Integral Health at The Zoo Fence

About Homeopathy

Homeopathy (sometimes spelled homoeopathy) is probably my favorite discipline within the area of healing that requires some kind of external application. By that I mean that, ultimately of course, all healing is done on a transcendent level, in that it is the consciousness that is healed, and that enables the body to manifest a healing; nonetheless, most of us need something to sink our teeth into, so to speak, and “external healing” methods offer that to us. There’s a French proverb that makes this point very nicely: “God heals the patient, the physician takes the fee”. At some level, all of us realize that, I think, but still we sometimes need a relationship with an external framework, a physician or a discipline.

Originally, I was an advocate and committed disciple of allopathic healing. In fact, I took my college degree in biology with the intent of possibly pursuing medicine. Since then, I have studied and used all kinds of alternative healing methods, from acupuncture, herbs and herbal extracts, and essential oils, to mental healing, massage, “taking waters”, and more. It has been my own personal experience that all healing methods have their virtues. None is without benefits, including in particular the now popularly maligned allopathic remedies. (There IS a place for modern medicine, for it too has its miracles.)

Still, I have found that, when its use is called for, homeopathy seems to have the most benign and deepest acting and longest lasting effects, and usually without any of the side effects that sometimes occur with some other methods. Indeed, in many cases it seems to be the only effective method of treatment, after all other treatments have failed. (This is a particularly interesting side of homeopathy. It frequently gets the most hopeless cases, after all other methods of treatment have been tried and failed. Often, the individual is in a state of degenerating health, if not almost comatose, and yet, despite this, homeopathy continues to cure these most hopeless cases!) I am not suggesting that homeopathy is without side effects. Wrongly applied with inaccurate remedies, or even sometimes with correct remedies, homeopathy can create in sensitive individuals all sorts of bizarre symptoms, including (1) a kind of “proving” (a process whereby the symptoms that the remedy normally cures are expressed through the individual taking the remedy, but which fortunately can be antidoted), or (2) an aggravation of the presenting problem, which is sometimes a proof of the correctness and healing property of the remedy, but it can be very uncomfortable or in some more serious diseases dangerous, or (3) uncovering or releasing a previous illness within the individual that is part of the process of cure in homeopathy.

However, properly employed and with knowledgeable discretion, the usual process of homeopathic remedy is benign, painless, effortless, and almost unnoticeable. Indeed, frequently, the improvement is so subtle and so totally pervasive in that it transforms the whole person (not just the symptom), that the individual may not recognize that improvement has occurred and the condition disappeared until after the fact, sometimes weeks or months later. This surprise “realization” and seeming forgetfulness of the presenting problem in the first place is very common with the use of homeopathy. Perhaps that explains why there seldom is follow-up; the patient simply gets on with his or her life, and forgets entirely that he and she was once sick! In any case, the effects and miraculous cures that sometimes (frequently) occur with the proper use of homeopathy is astonishing, and completely goes against most rational thought. In a word, it works.

For example, our family dog developed rectal cancer early on in her life. The veterinarian diagnosed it as genetically inherited and ultimately fatal. After operating on her to remove the polyps, many of which he could not reach to remove, he suggested we prepare ourselves for her death, more than likely within a year at best, a few months at worst.

I put her on a dose of Hydrastis 30X, and augmented her intake of calcium, since there are studies which suggest that low calcium intake can increase incidence of polyps and colon cancer in humans. The cancer disappeared, and has not returned (this took place many years ago). The vet attributed the cure to luck; he, like many, is loathe to give homeopathy credit. Indeed, the founder of homeopathy died at the age of 89 bemoaning this fact over 100 years ago.

Another anecdotal story is from a homeopath in our area, an MD who used to have an allopathy practice. One evening his young son accidentally smashed several fingers in a car door. Because of the prevailing circumstances, he could not treat his son’s injury in any other way than with Arnica Montana 30X. Then, after witnessing a complete, painless restoration within 24 hours of taking the Arnica, this physician turned to practicing homeopathy exclusively.

