Dear Ricky,
dear Shirley,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

this is my update:

I apologize for not giving an update last week, I was just very, very busy – and often away from home to do Christmas shopping, now that I am free to move around again.

By the way – my freedom ended on this Friday morning and I found myself riding my bike to work again, because the other car would not start now that the temperature is close to freezing point. I felt like taking a whole bottle of Nux vomica when we discovered the problem ... At least I was so angry about the car that I was not cold, I was boiling inside.

One week ago, before we went up north to visit my grandmother and my parents my left eye twitched a few times during the days for a few days. That has subsided again.

Unfortunately I cannot, yet, present a blood-sugar protocol. We tried but I failed. When we started and my mother explained to me how the device worked an installed a new needle my fingers and hands within seconds became ice-cold. (Usually I always have warm fingers and hands, people are always amazed at my warm hands.) We tried anyway and the injection did not produce any blood. She wanted to try again later but I just could not. I could not leave my hand on her table, I just could not. My reaction was nothing that came from my conscious mind. I was totally embarrassed (and she was totally surprised and later a little shocked, I think – she says I must do everything possible never to become a diabetic, because doctors will not let me get away with such a childish behavior). I still am embarrassed and I am ashamed to be telling this to you, but I really do have a problem with needles shooting into me, even with the tiny little ones. Then I had completely forgotten about EFT, I did not even try it. The next day, on our drive back home, I finally remembered EFT and will try it on Christmas when we will be at my parents' house again for a whole week. My mother promised she will give me another chance and I will hopefully behave like a grownup person then.

The weather is getting colder and I find that I have changed a little bit. I now like to be in warm rooms and my office is not one of the coldest of the company any more because I turn up the radiator. I was different a year ago. I hardly ever drink ice-cold drinks any more – the only exception is a very, very rare glass of diet coke.

I stepped on the scale a week ago and weighted 88.5 Kilos (195 lbs.). That was ok, I figured I was able to maintain some of what I had lost during the first fat-fast, the second attempt failed due to external influences that I could not avoid (business dinners and family occasions). My next scale-day will be the first day next year and I will be happy if I am still at 88.5 then after Christmas.

This weekend I totally failed the diet when I baked cookies for the family and we afterwards went to a Christmas market. But this Saturday I also bought three new pullovers which are still on the small side – I can wear them but they will still look nice if I loose a little more - so I am highly motivated not to fail much more, even if it is Christmas season and already today I stayed on track.

My period is due to start next week and I am very curious whether it does.

Emotionally I am a little more unstable (a little easier to be really annoyed) than I was two weeks ago. I sometimes think it would be great if I could just take another dose of Nux vomica again. But it is not as bad as it was before I took it, so maybe I should just wait and watch and report.

Thank you for being there.

Bettina

I am quite happy for you to repeat the Nux Vom 200 as it is a month since you took it and the stress with the car could easily have used it up. You say you are due a period next week. If it is due at the end of the week then repeat now if you wish but if in a couple of days you would be better waiting until it has passed. You may prefer to wait until after the period anyhow. I will leave it to you.
I think you have done really well with your weight. Keep it down by exercise rather than starving yourself over Christmas.

Please explain about the needle you used to try to take some blood. Did your hands go cold because you are frightened of needles?

[ 09. December 2002, 01:44: Message edited by: Ricky ]

__________________
RSHom - Registered Homeopath

Hi Bettina,

Thank you for the update. I somehow missed the post on mint. The most common anti-dotes are menthol, eucalyptus, camphor and mint, sometimes tea tree oil, coffee and caffein. I ask that people stay off them until I know the remedy is working and then they can introduce them and see what happens. They don't all necessarily antidote every remedy in every person. I agree that if you find it antidotes the remedy, then at least you'll know and wont do it again. Also, sometimes, the remedy comes back in a few days if you only do it once.

As I said last year at this time, don't worry about the diet during the holiday season. You'll just make yourself miserable. Enjoy the season and eat right the rest of the year. You've done really well this year.

I'm sorry about your car. Machines are such whimps!

