July 12, 2009
Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease
Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease
Our Constituents Are Being Undiagnosed and Misdiagnosed
Dear Chairman Davis,
I write to strongly recommend that you watch Open Eye Picture's Under Our Skin. This award winning documentary released in 2008 details the devastating effects of Lyme disease across the country. People are suffering from this often misunderstood disease which manifests itself as Bell's palsy, meningitis, nuerological problems such as facial paralysis and memory lapses, and a host of other problems.
Under Our Skin highlights the need to do more at all levels of government to ensure that all scientific perspectives about Lyme are taken into account as public policy is creafted.
I have introduced legislation with Congressman Chris Smith and the bipartisan co-chairs of the House Lyme Caucus which, in addition to education and prevention efforts, seeks more accurate reporting of incidents of Lyme across the country and the development of more sensitive testing to diagnose Lyme. It would also establish an advisory committee at the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure coordination and communication among federal agencies, medical professionals and patients.
Lyme disease is a growing public health concern and I hope you will take the time to watch Under Our Skin. This Congress can and must do better on this issue. For more information, please contact me or Jillian Pevo in my office at 5-5136.
Best wishes.
Sincerely,
FRANK R. WOLF
Member of Congress