I personally experienced early on homeopathy’s profound effects after suffering a burn on my forearm from hot oil that spilled from a broiler pan as I removed it from the oven on a festive occasion. Immediately, the arm reddened and began to blister. The pain was intense. I took Cantharis 30X, and also melted a tablet of it in water, and applied that to the burn directly. The pain ceased within minutes. The only after affect was, about a week later, a sloughing off of a very thin layer of skin, which was bran-line, and actually looked like a thin layer of dirt. There was no scarring, and no further blistering. The most astonishing aspect of this treatment took place about a half hour after I had taken the remedy. I drank from a glass of wine, and immediately, the pain returned. At the time, I recalled that sometimes wine can antidote a homeopathic remedy, so I hastily retook Cantharis. Shortly, the pain ceased! What is most curious about this is that the wine was obviously still in my system, so one might logically conclude that taking more Cantharis would not be effective, since the antidote (the wine) was still present, and would continue to antidote. Nonetheless, the remedy worked! And immediately! I cannot explain that in any rational way; still, it worked just as homeopathy is designed and predicted to work.

I could relate still more stories, from my own experience and others’; these few are just to make my point. Homeopathy – when properly employed, in moderation, and according to its founder’s principles of single and smallest dose, least repetition necessary, correct potency, and appropriate remedy according to the individual’s total profile — is consistently effective, often nearly miraculously. Why this is so is still a matter of debate. That it confounds the apparently logical and rational point of view is a great stumbling block towards its acceptance and general use. Nonetheless, it has proven to me personally, and to those close to me, that it works, and is effective. I cannot argue with experience, whatever or however obscure and mysterious its mechanisms may be!

Homeopathy and Psychiatry

While I was formally studying homeopathy, my tutor (she who reviewed my papers and tests, considered my progress, and so on) was a psychiatrist practicing in New York City. At first, psychiatry seemed to me a strange discipline to be using homeopathy, but as I have discovered, homeopathy is useful in many ways, besides physiological. Indeed, the deepest layer of healing takes place in the mental sphere, or consciousness of an individual, which, of course, from a spiritual perspective, makes absolute sense.

Personally, I have found that, when I treat physical symptoms, the mental symptoms that each remedy works on are treated coincidentally. Just so, treating a person with his or her “constitutional remedy” will ultimately cure a person of most, if not all, his or her ills. Constitutional homeopathy seeks to discover, through interview and observation, all (or as many as possible) of a person’s idiosyncrasies, character traits, tendencies, preferences, fears, ailments, pleasures, inclinations, etc.; then, compiling all of those, a remedy is sought that is similar to or has the same overall picture which that compilation presents. If a homeopath discovers such a remedy for an individual, and he or she takes it, then his or her system will stabilize over time, and function more smoothly and efficiently; all his or her physiological processes will realign themselves in harmony or homeostasis. Simultaneously, and probably because of that process, the person’s mental state will become more stable, more harmonious, happier.

Now, metaphysically the consciousness determines everything, including the manifestation of that consciousness through the body, so it follows that addressing the consciousness or mental state of an individual, and treating that, will inevitably have repercussions and expressions on the outer body.

Thus, in retrospect, I have concluded it was no accident (there are never any accidents!) that my homeopathy tutor was a psychiatrist, as opposed to some other kind of physician. “Somebody” was telling me, right at the start, where to begin looking from! Nice the way life teaches us its lessons, isn’t it?

Mastitis in Dairy Cows

In 2003, an article in the newsletter of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) about mastitis in dairy cows prompted Nancy to write the organization about a homoeopathic treatment for the condition.

Not long after the letter appeared in print, Nancy heard from a farmer whose dairy herd suffered from mastitis. He said he tried her treatment, and it worked!

Here is a link to Nancy’s letter (once there, scroll down the page to “Homeopathic Treatments for Mastitis in Cows”).

Essential Oils

Recently, I attended a public discussion about essential oils, mostly because a friend asked me to attend, but also partly out of curiosity. I was skeptical of the medical claims made about essential oils – everything from curing cancer to immunity to disease. But I figured, even if the claims are exaggerated, it might be fun just to smell the oils, to spend an evening sniffing perfumes!

Well, I enjoyed the evening. I heard a few extraordinary claims and some interesting possibilities. Then, shortly thereafter, I slipped on the ice in front of our house, bashing the tip of my elbow, which resulted in excessive bruising and a radiating pain from the top of my shoulder to the tip of my fingers. I took the pain to be some kind of nerve damage caused by the blow to my elbow. Later, as I sat bemoaning this pain, I recalled my friend at the essential oils discussion raving about the success she had had using oil of lemongrass to treat pain she experienced from carpal tunnel syndrome. She said it had eliminated her pain. So, I decided to give it a try; sure enough, the pain instantly subsided! Now, call this auto-suggestion or the power of suggestion, but whatever it was, it worked! And I used only about 4 drops of the stuff!

