Tag Archives: herbal remedies

That Aha moment or better yet ~ No Shit!

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Ever had one of those “Aha” moments, which is quickly followed by “no shit, of course!?” Well, I just had one of them while caring for my 86 year old mother, whose health is declining and getting more complicated by the day. Luckily, I have a great team who are investing a lot of time and effort into my Mom’s quality of life during these challenging times.

I am an herbalist but I have always said that I have a deep respect for allopathic medicine and it has an important place in health care. I enjoy working with a diverse set of modalities (more tools available), but sometimes more allopathic or heroic methods are necessary. It is especially rewarding when I can use multiple modalities in concert, but sometimes it is just not possible. Herbs tend to utilize the body’s own abilities and allopathic medicine or procedures more often puts the brakes on them or in some instances remove them all together.

Recently, my Mother had her Aortic valve replaced, as it was no longer opening enough for her body to receive adequate blood supply. Blood carries oxygen throughout the body and when it is severely limited, it leads to a host of complications. Blood flow is very important for our bodies to live and thrive. After a valve is replaced, a major concern is blood clots forming around the new valve, which can lead to stroke; not good. Therefore, she was put on medicine that prevents her body from clotting as well as thins the blood. At this point, I am sure you are thinking, clotting is good or a person will simply bleed out, and that is a bad thing. Well, when a person is in their final stages, there is a balancing act ~ do nothing, palliative care or try something that may be a game changer. My Mom decided to try the new valve as it had lots of potential and she was only going to take the antiplatelet and blood thinners for 6 months.

To complicate matters, my Mom has been avoiding the dermatologist for quite a long time, as she knew her skin was in bad shape and was scared to find out the truth. We decided to see one recently, only to see how bad things were. We thought we were only going for a consultation but before we knew it, even after I told the doctor that my Mom was on antiplatelet and blood thinners, she took a couple biopsies. We were told that it was just the top layer and we shouldn’t worry. WRONG! My Mother continued to ooze (thank goodness, no gushers) for over a day. I tried my two favorite hemostatic remedies ~ Goldenrod (Solidago, spp.) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) in a tincture form and applied pressure. The wounds stopped oozing for just an hour or so. I was confused and frustrated. Now here is the Aha moment. The herbs work in concert with my Mom’s ability to clot and enhance it. Well, she was on medicines that blocked her ability to clot ~ ergo nothing to enhance. I called the dermatologist and she kindly came to our house since we were just coming out of a major snowstorm and I really couldn’t take my Mom anywhere. She applied a medicine that forms its own scab and stopped the bleeding ~ WoundSeal. It is specific for people that were on antiplatelet and blood thinners.

Understanding our bodies and how they function is a critical step in supporting our health and helping others. We have a diverse set of tools available and it is so important to learn to work with them all. In addition to the different modalities ~ alternative and allopathic, learning from experience may be the most valuable tool.

Have you had any Aha moments? Please share and I will continue to share.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

Healing with what’s in the cupboard

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I love healing with food and herbs. It’s thrilling when I can open my kitchen cupboards and find a remedy that comforts and relieves. This is particularly helpful knowledge for soothing the young and elderly. Their constitutions are particular sensitive to the influence of kitchen and herbal remedies, along with medication. I have a deep respect for allopathic medicine and it has its place in our society but if I can soothe an aliment with food or herbs, you can bet I will go there first.

The elderly, in particular, tend to be over medicated in our society.  When they experience side affects, they are often given something else instead of eliminating or changing medications. Another issue is that as we age, we tend to have an increasingly difficult time giving accurate descriptions of symptoms or even simply remembering specific details. I find doctors often overlook weight loss or gains when prescribing medication, which can present additional problems. When offering herbal remedies it is important to take into account an individual’s weight. A typical dose for a youngling or elder should be lower than for a healthy adult.

Along with many this winter, my 86 year old Mom has been having a rough time. There seems to be quite a few powerful bugs circulating around looking for hosts. The young and elderly are particularly susceptible. My Mom has a rather unique situation as she only has one lung; yes, that’s right, only one. She had her right lung removed due to lung cancer in 1999. Therefore, any type of cough is always a concern.

At the end of last year, she came down with a cough and couldn’t breathe. She was diagnosis with pneumonia, immediately admitted to the hospital and put on IV antibiotics and albuterol treatments. After 4 days, she was discharge without a cough and there was no need for O2 in the home.  Although, she didn’t cough for almost 2 weeks, she has since developed another cough, but her O2 remains good. She is being monitored closely but still has a wet cough.

Many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies can elevate blood pressure, a situation potentially dangerous for the elderly including my Mom. Yet, we are lucky to have a few tools in our cupboards. To help my Mom sleep through the night, I massage Garlic Oil it into her feet. When Garlic Oil is applied to the feet, it enters the system and heads straight for the lungs. To prove the connection – simply take a piece of garlic out of the jar and place it between your toes, sleep, and you will wake up with garlic breathe – crazy but true. Please do not put garlic straight onto a little one’s or elder’s foot as their skin is much more sensitive and the garlic may burn them, garlic oil is okay though. Many people eat garlic for its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, immune boosting, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering properties. Garlic is a great soldier in fighting all bronchial infections. It is also known to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria. It really is fantastic. Moreover, and most of all, it tastes great in most dishes.

Our little jar of garlic oil

Garlic Cough Remedy Recipe

•  Chop up several large cloves of garlic

•  Add garlic and olive oil to a small clean jar and cover

•  Let sit for at least an hour; the longer the better

Massage some garlic oil on the soles of the cougher’s feet (use about the size of a nickel); perhaps focus some attention on the areas just below the toes as it’s connected to the lungs.

•  Put on socks to protect the linens

•  Sleep soundly (everyone!)

Before bed, I also give Mom a ½ teaspoon of Raw honey  (be sure it’s raw as commercial honey growers often supplement the bees with sugar water, which dilutes the medicinal qualities of the honey). Honey is one of my favorite remedies for coughs and is so simple. We are not sure exactly why it works but perhaps when you combine honey’s soothing sweetness, which coats the throat with its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and expectorant qualities, you may find part of the answer.

Although, my Mom is still struggling with her lingering cough, she can now sleep through the nights. And, the most important remedy for illness is sleep.

What do you use from your kitchen cupboards to heal? Please share and I will continue to share.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.