"I have the weird, incurable disease that seems like it's from outer space."
Joni Mitchell's music remains as vibrant today as it was all those years ago. But her physical health is another story.
And now, we're learning more about the mystery that may be to blame for her emergency hospitalization this week.
It's a bizarre ailment known as Morgellons syndrome. People suffering from Morgellons have strange fibers growing out of their bodies. It's like something from a horror movie. They say it feels as if bugs are crawling under their skin.
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Many experts believe Morgellons syndrome is a psychiatric disorder, including Dr. Charles Sophy. INSIDE EDITION's Diane McInerney asked Dr. Sophy, "Is there anything really there?"
"Usually, no," said Dr. Sophy. "I've had several cases of this over the last 20 years. Some people feel there are bugs in their scalp. We have had biopsies down to the cranium, and there's nothing there."
Mitchell calls Morgellons "a slow, unpredictable killer." [Source: L.A. Times]
"I have this weird, incurable disease that seems like it's from outer space," Joni Mitchell once said of her condition. "Fibers in a variety of colors protrude out of my skin like mushrooms after a rainstorm. They cannot be forensically identified as animal, mineral or vegetable."
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McInerney asked Dr. Sophy, "What is she talking about? What is she feeling?"
Dr. Sophy replied, "She's actually thinking and she's actually feeling that this stuff is real."
For Joni Mitchell, the mystery continues.