A New Old Saying

Apparently a watched tree never ... um.....boils turns red?

I kid you not, this photo really was taken a week after the last photo. It looks even greener to me - you, too? Silly.

And now, I hear the clamoring. Everybody wants to know the magic. Do I really need to give you the regular disclaimers? I'm not a doctor, I don't even play one on TV, I'm not even an herbalist or a homeopath. I'm just a girl from Macon, Georgia...no, wait...that was somebody else.

I'm just a woman who was a sickly child and a sickly teenager and a sickly young adult, and until I took hold of my own health, I was sick. Doctors did not help me....EVER. They gave me lots of medicines to suppress symptoms, some of which were later taken off the market for causing liver disease and various other lovely (some unknown) things. And I kept getting sicker and sicker and they kept wanting to give me more and more drugs. You know: To counteract the effects of the other drugs. And more and more antibiotics and more and more steroids. And they wouldn't listen to me when they had given me a steroid nasal inhaler and I said to them, "something horrible is happening to me from this. I am gaining weight at a scary rate. I feel odd in my abdomen. Things feel really swollen and horribly painful in there. I'm having periods more often than I should, and the cramps and pain and bleeding are horrific. And I'm tired all the time and I feel SICK." 

"Can't happen," they said to me. "It's only local. And the dose is so low and so localized that you couldn't be having those side effects." 

Well, you know what? One day I woke up and I said, "BULLSHIT."  They don't know squat about my body.  SQUAT. And they don't care. So I started reading.

Here are two simple books that changed my life:

   "Sinus Survival" and "Prescription for Nutritional Healing."

I have not been to a doctor, except my homeopathic M.D., my gynecologist, and my chiropractor, in over 10 years. I have never had one more prescription medication. I've been one hell of a boon to my health insurance carrier, I'll tell ya that. They've even wondered, I'm sure, "Where is that Norma person, the one that used to spend hundreds a year on doctor's visits and medications?" Well, no, I'm sure they haven't wondered. They're just glad I'm not there, making a drain on them anymore. Probably figure I died, and good riddance.

That is not to say I have not had sinus infections...I have, one or two. But I'm here to tell you that we don't always need antibiotics for sinus infections. I have even had an ear infection, but that is quite rare for me. With all my troubles over the years, as a child I never had an earache. Bizarre, eh? But my real weakness was allergies and sinus troubles.

My daughter used to have 13 ear or sinus infections a year. I would ask her pediatrician, "Isn't this an awful lot of ear infections?" He'd say, "Nah. Everyone's entitled to one a month."

Hello?!  Guess who ELSE has never had an antibiotic since The Enlightenment of Her Mother?

Anyhoo, on to the practical stuff. You don't want to listen to my tirades and conspiracy theories.  Do you?  ;-)

mmkay. I'm bound to have forgotten something here, but hopefully I'll remember most everything.

Rule No. 1 - Get to know your body and Be alert. I know, I know, this sounds like Boy Scout advice, not cold and virus advice. But no. One of the things you have to learn to do is to RECOGNIZE that very first tingle in the nose or throat that IS a cold virus having invaded your body and TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY. Time is of the essence. And when a virus comes on, I consider it my full-time job to aggressively make my body an inhospitable environment for it. This is probably the MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WHOLE THING.  (are you taking notes? this will be on the test.)

This can be hard. You're at work. You're in a meeting. You're in the car. You're in the grocery store. You have to pick up the kids. You are at home with the kids. Maybe one of the kids is already sick. Whatever. "Ah, I'll just do it when I get home." WRONG ANSWER. DO IT NOW. My arsenal item for this: Throat spray. Keep it in your purse or briefcase during the cold and flu season. You feel the tingle. You spray. And if it hurts still or again in a half hour, you spray again. Many, many times you can avert the sickness altogether by this simple little thing.  There are lots of good ones on the market, such as:

Another really great one: Nutribiotic Nasal Spray. This is a grapefruit seed extract nasal spray, but I turn the bottle sort of crazy-like and put it in my mouth and spray it right in my throat, when needed. I can't tell you the number of sore throats I've had, spritz-spritz. Gone.

btw, here's my theory about the doctors/scientists who've said that they've proven that echinacea DOESN'T work in double-blind studies. a) they have no financial interest in pursuing something that works without a doctor visit, and even if you're not a conspiracy theorist as I am, b) they don't know when to give it. READ.MY.LIPS:  FIRST TINGLE. Granted, we as people have become desensitized and disconnected with our own bodies and it's hard for us to recognize our symptoms anymore. Practice. It's worth it.

