Yolanda Hadid: My Love, My Lemons, My Lyme Disease.

[Bronzedog]

My issue with the comparison of Yolanda and Pedro Zamora is that I doubt that anyone has refused to use dishes Yolanda has used, that people have hesitated to touch Yolanda or breathe the same air because they fear catching Lyme. I'm very familiar with the struggles and people's and doctors lack of understanding of the disease. I'm certainly not going to demean anyone with Lyme, I fricking have it! But, I have never been shunned and I've never been worried about telling someone I have it. Nor have a experienced discrimination from having it. I stand by my statement that comparing Yolanda's plight with that of Pedro Zamora is absurd.

[tenativelyyours]

Just as one crooked lawyer doesn't mean the profession should be abolished.  A bad teacher means we should live in ignorance.  A bad doctor means gambling with nature and accepting Darwin's principle as the means to survive.  Neither does commenting about one person's antic on screen and social media define a disease or its victims.  That dumbass liar on the Orange county show did not define my mother, my aunts or my grandfather who died of cancer.  He did not define my own survival or the that of my sisters and my cousin and countless friends.  Yolanda is not the face of Lyme and never will be.  She does not define the disease or its victims.  She is a Real housewive who does wonders for defining herself.  She is the glass door of fridges when it comes to showing off all her flaws and I'm standing in the kitchen and can't help but look in.  And comment.  I have yet to see anyone post something that even remotely suggest that Yolanda is emblematic in any way of anyone who has lyme or faces the struggle with it via family or friends.

[thewhiteowl]

I don't agree that an attack on WoeYo's credibility is an attack on all sufferers of Lyme. However, it is Yo who coated herself in the Teflon of Lyme and divorce. She is the one who is using you. Not us.

[Aunt Kiki]

As a person who contracted Lyme 25 years ago and has sadly experienced a slow but steady deterioration of my immune system, among other things, I absolutely agree with the posters who feel that Yolanda H. Foster is not the appropriate individual to be "the face" of Lyme disease.  She has been fast and loose with her stories and timeline(s), among other things. The leaky implant sealed it for me.   I don't believe our posting community has denigrated me or anyone else who were unlucky enough to have been bitten by a Lyme tick.  Quite the opposite.

 

Deeply Shallow, phoenix780, zoeysmom, tentatively yours, Bronzedog, thewhiteowl  - Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.  Thanks for articulating your thoughts - they are excellent.  

 

Just as an aside - my new GP decided he would take a shot at eradicating a bacterial infection that's been in my system for 25 years with my old friend Doxycycline - imagine my horror when the drug that used to cost less than $10 for a two week supply - was rung up for $210 for a one week dose.  It did absolutely nothing.    We susbsequently found out that the only drug that can even impact the bacterial infection I am deathly allergic to. SMH.

[kokapetl]

I think the best thing for Yolanda's health would be to go back to her native Netherlands or David's Canada and seek treatment there. There are just too many "free market" rent-seeking parasites in the United States.

[WireWrap]

I think the best thing for Yolanda's health would be to go back to her native Netherlands or David's Canada and seek treatment there. There are just too many "free market" rent-seeking parasites in the United States.

By Yolanda's own account, via her twitter/Instagram accounts, that is exactly who/what she has been seeking out world wide. she sought out anyone that promised her a quick over night fix. IMO, she has zero interest in any treatment that takes longer than a week or 2 at most. JMO

[ryebread]

I don't believe our posting community has denigrated me or anyone else who were unlucky enough to have been bitten by a Lyme tick.  Quite the opposite.

 

If someone feels denigrated or insulted, I just have to trust they know their feelings better than I do.  We've all got our hot buttons. 

 

Imagine Kyle was fat and she claimed she had a slow thyroid or "metabolic syndrome".  And there were hundreds of passionate posts, here, about how metabolic syndrome is a sketchy diagnosis (it is) and she's just a lying, fat cow that needs to stop stuffing her pie hole.  Slow thyroid, my ass. Some quack is telling her she's hypothyroid so he can sell her Synthroid and dandelion root.  What she needs to do is lay off the free Fat Burgers and get to the gym.  I'm sure there would be some people who would feel criticized or insulted, too.  In the event of a divorce, it could only be because her ass is huge, all she wears are muumuus to hide the fat and she's always whining about her slow thyroid - yet she's constantly trying every fad diet and liposuction procedure known to man.  You can bet there would be some people that would have a problem with pages of that.  I dunno, seems to me if someone gets their feelings hurt, of course it's their choice to participate or not in something that makes them feel bad, but to say the board did nothing to trigger those feelings is unrealistic.

 

If any of you have large, wrinkly lips and I've unintentionally hurt your feelings by saying Lisa Rinna's lips look like a butthole, I apologize.

[ryebread]

I think the best thing for Yolanda's health would be to go back to her native Netherlands or David's Canada and seek treatment there. There are just too many "free market" rent-seeking parasites in the United States.

 

I agree with this.  She needs to start fresh, some place new.  And off my tv.  I wish her the best and a full recovery, but I see you, Yolanda....

[SCS]

If someone feels denigrated or insulted, I just have to trust they know their feelings better than I do. We've all got our hot buttons.

Imagine Kyle was fat and she claimed she had a slow thyroid or "metabolic syndrome". And there were hundreds of passionate posts, here, about how metabolic syndrome is a sketchy diagnosis (it is) and she's just a lying, fat cow that needs to stop stuffing her pie hole. Slow thyroid, my ass. Some quack is telling her she's hypothyroid so he can sell her Synthroid and dandelion root. What she needs to do is lay off the free Fat Burgers and get to the gym. I'm sure there would be some people who would feel criticized or insulted, too. In the event of a divorce, it could only be because her ass is huge, all she wears are muumuus to hide the fat and she's always whining about her slow thyroid - yet she's constantly trying every fad diet and liposuction procedure known to man. You can bet there would be some people that would have a problem with pages of that. I dunno, seems to me if someone gets their feelings hurt, of course it's their choice to participate or not in something that makes them feel bad, but to say the board did nothing to trigger those feelings is unrealistic.

If any of you have large, wrinkly lips and I've unintentionally hurt your feelings by saying Lisa Rinna's lips look like a butthole, I apologize.

Great post. And somehow Kyle's pudge would all be Brandi's fault. O and Kim's as well because she's an ungrateful has-been lush.

[zoeysmom]

If someone feels denigrated or insulted, I just have to trust they know their feelings better than I do.  We've all got our hot buttons. 

 

Imagine Kyle was fat and she claimed she had a slow thyroid or "metabolic syndrome".  And there were hundreds of passionate posts, here, about how metabolic syndrome is a sketchy diagnosis (it is) and she's just a lying, fat cow that needs to stop stuffing her pie hole.  Slow thyroid, my ass. Some quack is telling her she's hypothyroid so he can sell her Synthroid and dandelion root.  What she needs to do is lay off the free Fat Burgers and get to the gym.  I'm sure there would be some people who would feel criticized or insulted, too.  In the event of a divorce, it could only be because her ass is huge, all she wears are muumuus to hide the fat and she's always whining about her slow thyroid - yet she's constantly trying every fad diet and liposuction procedure known to man.  You can bet there would be some people that would have a problem with pages of that.  I dunno, seems to me if someone gets their feelings hurt, of course it's their choice to participate or not in something that makes them feel bad, but to say the board did nothing to trigger those feelings is unrealistic.