Naturally, this event awakened an interest and respect for essential oils and their advocates. I have since discovered that “essential oils” must be exactly that. They cannot be artificial oils, or the less costly variety of oils which are sometimes sold at health food stores and elsewhere as flavorings or scents. The ingredients on the bottle should read 100% essential oil and (preferably) nothing else. A company called Aura Cacia sells reasonably priced essential oils under their label and other company’s labels as well. And they can be purchased through most local natural food stores. Also, there are a number of exclusive suppliers who sell only organic and otherwise specialized labels of essentials oils, but they cost more. There are numerous books available on essential oils, their properties, uses, and so on. One I particularly like is The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless.

To the skeptic within each of us (and, mind you, a dose of healthy skepticism is a good thing!), let us remind ourselves that prior to the modern age of medicine and its laboratory-manufactured “miracle” medicines, many essential oils were relied upon to cure various diseases and infections, to disinfect, soothe, energize, allay pain, etc.. So, the curative claims for these oils is not just wishful thinking, but often the reflection of decades, even centuries, of human experience. Indeed, for a very simple and common example, the effectiveness of the old standby Vicks VapoRub in breaking up respiratory congestion is primarily due to menthol and eucalyptus. While those are undoubtedly manufactured today in a laboratory for Vicks, both are originally plant oils. Of course, an advantage to the essential oils themselves are the unknown and hidden constituents which are likely absent from manufactured oils. So, these delightful smelling essences from plants, as well as nuts, woods, and assorted other earthly beings, have effects and powers that at present we little understand, and probably lots more we have not yet even dreamed of.

Let me add one caveat here: If you do begin to experiment with essential oils, make sure you get a good book that offers a full explanation of them. In concentrated form, some essential oils are poisonous, and others can burn the skin if not diluted. Any good book will alert you to these aspects. but be sure to get one. It is not enough that these oils smell good and come from plants; here, as in other areas of so-called alternative medicine, “natural” is not necessarily synonymous with innocuous.

Can’t Sleep?

Recently, I bashed my elbow, and the pain from it made it difficult to fall asleep, and once asleep, woke me up numerous times through the night. Ordinarily, a glass of warm milk takes care of any insomniac tendencies I might experience, but here the pain was intense, and continued to interrupt my normally sweet, easy sleeping time.

Being a homeopath, I sometimes get carried away with the possibilities revealed by homeopathy once one undertakes a serious study of it, and so, about a year ago, in a frenzy of enthusiasm, I purchased numerous bottles of assorted herbal extracts. Now, herbal extracts are technically not classical homeopathic substances (homeopathy primarily uses extracts to produce potentized tablets, liquids, or pellets for homeopathic remedies), but they are nonetheless a good portion of the foundation and source of homeopathy, so it always seems prudent to have on hand as many of the herbal extracts as one can against the possible needs someday for making a potency from them.

Among my cache was a bottle of Valerian KavaPM by the label Rainbow Light. I have had experience with Valerian as an infused tea, used primarily as a sleeping potion. (It’s great in helping to get to sleep when your inner clock is thrown off by the stress of travel over numerous time zones.) And, I had read about Kava Kava, and was interested in its various aspects, including its capability as a tranquilizer. Anyway, the upshot is that I took a half dropper-full one time of the Rainbow Light Valerian KavaPM extract in a glass of water just prior to retiring. Well, this stuff is potent! I cannot even remember rolling over shortly after taking the dosage, and I slept straight through for five “anesthetized” hours before regaining consciousness! (The instructions on the bottle recommend a whole dropper-full three times a day. Goodness only knows what would have happened had I ingested that dosage!). Please understand, I use the word anesthetized as a descriptive flourish. It was actually deep, total rest, and I awoke refreshed. I did not feel any after effects.