Next, more age-old advice that we've lost touch with: Salt water. Gargle with it.  Put very warm water in a glass. Add as much salt as will dissolve in the water -- a very heavy saline solution -- gargle with it. I am partial to sea salt, but plain old, cheap grocery store salt works fine, too.

Also, pour it in your nose. I know, this sounds nuts. See that little thingy in the picture with the books that looks like an Aladdin's lamp?  That's called a neti pot. Get one of those. Fill it with warm water, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, swish it around with your finger so the salt dissolves, and follow the directions on the box or insert that comes with the neti. It seems weird and odd and uncomfortable at first, but boy, is it worth it. Use it as often as possible throughout your entire cold. It keeps the secretions loose, and most important: OUT OF THERE. They have a hard time building up and then becoming infected. And you can breathe better, and it feels oh-so-good, and such relief. Blow all the crap into the sink, (wash it afterwards, and rub it down with alcohol or something, so you don't spread the virus to the rest of your household, if you can help it) or if you're too embarrassed, blow it into a tissue.

Thing next: Steam. Use it. Often. Even when you think you don't need it. You do. Trust me. I have one of those lovely personal steamers originally made by KAZ, but apparently the Vicks company has bought them out or something. They're now sold under the Vicks label.  Well.worth.the.money. I bought mine when it was on sale somewhere. (maybe, gasp! Wal-Mart) Keep your eyes open for one of these and have it on hand. If you walk past it thinking, "I'm not sick now. I don't need it," that is reverting back to mistake number one - not catching the thing timely. Have it there in your cupboard for when you need it. For you WILL NEED IT, and you will be in sinus or throat pain and/or coughing without relief, and in those moments this device is worth its weight in gold. Of course you can also steam over a pot, but I find this little thing so much neater and more comfortable. And it's portable, too. Perfect if you're traveling.

The essential remedies:

Wellness Formula (I forgot to put this in the photo.) These are the big-ass horse pills of which Claudia commented yesterday. They are big, ugly-smelling, and yet wonderful. They are a combination of vitamins, minerals, and herbs and they pack a mighty wonderful punch. For the number of people I have turned on to these, I should be getting a commission. But I don't. No affiliation.

Elderberry Syrup. Much research has been done on this substance in Israel and Europe. There are now (thank the heavens!) several good brands available. When I first started looking for this, I had a hell of a time finding it and keeping it on hand, but now it's quite readily available at whole foods and vitamin stores.  (two are in the photo, one made in Vermont.) There are several judges in Vermont who, to this day when they see me, shout out, "Elderberry syrup!" because when they were sick I told them they needed to try it, they did, and now they swear by it too. 

Source Naturals Wellness Cold & Flu homeopathic remedy. This is something I only just discovered recently, and it's what I took last week when I had the fever at night. It worked so well it has my endorsement. I took nothing else except cool water to reduce my fever. I am allergic to aspirin and ibuprofen, and for some reason I did not even think to take Tylenol. This was all that was needed. And that was a hell of a fever.

Myrrh capsules (for phlegm, cough, and sinus mucous)

Slippery Elm (also for loosening mucous)

Mullein Ear Drops or Nutribiotic Ear Drops, if you have an earache. 

EDITED TO ADD:  See? I knew I'd forget something. This addresses concerns of allergy to echinacea, too:  Another wonderful (maybe even better than echinacea) immune booster that I use all the time is Astragalus.  This is one that you can use every day, not the alternating cycle like echinacea.