 

If any of you have large, wrinkly lips and I've unintentionally hurt your feelings by saying Lisa Rinna's lips look like a butthole, I apologize.

Of course people are allowed to relate to Yolanda.  It doesn't mean that others can't relate to her.  Nor does it mean that posters being skeptical of Yolanda's maladies are casting doubts on other posters experience with Lyme Disease. 

 

What does your impression of Kyle being fat or making up a thyroid disorder she has never claimed have to do with Yolanda and Lyme Disease?  Kyle has admitted to liposuction and has not claimed some outside reason other than vanity. The reason there is no discussion is  it did not happen.  Whether or not there would pages of discussion is irrelevant.  It simply doesn't exist.

 

You are certainly entitled to give a base description of Lisar lip augmentation.  Whether or not people find in humorous or distasteful is the eye of the beholder. 

[WireWrap]

Of course people are allowed to relate to Yolanda.  It doesn't mean that others can't relate to her.  Nor does it mean that posters being skeptical of Yolanda's maladies are casting doubts on other posters experience with Lyme Disease. 

 

I have yet to read anyone here cast doubt on another members health problem, either in this thread or in the OC thread. IMO, we have learned about several diseases/health battles on this site from members here but NOT from any 1 HW, including Yolanda. Most here believe she is sick/ill but many, including me, question what she says because she often does/shows the opposite on the show, in her blogs, on her Instagram and via twitter, not to mention her conflicting and ever changing stories that she has given in interviews. She, Yolanda, has caused the confusion, doubt, debate about the severity and nature of any illness claims she has made through her actions and ever changing stories, none of us has done that.....just Yolanda.

[ryebread]

What does your impression of Kyle being fat or making up a thyroid disorder she has never claimed have to do with Yolanda and Lyme Disease?  Kyle has admitted to liposuction and has not claimed some outside reason other than vanity. The reason there is no discussion is  it did not happen.  Whether or not there would pages of discussion is irrelevant.  It simply doesn't exist.

?? Nothing.  You missed my point.  It was about hot buttons.  uesNY said the discussion here felt like a slap in her face.  It seems to be her hot button.

 

I used a facetious Fat Kyle as an example of what might push others' hot buttons.  If you're overweight and almost every post was talking about her as a pseudo-hypothyroid, hypochondriac tub-o-lard in very hateful terms - that type of conversation might be your hot button.  And you would be entitled to feeling slapped in the face, just as uesNY did.  And entitled to leave the discussion, also as uesNY did if the discussion started making you feel insulted or bad.

 

My post was in response to someone who said that she didn't believe our posting community had insulted anyone and the community had done quite the opposite.  I was respectfully disagreeing and giving an example of why my belief is different.

 

 

 

[ryebread]

I have yet to read anyone here cast doubt on another members health problem, either in this thread or in the OC thread. IMO, we have learned about several diseases/health battles on this site from members here but NOT from any 1 HW, including Yolanda. Most here believe she is sick/ill but many, including me, question what she says because she often does/shows the opposite on the show, in her blogs, on her Instagram and via twitter, not to mention her conflicting and ever changing stories that she has given in interviews. She, Yolanda, has caused the confusion, doubt, debate about the severity and nature of any illness claims she has made through her actions and ever changing stories, none of us has done that.....just Yolanda.

 

Bolding mine because I wanted to say that I don't follow this thread closely and I've never noticed that happening either.  But today there were some posts removed after uesNY's that didn't cast doubt on her (or anyone else's heath problems) but were rather insulting and condescending. Anyway, that's history.

 

I don't have Lyme disease but to be perfectly honest, I've gotten my knickers, quietly, in a bunch over some of the discussion here because one of my hot buttons have been pushed.  It has to do with almonds.  And cake. LOL. 

Edited December 27, 2015 by ryebread

[WireWrap]

Bolding mine because I wanted to say that I don't follow this thread closely and I've never noticed that happening either.  But today there were some posts removed after uesNY's that didn't cast doubt on her (or anyone else's heath problems) but were rather insulting and condescending. Anyway, that's history.

 

I don't have Lyme disease but to be perfectly honest, I've gotten my knickers, quietly, in a bunch over some of the discussion here because one of my hot buttons have been pushed.  It has to do with almonds.  And cake. LOL. 

I think we all get a bit heated or upset over things said here time to time, myself included, but most here try very hard to keep the snarky banter about the HWs themselves but I realize, sometimes the banter hits close to home for some members. I really feel bad that uesNY took anything said here about Yolanda/LD personal, because we have all learned from the few that have shared their personal battles/stories with/about LD and she is 1 of them.  

[zoeysmom]

Bolding mine because I wanted to say that I don't follow this thread closely and I've never noticed that happening either.  But today there were some posts removed after uesNY's that didn't cast doubt on her (or anyone else's heath problems) but were rather insulting and condescending. Anyway, that's history.

 

I don't have Lyme disease but to be perfectly honest, I've gotten my knickers, quietly, in a bunch over some of the discussion here because one of my hot buttons have been pushed.  It has to do with almonds.  And cake. LOL. 

My issue is you have made up an fictional  issue about Kyle being a lard ass with a thyroid problem as an excuse and compared it to Yolanda and people's on this thread's real problem for some unknown purpose.  To me, I found people commenting on Kyle's kids' looks being unattractive kind of offensive.  It is not because I think my kids' are unattractive I just think it is in poor taste.   I think maybe that is a better correlation for a "hot button issue".

 

uesNY has taken issue with several posters who disagreed with some of her comparisons to other diseases.  I don't recall anyone ever being anything but sympathetic to her struggle with LD.  Perhaps the safest course is to stick to Yolanda's claims and debate the issues she raises.

[Aunt Kiki]

Bolding mine because I wanted to say that I don't follow this thread closely and I've never noticed that happening either.  But today there were some posts removed after uesNY's that didn't cast doubt on her (or anyone else's heath problems) but were rather insulting and condescending. Anyway, that's history.

 

I don't have Lyme disease but to be perfectly honest, I've gotten my knickers, quietly, in a bunch over some of the discussion here because one of my hot buttons have been pushed.  It has to do with almonds.  And cake. LOL. 

