Pain

Wasp Treatment

Liz James · August 3, 2020 ·

It must be a bad season for stinging insects. A friend posted just a bit ago in another group about using Basil for a sting (with huge success!). I LOVE that God gave us so many quick remedies for problems such as these, and we are not limited to one solution! After you’ve used oils for awhile, you’ll have found that this is always the case. #multipurposetools

Yesterday, I got stung on the finger by a wasp. What you see in the pic was my 3 step remedy:
1. Cut an onion and rub the onion on the sting for 3-4 minutes. Do this as quickly as you can after the incident to neutralize the poison.
2. Apply YL lavender essential oil to the stung area. #notthecheapstuff
3. Put a tablespoon of baking soda in a shot glass and add a little vinegar (it will get foamy super fast, so do this over the sink). Then apply the mixture to your boo-boo stung area.
I was able to do this immediately after I got stung and had ZERO evidence of a sting 15 minutes after it happened.

Not much later, Charlie was putting hay out and he got stung 3 times. 😳 He didn’t get to apply this magical trio until about 15 minutes after it happened…. it did the trick for him too. No swelling. No pain.

Easy peasy!
#wehaveallweneedinthekitchen
#ThanksYL
(Song credit: “My Favorite Things” should be playing in your head right about now. #youarewelcome 😉)
xoxo~ liz

Immunity Help?

Liz James · May 24, 2020 ·

Just out of curiosity, how many of you would have raised your hand to be a literal guinea pig for a “groundbreaking” COVID vaccine trial?

Ummmmm no. Me neither.

And yet…… apparently, 15 human guinea pigs between the ages of 18 and 55 did just that.

Moderna’s ‘rona vaccine, the class favorite of Dr. Fauci (interestingly, financed by Bill Gates), had a press release this week regarding its first clinical trial on 15 healthy adults.

Three of the 15 volunteers developed Grade 3 systemic events (20% of the study subjects) when injected with the 250mcg dose.

What is a Grade 3 Systemic event?
* Per the FDA this would be defined as a health event “preventing daily activity and requiring medical intervention”.

I dug a little deeper #becauseImacuriouscat……

Grade 3 is considered a “severe reaction” that includes one or more of the following:

💉 Requires a narcotic pain reliever or prevents daily activity
Significant discomfort at rest
💉 Redness and swelling greater than 10cm ( that’s a 4inch wheal/welt)
💉 Fever between 102.1 – 104
💉 Tachycardia (fast heart beat) greater than 130beats per min (bpm)
💉 Hypertension (systolic- top number when reading blood pressure) greater than155
💉 Hypertension (diastolic – bottom number) greater than 100
💉 Hypotension (systolic- blood pressure too low this time) less than 80
💉 Respiratory Rate – greater than 25 breaths per min
💉 Nausea/ vomiting which prevents daily activity or requires outpatient IV hydration
💉 Diarrhea – 6 or more watery stools a day or requiring outpatient IV hydration
💉 Headache – significant enough to require a narcotic or prevent daily activity
💉 Fatigue – significant enough to prevent daily activity
Myalgia – significant enough to prevent daily activity.
💉 Illness- prevents daily activity and requires medical intervention
There is also a panel of labwork that falls within this category. I’ll include it here:

fda required labwork for trial participation

Because it is a trial, there are no long term studies as to the long term effects of the vaccine either on a human or their offspring. #ashotinthedark

20% of the subjects had a Grade 3 reaction. And those were healthy adults age 18-55….. wonder what that would look like in say…… 300 million people?

I personally have some questions….. 🙋‍♀️

* Will they be testing on children, the elderly, and the unhealthy before moving to release the vaccine to the public? After all…. (they bypassed the studies on primates and ferrets with Dr. Fauci’s blessings, so it is plausible that they will not be doing studies on children, the elderly, and the unhealthy prior to releasing the vaccine)

* How do they explain that, to date, there is no vaccine for the common cold, SARS, MERS, or Bird Flu although there has been plenty of time to find one #andtheyvebeenlooking, and yet they have been able to formulate one for CV-19 in less than 6 months?

* Prior attempts at developing COVID vaccines have been troublesome as an animal who has been vaccinated with a COVID vaccine then sickens and dies when exposed to the wild virus. 🤔 What would make this one different?