More bitchin' from me:

Don't eat dairy, oranges/orange juice, or wheat when you have a cold. These make more mucous, and you DON'T WANT THAT.

Drink a lot of water and eat lots of clear-broth soup.

Eat spinach and other things containing Vitamin A.

And a few more words:

The thing about this treatment is that it will feel intense. It will feel like you're putting an awful lot of effort into your cold. Well, you are. And it even intensifies some of the symptoms. It seems to speed things up. But that's what makes me happy. Speed that sucker up and get it the hell OUT of my body. Yes, it's an investment in time for the first day or so. Many is the time, though, when it feels like I'm going to explode, but my cold is sped up and out of my body in 18 hours flat. This last virus I had took three and a half days, which is a long time for me. I paid attention to the symptoms of this virus, and it was a bad one. Had I not treated it the way I had, and if I had done the usual Western medicine thing of first ignoring, then suppressing the symptoms as long as I could, I might have ended up very sick, and I definitely would have lengthened the duration of the cold. And then I'm out of work or out of commission for a much longer time. I figure it's worth the intense effort of pulling out all the stops right at the start.

Here's the major difference between this type of treatment and the treatments we have come to recognize as "normal":  This treatment focuses on bringing the symptoms up and out, and it's wet -- if you'll notice all the water, steam, bringing up mucous, etc. We have been taught to keep everything DOWN. Hold the symptoms IN, and DRY THEM OUT. I just don't think that second approach works.

That's all. Lecture over. Take it or leave it. You get what you pay for. And all that.

Be well.

-------------

And good girls who take their horse pills get to work on the back of Ribby Cardi. I love this pattern. LOVE IT. The 2X2X3X1 rib is fabulous!

(colors quite true in this photo. Aren't they delicious? Rrrrrhubarb and Rrrrrraisin!)

Comments

[Aarlene]

I know that's supposed to work, I've got a yoga book that raves about the neti thing. But, OUCH, just thinking about doing it makes my eyes water and nose cringe.
What leaves we've got left are still green. The weather turned cooler after the hurricane but not until after 10 hot days without electricity. And not cool enough for the leaves to change colors.
The elderberry syrup sounds good. I'm going to try that. Now that school's back in we'll all be getting cooties.

[k]

I don't have a neti - I just use one of those blue nose sucker things that comes with the baby. I'll have to track down some of those other things. Tis the season!

[Lee Ann]

I'm in awe :-)

Nasal saltwater spray also works pretty well if you can't stand the intensity of pouring water into your nose...

[mindy]

You're my inspiration. Seriously, I'm finally coming to the same conclusion about doctors in general (esp. after a four-month cycle on drugs for stomach problems that INCREASED the pain. See, that was one of the 'known side effects.' I mean, honestly.)

A great alternative to the neti pot (I could never get it to work for me) is the giant squeeze bottle - I've had really good luck with this one: http://www.unimedprod.com/faqs_nasal.shtml

Thanks for all the linkage!

[Carole]

I'm impressed with your understanding and ability to incorporate all the different stuff into your routine. I knew you were a smart cookie!

[Cara]

If all else fails, please, please try Junior Caramels. They cure all. ;-)

[margene]

Take control of your health! That's been my motto, too. In most cases Dr's are worthless....good for a broken leg or major trauma. Good for you Norma. Love the Rrrrrubarrrrb!

[Teresa C]

Okay Norma, two things: Do you take the horse pills everyday? And what do you do for peri-menopause and beyond? If you have that one down.....

[Erin]

I have allergies and just recently I started using a neti pot. That thing is amazing, and it isn't even uncomfortable. It worked the very first time I tried it. Thanks for all the recommendations!

[Chris]

My dad was a doctor so I grew up with the take a pill mentality firmly stomped into me. Except: it didn't work. Not for me and not for my kid. "Normal" western medicine with the emphasis on supress the symptoms was gonna kill my kid and leave me a failing and disabled invalid. I went to a chiropractor and now both of us are doing just great. So glad you took control. It feels great, huh? :)

[Kae]

Yep, I know allll those remedies :-) I also keep Sambucol and zinc lozenges on hand for myself and the kiddo, and Wally's ear oil for myselff (without it, chronic ear infection city... I had my last pair of tubes for my ears at the ripe age of 21). Never again, I hate pills and they don't even work.