My post was my belief that the posting community did not willfully denigrate those posters who had Lyme or any tick-borne illnesses and shared their experiences, period.  If someone chooses/chose to interpret words about Yolanda as belittlement to their own condition, that's a different story and has nothing to do with my comment.    I didn't realize that posts were removed.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Aunt Kiki

[breezy424]

An open letter to Andy Cohen...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-michael-conner/an-open-letter-to-andy-co_b_8869298.html

Thanks for posting this.  Besides the absurdity of the article that other have made comments about,  I went to the links about the author and what else he has written.  Back in November he wrote an article - well IMO not an article but rather an opinion  piece - about Lyme being the new AIDS.  Sound familiar?  I wouldn't doubt that he and Yo have been in contact and she's getting info from  him.  There was a study in 2014 that found because the bacteria was found in vaginal and seminal fluid, therefore Lyme 'may' be sexually transmitted.  Note:  the study said 'may'.  Between the open letter to Andy and his own writing, Michael O'Connor seems to make huge jumps between theory and fact.  Here's another article by someone who has questioned the study and went about it in way that paralleled my own questions about this study.  Interesting read if you're into this  stuff:

 

http://campother.blogspot.com/2014/03/part-1-sexual-transmission-of-lyme.html

 

And to Mr. O'Connor, none of the other housewives ever mocked Yo.  They questioned her actions.  Just like so many viewers have.  Although Bravo can play with the editing of the show, they can't play with her tweets, instagrams, her blogs  and the many statements she has made concerning her illness and her choices of treatments.  She has portrayed herself in a way that invites doubts about what is wrong with her and how ill she really is.  She has outright lied about the state of her health.  You can't say in a live interview that you haven't worn makeup in a year when you have appeared with makeup on.  You can't say you've been bed ridden for a year and a half when viewers have seen otherwise, etc.

 

All the questions regarding Yo's health have come from how Yo has portrayed herself - her words and her actions.  She is telling the story.

[Aunt Kiki]

Thanks for posting this.  Besides the absurdity of the article that other have made comments about,  I went to the links about the author and what else he has written.  Back in November he wrote an article - well IMO not an article but rather an opinion  piece - about Lyme being the new AIDS.  Sound familiar?  I wouldn't doubt that he and Yo have been in contact and she's getting info from  him.  There was a study in 2014 that found because the bacteria was found in vaginal and seminal fluid, therefore Lyme 'may' be sexually transmitted.  Note:  the study said 'may'.  Between the open letter to Andy and his own writing, Michael O'Connor seems to make huge jumps between theory and fact.  Here's another article by someone who has questioned the study and went about it in way that paralleled my own questions about this study.  Interesting read if you're into this  stuff:

 

http://campother.blogspot.com/2014/03/part-1-sexual-transmission-of-lyme.html

 

And to Mr. O'Connor, none of the other housewives ever mocked Yo.  They questioned her actions.  Just like so many viewers have.  Although Bravo can play with the editing of the show, they can't play with her tweets, instagrams, her blogs  and the many statements she has made concerning her illness and her choices of treatments.  She has portrayed herself in a way that invites doubts about what is wrong with her and how ill she really is.  She has outright lied about the state of her health.  You can't say in a live interview that you haven't worn makeup in a year when you have appeared with makeup on.  You can't say you've been bed ridden for a year and a half when viewers have seen otherwise, etc.

 

All the questions regarding Yo's health have come from how Yo has portrayed herself - her words and her actions.  She is telling the story.

Standing Ovation!....what I also found interesting was Tamara Tattles' post in the Comments section. 

 

IMO Andy Cohen is given far too much credit for Yolanda's shitshow.  She's done a very good job in providing the footage we are seeing with seemingly little to no prompting from the production company.  She has chosen to allow cameras to film procedures, highly personal scenes with her family (to come), scenes from her sickbed, with her natural doctor and aide, etc.  One would think with her pretty intractable demeanor that if she felt that something should be a private matter, that she would make sure that it remained a private matter, contract or no contract.   JMO but I believe she is filming these scenes willingly and not because Andy Cohen or the production company has issued an edict to bring the drama or else.  She has carved out a significant amount of solo screen time so far.  She's kept the rest of the cast at (either) arm's length or selectively allowed them to visit her.  As you stated - She is telling the story - and trying to control the narrative.  Again JMO but I don't believe it's worked out the way she anticipated.

[DebbieM4]

I'm sorry that you feel attacked and I am especially sorry that you have to live your life battling such a vicious disease. It's horrendous, what you've been through.

I don't deny that Lyme exists, that it's devastating, that it's unfairly underfunded, and politically ignored. If anything, Yo having Lyme disease raised my awareness- but only because of posters like you who have taken the time to educate. Others have said this too, upthread.

I do not, however, believe that the severity of her symptoms and sickness is due to Lyme disease. Does she have it? Maybe. Maybe. She pumps her body full of vitamins, minerals, and witch doctor concoctions. Flies all over the world to try out alternative treatments, gets daily colonics or injections, has a notoriously eating disordered aporoach to food, has a slew of elective procedures, and flits around from one doctor to the next.

My point is, she doesn't seem to give any given treatment enough time to work, or to see if it works. Her own doctor said to her- "have patience." She wants an overnight cure, it seems, and just makes herself sicker as a result. The body can only take so much. If it's already attacked by Lyme disease, does it really have the strength to take all of the abuse that she puts it through?

I also am one who thoroughly believes that she thrives on attention and this is feeding her. I don't like her, I didn't like her before the Lyme announcement. She is, at her core, a very mean, judgmental, calculated, and self absorbed woman. This is completely unrelated to Lyme disease. She loves attention. Loves it. Want to find a cure and bring awareness? Educate people. Use the platform effectively. But, she doesn't. She talks about what her friends are or are not doing for her. She talks about how living in the gigantic mansion is too much for her, she talks in a way that she wants people to feel sorry for her. Like I said, I knew more about Lyme disease from posters like you (and from Real World Seattle, actually).

Her selfies are telling, as are her appearances at the important events. I do find it suspect that she felt so much better after the leaky implants were taken out but then went right back to her "I'm on my deathbed" pronouncements. Could that be Lyme? Again, maybe. Or, she needed to be sick to keep everyone's attention. I believe it's the latter, because I do think that she has a psychological need to be sick.

I've said it before, that picture of her at the premiere party is telling. Yo, front and center, in a blinding white dress, making sure that she is the focus of the picture. Her timing of the divorce announcement is suspect too. She has the public's attention and the fame that she so desperately craved. She's hijacked the season and is reveling in it.

So, my issue is not that I don't believe in Lyme disease or the devastation is causes. I do not believe Yolanda. Her timelines have always been contradictory (and well documented, I may add), the messages that she puts out are all over the place, and she is just a calculating, manipulative bitch. If you don't do exactly what she wants you to do, she writes you off (text isn't enough, you must come visit me all the way out to Malibu...but, no. You can't come, I'm too sick...you haven't seen me, you are a Hollywood friend.)

How about that post she put out there of Anwar carrying her? It certainly looked like it was a doting son carrying his poor, sick mommy. Except it was revealed that they were both actually laughing and having fun. She posted that other picture for a reason. Calculating.

Her latest blog? Attacking the others for being on the show to make a buck and she's the only one doing it for "awareness"? Really? Bullshit. I haven't seen Yolanda do one thing to benefit anyone else but herself. I suppose there was David's charity gala in Canada last year- you know, the one where she got all dressed up in formal attire and partied with rock royalty? I'd like to know what else she's actually doing to bring awareness and money to funding. She tried the "take a bite out of Lyme" thing but I think it went nowhere.

If my post offended you, I am truly sorry, as that is not at all my intention. I do not like Yolanda as a person and I just do not believe her.

 

I agree 100% with all of this.  1000% if that were possible!

 

I don't think anyone here has ever said that LD isn't awful.  The issue is with Yolanda, not with any disease or ailment, and most certainly not with any posters here (who truly have been very forthcoming and informative).  I've never seen one post that "trivialized" LD.  The snark and doubt and beliefs that symptoms are exaggerated and used to gain attention are about YOLANDA.  Not anything else and not anyone else.

