I'm a friend of someone who suffers :(

[jsfriend]

Hi Everyone,
So glad to know this forum is here! My problem involves a friend who just recently discovered she has Morgellons. She has battled it for years but since losing her husband (he died), her latest "outbreak" is seriously debillitating. She also has OCD with this sometimes picking away at the fibers for hours and not eating or sleeping. I used to be a psych nurse and don't want to enable her so I just keep suggesting she drive over to my house and I'll feed her..& help her get her focus off this thing. So far, not much progress and I'm beginning to really worry.PLEASE if anyone has a suggestion as to how I can best help her let me know! She is very private and probably won't get on this site but I'd feel better if I could at least send along info...
Thanks!!

[Kritters]

Dear JSfriend,

You are a fabulous person. A psych nurse and you are reaching out past your expertise, which shows your compassion and intelligence. Your friend is very fortunate.

I had OCD as a child but overcame it by a few different ways. That was many years ago, but I'm sure it can be resurfaced at times of major stress and lowered system immunity. But when I began having these lesions that wouldn't heal before or after scabbing, I also began the obsession of picking. Then I was obsessed with figuring out what caused them and what was inside. I'm a picker anyway, so now I have about 5 on my upper arm which are totally intent upon antagonizing me ;-) I'm using treatments on them and they are clearing up.

I wish there was a way you could reach her to get into this forum. Possibly if you could pick some posts with which she could identify so she doesn't think she's alone.

You're the psych person, I know you can do it!

Best,
Kritts

[niecy]

Hello jsfriend,

I'm sorry your friend has Morgellon's. Was she diagnosed with it? From your post it kind of looks like you are not sure that this is a real "physical" illness.

If she does indeed have this, it is real. So trying to get her mind "off" of it will not help. It will hurt more in the long run, because she will think that you don't believe her.

You say you don't want to "enable" her, enable her to what? Do you think this is mental or physical? For you to help someone who has this you will first have to educate yourself, because it it not a mental illness. It has some mental manifestations, and rightly so.

The worst thing anyone, who loves someone who has this, can do is to patronize the person who has it. It is very devastating to say the least. The devastation involves the mind, body, and soul.

If you will pm Carla, or anyone that is active on the forum, we can get you a list of doctors that live close to your friend.

God bless you and your friend.

Niecy

There is tons of information on this forum and all over the internet.

Originally Posted by jsfriend

Hi Everyone,
So glad to know this forum is here! My problem involves a friend who just recently discovered she has Morgellons. She has battled it for years but since losing her husband (he died), her latest "outbreak" is seriously debillitating. She also has OCD with this sometimes picking away at the fibers for hours and not eating or sleeping. I used to be a psych nurse and don't want to enable her so I just keep suggesting she drive over to my house and I'll feed her..& help her get her focus off this thing. So far, not much progress and I'm beginning to really worry.PLEASE if anyone has a suggestion as to how I can best help her let me know! She is very private and probably won't get on this site but I'd feel better if I could at least send along info...
Thanks!!

[jsfriend]

Thanks for the sweet reply Kritters,
I don't know how great a friend I am but I'm trying
I already told her about the Burts Bee's remedy I found here and she said she'd try it. I think what hurts her most is that whenever she went on antibiotics in the past it went away (sometimes for a year or two) but this time antibiotics aren't working...and she's SO run down. I asked her (again) to get on this but no luck. I've always heard "you're only as sick as your secrets" and even though coming "out" here won't necessarily cure her , at least she'd find some common ground and a sympathetic ear.
oh well...I'll pass along the wise advise I find . Again, many thanks!

Originally Posted by Kritters

Dear JSfriend,

You are a fabulous person. A psych nurse and you are reaching out past your expertise, which shows your compassion and intelligence. Your friend is very fortunate.

I had OCD as a child but overcame it by a few different ways. That was many years ago, but I'm sure it can be resurfaced at times of major stress and lowered system immunity. But when I began having these lesions that wouldn't heal before or after scabbing, I also began the obsession of picking. Then I was obsessed with figuring out what caused them and what was inside. I'm a picker anyway, so now I have about 5 on my upper arm which are totally intent upon antagonizing me ;-) I'm using treatments on them and they are clearing up.

I wish there was a way you could reach her to get into this forum. Possibly if you could pick some posts with which she could identify so she doesn't think she's alone.

You're the psych person, I know you can do it!

Best,
Kritts

[jsfriend]

Hello Niecy and thank you for your reply. She is self diagnosed but knows I believe her and we both know it's real. This unfortunately is a duel dilema because of the OCD., (It isn't only with the Morgellons)...
By enabling I mean treating her as a child and/or buying into a pity party. I've worked w/OCD/addicts in the past and some of the worst things to do are condescend, patronize, or do something for them they can do themselves.
I just don't know what's too much or not enough with this disease (??)
I don't know how to PM on this but will look around...Thank you

Originally Posted by niecy

Hello jsfriend,

I'm sorry your friend has Morgellon's. Was she diagnosed with it? From your post it kind of looks like you are not sure that this is a real "physical" illness.

