I wrote this about a month ago and am just finally getting around to posting. I still have slight pain in my shoulder left over from the shingles, but usually only when I get really stressed out. The oils and other remedies mentioned here have majorly decreased recovery time and I am so thankful for those of you who recommended these products!
Last week I came down with shingles,
one of the most painful illnesses I have ever experienced. I woke up Saturday
morning with severe pain in my right arm like I had strained a muscle or been
punched several times in my armpit. It was the first time my oldest had slept
through the night so I attributed the soreness to going too long without
nursing him. Later that morning when an itchy patch showed up on my chest, I
didn’t think anything about it, figuring that I had been bitten or just gotten
something irritating on my skin. When the bruised feeling began spreading to my
shoulder and back and more spots appeared, I started to wonder what was up.
I went the whole day trying to
soothe my sore muscles and refrain from scratching the spots, hoping that it
was just a minor allergic reaction to something and would go away soon. But it
was getting worse. Much worse. By that night I could barely raise my arm
without excruciating pain and the spots had developed blistering bumps all over
them. So, after getting the kids ready for bed I called my mentor and best
friend, who also happens to be a nurse practitioner (I highly recommend having
a best friend in the medical field; Having someone you can bug at all hours of
the night for the silliest of medical questions is invaluable ;) ). I described
my symptoms and she asked a key question, “Are all of the spots on one side of
your body?” Yep, sure ‘nough. Her unofficial diagnosis, “Girl, I can’t say for
sure without seeing, but I do believe you’ve got shingles.”
Shingles? Are you kidding me? At this
point I kind of started to freak out. Isn’t shingles really dangerous? And
highly contagious? Did I need to go to urgent care right away? After talking
with her and doing a little of my own research online I concluded that no, in
most cases shingles is not dangerous (although it can rarely cause severe
complications), and it is only contagious to those who have not had chickenpox.
If spread to an individual who has never had chickenpox, it will manifest
itself as such rather than as shingles. The doctor will prescribe an antiviral
but it won’t really fight the illness, just treat the symptoms while your body
recovers, and the medication prescribed comes with a list of possible negative
side effects of its own.
I did a lot
of reading online and talked with some friends who have had shingles and found
that an outbreak usually occurs during a time of stress or really low immune
system. I hadn’t been sick, but we had been to several doctors’ offices for my
son’s leg (he severely bruised it a couple weeks ago and we wanted to make sure
it wasn’t broken) and for our general check-ups, so I had been exposed to
things that could have weakened my immune system even though I didn’t actually
feel sick. And stress? Oh, yeah, there’s been some stress. Between being
worried that Little Mister’s leg was broken and trying to care for him (ever
tried to keep a two year old who can’t walk entertained for two weeks?),
getting a new dog, and dealing with some other outside factors, I was exhausted
and frazzled. So, it’s really no surprise that I ended up with these spots that
feel like someone pelted me with paintballs, stuck a thousand needles in my
skin, and poured lemon juice over the pinpricks.
I am a no medication kind of gal. I
don’t even like taking Tylenol for a migraine. Over the last few years I have
been trying to learn more about homeopathy and natural remedies and to rely
more on what God put into creation to help heal us. Call me a crazy hippy, but
I believe that nature contains the safest, most effective medicine available.
You just have to take the time to find what works. I grew up relying heavily on
doctors’ advice, so this has been an adjustment for me and something of a
journey to learn to trust that God really did create certain things in nature
for our health and healing.
Since shingles attacks when you
have a low immune system, my first order of business was to load up on vitamins
and other nutrients to restore my body’s defenses. B-complex, L-lysine, large
doses of Vitamin C, and a powder called Ester-C have become part of my regimen.
B-12 is supposed to especially help, but you need it in a B-complex form for
your body to absorb it. L-lysine is also found in meat and dairy, so I’ve been
eating a lot of foods from those groups. You mix Ester-C with juice or water
(it tastes nasty, though). As far as foods to avoid, you really want to stay
away from nuts, chocolate, and sugar while fighting shingles.