 

I'm sorry also if anyone who is truly suffering from anything at all feels as though posters here lack compassion toward them.  I really do believe that all of us here are nice people at heart, and I've seen examples of that many times.  If Yolanda didn't give us a hundred reasons (and counting) to doubt her and if she wasn't caught in lie after lie, I'm sure we would all be sending healing thoughts her way and our posts would be sympathetic.

 

There's a huge difference between people who truly are suffering and someone like Yolanda, who is doing something despicable in an obvious attempt to stay in the spotlight.  The snark here has nothing to do with posters here - We have no reason to doubt them and every reason to believe them!  With Yolanda, however - for most of us - it's the exact opposite.   The negativity here is about Yolanda.  Period.  Not about chronic illness or LD or anything else.  Or anyone else.  I truly hope that no one else here has felt ridiculed or attacked.

Edited December 27, 2015 by DebbieM4

[Lura]

Just thinking. Nearly everyone here, including me, has questioned Yolanda's disease. Wouldn't it be amazing if it turned out
to be something rare and fatal? Imagine, too, that David beat
her every time she broached the subject of Lyme disease becausehe was so sick of hearing about it, and that's why she turned to Twitter and even the show to air her feelings.

What do we know about all of this? Her home life, their
marriage, his and her true personalities, their conversations
with each other and with the children? I say that in the whole scheme of things, we know nothing. But these are just the results of my mind when it's on idle.

 

ETA:  I usually come in here and read a number of posts before I write anything, but in this case, I did not.  Now, I discover that this post, which must seem frivolous to some, comes smack in the middle of a heated discussion.  I did not mean to interrupt the topic.  It was merely an oversight on my part.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Lura

[jaync]

Yo is a medical marvel. Doesn't eat, yet she is full of shit. She and Bethenny should be studied.

 

 

 

Anyway, glad to see that Yolanda is now under the care of Dr. Horowitz. He's world renown and the leading expert in Lyme Disease.

​And it took her four years to find him?

 

[Lisin]

Hey gang, let's stick to talking about Yolanda and not about other posters and how they feel now ok? Thanks. 

[WireWrap]

 

 

​And it took her four years to find him?

THIS is why so many of us have questions. Yolanda has the contacts, money and resources to travel anywhere to get the help she needed, yet it took her 4 years to find these 2 Drs? Again, not to sound like a broken record but it is VERY specious that she finally finds help for her LD AFTER her leaky silicone implants are removed, the area cleaned up, starts to make a rapid recovery and THEN she finds them?

Edited December 27, 2015 by WireWrap

[zoeysmom]

THIS is why so many of us have questions. Yolanda has the contacts, money and resources to travel anywhere to get the help she needed, yet it took her 4 years to find these 2 Drs? Again, not to sound like a broken record but it is VERY specious that she finally finds help for her LD AFTER her leaky silicone implants are removed, the area cleaned up, starts to make a rapid recovery and THEN she finds them?

I just can't believe Yolanda did not have regular mammograms and if not why not?  Both these doctors are big on multi-faceted disorders including tick borne disease candida and parasites.  Horowitz is big on detox-I just wonder how long one detoxs?    My guess is, after reading about the doctors, Yolanda found someone who would fit her niche.  Over the holidays she posted a picture and captioned with feeling better than last Christmas, almost there and then #s about awareness.  So she is apparently oblivious to how caustic her comments were regarding the others just being on the show for the money.

[WireWrap]

I just can't believe Yolanda did not have regular mammograms and if not why not?  Both these doctors are big on multi-faceted disorders including tick borne disease candida and parasites.  Horowitz is big on detox-I just wonder how long one detoxs?    My guess is, after reading about the doctors, Yolanda found someone who would fit her niche.  Over the holidays she posted a picture and captioned with feeling better than last Christmas, almost there and then #s about awareness.  So she is apparently oblivious to how caustic her comments were regarding the others just being on the show for the money.

There are SOOooo many things that Yolanda has said/done that make little or no sense at all. They are too numerous to count at this point! LOL

[FanOfTheFans]

I just can't believe Yolanda did not have regular mammograms and if not why not? Both these doctors are big on multi-faceted disorders including tick borne disease candida and parasites. Horowitz is big on detox-I just wonder how long one detoxs? My guess is, after reading about the doctors, Yolanda found someone who would fit her niche. Over the holidays she posted a picture and captioned with feeling better than last Christmas, almost there and then #s about awareness. So she is apparently oblivious to how caustic her comments were regarding the others just being on the show for the money.

Yo's comment about others being on the show just for money again puts her superiority complex front and center. She is so condescending to the mere mortals. Insert eye roll. So what if people are on the show to earn money. There is nothing wrong with that. We are a capitalistic society after all.

Edited December 27, 2015 by FanOfTheFans

[Higgins]

No, it was a comparison list......Holistic treatment X = Western medication A. Many companies "claim" their herb/plant/formula will do the same job as a perscription medications even though it is a gross exaggeration or even an out right lie, especially those treatments bought/ordered out of the country. Yolanda has sought 90%, if not more, of her medical treatment OUT of the country in places like Hong Kong, Mexico, Philippines and other exotic locations that do NOT regulate "clinics or treatments" like the ones she has tweeted about. IMO, she will seek out any snake oil salesman in the world that tells her what she wants to hear and then she will tweet about it.

I not aware of an herbal or "holistic" antipsychotic

[motorcitymom65]

Standing Ovation!....what I also found interesting was Tamara Tattles' post in the Comments section. 

 

IMO Andy Cohen is given far too much credit for Yolanda's shitshow.  She's done a very good job in providing the footage we are seeing with seemingly little to no prompting from the production company.  She has chosen to allow cameras to film procedures, highly personal scenes with her family (to come), scenes from her sickbed, with her natural doctor and aide, etc.  One would think with her pretty intractable demeanor that if she felt that something should be a private matter, that she would make sure that it remained a private matter, contract or no contract.   JMO but I believe she is filming these scenes willingly and not because Andy Cohen or the production company has issued an edict to bring the drama or else.  She has carved out a significant amount of solo screen time so far.  She's kept the rest of the cast at (either) arm's length or selectively allowed them to visit her.  As you stated - She is telling the story - and trying to control the narrative.  Again JMO but I don't believe it's worked out the way she anticipated.

This all day long. i always shake my head when Andy Cohen is blamed for the action the ladies willingly give him, especially when it gels with what we see in their private life.

I cannot for the life of me understand why this Writer, let alone Yo herself, is surprised by the questioning. Unless she just posts things to Twitter or Instagram without reading the responses, she is certainly aware that people have been giving her the side-eye for a couple of years now. She has routinely received comments from people questioning her various treatments, as well as her need to document them through pictures on social media. She has been called an outright liar for at least a year for the "housebound for 18 months" comment. None of this can be a surprise to her, which is why I actually believe that Yo is loving this whole deal. In the past the questioning has come from bloggers, or commentators such as those on this forum or on places like Vulture, or on social media. People have been hitting her hard for a long time because she is a fucking freak. The people who haven't hit her hard are her co-workers. They have just watched the craziness and let her accuse them of being cold-hearted and uncaring. When she couldn't answer questions at the season 3 reunion that had to deal with whether or not she had badmouthed Lisa in Paris, Kyle was accused of taking advantage of her diminished brain capacity and purposely confusing her. Lisa was accused of worse the next year. They have dealt with her inability to film an entire reunion, which means she got off easy on a task they all hate and say is the most grueling of the season, and then watch her trot all over the world.

