The Widening Circle: A Lyme Disease Pioneer Tells Her Story [Hardcover]

Polly Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1996

The first person to focus attention on Lyme disease, Polly Murray tells the harrowing story of her early efforts to identify what was making her family so sick-- and their battle with the illness over a twenty-year period.

In Lyme, Connecticut, in 1965, Polly Murray, her husband, and their four children led an almost picture-perfect life. But Polly began to be plagued by mysterious ailments, and as the rest of her family started to experience similar symptoms, she knew something was terribly wrong. When doctor after doctor failed to explain what was happening to them, Polly was forced to confront disbelief, lack of caring, and, eventually, apathy on the part of the medical establishment, all the while suffering herself. Her personal investigation into the cause of her family's illness, which became as passionate as a detective's, eventually initiated a medical investigation that led to the 1982 discovery by Dr. Willy Burgdorfer of the dangerous bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Polly tells her tale from the viewpoint of a patient who was a pioneer in the medical recognition of Lyme disease. Lyme disease remains a poorly diagnosed, controversial illness. Lyme victims and their families can take hope from Polly's courageous and inspiring story.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Murray, an artist and mother of four from Lyme, Conn., tells of her tenacious struggle to convince doctors that she and her family were indeed sick, and not hypochondriacs, after they were afflicted by a mysterious illness. In the 1960s, Lyme disease, the tick-borne infection then unheard of, began its invasion of the Murray family. Frustrating rounds with doctors, referrals to specialists and batteries of medication became the family modality, documented in records of the puzzling ailments kept by Murray. In 1971, Murray, vilified as a "doctor-chaser," began her own systematic research, seeking out investigative medical personnel and sharing stories with fellow sufferers. A lonely journey that attracted media attention also attracted the attention of the medical community to the unusual cluster of cases in Lyme. In this exhaustive report, Murray has established a model by which doctors must listen to their patients.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Murray, her husband, and their four children lived near a wooded area of Lyme, Connecticut. In the 1960s and 1970s they suffered a wide variety of symptoms that a few doctors suggested were all in their heads and others felt insulted by because they could not account for them. Murray was persistent, though, and kept consulting new doctors and other clinics and hospitals. She also dug into the medical literature and surveyed neighbors to uncover experiences similar to hers. Before meeting Allen C. Steere at Yale, she roused little sympathy or interest from medical personnel. When thereafter the media got involved, the circle of fellow sufferers expanded. The identity of their illness progressed from unidentified conglomeration of complaints to Lyme arthritis and finally, when the causative spirochete was identified, to Lyme Borreliosis. This remarkable woman's report emphasizes for doctors and patients alike the importance of really listening and keeping detailed records. William Beatty

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312140681
• ISBN-13: 978-0312140687
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book examines a difficult and misunderstood disease, April 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Widening Circle: A Lyme Disease Pioneer Tells Her Story (Hardcover)