I am astonished at the effectiveness of this extract. The only slight apprehension I feel about it is that it works so quickly, and so totally, and I wonder if, in some respects, it might not act as an amnesiac, at least during the time that one has it in one’s system. Of course, I suppose this is what one ideally wants with a sleeping aid, isn’t it? I do not recall dreaming during the night, and this could be a problem in long term usage, since dreaming is essential to healthy sleep. It is worth noting that many allopathic hypnotics and tranquilizers act in a somewhat similar manner. That is one of the down sides to prescription sleeping pills, in particular, when the amnesia continues for a period after waking, as happens sometimes with the benzodiazepines and their cousins. Long term use of prescription sleeping aids can result in a kind of mental or emotional imbalance due to the lack of dream time as well.

My limited understanding of Kava Kava is that it originates in Fiji, and is made from a root, and is fermented to become eventually a kind of alcoholic ritual beverage that is used widely in Fiji. Well, I can see why they like it; it certainly has some potent effects. My much more thorough understanding of Valerian is that it too is a root, from a pervasive flowering weed, some of which seems to adore our garden lately! Valerian was used in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a “woman’s tranquilizer”, and was so abused that it eventually lost favor because of the sometimes toxic effects it had on the liver when used repeatedly and to excess for very long periods without any periods of abstinence to allow the liver to clean itself out from time to time.

So, again, in my experience, the combination of these two herbs - Valerian and Kava Kava - may be extremely useful and helpful in situations where falling asleep is difficult, and where the possible side effects of other sleeping aids is an issue. Whether use of this extract over a long period and without restraint can lead to accumulation and liver toxicity, I do not know, so were I to use it frequently, I would do so in moderation and with periods of abstinence. Of course, all medications, even anti-histamines, which are the major component of over-the-counter sleep aids, when used consistently and over a long period of time, can build up and cause toxicity, so, with the advice of your physician, it is wise to monitor your use of any medication, whatever its source. Remember, just because you can buy something without prescription does not mean it is without side effects or long term consequences. This applies, of course, as well to herbals. Some folks seem to think that because a product is herbal, it is non-toxic and without effects. Wrong! Some herbal remedies are extremely potent medications and have wide and lasting effects on the body. Once again, “natural” is not necessarily synonymous with innocuous. Please remember this when using herbals … or any similar medications.

Enlarged Prostate

This article is primarily for men, as women don’t have prostates – however, they may have husbands, lovers and friends who are male, so perhaps they will find this interesting as well.

Many men in their 50s begin to develop an enlarged prostate, sort of a marker for male menopause more than likely, and with that enlargement can come assorted difficulties relating to urination. Some men breeze through enlarged prostate without complications, and manage quite well; others find it progressively annoying as they age. An enlarged prostate does not necessarily lead to cancer, and should not be feared; it can be managed.

If the prostate enlarges greatly, it needs to be treated since urination can become almost impossible, and complications can arise from that. There are numerous prescription drugs and various forms of surgery designed to assist with ease of urination. Some of the surgery procedures can lead to side effects which aren’t particularly pleasant. Not all surgery results in side effects, of course; but there is a high incidence of it, so, were I considering surgery here (or for whatever condition), I would do so with knowledge and caution.

There is an herb called Saw Palmetto which, if taken daily in extract form according to the instructions on the label, can treat enlarged prostate. It has been a folk remedy for a long time, but only recently have mainstream medical practitioners discovered its merits. Indeed, my husband’s allopathic urologist recommended Saw Palmetto to him, which both pleased and surprised me! (He also recommended a diet high in tomatoes, the redder the better. Like Saw Palmetto, red tomatoes have elements that are beneficial to the prostate.)

I am not altogether certain why Saw Palmetto works, but my suspicions are that it may be either a testosterone blocker (testosterone usually being the cause of the enlargement of the prostate), or possibly an estrogen-like hormone that works in a similar manner. I am not aware of any scientific lab research on this substance, but I would not be surprised to hear that it is being conducted somewhere.

Saw Palmetto can be purchased in extract form almost anywhere. Even Wal-Mart sells it in its pharmacy department (in the vitamins and supplements area).

Were I taking Saw Palmetto for an enlarged prostate, I would go off the stuff for a few months every six months, just to allow my system an opportunity to clean itself of the herb on the off chance that it builds up. I have not read or heard anything to suggest that it does build up, but this is a good practice to follow in any case when taking herbs for a long time. Chinese medicine recommends it as regards many herbal remedies, in particular when taking Ginseng, so it stands to reason that it is probably wise (unless it is specifically dangerous to do so) to adopt this practice when long term dosing any herbs.