Now they are talking about what everyone else has been talking about forever. Except perhaps Lisar, no one has crossed any lines as far as I can tell, but Yo will be shocked regardless. I'm sure Brandi will be there to do her part to get Yo all fired up. I think Yo will act outraged, but really she loves it because it gives her the opportunity to speak to all of the viewing people who have been questioning her. When she calls the ladies on the show out for being so insensitive and ignorant, she is really addressing all the people who watch the show and have been suspect of her behavior.

[GreatKazu]

On another note, why is she just now hooking up with experts on Lyme? Why isn't that step 1?

Thank you! That has been bugging me for the longest and it is why I questioned she has barely found two doctors (?) who are now helping her with this medical issue. We are not talking about a person who is lacking in funds and not able to seek out help and treatment. She has the world to seek out whatever treatments, as questionable as they are, and the ability to seek out the best of the best in the fight against Lyme Disease. I did some Googling a while back to see who are the best doctors out there for the treatment of LD. It didn't take me long to find some specialists who seem to be ethical doctors. I have posted this before and will post it again, who the hell diagnosed YoFo with LD and where is she/he in all of this?

 

I have also mentioned this before, and I will post it again. I have learned more about LD from the posters here than I ever did from YoFo. I have tuned her out. I think this subject is similar to the Kim Richards addiction topic. Many people just couldn't handle watching Kim on our screen. Myself included. I have dealt with addicts in my life. I would post my own personal experiences about dealing with addicts in the hopes of enlightening and many of us shared what we personally experienced and how the mind of the addict works.  That is what you, the posters are doing for us: enlightening and educating. You all are fighting a real fight.  YoFo is not a good spokesperson for this disease simply because she casts many doubts. She seeks out some of the most questionable treatments. She has lied about many things on varying degrees.

Edited December 27, 2015 by GreatKazu

[luleetuni]

This is what is driving me crazy(well really why I care is driving me crazy) are the inconsistent stories. Yolanda keeps talking about how long she has been down but there is footage of her driving last October (when Brandi and she went to the spa Brandi's dad in the hospital). I don't doubt that she has been sick but it makes me doubt her credibility when she blatantly lies.

Mammograms don't always show leaky implants. I know someone who had the same problem and they didn't even know the severity until they were in surgery. The tricky thing with silicone is that not everyone has toxicity but the symptoms are really gnarly if you do.

The real issue that bugs me about yo is her desire to be queen bee. She has been trying to take Lisa v. down since her first season. She tried to buddy up, then bash her relentlessly. She is exploiting her illnesses in an attempt to cast the others in a bad light. If they ask questions they are deemed ignorant and insensitive. If they comment on her not looking good, they are making snide comments. If they don't pay attention to her and visit, they are Hollywood friends. They are damned if they do damned if they don't. Even that letter to Andy made a comment about Lisa v being rude. I haven't gotten that at all, I feel like all season so far she has been very guarded talking about yolanda other than to say they're not close and that she wonders if there is more than Lyme. If I were yolanda, this would be a perfect segue into educating the other women and us as an audience about the different symptoms and very serious ailments that can occur with Lyme disease. Instead she takes to her blog to be condescending about their lack of education and compassion. I feel like she is using her illness to take people down and I find that gross.

To reiterate what so many others have said here, I have learned way more from those here than from Yolanda. Irene from rw Seattle who was my first real exposure to the disease and the first time I understood the long term ramifications from it. Yolanda has made me more confused about Lyme disease than sympathetic toward it and that is really unfortunate when she has such a large audience.

[GreatKazu]

When I went to my last mammogram, I asked the technician there how do they deal with breast implants. She mentioned using diagnostic mammography.

 

I am not sure how long YoFo has had her implants. Surely she was told what signs to look out for since implants will eventually rupture if they are not replaced at certain intervals. A regular breast check-up and/or regular breast exams are likely to help one discover if a breast implant is leaking. I am guessing YoFo's implants were quite old.

[NewDigs]

I was surprised to read that WebMD, and the FDA, have found no links between leaky implants and immune disorders. Nor does Columbia University.

Looks like it might take an MRI to detect. So she has perhaps foisted yet more uneven information on viewers?

YoYo continues to be a messy mass of contradictions. It must be exhausting just being around her.

Edited December 27, 2015 by NewDigs

[charming]

I just saw the super trailer again. I forgot about this little nugget. They're sitting at a table and Yolanda sneers "I have a lot in the vault" and Kyle responds "Are you threatening me?" 

 

If this is not edited misdirection - I would love to know how Yo remembers secrets of the other ladies in her vault if she has no brain function?

[WireWrap]

I not aware of an herbal or "holistic" antipsychotic

You would be surprised what claims some "Holistic" suppliers make. Of course, it doesn't mean that it does as they claim it does or replace any 1 type of traditional Med either. There is a huge problem in OTC "supplements", they are NOT regulated for either the content of the supplement or the claims of the manufacture which has lead to several lawsuits. These companies skirt what laws there are by using words like "may" and "similar" in their product description....supplement X is "similar" to Medication C or supplement Y "may" relieve condition R and finally, supplement W is "believed" to relieve condition L. Also, buying and then using these supplements from foreign countries brings even greater risk because some countries allow harmful ingredients that the US had banned altogether, like arsenic, lead, ect. Just Google Holistic/natural "antipsychotics" and you will see all sorts of claims, like this 1  http://www.naturalnews.com/028083_fish_oil_mental_illness.html

Sadly, many people buy into these scammers.

[WireWrap]

 

 

If this is not edited misdirection - I would love to know how Yo remembers secrets of the other ladies in her vault if she has no brain function?

Simple, her "vault" IS Brandi with Kim giving Brandi the combination to open the secrets chamber.

[zoeysmom]

When I went to my last mammogram, I asked the technician there how do they deal with breast implants. She mentioned using diagnostic mammography.

 

I am not sure how long YoFo has had her implants. Surely she was told what signs to look out for since implants will eventually rupture if they are not replaced at certain intervals. A regular breast check-up and/or regular breast exams are likely to help one discover if a breast implant is leaking. I am guessing YoFo's implants were quite old.

 

 

I was surprised to read that WebMD, and the FDA, have found no links between leaky implants and immune disorders. Nor does Columbia University.

Looks like it might take an MRI to detect. So she has perhaps foisted yet more uneven information on viewers?

YoYo continues to be a messy mass of contradictions. It must be exhausting just being around her.

Usually the mammogram indicates something, as in the mammogram is not normal and then the patient is referred for an MRI.  It just seems she would have had all her parts checked within four years.  I am not surprised about the no link between autoimmune disorders and implants.  Back in the 90's our office handled initial cases before the class action suits.  What always amazed me was once the silicone implants were pulled from the market but they were still available and the preferred implant for post-mastectomy patients.  One thing was certain-it was going to be a very difficult class for the class action attorneys.   Fairly young to middle age, upper and middle class women who obviously had some issues to begin with wanting to be compensated for every imaginable loss.  Sounds a little like Yolanda.