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Shirley Reischman

Dear Shirley,
dear Ricky,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good news!
I am almost convinced that I may be starting another period, there is a little pain and first traces of blood and I do hope that it developes into a genuine period. If it does it would be almost exactly on time, only one day late! And I would be super-happy for a second reason: there would be no blood and no suffering on Christmas.

I will let you know as soon as I am 100 percent sure.

Ricky, I did buy Viburnum (Viburnum opulus, mother-tincture). How do I use it when the pain starts? Do I put it in water or do I take it pure - and how much of it? (it has 70 % alcohol).

I did not take Nux vomica again, yet, because the period was supposed to start yesterday. And I was wondering, since the last time I took Nux vomica it was in M potency and now you said to repeat the C 200 potency - or did I misunderstand your directions? I am just uncertain and want to verify.

About the needle: My mother has a blood sugar measuring device. This has a pen-like instrument that is loaded with a tiny small needle and has a mechanism that lets the needle shoot out at the tip of the instrument for only a few millimeters and then instantly draws the needle back into the instrument after the release of the mechanism. It is a matter of fractions of a second. Where the needle hit the finger a drop of blood is supposed to appear (and it does on my mothers hands). I guess my hands went cold, because I really do not like the idea of any needles entering my body, even when they are withdrawn again instantly. I know it will not kill me and I know it is childish, honestly, but I just could not leave my hand on the table when my mother approached it with the instrument and I know it is not my mother's fault. She is a kind person and will not torture me, I know that. I will use EFT and try again and hopefully present a complete blood sugar protocol after Christmas.

I am really happy about the period.

Bettina

[ 11. December 2002, 16:47: Message edited by: Bettina ]

Sorry I meant repeat the Nux 1M!!!

Re the Viburnum (Crampbark) start with 1/2 teaspoon in a little warm water and repeat if needed - 3 or 4 times in a day. If you fnd the first dose did nothing try 1 teaspoon.

Re the needles - is it just injections that bother you or are you uneasy about using sewing needles and pins or in fact anything sharp?

All the best,
R

[ 12. December 2002, 00:54: Message edited by: Ricky ]

__________________
RSHom - Registered Homeopath

Dear Ricky,
dear Shirley,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The period really started yesterday and it was very different from all the starts I have experienced so far.

First, from Tuesday through Friday I had the impression that it tried to start but somehow could not come through.

On Friday morning I felt very strange, like I never felt before. I could not adjust the temperature in my office to my needs, it was either too cold or too hot. In the late morning I became very tired and just did not feel well. I had absolutely no appetite and so I skipped lunch after I had already had only very little for breakfast. My cheeks were so blushed that my colleagues jokingly asked me whether I had drunk alcohol. I really did not feel well.

I left the office in the early afternoon and on my drive home I had a scary sensation. While waiting at an intersection for my chance to turn right, the radio was turned on, I suddenly had the impression that the picture I was seeing (of the intersection and the other cars around me) suddenly did not make sense to my head any more and the radio suddenly very much disturbed me. So I put the car into neutral, because I was worried I would run danger to loose touch to my real surroundings and did not want the car to make uncontrolled movements (that part of my brain still functioned). I turned off the radio and shook my head and then regained normal control, but still feeling very strange. I have never experienced something like this before in my life.

At home I felt nausea and went straight to bed. After two hours the (known) period pain started and a heavy flow of blood started and I developed an appetite again and finally ate lunch in the late afternoon still feeling weak and a little shaky. We had to attend a party yesterday evening and the pain was steadily increasing. I must admit, because we had to leave, I did not even try the cramp bark, I went straight to Ibuprofen and it helped and we had a great evening and I felt normal again.

All through today the flow was very heavy which annoyed me, because we had many things to do and different places we needed to go to. But I somehow managed with two more doses of Ibuprofen and having to find a toilet every 45 to 60 Minutes even though I was using the biggest tampons available and super absorbent sanitary napkins as well.

In spite of all the pain, trouble and mess, believe me, I am really happy that I am having this period now. Counting from yesterday, when it finally really started, it is only three days late and I will be without trouble on Christmas and New Year, that is something that I had definitely not expected.

