Why Lyme Disease Is Still Being Misdiagnosed | Nicole Bell | Ep. 163

What happens when Lyme disease is missed—and the symptoms are mistaken for something else?

In this episode of A Healthy Point of View, Sam Tejada sits down with Nicole Bell, CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics, engineer, author, and Lyme disease advocate, for a powerful conversation about diagnostic gaps, tick-borne infections, neurological symptoms, and the personal story that transformed her life and career.

Nicole shares how her husband was initially diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s after standard Lyme testing came back negative. She explains the limitations of traditional antibody testing, the role of co-infections such as Bartonella and Babesia, and why more precise diagnostics may help patients get answers earlier.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Lyme disease and co-infections can be difficult to detect
• The connection between tick-borne infections and neurological symptoms
• How Bartonella may affect mood, cognition, and behavior
• Why direct pathogen detection matters
• The importance of testing beyond Lyme alone
• How patients can advocate for themselves after inconclusive results
• The future of precision diagnostics and preventive screening
• Nicole’s journey from caregiver to healthcare leader

This conversation is a reminder that persistent symptoms deserve thoughtful investigation, compassionate care, and better answers.