I’ve also been taking colloidal silver. If you’ve heard any of the news stories about this substance you may be appalled. I was skeptical, too, but after doing a lot of research I am comfortable taking one teaspoon twice daily in addition to occasionally applying it topically to the sores. I believe it helps and have not read any credible side effects from it when taken properly. Do your own research. Don’t use it if you’re uncomfortable doing so.
In the realm of homeopathy, the
only remedy I had on hand that was recommended was arsenicum album. I tried a
few doses of that the first night, but it didn’t really seem to be the right
remedy for me. Some other remedies that may help are rhus tox, iris versicolor,
clematis erectus, apis mellifica, and mezereum, but we don’t currently have any
of those.
The most helpful remedy I have
found for shingles has been pure essential oils! I had wanted to get some oils
for a long time because I’ve heard so many people rave about them, but they are
so expensive! However, on the third
day of unbelievable pain, and after talking with a friend who said oils worked
wonders for her case of shingles, Joshua and I decided to give them a try. We
couldn’t find anyone in town who sells therapeutic-grade oils, so we took the
plunge and signed up with Young Living Essential Oils as a distributor to
receive their wholesale prices. We ordered Monday and expedited shipping to
receive the oils by Wednesday morning. The oils recommended to me were:
o
Oregano
o
Peppermint
o
Thieves
o
Ravintsara
o
Lavender
o
Frankincense
All but the ravintsara and oregano
came with the Young Living Premium Starter Kit. Also included in the kit are
lemon, and the blends Joy, Purification, PanAway, Peace & Calm, and Valor.
Each comes in a 5 ml glass bottle. But wait, there’s more! With the Premium
Starter Kit you also receive a diffuser and a sample box that includes 5 ml of
Stress Away (which comes with an optional roller top), two 2 oz packets of
Ningxia Red, and two little sample packets each of lavender, lemon, Peace &
Calming, peppermint, and Thieves, as well as several pamphlets introducing you
to essential oils and helping you get started if you intend to make a business
out of it.
Wednesday morning before the oils
arrived I was in an incredible amount of pain. Moving any part of my body hurt.
I was hardly able to stand nursing the boys. I was only able to nurse from one
side because the other side had blisters and I felt mastitis coming on even
though I had been pumping. The blisters were spreading like wildfire and the
bruised feeling radiated from my waist to my fingertips on the right side of my
body. The slightest cold touch, even cool air brushing my skin just from
walking, Hurt. So. Bad. I was in tears several times that morning. When the
oils arrived at 10:00am I was overjoyed.
Joshua applied the recommended oils
to the blisters and to the bottoms of my feet. It felt soooo good and amazingly
soothing. At first he just shook a couple drops of each oil onto my skin and
rubbed them in, but he had a hard time getting just one drop out so he decided
to mix them in a little spray bottle and spray it on me. This works really
well. After the first application I was finally able to get comfortable and
relaxed into a two hour nap. That was the first deep sleep I’ve had in days (it
helped that Joshua was sweet enough to take the boys and the dog outside during
this time). When I woke up I noticed there was considerably less redness to the
spots and the bruised feeling had almost completely subsided. Another couple of
applications throughout the day and I was able to sleep that night like I have
not been able to sleep in what feels like forever. I’m sold.
I’m still in pain. It itches, stings,
and when it’s been a while since we last applied the oils, the bruised feeling
begins to return (but with increasingly less intensity). With each application
of the oils, the pain lessens. And the oils smell good, too, which uplifts
everyone’s mood. It’ll still be a while before I’m well, and we have yet to see
whether or not the kids will come down with chickenpox, but on my second day of
using essential oils, I feel so much better than I thought possible. God really
did design an amazing creation!
Interested in becoming a Young Living wholesale member and saving 24% off retail price? Email me at servingfromhome@gmail.com for more information.
