Statement from Dr. Randy Wymore - June 19, 2007

[kbubb]

I am posting a recent message from Dr. Wymore addressing several issues:


June 19, 2007

A position statement from Randy S. Wymore on the topic of Morgellons Disease
and other Morgellons-related issues:

1. Delusions of parasites (DOP) is a diagnosable condition.

2. Neurotic excoriations can be found in the general population.

3. Crystal-meth users as well as some other addictive substances can cause
DOP or DOP-like symptoms and severe skin problems.

4. The condition known as Morgellons Disease, or Morgellons Syndrome (the
CDC preference for labeling this condition), is none-of-the-above. Researchers
and clinical faculty at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
have been looking into Morgellons Disease for several years now. We do not
know a) the cause of Morgellons, b) what the fibers, black specks, granules or
other unusual "shed" material are made of, or c) any conclusively effective
treatment. We do know that some samples of fibers associated with Morgellons
Disease are not simple textiles of animal, plant or synthetic nature.

5. Does everyone who thinks they have Morgellons Disease actually have it?
Undoubtedly, the answer is no. There is no way to determine the percentage of
self-reported registrants that actually have Morgellons Disease. Of the many
thousands who have self-reported at the OSU web-based registration site we do
not know whether 1% actually suffer from DOP or 90%. Of the thirty or so
patients claiming to have Morgellons disease, that clinical faculty have examined
in facilities associated with OSU, only one patient likely did not have Morgellons.

6. There is no clear and simple diagnostic test yet to confirm or rule out
Morgellons. Still, 100% of the patients, that were felt to genuinely have
Morgellons Disease, have large microscopic-to small macroscopic fibers visible
under their outer layer of skin. These fibers are not associated with scabs or
open lesions, nor are they under scarred tissue. The idea that Morgellons fibers
are mere fuzz and lint, simply sticking to the lesions and scabs, is not possible
based on the observations that were just described. These fibers are under
"normal-appearing" areas of skin. In contrast, such fibers have never been
observed in even one person who does not claim to have Morgellons. Clearly,
there is something different in the skin of purported Morgellons sufferers
compared to the non-Morgellons population. The writing of manuscripts, for
submission to scientific and medical journals, detailing our observations is a work
in progress. Preliminary observations were presented at the annual Molecular
Medicine TriConference during late January/ early February in San Francisco,
with a title of: "Physical Evidence in Morgellons Disease".

7. This conference was attended by physicians and biomedical scientists from
various universities, biotechnology companies and major pharmaceutical
companies. Those scientists and physicians who viewed the presentation from
the preliminary evidence through to the conclusions made no attempt to "debunk"
the presentation. They asked the kind of rigorous questions that are expected
from a highly trained, skeptical and critical audience. Their reactions tended to
be surprise, shock and puzzlement. Not one single person tried to convince
his/her colleagues, or me, that I was mistaken in the conclusion that Morgellons
Disease is real physical pathology of unknown cause.

8. Amateur debunkers carry no weight in academia and have no relevance in the
discussion of Morgellons Disease in the scientific and medical community. Since
the clinicians (both D.O. and M.D.) and scientists at the conference I mentioned
above did not debunk a formal presentation on the topic of Morgellons Disease,
why would an amateur think that they could? An amateurish debunking
approach is often nothing more than a type argumentative arrogance. A person,
or persons, manages to attract an audience that will participate in the argument
and it gives the debunker a sense of power. What goes on at debunking sites is
most definitely NOT scientific debate and critical inquiry. Critical scientific debate
occurs at conferences (regional, national or international), during seminars and
during the editorial review when scientific manuscripts are submitter. If an
amateur debunker (unless the debunker is paid for the debunking services, in
which case she/he would be a professional debunker) feels that they can
compete in the professional scientific arena, let them submit an abstract to a
conference or a manuscript to a scientific journal (a legitimate, peer-reviewed
scientific journal). The results would be laughable; probably not to the debunker,
but the reality of the world is that none of the mainstream journals that are peerreviewed
would publish such a manuscript. The internet is a wonderful forum for
discussions of all sorts and a place where information can be obtained on just
about any subject imaginable. If a person, or group of people, wish to spend
time deconstructing the words, comments and images of others, or to try to
debunk what they view as unreal, then that is certainly their option in life. I
personally do not find that it would be very personally satisfying. In my mind,
such efforts are, at the very least, a waste of valuable time and at the worst,
hurtful. What good can come of it? If the Morgellons community TRULY was
delusional, then a debunking site would not convince them not to be delusional.
Truly delusional behavior is a psychological condition; one cannot "cure" a
delusion by simply arguing against the delusion on an internet site. The
delusional person will not simply read the words and in near-miraculous form
say, "Oh my, I really am delusional. Now that I know this I can give up my
delusion. Thank you for pointing out the obvious and curing me." Since that will
not happen, then what good can come from the debunking site? It is difficult to
use the word "good" when the main accomplishment of such a site is to cause
consternation and further emotional pain to an already suffering population. The
reason is that, while the professional medical and scientific community will pay
no attention to a debunking website, the same cannot be said for the friends and
family of the Morgellons sufferer. Words are powerful and when spoken in an
authoritative fashion those loved ones of a Morgellons sufferer may well feel that
the debunking arguments clearly prove that Morgellons is not real. In a formal
debate ANY position can be effectively argued. It is possible to argue a position
that one does not even believe in during a debate. It is all about skill with words,
the ability argue in a logical and convincing fashion and a personal talent for
thinking fast on one's feet. When debates are judged in high-school and
college/university settings, the winner is not the contestant that bases his/her
argument on truth, reality or the socially accepted constructs; it is the person who
can argue their point the most effectively. Most debunkers are quite good at this.
That is why true scientific debate is not carried out using the same judging
standards as a competitive debate. Generally, scientists try to understand the
world around them. Scientific "debate" is all about experimental design,
methods, materials, quality and reproducibility of data and conclusions. And that
type of debate can only occur between scientific peers.