[zoeysmom]

I just saw the super trailer again. I forgot about this little nugget. They're sitting at a table and Yolanda sneers "I have a lot in the vault" and Kyle responds "Are you threatening me?" 

 

If this is not edited misdirection - I would love to know how Yo remembers secrets of the other ladies in her vault if she has no brain function?

For all the support Yolanda demands from her co-workers it has always amazed me that she continues to sing the praises of Brandi and court her company (Brandi never misses an opportunity to post a day with Yolanda or photos) and yet this miserable creature continues to malign several of the same people Yolanda demeans for not supporting her.  At some point you can't have it both ways.  Brandi threatening to beat Kyle, disparages Mauricio's business, goes after Rinna and regularly calls Lisav a c&nt might want to take that into consideration as to why they have no interest in waiting on Yolanda.

[GreatKazu]

 

Usually the mammogram indicates something, as in the mammogram is not normal and then the patient is referred for an MRI.

Right. When I had what appeared to be a lump after having my mammogram screening, I was then given an ultrasound and a diagnostic mammogram. Thankfully, the lump was not cancerous. I don't have implants, but if I did, and if I had YoFo's money, I think I would have a doctor checking my breasts far more often.

 

 

It just seems she would have had all her parts checked within four years.

So true. This is a woman with the means to pay for whatever she needs. Even if she didn't have anything show up on her mammogram screening, you'd think she would gladly pay to have her breasts checked even further to ensure there is nothing else going on with her breasts, particularly when she has implants. I don't know if you are all familiar with the late singer, Jenni Rivera. She had her own reality show. She was found to have a lump of some sort in her breast. The doctor wanted her to follow-up in six months for another mammogram to see if the lump has grown or what changes, if any, had occurred. Pretty much the standard in many of these cases. She couldn't deal with the unknown or the wait. She had the means to travel elsewhere, get a second opinion, and opted to have the lump removed ASAP after the doctor told her the lump was a tumor. It was later revealed this tumor was cancerous.

[DeeplyShallow]

Right. When I had what appeared to be a lump after having my mammogram screening, I was then given an ultrasound and a diagnostic mammogram. Thankfully, the lump was not cancerous. I don't have implants, but if I did, and if I had YoFo's money, I think I would have a doctor checking my breasts far more often.

So true. This is a woman with the means to pay for whatever she needs. Even if she didn't have anything show up on her mammogram screening, you'd think she would gladly pay to have her breasts checked even further to ensure there is nothing else going on with her breasts, particularly when she has implants. I don't know if you are all familiar with the late singer, Jenni Rivera. She had her own reality show. She was found to have a lump of some sort in her breast. The doctor wanted her to follow-up in six months for another mammogram to see if the lump has grown or what changes, if any, had occurred. Pretty much the standard in many of these cases. She couldn't deal with the unknown or the wait. She had the means to travel elsewhere, get a second opinion, and opted to have the lump removed ASAP after the doctor told her the lump was a tumor. It was later revealed this tumor was cancerous.

I didn't know that was standard. Everyone I know who had a lump found had it biopsied right away and no one was advised to wait. I'm surprised to read this.

[WireWrap]

Usually the mammogram indicates something, as in the mammogram is not normal and then the patient is referred for an MRI.  It just seems she would have had all her parts checked within four years.  I am not surprised about the no link between autoimmune disorders and implants.  Back in the 90's our office handled initial cases before the class action suits.  What always amazed me was once the silicone implants were pulled from the market but they were still available and the preferred implant for post-mastectomy patients.  One thing was certain-it was going to be a very difficult class for the class action attorneys.   Fairly young to middle age, upper and middle class women who obviously had some issues to begin with wanting to be compensated for every imaginable loss.  Sounds a little like Yolanda.

The complaint about saline is that they are hard/do not feel "natural", whereas silicone feels like real breast tissue to the touch, which is why more women still want silicone implants than saline. Even though the new silicone implants are safer, much safer and less likely to leak/rupture, there is still a chance something can happen, they are NOT fool proof.

[GreatKazu]

I didn't know that was standard. Everyone I know who had a lump found had it biopsied right away and no one was advised to wait. I'm surprised to read this.

I shouldn't have posted it is the standard to wait since I can't say that is the case for most or all. I do know that I had a relative who was found to have some sort of lump in her breast and she was told to follow up for another mammogram in six months. The lump had grown and it was later determined to be breast cancer. As for me, the doctor wanted to see if there was any growth in the six month follow up. There was no change in size. Another six months later, no change in size. The diagnostic mammogram and the ultrasound showed my "lump" to be tissue. No biopsy done. I just had another six month mammogram done a few months ago and I was told nothing has changed. I can go back to yearly mammograms.

[DeeplyShallow]

I shouldn't have posted it is the standard to wait since I can't say that is the case for most or all. I do know that I had a relative who was found to have some sort of lump in her breast and she was told to follow up for another mammogram in six months. The lump had grown and it was later determined to be breast cancer. As for me, the doctor wanted to see if there was any growth in the six month follow up. There was no change in size. Another six months later, no change in size. The diagnostic mammogram and the ultrasound showed my "lump" to be tissue. No biopsy done. I just had another six month mammogram done a few months ago and I was told nothing has changed. I can go back to yearly mammograms.

Glad you are okay.

[zoeysmom]

The complaint about saline is that they are hard/do not feel "natural", whereas silicone feels like real breast tissue to the touch, which is why more women still want silicone implants than saline. Even though the new silicone implants are safer, much safer and less likely to leak/rupture, there is still a chance something can happen, they are NOT fool proof.

Saline implants when they leak or rupture go flat because the saline is readily absorbed by the body. They also go flat far more often.  Post mastectomy patients require silicone because of the friction and lack of breast tissue.  Silicone provides less friction than saline.  I just always thought-if they are so dangerous why are we putting them in cancer survivors' bodies. 

 

I was looking at an article to day of the King and Yolanda and noticed she was very busty and very platinum blonde.  So it seems to me like all of a sudden hair dye was frying her hair, breast implants (which flattered her shape) were on the way out and Yolanda decided to go step further and appear without make-up.  Feels almost like she was challenging David, who seemed to like the extensions, big boobs and platinum hair.  I find Yolanda attractive and definitely knows how to pose but I find her eyes too deep set.  This new label of "supermodel" is ridiculous she modeled athletic style bathing suits in print for the most part.  And good for her. 

[WireWrap]

Saline implants when they leak or rupture go flat because the saline is readily absorbed by the body. They also go flat far more often.  Post mastectomy patients require silicone because of the friction and lack of breast tissue.  Silicone provides less friction than saline.  I just always thought-if they are so dangerous why are we putting them in cancer survivors' bodies. 

