Why Did It Take Doctors Months to Diagnose Avril Lavigne with Lyme Disease?

You know your body better than anyone else, and you know when something is wrong, even if a doctor tells you it’s nothing serious. Which is kind of what happened to Avril Lavigne recently. The musician has recently announced that she has Lyme disease, although it took months for her to receive the diagnosis.

In an interview with People, Avril said that she knew something was wrong around this time last year, but doctors wouldn’t listen to her. The 30-year-old entertainer was told that her extreme exhaustion and crippling fatigue were the result of a hectic tour schedule—they thought she was just tired and dehydrated. (Back in December, she even sent a private Twitter message to a fan asking for support while she was feeling sick.)

” I’m not feeling well. I’m having some health issues. So please keep me in your prayers. ” – Avril Lavigne

— Avril Lavigne Charts (@AvrilMusicChart) December 7, 2014

 

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When Avril didn’t get better, she demanded medical tests, but docs were hesitant. Still, she pushed them on the issue and they finally discovered that a tick bite gave her Lyme disease.

“It is difficult to know the exact process of Avril Lavigne’s reported Lyme disease,” says Jennifer Caudle, doctor of osteopathic medicine, board-certified family medicine physician, and assistant professor in the department of family medicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. “There can be many symptoms. Often the first is a rash that looks like a bull’s-eye, but other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, stiffness, fatigue, and so on. Medical conditions such as Lyme disease often have symptoms that overlap with many other illnesses. This can make it tricky and difficult to diagnose at times.”

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Elena Gates, M.D., vice chair of the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, notes that it’s unreasonable to expect your healthcare provider to know everything—which is why it’s important to keep pushing when you know something’s off. “The doctor has gone to school to learn how to interpret medical evidence and biological science concepts,” she says. “But the patient is the only one who knows what she’s feeling and experiencing.”

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It is possible to make sure your doctor listens to you when you’re sick and to ensure you get the answers that you need about your health. Follow these communication tips (straight from a doc) on talking about your symptoms, asking about treatment options, and more.