Warts, warts, terrible warts!

A friend of mine suffered for years with a wart he could not get rid of. He tried everything. He even had a physician cut it out; but it just grew back. We tried homeopathy, and that didn’t work either. (Even homeopathy has its failures!) In a word, nothing worked. Then, “coincidentally” – isn’t it nice how things unfold, right on time! – that month’s issue of a wonderful little newsletter I subscribe to included an article on warts. Not only that, but one of the wart remedies suggested in the article was credited to a dermatologist whom we met years ago in California at a lecture given by TZF’s editor. Small world. Anyway, the remedy is watermelon, specifically watermelon seeds. Figuring he had nothing to lose, my friend tried it. For about ten days, he ate lots of fresh watermelon (organically grown, of course!), including the seeds. (He made a point to chew the seeds before swallowing them. I don’t know whether that is necessary.) Believe it or not, in two weeks the wart was gone! And there’s been no sign of it since. In the words of a good friend of The Zoo Fence, “Way cool!”

Avoiding Colds

This may sound unbelievable, but it works. We have found during cold season, or flu season for that matter, that if we carry a handkerchief on which are placed several drops of lavender oil in combination with a drop of tea tree oil, and then, when in a crowded store or any other place where we are likely to encounter people suffering from colds or flu (and who are therefore presumably broadcasting it), if we sniff the handkerchief (holding it right up close to our nose) while making our way through the crowd, the anti-viral aspects of these two oils (which, incidentally, has been scientifically established!) protect us from contracting the illness.

If you want to try this, be sure to use fresh drops each time you leave home – the smell is not what does the trick, but the actual vapors of the oils within the nostrils. This was not my own discovery. Rather, a very nice lady friend of ours discovered it out of necessity. One winter, she nearly died from pneumonia, which had grown out of a bad cold, and because of complications due to her asthma, she knew she could ill afford to contract a cold ever again. So, she tried every imaginable form of protection. After extensive research and personal experience, she declared that this method worked the best! She has used it now for 8 years, and has yet to catch a cold or the flu. Mind you, she lives year round in Maine, where winter got its name, so this idea has been given a pretty rigorous field trial. We have been using her method for about 4 years, and so far, so good. Besides, it smells good!

There is evidence by essential oil researchers in France that the anti-viral effects of these two oils are well established and confirmed effective.

But if a cold gets past that defense, as soon as we feel the first symptoms, our practice is to immediately take Aconitum and Ferrum Phos. Usually, that will stop it.

But not always. One recent morning, TZF’s editor awoke with a scratchy throat, the first sign of a cold taking residence. Immediately, he took Aconitum and Ferrum Phos. Six hours later, by which time the symptoms would ordinarily have disappeared, they had worsened. He repeated the treatment. Next morning, he awoke coughing, sneezing, and dripping. Clearly, the remedy had failed, and the cold was in place. Over the course of that next day, he took a dose of Gelsemium; rubbed drops of sandalwood essential oil on his wrists (at the pulse); ingested several pieces of raw garlic; took large doses of vitamin C and echinacea extract; and gargled with organic apple cider vinegar. The next morning the cold was very nearly gone. Had it simply run its course? Had the Aconite and Ferrum Phos finally triumphed? Or was it the additional treatments (and if so, which)? Who knows.

Got Pain? Try this ...

There is a homeopathic remedy called Arnica Montana which is commonly used by homeopaths for numerous conditions, but in particular for wounds, trauma, bruising, and the like, and the pain caused therefrom. Arnica Montana can be purchased in a small vial at any health food store, and probably some “regular” food stores, either in their natural foods or pharmacy section.

When you first use Arnica Montana, it will more than likely astound you. Indeed, it is considered by homeopaths to be one of the most convincing of the thousands of homeopathic remedies in the way it turns around skeptics of homeopathy’s efficacy. Of course, you don’t have to “believe” in it for it to work. It simply works.

