Awareness: Morgellons

By Carrie Bertrand

As we all know, traumatic experiences can change lives forever. They can set you on a path to become a whole new person. They can show you who your friends and loved ones really are. The strong will survive and be better and wiser because of them.

Mine started one day with strange fibers protruding out of my skin. Becoming scared for my daughters life and my own set me on a desperate search for answers. Sixteen years later, I learned that the Center for Disease Control (C.D.C.) has a name for those bizarre fibers, and that hundreds of thousands of other families are suffering from this same disease; and its many symptoms. Within the shadows of my story could be many hidden connections and answers to the illnesses that countless people around us are dealing with ever day.

As my own shocking account of first hand Morgellons unfolds with its documented evidence you will be gripped by the horrifying encounters one faces with the fibers from Morgellons disease. You will be encouraged through my desperate search, which led me to God. You will be disturbed by the lack of concern and or answers people are receiving from the medical professionals and our government agencies. Throughout my experience, this has been the most disturbing element through it all.

They now call it Morgellons

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9781467056045

Carrie Bertrand

This is Carrie Bertrand's second book. Her first book "Living the Promises" was her personal journey to finding God. With each book, she has had the heart and mind of reaching and helping people. Because "Awareness" has developed into an even deeper meaning for her, coupled with her passion for helping others, she has opened a networking center. Carrie's vision is have a place to be connected to others for awareness and answers for all our presant and future needs. Carries strength shines through her work and if you would like to find out more about Carrie's networking center check out her website at www.believersbc.com.

Book preview

AWARENESS

MORGELLONS

CARRIE BERTRAND

Image1992056.JPG

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN47403 www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

©2009 Carrie Bertrand. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 7/3/2009

ISBN: 978-1-4389-9840-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4389-9839-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-5604-5(ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009906159

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

DEDICATION 

This book is dedicated to the sufferers of Morgellons Disease, Fibromyalgia and to those who suffer with the many symptoms and illnesses being associated with them. I pray that many will find faith, strength, and hope through the pages within.

Contents

DEDICATION

INTRODUCTION

FOREWORD

Part One

A HORRIFYING TRUE STORY

Chapter 1

DAY ONE OF A LIFE CHANGING JOURNEY

Chapter 2

DAILY DISTRACTIONS

Chapter 3

ULTIMATE DESPERATION

Chapter 4

FINDING THE SOURCE GAVE NEW HOPE

Part Two

HOPE DEFERRED.

Chapter 5

THE NEW ME I DIDN’T LIKE

Chapter 6

UNACCEPTABLE DENIAL

Chapter 7

THE NASTIEST JARS OF WATER EVER SEEN

Chapter 8

WILL THIS NIGHTMARE EVER END?

Part Three

BUILDING A NEW LIFE

Chapter 9

CLOSURE FOR SANITY’S SAKE

Chapter 10

A SHORT VERSION OF THE NEXT FOURTEEN YEARS

Part Four

HEALING THROUGH AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING

Chapter 11

CURRENT DAY MORGELLONS

Chapter 12

YEARS OF BEING MISDIAGNOSED

Chapter 13

NEW FOUND HOPE THROUGH MORGELLONS

Chapter 14

WELLNESS AND PROSPERITY TO THE END, A SPIRITUAL TWIST

Telling the whole truth to the world is not always easy but sometimes dignity and pride has to be set aside in order to achieve a bigger goal.

Therefore I give this Special Thanks

To my family and friends who have been mentioned through these pages, for your support and understanding of why for the purpose of helping others I feel the need to open up personal accounts and make them public. We all experienced and witnessed things we had no clue how to handle and it caused a great stress on our family. Now, through Morgellons research each of us can finally put an end to any doubts of what we saw and of our own experiences. At the same time sharing our story could possibly help thousands of families who are facing those same challenges.

We are finally, free indeed.

I love you all!

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32-John 8:36

Thanks to each of you who have read, edited and encouraged through the writing process and final result of this book. A Special thanks to Leonard Rinaldo, for your enduring hours and dedication. Without you I know I wouldn’t have achieved this same goal. God bless you all!

Note to the readers:

This book is not intended to advise, treat or diagnose any medical condition. This book is written for awareness and educational purposes only and is not intended to encourage self diagnosing. The author must stress the importance of consulting with your family physician before making any nutritional changes to your regular diet. The author must also stress that you do not stop or change any medical treatment or prescriptions without being advised by your family physician.

INTRODUCTION 

In 2002, a center for the investigation of Morgellons Disease was formed, otherwise known as the Morgellons Research Foundation (MRF). In the short time since then, and with very little media coverage, there are over 13,000 families in the United States that are registered through (MRF) and the Center for Disease Control (C.D.C). Those families have come forward relating their own symptoms to those listed in the investigation of Morgellons Disease. One of the main identifying symptoms of Morgellons is a skin disorder caused by bizarre fibers in the Skin. Morgellons is a medical mystery but it is real.

My family developed this skin disease of strange fibers in 1992 and had never heard this name until February of 2008. Since then, I have researched the studies available on Morgellons and learned that the victims today have most of the same common illnesses I was diagnosed with by my physicians over the years. I was shocked to find out that all these other illnesses were connected to those fibers and that resolutions for my health were within my reach and no one had told me.

Morgellons is a serious medical condition that carries with it a number of other illnesses that are all common names in nearly every household in today’s world. Even those who do not have the fibers are dealing with, or know someone with, the other symptoms being associated with this disease. If you can relate to any of the illnesses listed on the cover of this book: awareness alone could possibly bring solutions.

