Science Forums 2

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by Cedars

Yes but from the abc link [ABC News: Bugs in Your Skin? Medical Mystery Probed] I posted and referenced in the wiki link [Morgellons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]:

Forensic scientist Ron Pogue at the Tulsa Police Crime Lab in Oklahoma checked a Morgellons sample against known fibers in the FBI's national database. "No, no match at all. So this is some strange stuff," Pogue said in 2006. He thought the skeptics were wrong. "This isn't lint. This is not a commercial fiber. It's not."

I assume when he uses the term skeptic, he is referring to the people who are from the Morgellons camp, rather than the medical community who are putting this into the lint category.

I think Pogue is referring to “skeptics” as the MDs and others who assert that “morgs” (as interested people appear to abbreviate them) are ordinary fibers from the patients’ surroundings. It wouldn’t make sense for him to be referring to people who claim morgs are not ordinary fibres, since he’s agreeing with them that they are not.

In any case, I think the CDC/Kaiser study is the right way to address the question. Practicing clinicians are not research scientists, and lack the tools and training to address questions like the preceding “source of the fibers”. Law enforcement forensic experts like Pogue are not necessarily better equipped, following procedures that are in many ways as narrow-purpose/goal-oriented as those available to clinicians (as well as being terribly poorly peer supervised and reviewed). Journalists such as the abcnews articles anonymous author are certainly poorly trained and equipped. Clinicians’goals are to make the patient better. Forensic experts’ goals are to assist police and court officers with prosecuting and convicting the correct people (and, regrettably it seems with a somewhat lower priority, not prosecuting and convicting the incorrect people). Journalists goals are … not innately conducive to good health. None of these professions are, by training or methods, well suited to basic questions such as identifying the source of a heavily contaminated fiber.

At a first glance, I’m disposed toward the “from the environment” explanation of morgs. I’ve personal experience with finding large, disturbing amounts of fibers in large scrapes on my own body, often under the granulated and even smooth scar tissue that forms as they heal. The histine-rich fluid in a healing abrasion is very tacky, and attracts fibers and other environmental debris. While I’ve also had a few ingrown hair that became infected, suppurated, and appeared as a curly mass in an open sore, the samples I’ve seen identified as morgs look to me more like the former than the latter.

Originally Posted by Cedars

It may turn out that I am going to have to apologize to him (and face his anger as he relives that anguish and despair he felt as I sided with the doctors because no one believed him). I think I would prefer that, rather than keep the memory as is, he scarred himself over nothing.

I’ll stick with my original “keep quiet, wait and see” advice. If Morgellons is a primarily psychiatric condition, acquainting someone who is or has suffered from it to a large body of poorly scientifically substantiated claims that it is not could be very unhelpful. If, as appears unlikely, scientific studies show otherwise, effective therapies are likely to result, should your ex have a recurrence.

I get the impression that, like many medical professionals, you tend to consider psychiatric illness to be somehow less “legitimate” than purely physical illness. I don’t think this is the true – good caregivers understand, I think, that mental illness is as real and important as illness in people of impeccable sanity. Scientifically understanding the real cause of a condition such as Morgellons, and being able support the explanation with well-controlled scientific data, is an essential first step in its effective treatment, whether that treatment is psychiatric or otherwise.

Personally, I believe the old aphorism that “the truth (as best we can know it) will set you free.” Sometimes, the truth is that a disorder widely considered psychiatric actual is. In such a situation, no matter how strong ones wishes and motivations, attempting to prove otherwise doesn’t server truth, further freedom, or promote health. Science, such as will be done in the coming months and years by the CDC and Kaiser, is, I’m strongly convinced, the most effective tool we have in finding the truth, and best helping the ill of all kinds.

Best wish to you and your ex – be well and thrive.