chocket/carrie from Northern California

[chocket]

Hi, Carrie here from Santa Rosa, Ca. A little about myself. I teach Middle School Science and Math, have had symptoms of Morgellons since 10/04, and am currently working to develop a Support Group system to enable education and support, and provide assistance in living with the disease.

Sonoma County is where it is based, but anyone can join. I welcome new visitors to my site at Sonoma County Morgellons Support Grouphttp:www.carrieschoices.com/Morgellons

chocket/carrie

[jonsi]

You're a great addition here Carrie. Thank you for getting us started on the support group issue. We have talked about it so many times before but never did anything on it.

I went to the link you provided and only saw a blue box with Morgellons written it. Is your work in progress? I'll join! just didn't understand how to.

Itwl.
~jonsi

[hilly]

Hi Carrie.... your support group sounds a great idea...Too far away for me lol... what will members do, meet and chat ? go out to the pub ? How do you manage teaching, do your pupils know about the morgellons ? ie. does it show and do you talk about it, or can you manage to hide it ? I find it so difficult, luckily mine does'nt show and I can cover up the odd lesion, but only my family know and my closest friends. It's such a difficult thing to explain to people who have never heard of it.. Milly x

[chocket]

Thank you to such wonderful replies to both Milli and Jonsi. I gotta tell ya, I'm overwhelmed with the warmth I've received sense coming onboard.

As for where Morgellons is showing, guess where? Yep, my face. The doctors/derms claimed it was cystic acne with self exconneration (sp?). Essentally, picking disorder along with acne. Yet, none of the doctors bothered to really look at these so-called white heads, which weren't white heads, but those darn kritters that tunnel and burrow under the skin, leaving behind trails of scars. The scars on my eyebrows I cover now with bangs. Didn't use to have bangs a year ago. The active lesion on my chin, I try to cover with makeup, which only makes it worse, and by the end of the day, the wound is oozing and reacting.

The one on my chin was the original lesion I started with. At the time I was worried it might be skin cancer, so I was referred to a Head/Neck sp. who surgically cleaned it out and sutured it up. I think on one of the boards I described how within a day after surgery, another lesion started on the other side of my chin, as well as a fiber worked its way out of my suture sight, after the sutures were removed.

I started off the school year in September with minimal lesions, and within the first 3 weeks of school, a small pimple popped up on my chin and within a day it was a full grown lesion. What followed next, was extreme chronic fatigue, which lasted a week. It was at that time I went to doctor and asked for help, though she was hesitant. She ran blood and swabs. Only thing that came back different was my sugar level was borderline pre-diabetes and my ESR levels were high.

But by October, I had heard the announcement from the CDC. I had never really looked at my lesions or what I could get out of them under a microscope, so brought my computer usb/microscope home and really looked. I wasn't shocked to see the fibers, in fact, I was truly excited and called my mother. Because, now I knew I wasn't crazy, (3 doctors had referred me to Psych).

The rest is a story for another day. Fortunately, my principal has been aware of my skin disorder all this time. She actually came down with Shingles. She has been very supportive. I gave her the info about CDC/Kaiser and let her know that I was proactively pursuing the study. Now there was a title/explanation for this ailment. I let my students know bare essentials, but did inform them of a skin disorder that I was seeking medical treatment for. They all took it in stride, and have been very kind. One student has a father interested in govt. coverup....so he sent along a note with his daughter telling me of the Rense.com site. Which of course, I already knew about.

The problems I have are going out in public on bad days, which tend to be most of the time. This has made me become anti-social. I dont really see the other teachers except in passing from a distance, so most of them don't know whats going on. However, the do notice I'm out alot, which gives rise to rumors...I just don't believe its time to fully come out publically about this, given that we don't even know how infectious it is. I do know that all my daughters, 2 of which are now married and gone from the house, never have gotten it. But that may be because, we don't share the same bathroom, towels, soaps, makeups, clothes....either. Deep down somewhere I always took precautions. At school, I spray and wipe down all surfaces daily. And make sure that I wear gloves whenever possible, so that it isn't transmitted through paperwork.

Anyhow enough about me. I have to go mow the yard. We'll see how far it get
Bye for now.
Carrie

[megluth72]

Hi Carrie! Welcome to the board! I really feel for you with what you are going through. I have the exact same symptoms, including the lesions on the chin. Once one finally heals up (after months) a new one shows up as if it has relocated to a new home. I know how you feel about being antisocial. I hate going anywhere now for fear people are staring at me. Occasionally I wear a bandaid which helps with the stares (Bandaid brand clear spot ones are the best and most flesh colored - barely visible). I work with the public and I hate meeting people for the first time in a business setting. I've grown out my hair to help cover my chin at times and learned some crafty makeup tricks. The lesions do get pretty nasty by the end of the day with makeup on and I find them very painful. I've been using pure aloe on my chin and it seems to help with the pain and swelling - although not a cure by any means. Point of all this rambling is to hang in there. We're all here for you. A cure will be found soon. Just know you're not alone, especially with the facial lesions. One day we'll get our skin back and look like we used to (I might need some cosmetic surgery from the scars and added wrinkles by that time!). Keep your chin up and feel blessed that you have a boss you can talk to about it (and mom!) and your students are kind and not mean about it. That's huge. Hugs to you!

[Kritters]

Hey Meg and Chocklet....

Just a note:

A few days ago, I had a major biting/stinging episode on my left upper arm and it woke me up a few times.

I finally got up and put hot water in a bowl with ecovie and salt and used a washcloth to keep pressing it on and it stopped the itching. I don't know it you have itching, but.....when I take a hot bath with the ecovie and salt, it brings the lesions to a scab and clears them up. I love the stuff. I alternated that night between that and silver, so I'm not sure which or if both helped. But I think ecovie is awesome.

xoxo
Kritters

[Jo]

Hello Carrie

Glad you're feeling at home already, thats great! Thanks for sharing some of your story too.

I thinks its interesting that you are in the Kaiser study. Did you manage to contact others on it yet? I think Karen Marie mentioned that Mercury from Lymebusters is also on it.

I can tell you are up for action - so are we

Cheers

Jo xx

[chocket]

Thank you for your loving words everyone, and, my blessings back to you. Wow, we do share much in common. Thanks for the bath tip. Im going to use it.

Great! I think were going to have fun!!!
Carrie

[dragonfly1]

Hi Sister,
I dont post too much but if you look back at some of the posts and pictures I have put on this board, well..........I had literally hundreds upon hundreds of lesions! I am still sick and had an infectious disease dr. diagnois me with Morgellons in 2006. I am on long term disability from my company of 18 years, lost all company benefits and am on cobra insurance for a few more months. I was turned doen 2 times now for SSD but my attorneys are not stopping the effort. I have always had 2 jobs and am a single mother.Paid my dues and then some, but when it comes to asking for help now I am treated like a leopard or a lazy 'gimme' 'gimme' handout person. It is totally frustrating and humbling to say the least. I wish I could post more pics. but it keeps telling me the file is full or another error message. I have posted pics just fine before but oh well. I have huge lesions all over my face, which used to be.......well I was blessed with a few good looks in this lifetime..........NOT ANYMORE!!Love- Light- Peace- Truth