgent care facility where the doctors tell Doug he's just slightly dehydrated.

Photo: Ken Bart

Photo: Ken Bart

Over the next few weeks though, Doug starts losing weight and suffers more

attacks. He becomes so sick he has to declare disability and is in and out of

urgent care and ER facilities in his area. But the doctors all agree there's

nothing physically wrong with him. Some even suggest that his symptoms may all

be in his head.

After an especially painful episode of chest pains, Doug is admitted into a

hospital for a week of extensive testing. At the end of the week doctors are

unable to give him a conclusive diagnosis and he is released.

Doug returns home convinced he's dying and loses hope he'll ever be diagnosed,

but a chance meeting with an old acquaintance leads him to Dr. Fein, who

discovers that he has Lyme disease.

Posluszny's story of Lyme disease is the second story in an episode titled

" Deadly Sore Throat " from the lead story about Meredith Estes, a young woman who

has baffling symptoms that can't be explained until she undergoes a risky left

temporal craniotomy which uncovers Lemierre's Syndrome.

The episode was first aired Monday, April 23, at 10 pm. and Tuesday, April 24,

at 1:00 am The show will be aired again on Sunday Apr 29, 6:00 pm and at

various times on The Learning Channel. Check local listings for times and dates

for " Deadly Sore Throat " .

Some very dramatic pictures of ticks on the episode are provided by Ken Bart,

director of the Microscopy and Imaging Facility in the Biology Department at

Hamilton College.

Dr. Lesley Fein is both an MD and an MPH. She is Board Certified in Internal

Medicine and completed her Fellowship in Rheumatology at New York University.

She teaches Epidemiology to medical and public health students at Columbia

University and Mt. Sinai Hospital, NY.

Dr. Fein has also served on several committees of the New Jersey State Senate

regarding Lyme disease, the National Health Legislation Task Force, and as an

Advisor to the Lyme Disease Foundation. She is both an experienced researcher

and a seasoned public speaker and has published articles and government reports

on Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses.