Questions about skin?

[Cindi]

[Lisa]

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[tcmgpt13]

Lisa,

I think it is an oversimplification to say that everyone who has what is called morgellons has lyme as a basis for the infection. I would be more inclined to think that everyone who has this problem has a compromised immune system. Many or most may have the lyme problem in conjuction with morgellons, but probably not every case of morgellons presents with lyme disease. Immune systems may be compromised for more than one reason. Endocrine system problems of any type. Residual illness still in the body (like the chicken pox virus which may in later life become shingles). Genetic disorders of any type. Probably others I have not mentioned. All these could make someone succumb to what is being called morgellons more easily.

A propos, the belief that lyme disease is only caused by a tick bite (generally a deer tick) is currently being challeged by researchers in the field. There is even some speculation that it may be transferred from mother to child in the womb. Or come from other insect bites.

http://www.avonhistory.org/bug/l13.htm

I feel there are too many unaswered questions to be definite on anything.

[Lisa]

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[tcmgpt13]

Hey, hi Lisa,

You sound a bit blue--guess it is hard to stay up all the time when everything seems so serious. The hardest thing is not knowing exactly what it is. The known is easier to handle than the unknown. I think that I am not as concerned about what it is exactly, because I have studied Chinese medicine so extensively. I am more interested in the symptoms and treating them than in knowing what it is under a microscope. Most folks have a Western medicine outlook. Kill the germ, fungus, bug whatever. Eradicate. What most do not realize is that this is never possible. There will always be some remaining troops around the field. Nothing is ever one hundred percent.

I suppose the "why me" question is what makes us human. It is a stage of grief. The classic answer is "well, why not me"? I think we are all given burdens in this life, some more visible than others. I do not feel that we are bad people because this has happened. It may just be a test of character. It could be possible that God even loves us more. I do not know. I hope so anyway.

I am pretty sure that this a complex problem, and that it will be found to have some different answers in different folks, at least some ways. I am fairly certain that my problem is not just the morgellons. I know, because of immediate severe reactions I experienced at the time that the fish I ate gave me parasites and whatever else this is. Not everyone ate fish or even that particular type of fish if they did eat fish, so I doubt all of them would have these exact same parasites. Fish parasites, to name one group of parasites, vary from fish to fish. In my own case I do feel many of the original group of parasites are for the most part gone.

I am not sure where the percentage of folks who get lyme go on to develop morgellons symptoms comes from (10%), since so little is known yet about the morgellons I do not know how anyone could throw a statistic out there without some study of some sort behind it. Sounds to me as if someone out there made a wild guess of some sort.

I saw on another of your posts today that you are now worried your son may have contracted lyme in utero. I hope my post just above this one did not contribute to this worry. If he seems healthy he probably is healthy. Again, because nothing is ever 100%, I am fairly sure that not every child in utero will develop lyme from the mother. There are just too many variables. Remember half of the child's genetics are not yours. Not even all children of AIDS mothers go on to show signs of AIDS. This has been true of all diseases since time immemorial, otherwise humans would have long ago ceased to exist.

Best wishes to you,

tcmgpt13

[Lisa]

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[tcmgpt13]

Lisa,

Sorry about the blues. Not much comfort to say or even admit this, but I think we all would like our old lives back. It is hard not to resent what happens to us. At some point I guess one has to adjust to what is. Now is really all we have, a very oriental way of thinking, but it is so true. The past is past, the future yet to be. Savoring the moment of what is now, well, it does distill the essence of life to us. Good, bad, remember this too shall pass. Something I tell myself every day--it could be worse.

[Lisa]

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[tcmgpt13]

Hi Lisa,

About the herbs, in TCM the herbs are tailored to your symptoms. My practitioner has ordered a new herb for the parasites (and in my case at least some of this is parasites, since there were what he calls blue eggs he could see in my gums). Since using this formula now about six weeks he has each time I go in changed some of the herbs to match changing symptoms. So you can see there is no one size fits all for this type of care. What you need to do (did you say you live close to Detroit?) is to find a really good TCM herbalist in MI if you want to go this route.

