Asymptomatic [was: West Nile Fever

[Shannon Nelson]

Hi Tanya,

Thanks, I think I get your point now; interesting.
I think West Nile Virus is a different situation from Lyme's, in that West
Nile does not seem to be a lingering thing, but a true acute -- you either
get over it or die from it, in a relatively short period of time. (Or am I
wrong about this?) Also, the fact that infection will only lead to
significant trouble in about ... what was the figure? One time out of a
thousand or more? Why would one be tested for WNV if they have no symptoms?
And if they *do* have symptoms, that that would be the guide to the
remedy...

Lyme's (and Hep C?) is a different matter, because of its chronicity, i.e.
because problems develop slowly, progressively, and "forever".

For interest, here's a section of an old post of Will Taylor's, on the
subject of Lyme's:

Subject: Re: antibiotics, Lyme Disease
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 22:45:41 -0500
From: Will Taylor
To: homeopathy mailing list
I strongly suspect that, were we to do the anamnesis for Lyme disease (in
the manner that Boenninghausen reported the anamnesis of sycosis), we would
find Ledum to be the *central* remedy for Lyme, just as we find Thuja to be
the *central* remedy for sycosis. Now this does not mean that every case of
sycosis needs or will respond to Thuja. Many (most) present a skewed and
individualized picture and need an individualized remedy. We give Thuja
when the case is "undifferentiated" sycosis, which means also that the
totality of symptoms matches Thuja.

I wouldn't "wing" Ledum for a case of Lyme. I'd take the case, and use
Ledum if it fit. I'm 2 out of 3 cases on that, and if you count cases where
I don't have outcome ('cause they also did antibiotics so I can't tell you
if my Rx was effective), Ledum has been the prevailing remedy indicated.
But I've also seen cases that appeared convincingly to call for Rhus tox,
Ruta, and Kalmia.

* * *
So again the approach recommended by Will is simply to "take the case"!
In a case of an asymptomatic disease, revealed by lab tests, I'd think (I'm
certainly no expect, but can't imagine what another approach would be for
now, unless isopathy, which has a less good track record) you would first
look for *any* changes that have occurred recently -- either
mental/emotional level, or generals, or physicals; any funny sensations,
imaginings, dreams, desires; any possible "causatives" (meaning causative to
the "susceptibility" -- any shocks, upsets, etc.), and see whether that
yields an "acute" type remedy; if not (in other words, if it is *truly and
completely* asymptomatic), then you would take the straightforward
"constitutional" approach, and use labwork to verify improvement. (And if
labwork *didn't* verify improvement, I'd bring in "other modalities", along
with trying again for the right remedy!)

I'm curious about the idea of a serious illness being *truly* asymptomatic;
is that really the case, even from the standpoint of homeopathy's much
broader definition of "symptom"? I mean, can a person develop hepatitis and
have *no* symptoms of it, at any level? Just a point of curiosity; and if
so, can anyone offer experience as to whether or not the plain ol'
constitutional approach is effective? I would certainly expect it to be...

Shannon
on 8/9/02 8:59 PM, tanya marquette at tamarque@frontiernet.net wrote:

[Tanya Marquette]

Hi Shannon,

thanks for your thoughts. yes, ledum seems to be a big rx for lyme and i do agree that the case should be taken and be treated proforma as in allopathy.

the case of hep C that i saw had no discernible sx. it was very interesting. there was a lot of repressed feelings and a powerfully strong sense of inner control. if i had to make an evaluation, i would say there was intense rage at the ex-husband who gave it to her. and altho i couldnt prove it, i suspected that all the repressed feelings she was not experiencing led to a state of not being able to conceive a child, something she actually came to see me about (she already had had a successful pregnancy several years before).
unfortunately she decided to go the allopathic route with meds for the hep C and exploratory surgery for childbirth --which did nothing.

my approach was constitutional and we were getting some response when she backed away. some people are very threatened by change.

tanya

[Rosemary Hyde]

Hi, Tanya.

Re your last sentence about some patients feeling very threatened by change
..

Very true. I've several times found this to be a huge obstacle to cure, and
have wondered how others help patients to work through the chan ge of
healing when they find it threatening.

Rosemary Hyde

[Rosemary Hyde]

In my experience, illness virtually always has symptoms, but often the
patient is not educated to look for them as symptoms and so therefore they
pass unnoticed. I think many "one-sided" diseases could be made to appear
much less undifferentiated with some instruction to patients about what
changes might constitute homeopathically significant rather than
allopathically significant symptoms.

Rosemary C. Hyde

[Tanya Marquette]

Rosemary,

one of the important lessons in homeopathy, i feel, is the need to stay open and flexible at all
times. in working with people, i can only hope that i find the right words and the right rx to help
a person develop confidence in our modality and to stick with the process. i also feel that a
person has to be ready to make changes. i think this is what gives the courage to go thru the process.
and then there is the issue of trust. i find so many people who say they want a holisitc modality but when
push comes to shove, they return to allopathy. there is such a strong co-dependent relationship betw the
public and the allopathic profession. and insurance is very seductive. i think time is what we need to
get on our side.

i received a call from a woman today that i have worked with for a very long time. she has made so
much progress over the years. we have gone thru the ups and downs of impatience and crises of
confidence. but her spirit to change always comes thru. i feel blessed to have worked with her and
know that i have probably learned even more than i was able to give.

tanya