THE WIDENING CIRCLE: A Lyme Disease Pioneer Tells Her Story. By Polly Murray. St. Martin's Press, 321 pp., $23.95 By Ann Hirschberg Infectious disease sleuths are supposed to be lab-coated AIDS researchers or Dustin Hoffman types in "hot zone" suits as seen in "Outbreak." A genteel, New England landscape painter and mother of four does not fit the picture. Yet this medical pioneer uncovered Lyme disease, the fastest growing infectious disease next to AIDS and the number one vector-borne disease in our country. The "Widening Circle" in Polly Murray's title refers not only to the expanding tell-tale rash which is the sure sign of Lyme disease, but to the research that has had to reach further and further to find the answers to this insidious tick-borne scourge. The "Circle" also encompasses the incredible numbers of medical professionals to whom Lyme disease sufferers are sent by uninformed doctors who can't or won't try to treat them. After an incredible range of symptoms and many hospital stays for pain and procedures for the whole Murray family, Polly was told the illness was "all in her head." Her doctor became furious when she approached the health department with her findings that not only her family, but a large cluster of people in her Lyme, Connecticut area were afflicted. He accused her of "stirring up trouble." Murray's intelligence and persistence led her to more research and finally to Yale University in 1975 where her findings were considered researchable by the doctors there. "They were spirited, like archaeologists who'd unearthed an intriguing artifact, some bit of pottery that promises even greater riches will surface with just a few more turns of the spade. "I certainly shared their enthusiasm. On the other hand, I'd been "in the field" for a while, and I knew it wasn't going to be easy to figure everything out so fast. Whatever this illness was, it was complicated, in that it involved so many systems of the body, and my instincts told me it was going to elude definition for some time to come." Twenty years later, the search should have come to a happy ending with the advance of medical technology and millions in grants for research. The definitive test for Lyme disease and the "magic bullet" treatment should have been discovered. Sadly, there is still no conclusive, reliable test for Lyme disease. Grants are sparse and the medical archeological "spades" are turning slowly. It is known that early treatment with antibiotics can arrest the disease. Left untreated, patients face the horrific sequalae Murray and her family still endure. Though the disease has been reported in all 50 states, most doctors are not well informed and many are still saying," You can't have that in Ohio" and "There has never been a case reported here." The Ohio Department of Health Vector-borne Disease Unit figures stand at close to 500 reported cases. Though many doctors are not reporting cases (too much paperwork), the Centers for Disease Control case numbers showed a 58% increase in the U.S. in 1994. Polly Murray's measured journey through this painful odyssey continues. Her tenacity and reasoned clarity shine through her writing. Along the way, you get to know her wonderful family, two of whom became doctors: a heroic accomplishment, all things considered. Murray continues the search for answers and has become not just a symbol, but a dedicated educator. She addresses medical professionals and researchers, including an appearance at Case Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland, where one son was a student in 1989. "The Widening Circle" goes beyond a tale of medical sleuthing. Murray knows the patient's struggle with Lyme disease and the parent's anguish. This book has much well researched and first-hand information for physicians and patients. She examines the need for education, collaboration, and respect, and explains why these are required not only of researchers, but of physicians treating Lyme disease patients in order to deal with this puzzling affliction.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read, February 21, 2006

By 

Rolf Taylor (Cleveland Hts, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Widening Circle: A Lyme Disease Pioneer Tells Her Story (Hardcover)

I read this a while back and it is a good read for many reasons.

First of all, as one would expect from a book about the "discovery" of a new disease, there is mystery and intrigue that makes it hard to put down.

Secondly, the book reads as a tragedy since it is about a mother, herself sick, dealing with trying to help her sick kids. Anyone that knows about Lyme Disease knows that in far too many cases this scenario is still played out due lack of awareness as well as a to the manufactured "controversy" over Lyme Disease. With dozens of studies proving that the Lyme bacteria can persist despite treatment, and tests that are acknowleged to be inaccurate, we are living in the dark ages when it comes to this disease. The sad fact is that many are in the same situation Ms Murray was in so many decades ago.

You will cry as you read Ms Murray's book.

Finally, the book is about believing yourself and making a difference. It is about trusting yourself and standing up to those who tell you are wrong. While Ms Murray is not a physician, her "clinical observations" on this disease should be require reading for anyone treating patients. Over the years many of her "hunches" have proven to be correct. I am fairly certain that with time more of these will be proven. In particular, her observaton that subsequent tick bites serve to stengthen the disease in some way (not yet understood). I believe this observation is key to understadning why Lyme became more common in the 1980's despite the fact we now know it has been around since the ealry 1900's possibly earlier.

To me, Polly Murray is a hero, becuase she did what she had to do to help herself and her family.

A fascinating book, one that I will read again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where It All Began, January 7, 2010

By 

S-bean - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Widening Circle: A Lyme Disease Pioneer Tells Her Story (Hardcover)

Polly Murray presents an incredibly well-documented, detailed account of her family's bizarre cluster of symptoms which began in the 1970s. Her style is factual and direct. A great read for any one interested in Lyme, particularly it's origins - surfacing in and around Lyme, Connecticut in the 1970s. Once you've read this book, I highly recommend Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Germ Laboratory to complete the picture.