A few years ago I had two cases, close together, that required a remedy I had never used before. To receive one case of a relatively unknown remedy is a blessing but to receive two, and in such a short space of time, is a luxury and allows one to get a real feel for the remedy.
CASE 1- 5.9.17 – Woman 50 years
Migraines
She says she has been seeing another homeopath for 6 years and although he has helped her emotionally, the migraines have remained.
Headaches every month < top of head, before, during or after menses.
< hurrying, just before going out with friends.
I had my head in the sand. I didn’t think my partner would be unfaithful. Massive shock. I was naïve to think he would tell me.
Migraines started 15 years ago after birth of son. Feels like a pressure cooker, wants to explode at top of head. > Vomiting. Last one was a few months ago. My husband wanted to go on holiday alone. But the morning he was due to leave I found out he was taking a woman with him.
It all blew up; I threw him out of the house. My husband’s ex was good looking and always around. I was feeling jealousy and hatred towards her. I’m not normally a jealous person. I was having to look after a child from my husband’s first marriage with this ex. It was difficult. He desperately needed my attention and was annoying.
My husband’s ex was mad but he went back to her for 7 months. I was devastated. Then we got back together again. Then I got vaginal herpes every month. Sometimes I think we can get through this. I’m confused. I don’t know if he could do this again.
I’m all over the place. I don’t trust him. I’m checking stuff like hotel receipts. I was too trusting before. I feel trapped because I’m holding the family together. Can we get through this? Is it worth splitting up? Am I clinging onto something? I’m the one that’s been wronged but I’m the one that’s being accommodating.
My ex (1994-98) was Australian. He was violent. He would flip over nothing. He threw me into a door frame and I had to go to hospital. I worry what people think about my appearance. I haven’t had sex for a while. Sex drive is higher between menses and ovulation. I’m trying to block out thoughts of the menopause. I don’t want to be middle aged. I don’t want to be old-looking.
Night sweats for past few years < back of head. Since thing with husband recently gets shooting pains in soles of feet.
Analysis– With all the jealousy I was tempted to give a snake remedy. But when I thought about my patient and took into account some of the language she was using, I perceived more a sense of insecurity. The symptoms of the migraines ‘like a pressure cooker’ made me remember a Conchiolinum case by Rajan Sankaran. Then some of the things she said ‘I had my head in the sand; I feel trapped; I’m the accommodating one (Adapting- Stage 2 in periodic table).
Jealousy can just point to any animal remedy. Plus night sweats on back of head and shooting pains in feet (this remedy is known for foot symptoms). And a symptom recorded by Massimo Mangialavori – Dream- left by the partner. These all led me to Conchiolinum.
Rx: Conchiolinum 200
Follow up – 4 weeks later. No headaches with period. Had sensation like it might come on but it didn’t. The period was also good. After the remedy my mood changed. I felt happier and feelings of loneliness lifted. I became more assertive with my partner. I don’t care any more if he stays or goes. I know I’ll be okay on my own.
I also got a return of an old symptom – an anal fissure. I also had start of vaginal herpes with stabbing pains but this went very quickly. Pains in soles of foot much better. No night sweats.
This was 3 years ago and the migraines have not reappeared. Interestingly the patient has done well since then on two more sea remedies:
Urolophus (Stingray) and Eledone (Small Octopus).
CASE 2- 24.7.17 – Woman 50 years
I have been treating this lady since 2015 and she generally does well on remedies. Her story is as follows:
She is a single parent who had an affair with a married Indian guy and had his baby. He went back to his wife. She’s left alone. The first time I saw her she cried throughout the session. Feeling of no support, out on her own.
She had a back injury from extreme sports (river rapids boating and horse riding). with pain in legs and hips. Hashimoto’s Disease since almost completing pilot’s course. Course was ended due to lack of funding in recession and her parents split at the same time.
She developed Hashimoto’s with tremendous heaviness, fatigue. Thyroxine. Tremendous fear for safety of her child. Big issues with parents. Hates her father who beat her and she felt wrongly accused.
She presents in July 2017 with Neuroma between 2nd and third toe.
NOTE ON METATARSAL (MORTON’S) NEUROMA
Morton’s neuroma is a benign but painful condition that affects the ball of the foot. It’s also called an intermetatarsal neuroma because it’s located in the ball of the foot between your metatarsal bones. It happens when the tissue around a nerve that leads to a toe thickens from irritation or compression.
She says My feet are so wide, it’s difficult to find shoes that are wide enough.
The outside edge is super painful. < touch of shoe or pressure. Sensitive, wants to jump, it’s so sharp. She says, There’s no cartilage due to pressure of shoes. I put all my weight on right foot. She then envisages: The Nerve has formed a shell around it.
Fears gunman would shoot her or her daughter.
Continues to be magnet for mosquitoes. I get eaten alive. The itching hasn’t stopped.
Nerves ‘a bit of busy’. Nervous system fires all over the shop.
I feel tired to the bone.
I don’t genuinely believe that I will meet somebody I will get on with, somebody who is out there for me.
I had thought the other day… the one thing I would have wanted from my mother was the pearl necklace in her jewellery box. Pearl is my birth stone.
I am rejecting materialism; do we need any of this shit?
Dreaming vividly.
++ vegetable, beans and rice, chickpeas
(She was living in Dallas, USA at this point) I had an arranged marriage with America. Now I reject the wasteful, pleasure culture.
I feel uprooted, in a strange country. Where is home?
Analysis: When she started talking about her feet being too wide and not finding shoes to fit, my mind went to Japanese geishas with bound feet. Then she said she imagined the nerve had formed a shell around itself and I thought of Conchiolinum which also has an affinity to bones and the feet. More confirmations: She said I feel tired to the bone. And then pearl is her birthstone plus she had a recent thought about wanting her mother’s pearl necklace from the jewellery box.
Rx Conchiolinum 30c Once a week x 4
Follow up- 28 August 2017
Really good. The best ever!! Before I was one blob of mess. Now appreciates options. Anxiety doesn’t stop her from thinking.
She Took Conchiolinum for about 6 months and Neuroma was cured. No need for operation.
NOTES ON CONCHIOLINUM
- Affinity to feet and feet bones
- Bone disorders
- Fear/Dream loss of partner (Mangialavori)
- Insecurity re appearance ‘how am I seen’
- Connection with Japanese Geishas?
- Migraines
- DD Calc Sulph
- Molluscs– react to stress by hiding, vulnerability, protection, water themes, passive
Nicely done. The use of the patient’s language as metaphor for a remedy, along with physical symptoms was a good balance to arrive at the simillimum.