Deep Cracks

And now, heeeeeere’s Shana!

Mom, I have nothing to say.

Well great, that’s just great!  Hasn’t anybody died?

I don’t think so.  Other than Percy Sledge.

When did Percy Sledge become “nobody”? 

Mom, there’s a difference between dying and being dead.

There is?  Well, I am learning so much!  Oh! I have an announcement!  The NCH Annual Conference is next month in Philadelphia!  Shana and I are going as members of the Press!  Gee, I hope someone will be willing to talk to me….If not, I’ll have to interview you!

Me?  About what?

Exactly!

Oh wait!  I do have an announcement!  James Taylor’s new album is coming out in June!

No one cares, Shana!  (Except for maybe Mrs. Taylor.)  

And did I mention that James Taylor will be at the Borgata August 1st?  Tickets go on sale April 24th.

Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!   

And now for this month’s quiz, featuring the ever-popular Joe Schmo.  (You gotta Borgata!)

***

Name: Joe Schmo (not his real name)

Age: 66

Male or Female: Male

Weight:

Height: 6’ 2”

Date: 3/27/2015

Email Address:

1. Describe the complaint. 

My hands break out, crack, bleed, dried-out white skin on fingers, and on my hands. This came on gradually. At one point this was on my toes also. Deep cracks on my fingertips with deep cracking. My skin and fingernails are very thin and they break or peel easily. This has been going on for about 15 years.

2. Etiology–

We believe the cause of the complaint is from continued working and exposure to rubber and chemicals. It occurred while working at a nuclear energy plant. I was working with petro-chemicals with occasional direct contact to my skin. We believe the rubber and plastic to be the main source of the problem. I went through allergy testing and it said plastic/petroleum problems were the problem. I have been retired for over a year and have not had any exposure to these chemicals but I still have the complaint.

My hands are dried and more severe in the winter. Emotions do not affect this complaint.

3. Sensation–

When I apply moisturizing products such as vanicream, my hands itch like crazy. It isn’t really painful on a daily basis but there is great pain associated with my fingertips splitting open.

4. Appearance–

I think this was described earlier. I do have droopiness in my eyes but I do not know what it is associated with this.

5. Location–

Hands and feet.

6. Modalities–

It feels better when I scratch it but then it becomes worse. If I wear any gloves the complaint becomes worse. It is better in warm weather. If I apply moisture right after the shower it seems to be better for about an hour.

It feels worse if I wash my hands often. Hot water seems to dry my hands out more. This is a chronic pain so there isn’t really anything I can do to make it better. I have tried several ointments, vani-cream, lotions, etc. Nothing has helped.

7. Concomitants

I have ringing in my ears that I have had for years. I don’t think any other symptoms are associated with this.

8. Discharges–

My fingers bleed when they crack. It will bleed for about 30 minutes. No other discharge comes out.

9. Generals–

I feel that I have an average, good body temperature. I tend to be chilly more than hot. I do not feel abnormally tired or thirsty. I am retired so I do take a nap every day. I do startle easily especially from loud noises. I tend to be left alone. I am definitely more of a private person.

I LOVE sugar and candy. I crave them often. I do not eat a lot of it but I like a little bit of it every day.   I like to drink coffee and milk every day. I also like salty foods like potato chips.

10. The mentals:

I do not feel this complaint has changed my mood but it has been going on for so long that it is hard to remember if anything changed in the beginning.

11. What have you been saying?

This has been going on for a long time.

12. What are you doing?
again this is a chronic issue.

13. Describe your thirst and appetite–

I do not drink very much during the day. On a typical day I drink 2-3 cups of coffee and a glass of milk. I drink a glass of water in the afternoon. I sometimes have a beer at night. I like my coffee hot and my milk cold. I can drink water at any temp.

Typical day of food:

Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter

Snacks: I don’t usually snack

Lunch: Hamburger or sandwich (peanut butter, egg salad, chicken salad, ham), chips, milk

Dinner: Meat, potato, veggie, bread – favorite meat: chicken, I like all potatoes & French fries– veggie- corn, broccoli, asparagus – favorite fruit: apples or pineapples

I like my food hot

14. Fever?

No fever

We will add a few things to the bottom because it is a chronic condition:

The onset was really gradual. It has been going on for a long time.

I do not sleep very well. I have a C-PAP machine. I sleep for about 5 hours per night. I wake up to go to the bathroom after about 4 hours. I like to sleep with blankets. I do not like to be cold when I sleep. I like to lie flat.

I do not get enough exercise. I need to work on this.

Who I am : I like to read A LOT! I like sports and history. I am very intrigued by science, national geographic, hunting channels. I like to go for drives through the country and I enjoy wildlife. I like to have a certain order to my day and in my life. (not to the point that I am anal about it)

________________________

I told Joe to take ____________________6C in water with five succussions before each dose/sip, three times a day.  By the way, this is Joe’s first time using homeopathy.  Why a 6C?  This is a chronic case.  As Hahnemann says in the Organon, Aph. 279, “…the dose of the highly potentized homeopathic remedy…can, as a rule, not be made so small that it is not stronger than the natural disease, that it cannot at least partially overcome it, that it cannot at least partially extinguish it in the feelings of the vital principle, that it cannot start the process of cure.”  In other words, it’s enough to just start, make modest, consistent steps.  You don’t have to aim for the outfield in one day after it’s been there for 15 years!  However, even having said that, two days after Joe started the remedy, his wife wrote the following:

In a message dated 4/10/2015 8:15:11 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, **** writes:

Good Morning,

He said he has zero pain.  We both thought that they looked better last night and even better this morning. Amazing!!  We were talking and think that he has had this for 15-20 years!!  He has been to multiple dermatologists, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and the VA hospital in Minneapolis and none of them knew what it was.

Second update:

In a message dated 4/13/2015 8:12:13 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, ***** writes:

Good Morning,

It even looks better today.

Third update:

In a message dated 4/16/2015 8:08:42 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, **** writes:

Good Morning

I believe it is still improving.  They haven’t cracked open since he started taking this. 

So, here’s someone new to homeopathy, and, needless to say, the last thing I want to do is make homeopathy look bad, but, I have no aggravation to apologize for, no proving symptoms to make excuses for, because all he’s getting is improvement, on just a 6C in water with 5 succussions before each dose, three times a day…what can I say?  (I also told him, “As you get better, take less often.”)  

The idea of starting every case with a 200C?  Why are we doing that?  Does it make any sense?  It’s 33 times stronger than what he needed!  When giving a high potency and waiting, we risk it being antidoted by mint and coffee and other normal things that people do, we have to wait a month for results, we risk having the case getting worse before it gets better and possibly losing the client!  

This guy is gonna tell everyone how great homeopathy is!  Isn’t that what we’re shooting for?  For the answer to this month’s quiz, click below:

Revisiting: Deep Cracks

 

_______________________________
Elaine Lewis, D.Hom., C.Hom.

Elaine takes online cases! Write to her at [email protected]

Visit her website: elaineLewis.hpathy.com