This past summer, I dropped a huge antique chair on my big toe, which, let me tell you, REALLY hurt. Of course, the toe swelled up, and the nail turned black and blue. Normally, I would have lost the nail. A friend, who is a Registered Nurse, recommended I pierce the toenail to relieve the pressure from the blood built up beneath the toenail, which, of course, I refused to do because the very idea gave me the willies. Instead, I took three tablets of Arnica Montana 30X, one time. Within an hour, the pain ceased. That evening, the toe began to throb, so I took the Arnica Montana once again. I did nothing further with it. The toenail never fell off, and in fact has since fully re-grown. The bruised area, which was at the cuticle and clear across the nail, including up the sides of the nail, and which normally would have resulted in a totally damaged nail, simply moved up as the “new” nail grew in.

My husband and I have used Arnica Montana for numerous other injuries, always with incredible success. I have been told that the coach at a local high school suggests it to his athletes for sports injuries.

Obviously, if you have been injured, you need to consult a physician. But in the meantime time you may want to inform yourself about Arnica Montana. (A search on Altavista brings up 2,220 results!)

Serotonin and The Blues

I recommend to some of my friends, when they get depressed, and if their depression is really severe, that they prevail upon their physician to prescribe an anti-depressant, assuming of course that it is indicated for their condition. I think that many folks are unnecessarily afraid of taking anti-depressants or tranquilizers, under the assumption they will become addicted, and turn into “drug fiends”. While, of course, these drugs can be addictive, they can also be valuable aids for those who suffer from depression, and when used properly, to alleviate unnecessary suffering or pain. Not to use a medicine because of the possibility of addiction is like refusing to take aspirin when in pain because it might cause stomach bleeding. Used judiciously, aspirin is a “wonder drug”; it can work miracles. So too are anti-depressants and tranquilizers. If used wisely they can transform an individual’s life.

For those who are low on serotonin, a “neurotransmitter” involved in depression and other neurological processes, and which is increased by anti-depressants, there are two easily accessible products that can have the same positive result. One is chocolate, which perhaps explains chocoholics! Of course, chocolate can be fattening, and is not a good idea for migraine sufferers. But then, I just read somewhere that chocolate is good for the heart! How about that? Maybe that’s why it’s given on Valentine’s Day. An alternative is the herbal extract St. John’s Wort, which, if taken over time, also boosts serotonin. Maybe that’s why St. John’s Wort preparations seem to be available everywhere you look, in pharmacies, health food stores, and so on (a search of St. John’s Wort at Altavista yielded 28,632 results!). Evidently, there’s a bunch of unhappy folks out there!

You can make your own extract by going out into a field, picking St. John’s Wort when the plant is in full flower, which is around June 24 (Midsummer Night’s Eve and, coincidentally?, St. John’s Day), letting it sit in a half and half mix of vodka and water for 6 weeks, and then straining out the extract. Just be sure (1) that the plant you are picking is indeed St. John’s Wort, and (2) that it has not been recently sprayed with insecticides. You can see what St. John’s Wort looks like in the wild by consulting any wild plant directory. It is a ubiquitous weed, easily found, and easily identified.

Some people are sensitive to St. John’s Wort, and will break out in a rash when in sunlight. However, this is relatively rare, and not dangerous. If you break out in rashes from perfumes, you might also be susceptible to getting a rash from this great little weed.

Menopause

Having gone through menopause about five years ago, I consider myself something of a knowledgeable advisor on the subject, at least so far as my own personal experience with it is concerned. Of course, I recognize that my experience is unique to my own particular process, and each of us has our own special conditions and problems and so on.

In retrospect, I think the most difficult time I had was the few years preceding menopause, what is called peri-menopause, since at that time the hormones are absolutely chaotic, and thus, have enormous effects on the emotions and physiology of a woman. When menopause occurs – which is defined as a cessation of menstruation for over 6 months, if I recall correctly – the system has pretty well settled down, and while estrogen may be depleted at that time, there are, thankfully, no longer the huge rushes of progesterone and/or estrogen that occur during peri-menopause, and which caused all the problems during that period. Once menopause does set in permanently, the mind, the emotions, and the body get steady, and deliciously predictable and stable. In this sense, I found menopause to be extremely liberating. (For a more esoteric consideration of this process, see the item “Menopause” at Anna’s Page.)

In my own case, it took about three years for menopause to be fully “accomplished”, and contrary to all the books, every spring during those three years, I would get a short, small period, which initially terrified me, because “this was not normal”. I had been told that if a woman goes for six months without a period, and then menstruation begins again, run for the doctor, because there may be a problem! Well, the first year I did run for a doctor; but after that, I recognized the situation, and realized that, more than likely, my pituitary gland was, like the chickadees, simply responding to Maine’s lengthening spring days after a long cold and dark winter.