[Cassie]

Oh, I love it when Norms is on a roll. ;-)

[JoVE]

Saline drops (which is what doctors call salt water) is what they prescribe for babies with stuffy noses. So even the doctors can't yell at anyone for that. and they might be available in the drugstore down the baby aisle.

Sounds like a good plan, Norma.

[Betsy]

OH
MY
GOSH
Where have you been all my life? You have given me hope on top of the hope I have from my newfound nutritionist. He is all-natural and has started me on a few items to help detox my steroid enlarged body. I am also a firm believer of Echinacea. Do you take it only when you feel the "tingle" or do you take it daily? I have heard that if you take it daily it won't work when you need it. True? I am def getting those books you mentioned.
And also a double whoop whoop on taking control ~ GO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jpt]

I'm really glad you mentioned the orange-mucus connection. Citrus is big part of my strategy for eating seasonally & locally during the Florida "winters", but now I'll make an extra effort to remember it's a no-no when we're coming down with colds.

[Liz]

I've always thought that taking control of your health/body is the most important thing a person could do. Thanks for this post, Norma. This is definitely one to bookmark. :)

[--Deb]

I actually bought a Neti pot last Spring when I was in Nasal H*ll but have yet to even take it out of the box. Ridiculous, I know. Before I actually bought it, though, I had tried the inhale-salt-water-from-the-cup-of-your-hand method which at least seems to help. I also have a humidifier next to my bed and find adding Vicks liquid helps, too, though don't ask my how. One comment about the Echinacea, though--I think it probably does help, but it can bother some people who have allergies like hayfever. When I've tried it, it's just made me stuffier. Oh, and I swear by zinc lozenges at the first tingle of a cold, too, but I'll have to look for some of those throat sprays.... Thanks, Norma!

[Beth S.]

That's a lot to chew on! But I'll keep it in mind the next time I go shopping.

And I love those colors together. It's almost like you took a skein of Buffalo Brownski and separated the flecks from the base color. ;-)

[Billi-Jean]

If I could marry my neti pot, I would. I don't know how many week were lost to the drugged slumber of Sinutab beginning when I was 8 years old.

[Kathy]

(stands up and does the wave, cheering for Norma and alternative medicine in all its wonders)

[Jennifer]

Awesome entry, Norma! I use most of that myself, and Love my Neti pot (wish I could get the kids to use it ... maybe when they're older).

Hope to see you at Rhinebeck!

Jen

[Emma.]

My kind of woman !

[Martha]

YOU ARE SO ON THE MONEY!!!! I have been taking daily horse pills for years Called Source Of Life a hefty multi that doen't stink!!!!! My "tingles" have DRASTICALLY been reduced....and when I do get a "tingle" I immediately start on the Wellness! I will definately try your other advice!!!!! I have also turned people on to these vitamins....it's a shame about the lack of commission! :)

[Leslie]

Two words: Cold Snap. It's Chinese herbal yuckiness, but kicks virus' ass. And lots of utanasana.

[April]

this is a very serious question - what do you do/not do if you and your kids are seriously allergic to echinecha? We absolutely cannot take any of the products w/o breaking out in intense hives.

April

[Carrie]

That all sounds pretty good. I see a DO whom I like (I once called for muscle relaxers to kill the shoulder pain I'd had for months, and he instead gave me a five minute exercise that made the pain go away the very first time) but he knows nothing about herbs. :-(
Am I correct to assume from your tiny Walmart comment that you DON'T like Walmart? Have I found a kindred spirit?

[Colette]

I bought a neti pot while in Massage school - I swear by it - it is a little uncomfortable at first, but once you use it you are hooked - there is nothing like breathing freely again.

[gaile]

Norma! You are my hero once again!! Thank you from all of us for the great advice, and sharing knowledge that I know you've worked to acquire. I've used a few of these, slippery elm was the only thing that gave relief to a friend with strep throat - it works wonders.

