Under Our Skin

Newlyweds Mandy and Sean never expected to begin their life together battling to keep Mandy alive. Dana, in her 30s and an event planner for the band U2, was tired all the time–and not just from trying to keep up with a hectic tour schedule. Similarly, chronic fatigue and vision problems forced Jordan, a park ranger for more than 20 years, to give up the job he loved. In UNDER OUR SKIN, filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson uses these personal stories – among others – to show not only how Lyme disease changed the course of their lives, but also the battles they faced to get the medical, legal, and political communities to look at Lyme as more than just a deer tick bite to be cured in a matter of weeks. What emerges is a portrait of a medical community in conflict as doctors can't agree on what Lyme is, its relationship to other neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Multiple Sclerosis, how to treat Lyme, and whether the disease is a persistent chronic infection. What does become evident is that Lyme has become so politicized it's difficult, sometimes impossible, for patients to get effective treatment. This amazing film challenges us to question the medical industries' stance on all ailments. – C.K.