In solidarity for Matthis who is on a hunger strike

...to bring awareness to chronic lyme I post his story:

/www.lymedisease.org/touchedbylyme-le-droit-de-guerire/

"TOUCHED BY LYME: A hunger strike for “le droit de guerir”—the right to be cured"

Please read, share...

An English translation of one of his Facebook posts:
"Hello, everyone.

I’ve hesitated a lot to tell you the following. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a very long time. But I think I made the right choice, because tomorrow I won’t be able to support my family.

My name is Matthis Lacoste. I’m 33. I am the father of two children, aged 4 years and 20 months old and I live in Ardèche, France.

I am suffering from Lyme disease, which in my case has become chronic. And because medical authorities are lying to us all!

This epidemic began more than 30 years and today our health system puts our lives in danger.

The Germans announce 1.5 million people infected with Lyme disease and in the US there are 300,000 new cases of Lyme per year.

However, here in France THEY WANT US TO BELIEVE that there are only 27,000 and that it can be easily cured. It’s so wrong!

You should realize that today the health protocols imposed in France are outdated because they are based on a 2008 directive published by renowned American experts but subject to conflict of interest.

That screening tests are not reliable because they were calibrated on healthy people to ensure that not more than 5% of the population is diagnosed as infected.

A wrong diagnosis or an unnoticed tick bite, and it’s a medical wasteland for many years.

Access to care is increasingly complicated for patients who like me understand what they are really suffering from.

Recently, the medical office whose aim is to send me back to work no matter what, told me that he is stopping my daily allowance.

It will therefore be difficult for me to care for myself and look after my family.

That’s why I have decided I will stop feeding myself and I will suspend all treatment from the 18th of June 2016 onwards. I am determined.

My claim is simple. I demand the right to be cured.

I invite you to meet me every morning, live from the Facebook page LE DROIT DE GUERIR.

Thank you for listening and thank you with all my heart for sharing this video.

We have the right to be healed and they have the duty to protect us."

Imagine if not eating ended up being curative.

I wonder if what he is saying is that he has the right to be heard and have his desire for a cure to be validated. I do feel for him and his plight as I do for all who struggle with finances and the ability to find the care that we need. It is so frustrating to be treated like hypochondriacs and passed from one Dr. to another.

This could also result partly from things being lost in translation. Guerir can also mean heal, and I think the French concept of droit is not exactly the same as the American notion of rights which are enshrined in the US constitution.

I think in France droit is a bit of a looser term, see this article where they talk about "le droit de la déconnexion, or the right to disconnect."

www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-french-counterstrike-against-work-e-mail

This is also a country where thermal spa treatments are covered by the free medical system. I think I'd be extra pissed about being left to twist in the wind with Lyme disease while my neighbour is soaking in Vichy on the government's dime.

Note I speak French but am fairly rusty so if any French readers are out there feel free to correct me.

Post Edited (project) : 6/24/2016 2:18:29 PM (GMT-6)