👉👉👉On February 4th, 2020 Dr. Fauci granted liability immunity to vaccine companies hoping to sell their COVID vaccine to “we the people” of the USA.

Liability immunity….. What does that mean? It means that if things go wrong with the COVID vaccine…. real wrong… real, REAL wrong 💀 …..the vaccine company would not be sued or held responsible. #hmmmmmmmm

Please, I ask you…. Is there any other industry out there that holds no culpability for a product that they provide?

Would you get on an airplane made by a company who was not legally bound to get you safely from point A ✈️ to point B ✈️ ?

Food for thought certainly.

xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#dottingIsandcrossingTsisimportant
#safetyfirst
#whynotfocusonbeinghealthyinstead
#thebestdefenseisastrongImmunesystem
#thanksYL

Meet Spanky

Liz James · March 16, 2020 ·

Meet Spanky…. when he was younger, I’m pretty sure he thought his name might be “No, Spanky” 😉.

Spanky isn’t a teenager anymore, but his antics (and his genetics) still land him in trouble on occasion. He is a fence jumper, and a digger…. and he loves to utilize his herding genes to keep the cows and horses all in line when he thinks we aren’t watching even tho he knows we prefer he not unless asked. #cattledogsskills

His failure to heed our attempts to keep him from getting into trouble has given him a snaggle tooth and a few hard earned life lessons.

So I wasn’t entirely surprised when Spanky went from running like the wind, to favoring his back paw last week. I was pretty confident he had gotten stepped on when he was in the midst of shenanigans. Nothing appeared to be broken…. just a sensitive paw. A couple of days passed, and instead of getting better, it seemed like it was getting worse… swollen in fact. So, before making a vet appt, I did a thorough assessment again, and this time, found what appeared to be a scab on one of the pads of his paw…. but a suspicious scab🤔. I grabbed a pair of tweezers and gently worked at the scab…. only it wasn’t a scab….. It was the mother of all thorns 😱. Poor baby! I felt terrible that I hadn’t found it sooner😥….. the good news is that, his relief was almost instantaneous, and after washing his wound thoroughly with colloidal silver and a couple of other natural healing agents, and starting him on Inner Defense to boost his immune system…. swelling is now negligible and he is back to bossing cows around when he thinks I’m not looking.

Being prepared isn’t a season…. it’s a life skill and it’s on the daily around here… ie: business as usual on the farm. We know how to care for our own, but we also know when we are in over our heads. I’ve got to make a vet appt this afternoon for something that’s beyond my skillset, and that’s ok…. that’s why we love our vets!….. But it surely is nice (and economical) to be able manage many health concerns from home!

Have a beautiful day friends!

xoxo~ liz
#hesmylittlebuddyandmyrighthanddogranchhand
#knowbetterdobetter
#everydayprepper
#ThanksYL
#wellstockedyearroundforhealthandwellness
#everyoneshouldkeepInnerDefenseonhandd

Staying In The Game

Liz James · June 2, 2017 ·

I got back from my boot camp workout this morning, and although I’m feeling a bit sore, it’s a good kind of pain….. the kind that lets you know you’ve accomplished something…. not the other kind… the one that is your warning signal of something gone awry. Like me, I’m sure you’ve experienced both kinds of pain, so you know what I’m talking about. Our bodies certainly do speak to us.

Being a ‘gym rat’ is a fairly new concept for me… a late in life one at that. I always felt like I got my workouts in simply by working on the farm and ‘doing life’. And up until the age of 48, I felt like that was enough. Midway thru that monumental year, I had a very significant run in with our bull, and ended up in the hospital. I’ll give you the cliff notes version …. I very nearly lost my left foot, and spent about 6 months in intensive recovery. The experience taught me a great deal, not the least of which is this….. Regardless of your health situation, it is important to keep moving. My injury involved broken and dislocated bones, severed tendons, and soft tissue & nerve damage. I now have hardware in my leg that is a permanent part of my recovery. And yet, I do not walk with a limp. I give credit where credit is due, and in this case, the EMT’s, a great surgeon, and our wonderful God all blessed me with great care and healing. But I had to do my part too. That part involved working hard to get past the initial discomfort of intensive physical therapy after having to be mostly sedentary for nearly 4 months. It also meant that my ‘new normal’ necessitates that I move certain joints regularly, or like the tin man, I simply won’t be able to move easily. This is where my new ‘gym rat’ moniker comes in…. (although my workout buddies and I typically meet in a parking lot!). What I’ve found is this:

