What Lurks in the Woods: Struggle and Hope in the Midst of Chronic Illness

"Readers may be mistaken in thinking that Bell's memoir will interest only those whose lives have been affected by Lyme disease. In truth, the book is a passionate cri de coeur that encourages anyone faced with illness to explore beyond "symptomatic diagnoses to find root causes."  A tragic, cautionary account communicated with tender conviction." - Kirkus Review

"Nicole Bell's book, What Lurks in the Woods, is a personal journey, raw, real, and heartfelt. If we all knew what Nicole describes in her book, Alzheimer's could be a much less common disease. For anyone with a family member with cognitive decline or risk for decline, this book provides a kindred spirit of support and knowledge, and I recommend it highly." —Dr. Dale Bredesen, MD, Professor, and author of the New York Times bestseller The End of Alzheimer's
 
"This book is a private window into the pain and destruction caused by chronic illness. Nicole Bell's passion for finding the root cause of her husband's illness is awe-inspiring, and those suffering from medical mysteries will learn much from her journey. What Lurks in the Woods is a powerful story that will reframe your view of modern medicine."  —Dana Parish, co-author of the best-selling book, Chronic, and Sony Music singer/ songwriter
 
"What Lurks in the Woods is a raw and wrenching memoir that will jolt you out of the fairy tale that doctors have it all figured out. Spoiler alert—We don't. But real answers start with the right questions, and Nicole Bell asks them in abundance. May her tragic journey of discovery help others to find their way." —Dr. Steven Phillips, MD, and co-author of the best-selling book, Chronic
 
"In this courageous memoir, Nicole Bell describes her beloved husband's descent into early dementia and the cruel realization that his disease was fueled by a mix of undiagnosed tick-borne diseases. This riveting narrative is a must-read for caregivers of mentally ill loved ones who are searching for answers in the face of a medical system unwilling to seriously explore the links between microbes and mental illness." —Kris Newby, science writer and author of BITTEN: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons
 
"What Lurks in the Woods is a powerful example of a real-life hardship caused by the trials and travels of tick-borne illness. Nicole Bell artfully captures the painful emotions, confusion, and heartache that permeate patients and their families. The story is captivating, and the vivid detail brought me into the room through every twist and turn. Bell also highlights the incompleteness of traditional medical treatment and encourages those on a similar journey to reject the typical rhetoric that there is no hope. Anyone dealing with chronic illness will connect with this book." —Dr. Chris Turnpaugh, MD, President and Founder of Turnpaugh Health and Wellness Center
 

"What Lurks in the Woods is an inspirational and emotional memoir that I would highly recommend for its heartfelt, raw, and authentic depiction of how a single member's chronic illness impacts an entire family. This book is perfect for anyone with chronic disease as a significant part of their life."—Literary Titan

"What Lurks in the Woods is a captivating story of one family's struggle to make sense of a heart-breaking diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease and the potential role that subclinical infections could have played in the irreversible damage caused over more than a decade. It is a must-read for those investigating the role of infection in chronic disease, including researchers and advocates in the Alzheimer's disease and tickborne disease communities. I couldn't put it down!" —Dr. Amanda Elam, CEO and Co-founder of Galaxy Diagnostics, Inc.
 
"This is a heart-wrenching love story and intimate memoir of profound loss at the cruel hands of Alzheimer's Disease. Impeccably detailed, this is a wife's journey navigating a complex medical landscape, leveraging her brilliant scientific mind to unveil the origin of her husband's Alzheimer's. What Lurks in the Woods calls attention to decades of research suggesting infectious, immune and lifestyle factors are all important in the development of this horrific disease. It is a poignant call-to-action for the medical and research communities to develop precise, early strategies for assessing and treating Alzheimer's patients." —Nikki Shultek, Principal and Founder of Intracell Research Group

Russ and Nicole Bell were an upwardly mobile happy couple: two kids, big house, fun hobbies, marvelous life. But something wasn’t quite right—with Russ. He started forgetting things, he got lost, he became enraged, he was harsh with the kids. And he could no longer be trusted with minor responsibilities.

They visited doctor after doctor after doctor to try to determine what was wrong, to no avail. “Alzheimer’s,” they were told, but that didn’t make sense. Russ was too young for that. As the formerly brilliant engineer literally lost his mind and his self, the answer finally became clear—but was it in time?

In this beautifully written but tragic memoir, Nicole Bell documents their journey through the medical minefield as they searched for answers and treatments. This book will inspire people who are suffering from chronic, symptom-based illnesses to dig deeper, so they can find and treat the root causes of their disease before it’s too late.

Nicole Bell is a mom and successful entrepreneur who has advanced her professional career as an engineer and program manager. She became an executive in a fast-growing medical device company, where she built a world-class team in surgical robotics. But in 2017, Nicole's husband was diagnosed with a devastating disease, and she was forced into her most challenging roles yet: caregiver and medical proxy. Unsatisfied with the doctors' answers, Nicole set out on a journey using her engineering mindset to search for the root causes of her husband's illness. She eventually found them and sought treatment—a process that changed her and her entire view of modern medicine.
 
Nicole grew up near Boston and earned a Bachelor's and Master's of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and a Master's of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University. She currently lives near Raleigh, North Carolina, with her two children and dogs.