Remedy code: 3-644.66.05
A 68-year-old woman appears grayish, she is lethargic, and complaining, with a hoarse voice and a smoker’s cough, twinkling eyes, and notably rounded fingernails. She appears unkempt and displays a striking combination of despondency, passivity, and clinging, and even flirt. She has had emphysema since childhood, after severe lung infections, and last year developed a dust allergy. Colds quickly become severe, turning into bronchitis with a lot of mucus. She suffers from nerve pain in her entire left leg, scoliosis, and degeneration. Pain in her hip and leg is so intense when lying down and turning over that it wakes her. Walking is difficult; short, unsupported walking helps, but prolonged walking makes it worse. Going to the toilet is painful. It started with severe cramping, initially in the hamstring, then in the hip, and later extending to the calf and toes. Occasionally, she experiences tinnitus, sometimes leading to deafness, occasional fluttering sensations, and double vision. Chiropractic used to help, but in the past year, it has worsened the condition. She describes herself as very flexible and agile, often experiencing sudden strains. That is her "story of life," but not just physically. She has always tackled things with great determination, only to later realize she couldn’t manage it all. She also had relationships with men who leaned on her; when she faltered, they went down too. She has been single for a long time now. She still takes trips on her own, coming face to face with herself, which is a terrifying prospect: being alone. With her last serious partner, she had a child for whom she had to care alone. She felt addicted to that man, and then, suddenly, he was gone. During the same period, her ex-partners passed away in quick succession. They were resentful people, and she never fully mourned. She’s been single for a very long time and finds it becoming dull. Sitting alone frequently, she feels teary, yet perks up after a beer. She always puts others first, acting as a sort of primal mother, taking others along with her, but despite her best efforts, it often wasn’t enough. In her career, despite having a good education, she was only allowed to take notes in team meetings and felt unappreciated. She eventually left work and developed back pain. After her divorce, she focused on her child, driven by a strong survival instinct, pretending everything was fine. "If I just put my shoulder to the wheel, things will get better." She did bodywork, uncovering anger and disappointment. This is a recurring theme. She took a course in energy and bodywork to overcome the heaviness. Her ex would insult her, and her child was bullied. Her sleep is very irregular; she doesn’t want to go to bed as that feels unpleasant, she used to live all night. Her father was blunt, lacking empathy. Her childhood felt very unfair, where she wasn’t seen for who she was. Her father was loving until kindergarten, after which he only criticized her. Her mother was timid, sweet, and affected by her harsh father. As a child, she was concerned and protective of her mother, standing up for her. She ran away from home at 17. Her father would sometimes lash out, hitting her out of the blue and yelling and swearing. She went to work but, as a girl and later as a woman, was never taken seriously in her job. Recently, she has developed arthritis, and her blood shows a rheumatoid factor. She desperately wants to understand what is happening. "People can push me far, but then that’s it." She can also clown around and laugh. Love from her father and partners was always conditional. Being a woman meant being seen differently! She can communicate with deceased people, smokes a lot to keep intense feelings at bay, and maintains some semblance of life. She has had severe nosebleeds, feeling as if she was losing her soul.
Terminalia catappa, Spiranthus autumnale,
Capsicum annuum, and
Galphimia glauca provide before only brief and mild improvement.
AnalysisIron series: Where does she want to belong, what world is she seeking? She wants to connect with people, belonging to a family, work, or team. This suggests
Iron series.
Phase 6: Father was ‘unfair’. She lacks appreciation, and air feels abandoned, with themes of partnership and giving a lot to others. She feels excluded and devalued as a woman, with
Phase 6 covering work, being functional, and covering
Iron series in partnership. There is unfairness and a lack of acknowledgment. These aspects bring us to the
Rosales, 644.60, with a strong orientation toward doing things for others. In
Rosales, we find confirmation in her sleep issues, relationship issues, and nasal symptoms (the nose is significant in
Rosaceae case studies, with nasal symptoms associated with the heart meridian in TCM).
Phase-subphase 66: heaviness, bad luck, disappointment, weightiness, similar to
Brassicaceae. She wants to enjoy herself and have a beer, or a cigarette, aligning with the
Fabidae. Fatigue falls under
Phase 6; exhaustion falls under Phase 66.
Many arguments converge in the
Rhamnaceae family. In this family, Ceanothus is known for severe lung issues, with doubt about how to proceed. Not-feeling as a solution (Clarke mentions ‘don’t care feeling all the time).
Prescription:
Ceanothus americanus MK.
Follow-upAfter a few days, she felt more energetic. Her face appeared more relaxed, her skin is less gray. Her back pain initially worsened, then improved. She experienced a lot of coughing, clearing her lungs, with a waterfall-like nasal discharge. She has begun clearing out papers from her past. Some hormones seem to have "reactivated," with occasional hot flashes, a renewed desire for intimacy, what was till now just a memory from 10 years ago. She is dreaming again, something she hasn’t done in a long time. Her complexion is less gray, with her nose tip no longer appearing grayish. In the past weeks, she was alone as her child was away, but she didn’t feel sad about it. She makes plans but doesn’t follow through (
Stage 5). In the coming months, her symptoms lessen, and her zest for life returns. She gains greater awareness of "this is just how it is." She always pretended nothing was wrong. There are still moments when she feels sorry for herself, yet also moments when she believes it will be okay. She goes out more. She continues to smoke heavily, although it felt nasty. After a few months, she is given Corydalis formosa, after trials for relationships, which made her remembering painful the past.