If you don’t move it, you WILL lose it
if you don’t use it regularly, you’ll have to ‘work the rusty parts’ loose or they will get so rusty they won’t function at all (painful and annoying)
If you’ve significantly damaged some part of your body in your life, you will have to work extra to keep those parts in good working order
Unless your doctor tells you differently, you’ve got to push thru the pain to get thru to the other side of recovery.

Whether you’re like me, and have to occasionally push thru discomfort in order to make ‘it’ (whatever ‘it’ is for you) happen or you are a weekend warrior, I’d encourage you to give Cool Azul a try. Just as it sounds…. this blend provides cool relief. Young Living has given us 3 oil infused options in the Cool Azul Family to help us with our daily locomotion.

Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream : Oh. My. Goodness. Young Living rolled out the red carpet for our achy joints and muscles… and enlisted the help of wintergreen, chamomile, peppermint, sage, oregano, copaiba, tea tree, lavender, blue cypress, elemi, dorado azul, and more…..a little goes a VERY long way. It is the first oil infused FDA approved OTC product of its kind. You can watch a short video that explains how Cool Azul works: Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream Video
Cool Azul Sports Gel : This is the original gym bag version. Some like cream… some like gel. You pick.
Cool Azul Essential Oil Blend: Feeling the urge to make your own topical roller bottle blend but not sure where to start? No worry… just get this instead, add the carrier oil of your choice, and you’ll be good to go!

I don’t need to use my Cool Azul every day, but on the days that I do need it….. I’m thankful I’ve got it on hand. I use it to augment the benefits I reap from Agilease and Sulfurzyme(supplements I take daily).

A quick reminder: one of the active constituents of wintergreen oil is methyl salicylate. It has amazing pain relieving properties, but like another salicylate (Aspirin), it should not be used without a doctor’s approval if you are currently on prescription blood thinners. As with all oil products, be sure to avoid eyes and mucous membranes.

Make today a great one for yourself, and get to moving! Your body will thank you

If you’re ever interested in learning more about these or other products you’ve seen mentioned on my blog, feel free to message me! I’d love to have you join me in health.

Dolphin MPS…Another Tool For The Toolbox

Liz James · February 19, 2017 ·

Every craftsman (or woman) has tools. The longer the trade has been plied, the more diverse the tools.

As I work towards filling my ‘toolbox’ with health and wellness minded tools, sometimes I find something that just shouts out to me. There are some things EVERYONE should know about and partake in……if they want to manage their health in a sustainable way. Taking medication daily for pain is NOT a sustainable solution to a potentially long term problem. As a pharmacist, I witness the after effects of chronic pain medication use. If opioids (codeine, hydrocodone, fentanyl etc) are used long term, pain tolerance decreases, addiction/chemical dependance inevitably occurs, constipation becomes a separate and treatable disease entity, and liver and brain changes (damage) are likely.

If something ‘milder’ is chosen as the daily treatment of choice…. like an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) or Tylenol (acetaminophen), the list is shorter, but not necessarily better. Both have the ability to cause long term problems with the kidneys or liver depending on your drug of choice. NSAIDS like Motrin (Ibuprofen), Aleve, Celebrex, Meloxicam etc are now being tied to the induction of Gluten Sensitivity , not to mention the eventual GI upset and erosion that will occur after longterm use…. again, causing a separate dysfunction that will also need to be treated by an additional med. It is a cycle that is inevitable if pain is managed long term this way.