As for estrogen supplements and the like, I experimented with all sorts of things. I found that an estrogen vaginal cream worked well for everything early on, including flashes and dryness, and could be controlled by me personally, by the amount of cream I used, which was VERY little, and which sufficed. (My MD, who is a woman, found me rather amusing in that I would go through a tube only every three to four months. But she is open-minded and curious, and learned from my experience that each individual body has hormone needs and levels that suit IT, and not necessarily lab personnel.) I was very reluctant to use mainstream ERT, or estrogen replacement therapy, for various reasons. I am not opposed to it, and I recognize that there are some women that cannot get by without it. My “modern” but eccentric grandmother took estrogen AND testosterone from the day they became available in the 1950’s, and never regretted it. However, after menopause arrived, I discovered that I no longer suffered from migraines, and I recalled that in my youth, when I was on contraceptive pills (which, at that time – the mid 1960’s – were LOADED with estrogen) my headaches were severe and debilitating, but when I went off the contraceptive pills, the headaches decreased. So, now, putting two and two together, I concluded that estrogen had a lot to do with my migraine problem, so I was very reluctant to start on that slippery road again. I also used a Hylands homeopathic combination called “Menopause”, and while I am not a great advocate of multiple remedy homeopathic tablets, which this product is, there are only three remedies within it, all in very low potency, and the combination is wonderful for hot flashes, restlessness, and emotional instability. I would take 2 tablets, which would set me up for a couple of weeks or more, depending upon the situation and my needs. (Please remember that, when taking any homeopathic remedy, there is one “no-no”, which is coffee – it will antidote the remedy.)

I also ate lots of soybean foods. Soybeans are a vegetable source of estrogen precursors, but apparently without the dangers of estrogen. I also regulated my diet, ate intelligently, took LOTS of vitamins, in particular Vitamin E, which is supposed to assist hormone production, and drank very little alcohol (which will bring on hot flashes).

As menopause progressed, I slowly found less and less need for assistance in that I took fewer and fewer homeopathic remedies, and used less and less estrogen cream, and even now eat less soybean foodstuffs. My conclusion from this is that it is entirely possible that the body is addicted to estrogen, literally, and all the problems of menopause may be simply explained as a withdrawal process. While this may at first sound wacky, I suppose it is not impossible. We are addictive creatures, and why hormones should be excluded from this propensity is not clear to me. Let’s face it, the body likes the known, and that includes everything it ingests, including those things it manufactures itself. But that is another subject entirely!

Healing Prayer

There’s an interesting piece in the March, 2000 issue of the magazine New Choices (published by Reader’s Digest) about the power of healing prayer. In a 1988 study conducted in the coronary care unit of San Francisco General Hospital, volunteers were asked to pray for 192 critically ill patients (without the patients’ knowledge), with the result that, when compared with 200 other patients in the same unit, those prayed for had fewer cases of congestive heart failure, heart attacks, and pneumonia, and less need for antibiotics – and, remember, these patients were unaware of the prayers. And, more recently, the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, conducted a similar study over a twelve month period whereby half the patients admitted to its coronary care unit were prayed for, in addition of course to receiving the unit’s normal care, while the other half received only the unit’s normal care. Here, too, those who were prayed for (and again, these patients were unaware of the prayers) fared better than the others.

News or Views?

The February 28, 2000 issue of Business Week reports the development of an interesting relationship between some American television stations and local medical centers. Specifically, in Baltimore, Maryland, television station WBAL-TV regularly airs a health news segment that is prepared by Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center, but evidently never identified as such. “Careful viewers,” the BW story explains, “might notice that the doctors in these news reports are all from Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center. What viewers do not know is that the reports are part of a promotional deal between Mercy and WBAL”. Apparently, Mercy pays WBAL to air the segments, making them, in effect, commercials. Presumably, the reports present useful and valid information, but, in BW’s words, they certainly do seem to “violate a cardinal principle of journalism – that news and advertising should always be kept separate”. Similar arrangements apparently exist between medical centers and television stations in San Diego, Denver, Hawaii, and San Francisco.

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