Tomorrow we will be able to stay home and I will finally get a chance to try the cramp bark if there is more pain. At the moment there is none and I will go straight to bed.

The needles:
I am not uneasy about using sharp objects, I am using them every day (I hate dull knifes!), I am just very careful when I use them and so far in my life I have only cut myself six times and I can still remember each single incident. My problems start when someone wants to take my blood with a needle. I cannot stand the thought of my skin being cut or punctured and I cannot watch when it happenes. And that probably was the problem two weeks ago, because I tried to watch. It was never the pain that drove me crazy when I cut myself (and I almost always freaked out when I did), it was the knowledge that now there was a bleeding cut in my skin. And I never have problems of this kind when I accidentally punctured a finger with a sewing needle. It is the knowledge beforehand that it will happen, that makes me very uneasy - but I am determined to have this blood sugar protocol and I am determined to manage that.

Bettina

This period is certainly interesting!!! Re what happened to you beforehand I would describe it as being disorientated. I remember it used to happen to me!! I also do not know what to suggest!! Do let us know if the cramp bark works for you. I must say that it seems as if homeopathy has got your periods back on track which means that your hormones are working properly.
Now re repeating the Nux. I think I will have to say that you should see how you are after the period. It might have been a kind of PMT which made you think it was time to repeat it. I have also found with patients that taking one dose of a 6 or 30 potency can boost the 1M that you took into working again so you may wish to do this instead.

I will be offline (as I will be abroad) from Wednesay 18th Dec until 2nd Jan other than for an odd day at the weekend so if you don't get a reply straight away from me you know why. If you are desperate send me a text message as my cellphone will be on.

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RSHom - Registered Homeopath

Dear Ricky,
dear Shirley,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is my update:

The week went smoothly. It is Saturday afternoon now and I will not have to return to work before January 7th – this is a very good feeling.

The period is over now. The flow was very heavy and also painful till Sunday afternoon, it then stopped for more than 24 hours almost completely and then resumed with only very little blood and no pain so I did not even need tampons or more Ibuprofen. I am really happy that I was able to produce a punctual period and that I will have a painfree Christmas and New Year.

I had a headache which started on Wednesday evening and lasted through the night. On Thursday early morning I finally took Ibuprofen, because of the headache. I had to repeat the Ibuprofen in the afternoon because I had to attend a social gathering on Thursday evening and the headache started returning and I am ok since then. Another headache started late this morning, but I could go to sleep for two hours and afterwards I was ok again.

Now I am a little bit confused about the Nux vomica and I think I will take one dose of Nux vomica C 30 tomorrow evening to try to boost the M1 as Ricky kindly suggested and hope for the best. A little bit I hope that it will stop the headaches again.

Today I did buy enzymes following Snoopy's advice on the other thread that Barb started and I will definitely try them. I am very curious to see if there is any reaction.

December is not a good month for a diet that consists of anything else but cookies, chocolate and other comfort food, but I am managing more or less. I am at a point where I can tell from my face reflection in the mirror whether I am at 88.5 Kilos or above (I checked this impression with the scale, because I could not believe it). My last measurement was 89 point something and I, for myself, decided I will be okay if I do not go over 90 till January first and put away the scale. We will be staying with my parents for one week starting Monday and I will just do my best not to gain any weight. For me it is just impossible to resist all the temptations so I will just resist as many as I can and keep in mind that every single bite counts, meaning, I will never say, 'now that I cheated there is no point in not cheating any more'. This, for me, is new. I often just continued eating wrong foods once I had taken a first forbidden bite, but during the past days the sentence 'every bite counts' helped me a lot to prevent major diet crimes.

I am taking Chromiumpicolinate and Vanadylsulfate again to assist my insulin metabolism.

I will not have access to the Internet from Monday 23rd till Monday or Tuesday 30/31st.

I wish everyone here a Merry Christmas.

Bettina

Have a good time over the holidays Bettina and please remember EFT for a headache as it works everytime for me!!

__________________
RSHom - Registered Homeopath