 

I was looking at an article to day of the King and Yolanda and noticed she was very busty and very platinum blonde.  So it seems to me like all of a sudden hair dye was frying her hair, breast implants (which flattered her shape) were on the way out and Yolanda decided to go step further and appear without make-up.  Feels almost like she was challenging David, who seemed to like the extensions, big boobs and platinum hair.  I find Yolanda attractive and definitely knows how to pose but I find her eyes too deep set.  This new label of "supermodel" is ridiculous she modeled athletic style bathing suits in print for the most part.  And good for her. 

Yolanda was never considered a "supermodel", at least not here in the US and I think she, with help from Bravo, gave herself that title for the show. LOL

[lunastartron]

I was going to address subjects like personal agency in relation to uesNY's post but I will stick with deconstructing the (mis)characterization that skepticism of Yolanda is attributable entirely or even primarily to her extensively curated social media presence. That's just one element of many documentable inconsistencies and outright fallacies that Yolanda has communicated as fact. Those include but are not limited to:

 

her assertions that she hasn't been able to listen to music "in four years"

her similarly demonstrably untrue account that she was "unable to leave her room" for "eighteen months" between seasons three and four

her bizarre insistence that she has lost "x percent of brain function" and has been "unable to read, write, or even watch tv" when she's clearly screening episodes like the rest of her cast mates since she's either cogent enough to articulate her thoughts to a ghost writer and/or capable of penning her blogs herself and submitting to a proof reader for copy editing

her consistent, deliberate conflation of "Lyme," "chronic Lyme, "post-treatment Lyme syndrome," as well as

her introduction of other wholly unrelated maladies like "congestive heart failure" into her writings about the issue to say nothing of

the disgusting, baldly uninformed and unsupportable statement that Lyme is "a silent killer" as "prevalent" as AIDS in the largely pre-treatment "1980s"

her efforts to link Lyme with her children's criminal offenses

her videographic record of mendacity that includes falsely accusing a man of assaulting her and then refusing to back down from that lie when challenged

her perennially shifting accounts of how she contracted Lyme, which literally changes and reverses itself from week to week on social media and includes fringe theories that are undermined by all existing accepted medical evidence like she caught the disease from "horse fly's"

her hypocritical and situationally convenient moralizing; she couldn't have cared less when Adrienne's parental autonomy was shattered over a matter that, in diametrical opposition to Yolanda's affliction, she didn't introduce into the narrative and actually took every measure to prevent from becoming a part of it

 

 

Noting in this discussion that "chronic Lyme" remains unrecognized by the CDC and the majority of medical practitioners is not an attack on any posters who believe they are suffering from the condition . . . it's an accurate description of the current perspective of the professional medical and epidemiological communities.

 

As for the Huffington Post article that nexxie shared, I have to concur with bronzedog's posts on the piece: the endless AIDS comparisons are specious and intellectually dishonest (and appallingly so). Is there some sort of standard operating procedure manual that Yo has devised for her adherents?

 

Because Lyme does not have a death toll in the millions (the lowest estimate is 7 in the last three decades). It does not boast a stigma so severe that patients in third-world cultures are disowned by their communities and men feel desperate enough to rape infants in an effort to rid themselves of the ignominy. Legislation does not exist in the majority of American states that criminally disadvantages the sexual practices of many sufferers. I'm pretty sure Yolanda has not shelling out millions of dollars to extortionists threatening to violate her medical privacy and she sure as hell hasn't been subjected to breathless and hysterical media speculation about whether or not she's Typhoid Mary'd any of the romantic partners she's had over the course of her adult life.

 

Mr. Conner relies on another untenable simile because I'm unsure how the early seasons of the Bunim Murray projects are remotely comparable to the Bravo empire. The former originated as an earnest docudrama focused specifically on social issues; while the latter has touched upon some similar topics, it has always - at least certainly since BH premiered - been a pseudo-reality soap opera about affluent women behaving terribly to each other. When in doubt, trot out the memory of a 20-something who died a horrible death from a totally disparate affliction in order to gin up sympathy, I guess. Why not just claim Lyme is worse than the Holocaust, Jim Crow, or the Trail of Tears?

 

And though I love watching Andy get pushback from his talent, it's disturbing to see the author attempt to link legitimacy as a contemporary gay man to recognizing Lyme because of the (again) spurious invocation of AIDS. The letter is a genuinely interesting reflection of dissociation with the hyperbole and references to "Lisa Vanderpump's casual nastiness."

 

I really hope Yolanda sticks to this script, though, in any future appearances she makes on the WWHL or reunion sets.

[breezy424]

And so folks, you've all pretty much have demonstrated why Yo SHOULD NOT be the spokesperson or face of any disease or condition.  This person, who has claimed to be bedridden, not being able to drive and brain dead, never thought of, until recently, that a contributing cause of her illness had anything to do with introducing foreign material into her body.  But this is the same woman who stated that she thought mercury was only in thermometers.  Add to that she had a diagnose of Lyme how long ago and it's only recently she has sought help from Lyme experts in this country.  I'm not saying I agree with her choices but really?  I have have a feeling, if confronted, she will say that it's the fault of having 'Lyme' brain. 

 

It's all so sad but at the same time infuriating.  If you want to be the face or spokesperson for a disease, get your facts straight, get a top notch doctor, and be honest.   And the same goes to you, Michael O'Connor and your statements on Huffington Post.  These are the facts:  If caught early, Lyme Disease is curable.  And when it's not, for most people it's curable with the right treatment.  Sometimes it's not for certain people.  It can be very serious and very debilitating but with the best treatment, for most people, you can recover.  It's a long road and I feel so much for anyone going through it.  We can disagree about whether Lyme is chronic or if continuous symptoms are a result of a continuing infection or damage caused by the infection.  But I don't doubt that what someone is continuing to go through is serious and painful and heartbreaking. 

 

To make statements that Lyme is the new AIDS is ludicrous for the reasons I've stated above.  Lyme is CURABLE for most people with a round of antibiotics.  AIDS is not.  AIDS can be controlled but Lyme is no where in the same category and there is no proof that it is.  I think it unconscionable for anyone to make that statement.  Does more research have to be done?  Absolutely.  Does testing methods have to be improved?  Absolutely.   Do doctors need to be more aware?  Absolutely.  Do people need to made more aware?  Absolutely.  Should Yolanda Foster or Michael O'Connor be spokespeople or considered 'experts' on Lyme Disease?  No. No. No.