[Libby]

You want me to shove something up my nose and hork? Well, if it works, I'm all over it.

Can't see the pictures though :) Still get @#%$@(^&KDHLFEKHGP_@)#&%#()&%

[Jill]

Thanks for so much info. One tiny question: how does one find a good homeopathic doctor? How would I know a good one from a poser?

Has anyone told you that you rock? My day isn't complete with a Norma reading. ;o)

[JessaLu]

I've lived with sinus issues my whole life and thought my mother was crazy for using one of those neti things (though it isn't one exactly, it does the same thing) until I was so desparate that I went and bought one and used it and now I thank God for it because I haven't had a sinus migraine since (I've had plenty of teenager migraine's though - they need to come up with something to flush THAT problem ;o) )

[Anne]

I so L-O-V-E that nutritional healing book. Interesting thing... when my Gram was in nursing school in the late 20s, she actually was taught in homeopathy - that was the nursing program she graduated from. Everything old is new again, eh?

[regina]

thank you thank you thank you and thank you some more. I went to whole foods this morning and got the myrrh gum caps and the wellness formula. the wellness formula is a little stinky, but if it works, who cares? you're a peachy peach, so thanks again. i've got to shake this bug. oy.

[Samantha]

It is amazing what can happen when you give up control over your health to someone else. Last fall my husband was diagnosed wirh Chron's disease, and the doctor immediately prescribed asacol. He was rude to us when we asked about side effects, and said it was safe. We were not so sure and annoyed at his patronizing attitude. I called a woman I had heard of that was into alternative medicine, and we followed her advice. It was really tough. No sugar,wheat,cows milk, and many others. Doug never filled the prescription, and is now living a normal life. From what I have been able to find out, most people get better at first and then progress through a series of drugs until they need surgery. Then they start it all over again. I was skeptical until I saw this happen in front of me.

Sam

[Amie]

Would you mind linking this particular entry in your side bar, so that when I can only find a few of the items and want to come back to your thoughts about dosage and so on I can find it without having to commit this date to my memory (memory issues...)

[Tracy]

Here's my contribution....a natural healer I know turned me on to two items in particular for colds/flu at this website:

http://www.herbsthatwork.com/catalog.htm

I start taking both the Echinacea Extra & the Super Cider the SECOND I feel anything and I swear to god often I never even wind up getting a cold or it's gone in a day and it never turns into much of anything.

Funny thing is, I'm really kind of a humbug when it comes to herbal/natural remedies but, as my nana always says, you can't argue with results...

[Debbie]

Zowie! I just posted about having a cold today and someone told me to get over here stat. I would have gotten here during my blog rounds, but I'm glad I got here sooner. I'm too late for the first tingle, but I've got lots of new info to work with. I've also gotten some good tips in my comments.

I'll do anything I can to avoid antibiotics. I get UTIs a lot, especially when I'm not keeping hydrated, but at the first tingle of a UTI I drink tons of water and cranberry juice and usually it goes away in a few hours. Obviously you have to keep an eye on potential infections so they don't get out of control, but I know people who go to antibiotics immediately for every little thing and they barely work on them any more. I find this frightening. Who knows what kind of super virus they're cooking up in there.

I miss my doctor (she moved), she was very adamant that we learn to listen to our bodies and be our own advocates. I hate hearing about people being treated badly by their doctors. There are good ones out there!

[Ann]

I just this minute returned from buying Hyland's homeopathic Seasonal Allergy remedy--really works for me--at CVS and was amazed to see such a mainstream drugstore selling neti pots. Now I see your recommendation and think I will give one a try. Thanks for all this great info.
One question--I wonder if you believe in getting a flu shot?
My all-time favorite natural remedy is valerian for help in getting to sleep. Did you know cats go crazy for it like catnip?

