Jean J. Barry, MD
Growing up I lived in the shadow of fear. This fear would visit me from time to time when my hands would ache after taking notes for a high school biology class, or my back, knees and hands would be just a little too sore after working out in my twenties, and when I had migratory joint and muscle pain after the birth of my son. I knew I had a strong family history of autoimmune disease and feared the inevitable. Medical treatments being offered for such conditions were extremely expensive and had potentially very serious side effects.
I felt as if I had no control over my own health—despite being a medical doctor, leading a healthy lifestyle and eating a ‘healthy diet.’ I have found that this fear of losing control often paralyzes people and prevents them from seeking the care that they need. With autoimmune diseases and Lyme/ tickborne disease we are told that we have limited options for treatment and there is not much that we can do. This gives us a sense of powerlessness, which is terrifying.
When I opened my medical practice several years ago, I realized that we can (and should) take control of our own health. We should not just be a passive player who waits for a doctor to swoop in and save the day. So much recent research has uncovered why we develop autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, MS, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. And emerging biomedical research is directing novel treatments for persistent infections such as Lyme/tickborne diseases. Now we have ammunition to use in our battle against these diseases. We do not have to accept the response from our doctor of “I cannot help you.”
Many of my patients have become frustrated with the typical medical clinic experience. They are eager for answers and effective treatment options. Many have been told that their labs were inconclusive or their condition was incurable--so no treatment could be offered. Many have been seen by various specialists without any clear diagnosis. Most of the patients who have come to see me have already done their homework and tried everything they could do at home. They were looking for someone with a medical background to sift through the information overload online and provide them with sound medical advice.
My Credentials
– Dartmouth College, BA (art history & pre-med)
– Georgetown University, MS (physiology & biophysics)
– New York University School of Medicine, MD (AOA, AMWA Award)
– Harvard University (Beth Israel Deaconess Med Center), Internship & Residency Internal Medicine
- Carlisle, MA Board of Health Member
– Carlisle, MA Board of Health Lyme Disease Committee Chair
– ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society)–member, preceptorship with Dr. Richard Horowitz (2016) and Dr. Joseph Jemsek (2017)