I Was Falling and You Caught Me

by Living With Morgellons

I took my dog to swim in the sea today. I wanted to get to the part where no one goes so he could be off the leash and it would just be us.

To get to that part of the shore, it takes a little trailblazing. I have to go down a steep bank along side a creek. It has been raining so it was slick and with my rain boots being rubber and all I slid and nearly got dumped into the creek.

I was saved when I grabbed onto a tough bushy plant basically growing out of rock. I used the plant to lower myself down and found my footing.

When I looked up at the plant and realized what it was I laughed and thought to myself …”exactly and of course”.

The plant I was looking at was Japanese Knotweed, the toughest she plant around. Japanese Knotweed reproduces with tough rhizomes that can penetrate the most unforgiving terrain.

It grows anywhere and it grows fast. It is difficult to eradicate and no one wants it around because it can destroy foundations and overtake native plants. This is why they call it an invasive species and think it’s a good idea to throw Roundup on it.

The funny part of this story is the reason I went for the walk was because I was ditching this post that I have been trying to write about resveratrol.

Then ten minutes later, there I go sliding down the bank into the hands of Japanese Knotweed which is  one of the places resveratrol comes from and according to Stephen Buhner, it’s one of the best places if you are treating Lyme.

If you have read his book “Healing Lyme” you will see it is at the top of his protocol.

I didn’t  follow his protocol exactly but I did borrow from it and resveratrol was one of my picks.

For those of you that know my story of recovery, you know I did a lot but with a heavy emphasis on medicinal plants. I chose to put japanese knotweed into the mix for several reasons.

After a little research I found that resveratrol is a substance that plants produce when they are under attack by pathogens. For instance, The grapevine will start producing resveratrol when it is under attack from mildew. I couldn’t  help but wonder if this substance might help me fend off pathogens as well.

What really got me interested in Japanese Knotweed was something I remember finding on the internet that Stephen Buhner said. It was so perfect and elegant but I couldn’t find it again.

All day I was trying to recall where or how he said it.

So you know what I did, I sent him a message and asked him and this is what he wrote back:

“Japanese Knotweed tends to emerge in regions where Lyme is becoming endemic; the root of it is specific for Lyme, most especially reducing the brain inflammation that Lyme causes. This is common with many plants and many disease conditions such as sida invading regions where resistant bacterial infections occur.”

How beautiful is that? Not only that he took the time to message back but also what he said.

It is almost as simple as when you are stung by nettle and you rub dock on it to take the sting away. Dock and nettle grow together.

I find it amazing that where Lyme is, there we have this “invasive species” that has this incredible healing power.

It is also a little funny that while many are trying to kill this plant it produces a substance that all those crazy people who want to live forever are paying big bucks for. You may already know that resveratrol is touted as a life extender.

I am revisiting aspects of my recovery because I am trying to figure out which part of what, healed me. I don’t believe I will ever know. I can’t say that Japanese Knotweed was what did it but I can say it did make me feel a lot better.

It made me feel better today when it kept me from getting wet. It also makes me feel better just knowing about it. It makes me understand nature and that there is a rhythm and I do have a place in it.

This is why I care about plants so much. They’re messengers and they go inside me and do mysterious things. I don’t have to know exactly which phytochemical did this or what study said that.

I suppose I am thinking about the more intuitive side of healing and the part our souls understand.

In chronic illness such as Lyme and especially Morgellons, we are often confused as to what to do and we are in it for a long time. No matter what, it is a long hard journey. It has been important for me to find the little gems in the rocky road. It has been important to make my recovery part of my life as opposed to waiting for my life at the end of my recovery.

I think that’s why I chose food. I have to eat anyway, I may as well make it count. I enjoyed cooking before I was ill, so healing myself with plants was not far from the me in my former life. With chronic Illness we are so stripped of ourselves. We have lost a lot. With plants I could keep some of myself no matter how sick I became or who walked out on me. While I did go into Lyme treatment and was treated with some serious pharmaceuticals, I still treated myself with plants and that gave me a sense of empowerment. Also when I was covered in lesions and bedridden and a doctor would not help me the plants were there for me.

I am not suggesting anyone treat themselves or forgo medical care. I am only saying plants have a special place in my heart and along my healing road and they heal me daily. I’m not going to cite any studies about Japanese Knotweed but I will say if you have not read “Healing Lyme” yet, it’s awesome.

Really quick I would also like to say that if you are very ill with Morgellons and are trying to find a doctor that won’t call you delusional, look to the Lyme doctors. My Lyme doctor and others are treating Morgellons as a co-infection to Lyme because many Morgellons sufferers are testing positive for Lyme. Also look to the Lyme naturopaths, herbalists and Ayurvedic practitioners.

For more information about Morgellons disease or to get involved, visit the Charles E Holman Foundation here: http://www.thecehf.org

For more information about Japanese knotweed, Stephen Buhner, the books he has written and his Lyme protocol you may visit his site here: http://buhnerhealinglyme.com

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