Flannery O'Connor wrote that sickness is "a place....where there is no company". It is true that when we are sick, we have to deal with that on our own, no matter how many people may support us. But if people don't support us, it is so much harder to meet the personal challenge of illness.
Lyme disease actually does have a lot in common with lupus, in that both are notoriously difficult to diagnose. The average lupus patient waits four years for the clarity of a diagnosis. That's the average. There are patients who go much longer without a diagnosis. Without the clarity of a diagnosis, there is the suspicion you describe, of psychosomatic disorder. And also, there is an absence of treatment.
I think one of the flaws in modern medicine is the insistence on meeting strict criteria in order to receive diagnosis of certain illnesses. Without the authority of a diagnosis, many doctors lack the courage to go forward with compassionate care. Doctors need to use science at all times in their practice, but they also need to be creative and flexible. They are not treating insurance codes. They're treating people.
My theory--if people are suffering, believe them, and address their pain.
If everyone would have shared your belief, life would be much easier for all of those suffering from an invisible illness and not only. In my case, it took me close to 2 years to get diagnosed.
I could not agree more with this statement!
I have seen over 20 specialists until I got a Lyme diagnose. Then when I got it, my insurance refused to pay my meds because "there was no Lyme disease in Canada".
I am sorry you have suffered and that suffering has not been addressed.
Thank you. I am much better now. I am trying to bring my 2 cents and raise more awareness about it because a lot of people get misdiagnosed and their health goes down the hill.