Dear Elly,

Congratultions on having the courage to call.

Maybe things will work out okay after all.

Let us know how things transpire,

Snoopy

Hi Snoopy
Thanks for the support!
My appointment is on tues. so I'll let you know.
Alistair is improving all the time, his concentration is returning, so he is able to practise guitar, which he loves, and he feels he's ready to drop his tranqs again soon... So hopefully sometime soon he'll go back to the homeopath. We'll keep our fingers crossed!
Thanks again to everyone who has sent their kind words, its lovely to think that there are so many nice people so far away, but willing to offer their support,
Thank you!

You're welcome.

Snoopy

Hi Guys!
Went to see the homeopath, and it went OK, I didn't tackle her about her upsetting me, but talking to all of you has showed me that I needed to tell her some things that I hadn't previously, as I saw them as 'facts' just the way I'd always been, which she said helped to confirm what she'd thought would be appropriate. She was more understanding about the situation with Alistair and I was able to explain that what I want him to do and what he wants to do are different and I just have to wait until he suggests things that I'd like him to do, and encourage him to do those things, but I can't nag him, as it doesn't work!!!

in reply to TWOFINGERS , no at the moment I don't know of any 'alternative' optometry... Optometry is a fairly new profession, and to be quite honest in our teaching we are told that requirement for spectacles is due to an anatomical mismatch of the refractive parts of the eye - the curvature of the cornea, lens, and the length of the eyeball itself. Reading correction is needed with age due to loss of accomodation, the ability of the lens to change shape to focus at different distances, this is due to a loss of elasticity with age. So to eliminate the need for spectacles a way of either changing the anatomical features of the eye, or the ageing and growing process, of the eye would be required.... According to the orthodox understanding of course! It'd be abit like asking someone to make you taller, and younger!
An interesting fact is that the eye is the fastest ageing part of the body! (hence the need for reading specs in your 40's when you haven't hardly a wrinkle!)
In the UK at present I don't think too many practitioners are interested in alternative treatment, we're not even allowed to diagnose eye disease, as optometrists, let alone treat,although we are expected to detect and refer eye disease!
I would have thought that alternative medicine may have some answers to the chronic eye diseases,and probably a good few of the more acute ones too, it would be interesting to see what the opthalmologists had to say about it. Unfortunately I have never heard of any alternative eye treatment, and I wouldn't venture to question an ophthalmologist about it as they already have a dim view of us high street optometrists....(see not able to diagnose, but expected to detect!)
Exercises to improve eyesight are generally poo-pooed by optometrists (although coloured specs and overlays for dyslexia are becoming more widely used) we prescribe exercises to improve the binocular vision(help the eyes work together) for some children. However I guess reading some of these exercise books wouldn't be a bad idea, but like the pharmaceutical industry, it wouldn't sell specs!!!
Hope that partially answers the question!
If anyone else knows anymore I would be intersted, many of my patients see homeopaths etc. and its the way things are going!

Hi Eliz....just back from leave and glad to see you spoke with your Homeopath .

How are things going with Alistair??

Interesting subject regarding optometry and homeopathy!!
Hopefully those with experience of improvements with post more...

Take care,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,
Hope you had good holidays!
Alistair is slowly but surely getting better.
We decided that he had to decide which to do first, homeopathy or tranqs withdrawal (as advised on the board!) and although it seems the general opinion was homeo first he is so desparate to get off the tranqs that he decided to get off those first.

I think it is a psycological boost. When he has got off these and can start homeopathic treatment he'll feel on the road to recovery, whereas if he'd started with the homeopathy his tranq dose would have stayed the same for longer, so he wouldn't have felt he was getting as far... that sort of makes sense?!

Anyway he is doing really well, he is down to 15mg successfully and the beer drinking is undercontrol. His mental attitude is changing for the better too, he used to think that beer was his best friend and that it would get him thru' anything, he's now realising that although it makes him feel good, excessive amounts don't help, this is a major breakthrough. he's also listening too and taking things on board more, thinking it thru' before racing in and trying to be generally more leisurely in the way he sees life, he's realised his attitude was adding to his stress. I think these are all steps forward for him. He might be learning to take life in his stride!

So I think that generally things are looking positive! I can't wait to see whaat happens with the homeopathy, he's making leaps and bounds on his own at the minute, I might have trouble keeping up with him soon!

Thanks for keeping in touch, I'll let you know how he goes on.

Really nice to hear back.
Sounds as if you're a tremendous support to him - make sure to take of you too ....

Please let us know how he gets on in future and bounce things here if you have any questions or just need a wee bit of reassurance.
Take care,
Lisa

Hi Guys,
Just an update on how we're getting on!
I finally persuaded alistair to take the homeopathic remedy about a month ago, he was struggling with his last but one drop and felt desparate for something to ease it, it took a while but I convinced him!
And so far so good. I feel it helped him virtually from day one, although he has really only just decided that it may be having quite an effect.
The doc told him to drop by 1.25mg this time but he decided he wanted to drop by 2.5mg and has so far not had too many ill effects! (he dropped 2 and a half weeks ago) He's hoping it stays that way so he can go back to the doctor and say its helping and I've dropped twice what you said and managed it without too many withdrawal symptoms!

Since he's been back to see the homeopath and her attitude has been much much better, maybe it was abit of frustration, she'd given him what he needed and he wouldn't take it. I suppose she doesn't have time to counsel all her neurotic patients as well!!
I'm itching to know what she gave him, but as it only says 'P' on the bottle I can't be sure! it is working though, thats the main thing. She also gave him a herbal remedy Avena Savina(?) to help the homeopathy along if he had trouble with the withdrawal, how does that work?
Also he's talking about going back to work soon, which is great! He feels he could cope with looking for a job soon.
All in all after a shaky start I think things are looking up!
Thanks again for your support.

Hi Eliz, that is fantastic news!! I'm so happy for both of you.

I'm pleased to hear that things are going well with the homeopath.

Don't worry too much about which remedy she chose for him - she may tell you later.... And, it wouldn't help you to know now anyway....not really. (I understand that desire to know, though ).

Thanks for letting us know how things are going. And do post again to let us know how he is progressing.

Warmest regards,
Lisa

__________________
"The significance of a fact is measured by the capacity of the observer."
Carroll Dunham

Hi Lisa,
Thanks, its brill, isn't it!

I'm not really worried about the rem. just very nosy!!!!
I guessed my next rem. correctly last time (using Miranda Castros book) I'mm just having fun really!

Will post again soon and let you know how he's doing