by Soňa Koyšová
The 62-year-old woman had arranged an appointment with me by phone. The former teacher ran an institution for children with disabilities for 25 years. For some time now, however, she has been working for a gold dealer and sells the precious metal to goldsmiths' workshops.
Observation
The patient's outward appearance surprised me. When I opened the door to invite her in, a small, delicate and very slim person stood with her back to me. I estimated her to be no more than 13 years old, as she was also wearing a checked mini skirt and a pink T‑shirt. “A girl,” went through my mind. But when the patient turned towards me, she revealed an old woman with many wrinkles in her face. A contradiction to the otherwise very childlike habitus. The area around her eyes was very red and it looked as if she were wearing red glasses.
Sona Koyšová (SK): What is the matter?
Patient (P): I have a problem with my face. My skin feels burnt, it looks red, as if burned. I also have the feeling that it is about to split open. In the mornings my eyelids are so swollen.
SK: How long have you had the symptoms?
P: It started in the winter of 2007 and then disappeared. Four months ago it came back. I have tried many ointments, including corticosteroid creams, but none helped. At that time we had problems in the family.
If I eat tomatoes it gets worse. I take four different tablets and some dietary supplements. I believe in natural powers; I don't take medication very often.
SK: Tell me something about yourself.
P: I had inflammations even as a small child. My position as head of an institution for children with disabilities made me ill too, I became allergic to it. It was a very stressful job and I developed an allergy, with inflammations around the eyes. When I left that post to work for a private company that trades precious metals, all the symptoms disappeared. But nine months ago it started again.
I jog 10–12 kilometres every day and go to the gym regularly. I have high blood pressure. It is particularly high at night; it wakes me. Then I always feel very cold. I measure my blood pressure at night; it is always around 210/110. When it is that high, I usually call an ambulance. I can still remember when that first happened at night. A voice shouted at me: “Ela, Ela – wake up!” I really woke up; it probably saved my life.
When I was left alone with the children after my divorce, I often felt dizzy. At that time I had four jobs at once.
Since February I have had severe watery diarrhoea after every meal, no matter what I eat. But nothing was found; the tests are negative.
SK: What else?
P: I used to work as a teacher. I liked looking after the children with disabilities and they liked me too. I believe that teachers also suffer from a partial disability; they cannot deal with authorities.
(SK: I explained to the patient that she should tell me as much as possible about herself so that I could find the appropriate remedy for her. At this point the patient began to cry.)
P: I had a very difficult childhood. My mother was married three times and it always went wrong. She was unhappy, domineering and fanatical. After her divorce she was left alone with three children. We lived in a village. My mother joined the Jehovah's Witnesses but came from a strict Catholic family; her family could not accept that. She became truly fanatical. She no longer cared for me. I desperately wanted to leave home and study in Bratislava. Five years later my mother married again – her new husband was schizophrenic and threatened her with a knife, broke things and tyrannised all of us. My mother became pregnant by him and had a baby with Down syndrome. I looked after the baby as if it were my own until I left home myself. Then my mother married again and moved house often. None of her children have contact with her any more.
During my studies I became pregnant and had a son. My husband was very unreliable and we were soon divorced again. My second husband was violent, we could not live together. He threatened me physically and abused me. Financially he did not support me at all. I had four jobs at once.
My son moved out at 18 and now lives with his father. In the meantime he is taking drugs and is an alcoholic.
My grandfather was also an alcoholic. He killed himself.
I have now lived alone for 20 years. I don't want men in my life any more.
SK: What kind of person are you?
P: I can organise well and work with people. I put enough pressure on them so that they perform their tasks well. I repress my emotional problems with work; I work a lot. I am also impatient. At home, however, I am not dominant. I am very skilful, I sew a lot and have a sense of aesthetics.
SK: What do you like to eat?
P: I used to like bread with pumpkin seed oil. Now I rather eat bread with olive oil. I cannot stand milk.
SK: Do you dream?
P: When there are problems in the family, I get nightmares. I then have the feeling of suffocating. I dream of the dead.
SK: Do you have fears?
P: I am afraid of children and of my mother. She is a bad person. If I visit her once, I later fall to pieces in tears. My son is emotionally dependent on me. We often talk on the phone for hours. I like to read spiritual literature. I believe in higher powers. I always start my day with the Five Tibetans and I pray. I am convinced that all people have intuition, but they mostly suppress it. Nothing happens by chance.
Analysis
The patient is an independent woman. Religion and spirituality are important to her. Childhood and adolescence were difficult.
From birth she has had a difficult relationship with her mother. The mother was moody and was never able to give her real love.
She also had to care for a disabled sibling. She loved her later work with children with disabilities.
Relationships are generally difficult; they do not work with spouses either. She has been divorced twice and has lived alone for 23 years.
Although her son moved out at 18, she is still entangled in an unhealthy relationship with him.
Her outward appearance contradicts her age. She looks like a 13-year-old girl. Only her face reveals her true age.
The following Lac humanum themes are found in this case study:
- Disturbed attachment to the mother
- Feeling abandoned (feeling of isolation)
- Beneficial/committed to her fellow human beings
- Passionate (ambitious)
- Spiritual; higher powers
- Martyr
- Feminism
- Aversion to milk
Prescription:
Based on the symptoms I prescribed Lac humanum LM6, to be taken once daily. I asked the patient to stop taking the remedy as soon as she felt better.
Follow-ups
24 hours after the first dose I received an e-mail from the patient: “Your treatment exceeds all my expectations! I already feel 70% better today.”
(SK: I had not expected such a reaction and it made me anxious. Would the improvement last? I feared that the patient would have a setback and that I would have to look for a new remedy for her. I heard nothing from her for two months.)
Two months later: The patient was now dressed according to her age and no longer looked like a 13-year-old.
P: The eczema around my eyes disappeared overnight. A week later it returned in a milder form, then disappeared again. Since then it is gone.
My son has moved back in with me. His father had sent him away and treated him like a broken toy. He is now undergoing rehabilitation; I hope that he will get off the drugs.
My blood pressure now only rises when I have a great deal of stress. My digestion has normalised; I no longer have diarrhoea. I can hardly believe it.
Prescription: Lac humanum LM6 as needed.
One year later: The patient came to the practice because she again had diarrhoea and a slight eczema around the eyes. Her blood pressure, however, was stable.
SK: When did you last take the remedy?
P: A few days ago. It is already much better. A month ago I had hair loss. I also felt very dizzy. After I took the remedy, it went away again. My fibroids have also become smaller.
I dream about my son. In the dream he is still a small boy and I am supposed to look after him. I feel restless and my thoughts are like they are gone. My son now lives with me. He is in therapy and no longer takes drugs.
Prescription: Lac humanum C200
Within three days the patient had no more diarrhoea. The eczema around the eyes was no longer visible after two weeks. Twelve months have passed since then; during that time she only needed occasional treatment for a slight cold. The eczema has not recurred.
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Photos: Shutterstock - Elderly woman smiling indoors. Looking at camera. Senior female © morrowlight
Shutterstock - Depressed little girl hugging teddy bear © ambrozinio
Category: Cases
Keywords: abandoned by the mother, aversion to milk, high blood pressure
Remedy: Lac humanum