There could be health answers available for thousands still out there who have never heard of Morgellons but suffer with the symptoms. Even after seven years, media coverage has remained almost non-existent, leaving most people, including our physicians, unaware of this disease. With underreporting and misdiagnosing alone there is no telling the actual number of victims. Any person or family having unresolved health issues such as those being mentioned in the investigations have a right to be informed.

Through researching for my own answers for my family, I have begun to contemplate two big questions: Is it possible that many people are suffering unnecessarily due to lack of awareness? Are there medical answers available that are not being given to us by our physicians? While we are waiting for these government and medical answers, there are people dying, and even committing suicide because of this particular disease, and many of the answers we seek, I believe, are already available.

I was devastated when I first heard of Morgellons. Just knowing that so many people are describing the same horrible experiences as mine, was heart wrenching. My own story is written not to bring about more fear of this disease but to help bring awareness and understanding of a demoralizing disease that is spreading throughout our country. Most of all my desire is to support fellow suffers, and bring the same or greater hope that I have found for my family to as many people as possible.

FOREWORD 

February 2008, my phone rang. Upon answering, I heard the anxiety in my sister’s voice as she spoke words I never expected to hear. Oh my God, Carrie, I was just watching the news and they were talking about a skin disease. They call it Morgellons Disease. It is exactly the same thing your family had in their skin with those freaky fibers. You are not going to believe this—there are thousands of people that have the same thing. You can’t be serious, I replied. Her response was very confident. I wrote it down to be sure I had the correct spelling, so you can go on line and see it for yourself. She said, Do you have a pencil and paper?

As soon as I started writing down the information, I felt the apprehension begin. It continued to build even more as I waited for the computer to tell me I was connected on line. Reluctantly, I typed in www.morgellons.com

. As soon as the web-site came up on the screen, I felt an old yet still familiar nervousness as I read the articles, watched the news video and browsed some of the photos. That’s it, no question I thought as I turned it off quickly thinking, I don’t want to know. I can’t let my mind go back there.

Two weeks later I had another phone call from my niece with that same anxious tone in her voice saying, Aunt Carrie, Kevin and I were just watching the news and saw other people describing exactly what you described and showed me years ago. You’re not going to believe this, she continued. There are thousands of people from all over the world who have been reporting the same symptoms you had. The C.D.C is investigating it, and even they are referring to them as strange alive-like fibers.

My mind had drifted away from her words for a moment, as my thoughts began spiraling through those tortured memories I had been forced to bury, in a grave of unresolved mysteries so long ago. There was a part of me that filled with excitement for a long awaited truth and closure, but another part of me still did not want to go back there. As I turned back into her words she was saying, The C.D.C doesn’t know of a cure for it, and they don’t know where it comes from. Didn’t you find the cause, and get your family healed from those fibers and sores years ago?

With slight hesitation I replied, Yes.

The conversation seemed to change course as she began talking about those strange fibers from our past, as if she was reliving the experiences all over again but seeing them for the first time. This time, she spoke of them as if she believed they were real and her words came across somewhat in the form of an apology. Admittedly, she said, When you would show me those things from your skin back then, even though I saw something there, I had a hard time believing you were not imagining some of the weird things you described. Now, after all this time, I hear there are thousands of other people describing the same things. How could I not believe that it was true?

She then gave me the web-site information she had written down and said, You need to contact them. You might be able to help these people.

Once again I sat in front of the computer going to the places she directed me to. The desperation in the victims’ letters and videos brought back such vivid memories of my own—desperate, pleading for answers that a heartfelt compassion overwhelmed me. I knew she was right. Even if it only gives peace of mind to one family, it is possible that telling my story will help, so I have to do this.

After turning off the computer I began considering how my story could help others. Sixteen years ago there was no internet for me to find out if others were experiencing the same symptoms as I was. I was on my own, and I would have given anything for someone to come forward if they had even the slightest belief, answers, or possibility for hope of a cure. I believe my story can give credibility to the bizarre descriptions of these fibers that others are describing today because of documented proof and many witnesses. I also believe that my story can possibly take the Morgellons Research Foundation to a causative agent, which is what they say they are looking for in their investigations.

For fourteen years I have blocked out those horrible memories of my experience with those nasty fibers until now: when I believe others may need to know, and the world may be ready. Beware some of the details in my true story are that of which you would expect from a horror movie. As a matter of fact I recently read an article on Morgellons where a skeptic said that people are making up these fibers for a horror movie next year.

So, I tell my story in their defense, and ask that you hold on to your hope. Some of the most frightening or saddest stories can have the happiest endings. My story was one that ended with a spiritual twist, as I found out. If you don’t already know how to pray—you will learn if you are living with this disease.

Part One

A HORRIFYING TRUE STORY

Chapter 1

DAY ONE OF A LIFE CHANGING JOURNEY 

It was the second Day of January 1992. The snow was brisk and cold which is typical, for a winter day in Michigan. I had picked up our one year old daughter from her day care and had driven the short distance home. After getting her unbundled and settled in with some toys, I started making dinner. Hearing the garage door open, I called out to her Ashley, daddy’s home. She headed to the door to greet him with her usual excitement.

We had come home from work that day at the usual time, we had dinner and chatted about our day for a while over coffee, cleaned up and went into the living room to relax and watch television. My husband was in his chair and I was sitting on the couch. As I sat there, I noticed I