If she does indeed have this, it is real. So trying to get her mind "off" of it will not help. It will hurt more in the long run, because she will think that you don't believe her.

You say you don't want to "enable" her, enable her to what? Do you think this is mental or physical? For you to help someone who has this you will first have to educate yourself, because it it not a mental illness. It has some mental manifestations, and rightly so.

The worst thing anyone, who loves someone who has this, can do is to patronize the person who has it. It is very devastating to say the least. The devastation involves the mind, body, and soul.

If you will pm Carla, or anyone that is active on the forum, we can get you a list of doctors that live close to your friend.

God bless you and your friend.

Niecy

There is tons of information on this forum and all over the internet.

[Robin]

hello jsfriend i have a good friend like yourself and i had kinda isolated myself also. when she hunted me down i told her i didn't want her or anyone else getting this from me her reply was she wasn't worried about it if she were to get it she would already have it anyways.she would deal with it. it truly is one of lifes greatest treasure to have real true friends. i think all of us morgies pickat ourselves so i can't imagine what your poor friend is going thru its hard enough not picking without having ocd! i personally think that if her enviroment is cleaned as best as it can be because this stuff is ruthless ! but i mean vacumn bedding,couches ,rugs basically a good thorough cleaning will at least help her mind feel better.i know it helps me when i don't feel good.if you will be helping her i know how hard it is to do it yourself when your not feeling your best.i suggest wearing gloves and a bandanna or something to cover your hair.
hope this helps
best wishes to you two.
robin

[chester]

jsfriend, My path has led to comparing microscopic photos of my facial samples with the 39 stages of the marine animal...abalone. It secretes calcium carbonate in the form of crystals and prisms and nacre to make its shell. The calcite and aragonite are an incrediblely tough substance and even scientists cannot duplicate its intricate structure. "Picking" is a rather embarrasing and uneducated term for describing the huge challenge that faces those whom are on the leading edge of discovering how to remove this not only from our skin, but...possibly tunnels of it that may be hooked into bone, muscle,nerve and sinuses and ect. This pathetic nightmare of lack of information, protection and direction has created a personal crisis that can only be met by tremendous strength of will and determination. The obsessive compulsive disorder of an unidentified and successfully reproducing dwarf marine animal embedding itself into our lives, taking our nutrients and dumping its uric acid, carbon dioxide, and sealing itself in hiding while it tunnels thru our God given right to choose life....has got to be brought to light and stopped. The gifts and talents of all who come here combine a mighty force against this global catastrophy, and we would welcome your friend to join this fight for life and would be honered and blessed by her reports and observations. We have the right and duty to rule over and defeat this bizarre intruder, and apparently have been called to give up our life for a time to do this. Give your friend this invitation to come help. Nancy

[Natalie]

Nancy, that is exactly what I was thinking as I sat waiting for a bus today. We have given up our lives for a time. Boy oh boy I can see now how ungrateful I use to be before I got sick! Big deal I use to give people rides or lend money or buy groceries! I didnt care for myself at all. Nothing was good enough, especially me. Now I am grateful for a clean sheet. I dont have a washing machine.( landlord wont allow it otherwise I would!) Are we being set apart? Im so lonely. Its hard. I cant be around my family cause I am highly allergic to them, there clothes there homes.

Anyway. Im trying to make sense out of this sensless disease. Sense in my heart about how I feel about myself. This disease has caused me to look within more than any time I can remember. This is harder than a death. God forbid. I love my family so much.

We are being set apart, and Im glad to have met the good people from this site. I dont know what I would do without you. The posts are so revealing to me about human nature, the world and where we are going as a human race.

I dont know about anyone else but I feel like Im watching the world fall aprt. And noone but us can see it. So strange.

Hello friend of a Morgs sufferer. I also have a friend who has this disease, we havent met but talked on the phone. My prayers are with her tonight. There is a great possibility of her passing from this. Along with Morgs she was born with hardly any immune system. She may have to have bone marrow transplant. She gets Meningitus yearly and is worried about lymph cancer, she just had tests done. I dont think I could handle that. She had fibers tested by a parasitologist and he found 6 different critters. Her ID doc just tested for Strongyloids but test isnt back, it got sent to Mayo clinic. Jeepers, she is so kind, so smart and artistic! I truly love her now. I hope she is the one to be found.

They arent looking hard enough, or smart enough if you ask me.

Nice to read your words Nancy!! Lovely. Thankyou for sharing your self. Hope to be of help for you, love Natalie