After I had my ‘run in’ with our bull , I was acutely aware of my need to solve the pain puzzle quickly….. not just short term, but long term too. Our farm does not run by itself, and my husband and I are the sole caregivers of our ‘farmily’. My accident very nearly resulted in an amputation, and the likelihood that I would live with pain and a limp at best was high. For the record, I was on prescription pain medication for exactly 3 days before transitioning over to herbal and alternative pain management solutions. Today…. 20 months later, I walk with no limp and have only occasional pain that is managed herbally, with exercise…. and this interesting little magic tool: the Dolphin MPS . I learned about it quite by accident (or Divine Intervention!) at a convention I was attending 3 months after my accident. I was still on crutches at the time, and a Dolphin practitioner offered to do a quick treatment simply while we sat waiting for a seminar to start. Admittedly, I was a little dubious sitting there with my leg in a stranger’s lap as her little instruments chattered back and forth to each other. We sat there for about 15 minutes and while she worked, she gave a quick overview of how and why the Dolphin worked. Whoa!!! It worked on me, and THAT caught my attention. The Lord says we shouldn’t covet, but I was sinfully coveting both her tools and her knowledge. So, in October of 2015, I drove 6 hours and attended my first intensive class and bought my Dolphin units.

Many of you are probably asking what is this and how does it work? So I’m going to try to answer some of the most obvious questions here:

FAQ’s:

Is this a TENS unit? No. Although it is approved by the FDA in the category of electronic stimulation, it is resoundingly NOT the same thing as a TENS unit. A TENS unit provides short term relief of pain using high frequency (100-200 Hz), low intensity electric current. It is non specific in application location, and…. in essence…. simply masks the pain for a short period of time (ie: in a physical therapy setting, pre-treating with a TENS unit will allow you to complete the therapy with less pain). It is something that your body can build resistance to over time.

In comparison: the Dolphin provides LONG term relief of pain using low frequency (2.5Hz), mid intensity electric current. It is used on very specific locations…known acupuncture points… unless treating a scar. Treatment with the Dolphin usually provides relief much longer term… usually for several days, but frequently for much longer. (For example, after the course of healing, I now only do ‘tuneups’ on my ankle about once a month.) Additionally, endorphins are released during Dolphin treatment, accentuating the feeling of wellbeing. You can read more about Dolphin VS traditional TENS units here.

How does it work? Open your mind a minute to the concept of Eastern Medicine. Everything in our world has an electric current, and we are no exception (unless you’re dead!). Pain is the result of trapped energy in a certain area of your body. If you can release that trapped energy, the pain will subside or even completely go away. The Dolphin device (and manuals) help you identify which pathways (meridians) would be most beneficial in unblocking the energy. As soon as the ‘block’ is removed, pain nearly always either subsides, diminishes significantly, or completely disappears. For people with chronic conditions, this ‘resetting’ will likely need to occur as often as weekly or monthly.

Does it hurt? Although it is a teeny tiny bit of electricity, depending on the situation or acupuncture site, it may feel like a small prick all the way up to a bee sting. The reality is that the more intense the sting, the greater benefit you will feel when the treatment is over!

How do I find someone who will treat me? You can find a certified practitioner worldwide here: http://www.mpscourses.com/directory/ , but the good news in the United States is that this device is approved by the FDA for sale as an over the counter (OTC) item. Basic treatment can be done at home by you or a family member with a little training, but more intensive treatment (involving the back or neck) really requires at least one two day class. My advice is to find a practitioner, and try a round of treatment… if it works for you (and it probably will!) it would be worth your time and investment to learn a new wellness skillset! It is not an inexpensive wellness tool, but if you look at the long term ramifications of chronic pain med use, this tool could be PRICELESS for your life long health and wellness goals.

(PS: most insurances will pay for Dolphin treatment as an approved/billable PT/OT therapy AND some insurances will even pay for a home unit with a prescription from your doctor.)

I’ve found that the Dolphin works synergistically with my Young Living oils….. (ie: 1+1 = 3 or 4 or 5!), and don’t need ‘resets’ nearly as often as I likely would otherwise given my injury. I’ve given several friends and family members some major relief by using this combination as well & have spoken to many practitioners who have seen similar results, so I know my results are not an isolated incident.

If you’d like to learn more about oils or the Dolphin, please feel free to contact me!

This is not a paid endorsement of the Dolphin… I just know it works, and I believe in it enough that I’m now working on my own certification training…. it may take me a year or two, but I’m committed to this vision of health and wellness without chemicals.

The Dolphin: just another sustainable tool for my health and wellness toolbox!

Have a blessed and WELL day,
Liz