Does Anybody Truly Understand? They Will!

by Scott A. Forsgren

Do you ever have those moments when you tell someone that you have Lyme disease and they give you a blank stare and indications that they clearly have no understanding of what it’s all about? Then, even when they might have heard of it somewhere along the way, it seems that very few really have any concept of the hell that many of us have been through for days, weeks, months, years, and even decades. Do you ever find that even your friends and your own family just don’t understand what is happening inside your body? Have you ever heard someone say, “Oh, you are still talking about THAT?” only to suggest that it was somehow yesterday’s news?

Do you hear comments like “But you look great”? That one always gets me. I guess it is better than “Well, I know you are sick and you look sick too” but somehow it always feels like people say “You look great” as a way to move on to another topic or to convince themselves that you are really fine. Many of us don’t look ill and yet we suffer from crushing pain, numbness, and fatigue. Sadly, most people just don’t understand.

When I was first diagnosed in summer 2005, I was struck by the political nature of Lyme disease. I was disappointed at the lack of research that seemed to be underway to help find adequate treatment, and I was further struck by how little awareness there seemed to be about the disease. An in-progress film documentary from Open Eye Pictures has the ability to bring much needed awareness to our struggles and to explain the disease in a way that I have not seen done previously.

Lyme disease may be the fastest growing infectious disease in the United States, and yet is often difficult to get an accurate diagnosis. The journey to finding that Lyme disease may be causing one’s chronic ill health can be as difficult as the journey to regain a state of health and well-being once diagnosed. “Under Our Skin” is a documentary film that will investigate the shocking human, scientific, and political dimensions of Lyme disease. The film looks into the lives of those of us that have been inalterably changed by the disease. “Under Our Skin” is produced and directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson and co-produced by Cheryl Drake and Kris Newby.

Andy Abrahams Wilson is an Emmy-nominated producer, director, and cinematographer. Andy has had previous productions air on HBO and PBS. I have personally met all three of these amazing people and their passion for this film is immeasurable. Each has been touched either personally or with family members that have been diagnosed with Lyme disease. This personal understanding of the struggles we all face comes through so vividly in the film.

More than two years of research and production have already gone into the film, and the production team has shot over 200 hours of footage to date. They are now stepping towards the post-production process and will soon be starting a collaboration between a full-time editor and the film’s director to craft a compelling story from the current footage. The next steps will be to hire a music composer, sound designer, and other talents needed to complete the film. This stage of the project is expected to last seven to eight months.

During the post-production effort, they will be marketing the film to public television and national cable networks. In preparation for this stage of the project, they have recently released a new trailer which both shows the seriousness of the disease as well as provides viewers with a sense of the controversy and politics surrounding Lyme disease.

The current clip is available both on the film’s site at http://www.openeyepictures.com/underourskin/ and on Apple QuickTime’s site at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/guide/entertainment/.

The remaining steps needed to bring this production to the public and help raise awareness around Lyme disease will require additional funds. Open Eye Pictures is a certified 501(c)(3) organization which means that all donations are tax-deductible. To date, over half of the $500,000 dollar budget has been raised, but the need for completion funding remains.

As someone that has struggled with Lyme disease myself, I cannot express enough how critical I believe this project is for all of us. I also cannot be any more excited about the results that I have seen so far. This team is amazing and I hope that you will support them in their efforts to bring this project to completion.

Contributions can be made online at http://www.openeyepictures.com/underourskin/ or sent directly to:
Open Eye Pictures
ATTN: Under Our Skin
475 Gate 5 Rd., Suite 215
Sausalito, CA 94965

The film will open the eyes of the world to the tragedy of Lyme disease. I thank you in advance for your support of this critical project which will bring awareness to the masses.