[talula]

The CDC does recognize "chronic" Lyme's Disease but calls it " Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome."

http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/postlds/

[WireWrap]

I was going to address subjects like personal agency in relation to uesNY's post but I will stick with deconstructing the (mis)characterization that skepticism of Yolanda is attributable entirely or even primarily to her extensively curated social media presence. That's just one element of many documentable inconsistencies and outright fallacies that Yolanda has communicated as fact. Those include but are not limited to:

 

her assertions that she hasn't been able to listen to music "in four years"

her similarly demonstrably untrue account that she was "unable to leave her room" for "eighteen months" between seasons three and four

her bizarre insistence that she has lost "x percent of brain function" and has been "unable to read, write, or even watch tv" when she's clearly screening episodes like the rest of her cast mates since she's either cogent enough to articulate her thoughts to a ghost writer and/or capable of penning her blogs herself and submitting to a proof reader for copy editing

her consistent, deliberate conflation of "Lyme," "chronic Lyme, "post-treatment Lyme syndrome," as well as

her introduction of other wholly unrelated maladies like "congestive heart failure" into her writings about the issue to say nothing of

the disgusting, baldly uninformed and unsupportable statement that Lyme is "a silent killer" as "prevalent" as AIDS in the largely pre-treatment "1980s"

her efforts to link Lyme with her children's criminal offenses

her videographic record of mendacity that includes falsely accusing a man of assaulting her and then refusing to back down from that lie when challenged

her perennially shifting accounts of how she contracted Lyme, which literally changes and reverses itself from week to week on social media and includes fringe theories that are undermined by all existing accepted medical evidence like she caught the disease from "horse fly's"

her hypocritical and situationally convenient moralizing; she couldn't have cared less when Adrienne's parental autonomy was shattered over a matter that, in diametrical opposition to Yolanda's affliction, she didn't introduce into the narrative and actually took every measure to prevent from becoming a part of it

 

 

Noting in this discussion that "chronic Lyme" remains unrecognized by the CDC and the majority of medical practitioners is not an attack on any posters who believe they are suffering from the condition . . . it's an accurate description of the current perspective of the professional medical and epidemiological communities.

 

As for the Huffington Post article that nexxie shared, I have to concur with bronzedog's posts on the piece: the endless AIDS comparisons are specious and intellectually dishonest (and appallingly so). Is there some sort of standard operating procedure manual that Yo has devised for her adherents?

 

Because Lyme does not have a death toll in the millions (the lowest estimate is 7 in the last three decades). It does not boast a stigma so severe that patients in third-world cultures are disowned by their communities and men feel desperate enough to rape infants in an effort to rid themselves of the ignominy. Legislation does not exist in the majority of American states that criminally disadvantages the sexual practices of many sufferers. I'm pretty sure Yolanda has not shelling out millions of dollars to extortionists threatening to violate her medical privacy and she sure as hell hasn't been subjected to breathless and hysterical media speculation about whether or not she's Typhoid Mary'd any of the romantic partners she's had over the course of her adult life.

 

Mr. Conner relies on another untenable simile because I'm unsure how the early seasons of the Bunim Murray projects are remotely comparable to the Bravo empire. The former originated as an earnest docudrama focused specifically on social issues; while the latter has touched upon some similar topics, it has always - at least certainly since BH premiered - been a pseudo-reality soap opera about affluent women behaving terribly to each other. When in doubt, trot out the memory of a 20-something who died a horrible death from a totally disparate affliction in order to gin up sympathy, I guess. Why not just claim Lyme is worse than the Holocaust, Jim Crow, or the Trail of Tears?

 

And though I love watching Andy get pushback from his talent, it's disturbing to see the author attempt to link legitimacy as a contemporary gay man to recognizing Lyme because of the (again) spurious invocation of AIDS. The letter is a genuinely interesting reflection of dissociation with the hyperbole and references to "Lisa Vanderpump's casual nastiness."

 

I really hope Yolanda sticks to this script, though, in any future appearances she makes on the WWHL or reunion sets.

And so folks, you've all pretty much have demonstrated why Yo SHOULD NOT be the spokesperson or face of any disease or condition.  This person, who has claimed to be bedridden, not being able to drive and brain dead, never thought of, until recently, that a contributing cause of her illness had anything to do with introducing foreign material into her body.  But this is the same woman who stated that she thought mercury was only in thermometers.  Add to that she had a diagnose of Lyme how long ago and it's only recently she has sought help from Lyme experts in this country.  I'm not saying I agree with her choices but really?  I have have a feeling, if confronted, she will say that it's the fault of having 'Lyme' brain. 

 

It's all so sad but at the same time infuriating.  If you want to be the face or spokesperson for a disease, get your facts straight, get a top notch doctor, and be honest.   And the same goes to you, Michael O'Connor and your statements on Huffington Post.  These are the facts:  If caught early, Lyme Disease is curable.  And when it's not, for most people it's curable with the right treatment.  Sometimes it's not for certain people.  It can be very serious and very debilitating but with the best treatment, for most people, you can recover.  It's a long road and I feel so much for anyone going through it.  We can disagree about whether Lyme is chronic or if continuous symptoms are a result of a continuing infection or damage caused by the infection.  But I don't doubt that what someone is continuing to go through is serious and painful and heartbreaking. 

 

To make statements that Lyme is the new AIDS is ludicrous for the reasons I've stated above.  Lyme is CURABLE for most people with a round of antibiotics.  AIDS is not.  AIDS can be controlled but Lyme is no where in the same category and there is no proof that it is.  I think it unconscionable for anyone to make that statement.  Does more research have to be done?  Absolutely.  Does testing methods have to be improved?  Absolutely.   Do doctors need to be more aware?  Absolutely.  Do people need to made more aware?  Absolutely.  Should Yolanda Foster or Michael O'Connor be spokespeople or considered 'experts' on Lyme Disease?  No. No. No.

Edited December 28, 2015 by WireWrap

[breezy424]

The CDC does recognize "chronic" Lyme's Disease but calls it " Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome."

http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/postlds/

Thanks for posting this.  And this is why I've stated that chronic Lyme may be the result of damage that is done to the body as opposed to a continuous infection.  The important part is that not all Lyme patients receive the proper medication in a given circumstance.  I don't know what the protocol is today but when my son was diagnosed, because he was diagnosed with 'neurological' Lyme, he was immediately placed on IV rocephin.  Back then if a person was diagnosed with Lyme that affected the heart, they were given oral antibiotics.  A friend of mine has a son who was diagnosed around the same time as my son but because it affected his heart rather than the nervous system, he did not get IV treatment.  The oral antibiotics did not 'cure' the Lyme.  It took a long time for their insurance company to approve IV treatment.  Bottom line was that getting the treatment he needed took a much longer time than my son's.  Rocephin cannot be given orally. 

 

OK.  A lot of medical stuff but right now I believe that if given the proper treatment Lyme bacteria is killed.  The damage that is done is a whole other issue and can plague people for years.  I believe, and I can't prove this, that my son suffered the effects of the damage Lyme did for many years.  Thankfully, he did overcome it.  And now is a very healthy, intelligent and smart young adult who is thriving.  I also reserve the right to change my mind about chronic Lyme if more information is attained but I can only go by what I know now. 

 

And I can't say this enough to the posters who are going through Lyme:  There is hope.  I know that there are so many times there isn't.  I don't claim to be the voice of other posters very often, if ever, but the vast majority of us support you and understand.  It's not about 'you'.  It's about Yolanda.

[lunastartron]

Lura, your link illustrates why semantics are important. The CDC acknowledges that patients can present with self-described symptoms outside the traditional window of time for successful treatment. All literature I have read on the topic draws a distinction between "PTLS," a prevailingly accepted condition, and "chronic Lyme, " as does the CDC link. "Post-treatment Lyme Syndrome" usually refers to the residual tissue damage while "chronic Lyme" in my understanding generally applies to a continuing infection (as the "chronic" part would suggest), which is not widely believed to be the causation of persistent symptoms. Yo's blogs have used both these terms interchangeably with 'regular' "Lyme," which is misleading. The CDC does not support the premise that Lyme generates a chronic infection, it just notes that this is a theory.