9. Recently, OSU-CHS has established a Center for the Investigation of
Morgellons Disease and the OSU Foundation has established a Morgellons
Research, Education and Treatment Fund for individuals wishing to make taxdeductible
donations to help in trying to sort out this mystery that is called
Morgellons Disease. Physician associated with this Center are not seeing
patients at this time as there is nothing to offer in the way of treatment options.
We are currently focusing our efforts into examination of the fibers and other
shed material observed in Morgellons Disease. Why? Because we stand a
better chance of determining the cause of Morgellons Disease once we
understand what the physical and chemical nature of the unusual fibers are.
Once the cause of Morgellons Disease is identified it will be more likely that an
effective treatment and, ultimately, a cure will be devised. I applaud the many
physicians and nurses who ARE attempting to treat Morgellons Disease by trying
different strategies. It will be wonderful if one of them stumbles onto a complete
cure for the disease. In an academic or medical school setting that approach is
not workable. Before human subjects can be used or so-called clinical trial
established, there must be an arguable rationale for the treatment. Until the
cause of Morgellons can be established (bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic, genetic,
or none-of-the-above) such a rationale cannot be provided. A statement
regarding the role and goals of OSU-CHS and Morgellons Disease has been
provided to this website.

10. There are many ideas and conspiracies regarding the cause of Morgellons
Disease to be found circulating about the internet. Many Morgellons sufferers
are convinced they know what the cause is. Here at the OSU-CHS Center for
the Investigation of Morgellons Disease we are rooting all efforts in a central
tenet of scientific thought: the testable hypothesis. Efforts to find microorganisms
associated with Morgellons are a process of elimination. We use molecular
biology techniques to try to identify the presence of DNA sequences of candidate
organisms and chemical and physical analyses to characterize the fibers and
other Morgellons-associated material. At The Center, we are not competing
against other researchers or anyone's "pet hypothesis". Often in science there is
a race to beat competing labs. There is so much suffering with Morgellons that
the only race from my perspective is a race to end the suffering. For those who
read this and then feel the need to analyze and micro-analyze this position
statement for debunking purposes or to try to divine my "real" motivation and
intentions why deconstruct away! For those who are suffering from Morgellons
Disease, I can only encourage you to hang on and try to not despair. This
summer there are 2 medical students, an undergraduate, a graduate student, 2
physicians in their residencies, a laboratory technician and several
biomedical/clinical faculty at OSU-CHS and other universities, that are working
on this mystery. One or two people can only complete a limited amount of work.
Collectively, this group will be able to accomplish so much more than could
otherwise be envisioned. Whether the answers to the questions surrounding
Morgellons Disease come from Tulsa, Oklahoma, another state, another country
or bits and pieces from here and there is not what should be focused on. The
point of focus that should be maintained is that the answers WILL be
forthcoming; who comes up with the answers and where they are located are
only details.

Sincerely,
Randy S. Wymore, Ph.D.
Director, OSU-CHS Center for the Investigation of Morgellons Disease
Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology
Oklahoma State University
Center for Health Sciences
1111 W. 17th St.
Tulsa, OK 74107

[curious]

Thanks, Bubba, for sharing this most informative statement. God speed the investigators in their scientific work.

[carla]

Wow That`s great information.Lot`s of questions answered.I love that Randy guy.

[hummingbird]

Thanks bubba, this is great news!!! Yes, that Randy guy is in my heart too!

[Lisa]

[BugSick]

When they start researching BIOREMEDIATION
USING NANO microbes to clean our environment and a free for all since the 1980's

they will find their answers....


BIOREMEDIATION 101

Bioremediation uses living organisms to clean up contaminated soil or water. Despite its broad definition, bioremediation usually refers specifically to the use of microorganisms. Bioremediation is a combination of two words – bio, short for biological, and remediation, which means to remedy. The use of plants to clean up the environment, known as phytoremediation, is also considered a type of bioremediation, and is covered as a separate topic on this Web site.