Here is someone I found in Detroit area (though not exactly right in Detroit)

http://www.susanjakary.com/

I can tell you that the school she trained in is probably one of the better US schools you could attend to learn TCM. I do not know anything about her other than what I read on her website (BTW it is a really cool website, quite artistic). You might ask around (maybe go to a health food store in that town) if anyone has heard anything about her. Looks like she has at least some herbal training listed on her site, how good she is and if she has ever treated parasites I do not know. Anyway, it might be something for you to think about, if not her than someone else you can find out about. The person has to be good in herbalism as well as acupuncture. Also she seems to use needles in her practice as well as other methods (I never trust the ones who do not ever use needles as they usually are not as well trained in acupuncture).

I think that we have to try different things to get better. Not all will work, but you never know until you try. I am better, and keep getting better, but it is a long process. Still better than giving up.

I do think this has to be treated as parasites to get it out of the body. At least my version does. And I have seen critters that could not pass for mold or bacteria. I am sure they are parasites in part. To be expected in my case as I got it from eating the fish. Not everyone will have the same stuff I am sure. Still I have seen the fibers (but mine are hooked as are some of the critters which I believe are the same as the hooked fibers at a different stage). I have seen the colored blobs of assorted whatever. Some like twigs or pieces of dried grass.

Cleasnsing the colon, the liver, the spleen and/or the kidneys. This is why I suggest you seek professional help. Also treatment can match your symptoms. I would ask, if you do try this person, if she uses raw herbs as well as powders, granules or teapills. I judge these folks on whether or not they know how to use raw herbs. Many of the ones who do not use raw herbs are not as well trained in herbalism (this is a big flaw with some US acupuncture schools, they are weak in teaching herbalism to their students in any meaningful depth).

I know it is hard to see beauty in that which afflicts us, but honestly in my case I have seen some come out from under the skin, white iridescent with pink/blue highlights. Beautiful to look at. I think that knowing that they are just trying to survive and asking them to leave, rather than having a war with them has helped my psyche. Of course, I did not arrive at this place overnight, and when I have in the past been treated with some herbal cancer salves to help draw this out, well the pain it caused was not wonderful. It was hard not to curse the little buggers. It still is hard not to, sometimes. Down days, we all have. I just know though that God never gives us more than we can handle. I still feel that, in my case anyway, there is something connected to cancer about this. These salves would not otherwise have worked. Normal skin remains unaffected by them.

And yes, what you are seeing internally I feel that everyone here probably has as well, they just may not be aware of it yet, since the skin symptoms are so dramatic. I think that in that sense you are fortunate (you see, this gives you a chance to do something about your symptoms because you have noticed them) and that you will not neglect the internal treatment I personally feel all here also probably need. It is not just the skin. In TCM the lungs control the skin! Many parasites like to hide in the lungs, and guess what? In TCM the lungs/large intestine are paired organ systems. Parasites hide in the large intestine (sometimes also the small intestine).

I expect most of the leg connection for you is in the back and insides of the legs which involves the bladder (back of leg), insides of leg-- liver, spleen (I am pretty sure this is present big time in the spleen paired with the stomach). Outside area of leg gall bladder(paired in TCM with the liver) and kidney (paired with the bladder). So you see why I feel you wil have better success if you seek professional help to pursue what is going on with you. Middle of the bottom of foot is Kidney 1, start of kidney meridian.

Hope this is not too long.

Just read some of your other posts on other threads. Just a thought, about it all, if you have a practitioner to help you it will be less scarey. Somehow, knowing you do not have to take care of yourself all alone helps.

I do care. I hope something will work out for you.

Best to you for improving health

[Brenda]

Lisa~ i think we've ALL screamed "why me?" a time or two. me...i've screamed it a thousand times or two................. brenda