[Jenny]

"and here's to you, Mrs..." Norma! I told my 20 year old son he would enjoy reading your post today, and he did!! He says he agrees with you completely!!
I just got off a blood pressure med that I was taking for migraine prevention. I had been taking it for over 20 years! Surprisingly, to me, I guess I don't need it anymore, as I haven't had any trouble since quitting it. Also surprising is for me to find that I have alot more energy! And am not so tired anymore!! I didn't realize !! I am convinced that the raw apple cidar vinegar I take daily has saved me from many a bug. Two of my kids (boys!) even take it now! My oldest son had his spleen removed at age 7 years, and he gets sicker quicker because of it. Now he takes it on a daily basis. Yeah, I agree with the person above who said you should bookmark this post in your sidebar. Prescriptions are getting too darn expensive anyway. Everytime I go to my Dr.'s for my allergy shots, There are always drug reps bringing CATERED lunches to the office!! Talk about bribes!

[Donna]

Love your post today!! My family thinks I'm weird for using "old fashion remedies". Just started taking bio-identical hormones for my surgery induced menopause and my doc says I'm to cutting edge for this community, but at least he signed the scrips.
Now I'm off to Amazon.com to purchase the books you listed in your post.

[Densie]

Norma, Sorry your tree is still green, mine is shades of red, gold, orange, green and now brown.
Loved to read about the more natural method of healing oneself. I'm headed that way, but afraid to let go of a couple meds yet.

[The Knitting Kit]

This is why I wish sometimes that I could work for the Europeans. It's because of them that I was on a dose of immunosuppressants* so low that it scared the American doctors.

But at the same time, I am wary of herbal treatments. There's just no regulation of strength, what part of the plant works and goes in to do what and what the side effects are. And there never will be because there's just not enough people willing to fund that sort of heavy research.

I think herbal remedies are awesome and if they've worked for you without serious side effects, whatever they may be, awesome. But there's still the risk, as there are always risks when it comes to self-diagnosing and self-medicating.

As for drugs that don't work, I really wish everyone had a Drug Book of some sort so that they could look up their own drugs and tell the doc "look, baby, this stuff won't work".

I still refuse flu shots to this day because 1. they make me sick and 2. they mess with my immunosuppressants. Hmm, kidney failure or a few weeks out of commission, waiting for a flu to pass? I think I'll just be very sure to wash my hands a lot and try to avoid anyone who is sick. Or children, lousy little walking disease-riddled plague bombs.

*got a kidney to keep inside and I really don't want to trust what has worked for 23 years to herbal remedies.

[noonie]

Hey Norma... got any ideas for defeating headlice... we are fighting the little suckers over here.

[laurel]

Hee - I read this post with interest yesterday and today woke up to an NPR segment on nasal irrigation! I've never used a neti pot but I know a lot of singers who do - I may give it a try this year. I don't get a lot of colds but I'm miserable when I do. I'm a big fan of steam!

[Kat]

I LOVE my Neti Pot. It's made a huge difference in my allergies and colds (very few and of short duration). This year I tried taking a daily dose of locally produced bee pollen and/or honey and noticed another big improvement in the allergies.

[Mothlady]

I have a flu at the moment, but I'll be ready for next time! Thanks for the info :)

[Cathy]

Wow. You are just a gyser of great information, Norma. Thanks so much for sharing all of this. Please do mark it on your sidebar, if you don't mind - I'm sure many of us will be revisiting it as cold season starts up.

[Sara*]

Norma, I love it.

It is fabulous to have someone whom people are more likely to listen to tell them these things because perhaps then they might try them. It's worth a try.

And what about all this motherwort I keep seeing? You enabler ...

[Wanda]

All I can say is thanks for this information. It is a wealth of information and I'm very happy to have read this. I'm going to bookmark this post and save the information. This is so helpful. Thanks again!

[Mary]

I'm a long-time sinus sufferer, and have had that book Sinus Survival for years, so I know what you've been going through, and all the little tricks for staving off the acute and chronic infections. Kudos to you for publishing the tips here for others to appreciate. Probably the biggest help to me has been having a whole-house humidifier installed, to keep my nasal passages moist during the winter and counteract the drying effect of forced-air heat. Oh, and turning off the heat at night, completely.

Here's to sinus health!