Paralyzed After Being Told Her Pain Wasn’t Real (Lyme Disease)

Julia is diagnosed with Lyme disease. Initially she experienced fatigue and a fever but went undiagnosed. She was even told it was all in her head. Two years later, Julia lost the feeling in her legs and could no longer walk.

When I first met Julia nearly a decade ago, she was nervous about starting high school as a wheelchair user. Now, she is starting medical school as the only wheelchair user in her class. Julia hopes to become the kind of doctor she needed when she first began experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease. She says she cannot wait to believe her future patients when they describe what they are experiencing.