A case study
The woman, born in 1966, came to see me in February 2003 because she was ten weeks pregnant and had been suffering from severe allergic asthma attacks (cats) for five months. I have known her since 1995. The patient originally came because of her allergy, menstrual problems, visual disturbances and depression, all of which almost completely disappeared. Now she is having severe allergic reactions that force her to take allopathic medicines! As a pregnant woman she would like to avoid that.
For this reason I had to look for a new remedy for her that would work better. When I searched my notes from earlier consultations again, I recognised themes of a bird remedy. Unfortunately I did not know the bird remedy Ara at the time of the initial consultation.
As I go into my consulting room, I notice that she has dyed her hair in bright red strands that stick out from her head like feathers. As always she is very colourfully dressed.
She is very happy with her boyfriend and her pregnancy. It had taken her a while to be sure she wanted a child because she was afraid of losing her freedom. Her partner, however, really wanted a child with her and they agreed that they would take care of the child together. She is a graphic designer, draws comics and has a lot of imagination. She lives with a group of artists and always feels very responsible for the wellbeing of the group.
She takes on many tasks and is always happy to help when needed. After her A-levels she lived for a while in 'anarchist' shared flats with people who wanted to fight against injustices in the world. She did street theatre and travelled with a circus through Europe, which she eventually left because she had to take over the whole organisation there but received no recognition for it.
She is an outgoing, fun-loving young woman who in the past fell in love with men quickly and then threw herself completely into her relationships. She is very faithful and idealistic in relationships. Before she met her current partner she found it difficult even to live alone within a group and had always longed for a true relationship. At times she cried a lot because she felt so lonely. People close to her could barely get through to her at those times. Crying had a soothing effect on her.
She enjoys physical activity and attended a climbing course last year.
She tells me that she is currently looking for her own flat where she can be on her own but still remain part of the group. She wants to keep her studio in her current shared flat. "The group was essential to me, but it is no longer. It was ideal to work and live together, to go to demos together and to exchange opinions about our work." About her colourful appearance she says: "It's about attracting attention; the idea is to be noticed by people." In her free time she likes to be out in the green countryside, enjoys hiking and the freedom; she loves open spaces and greenery.
She has a large appetite and eats "healthy things" all day long such as wholemeal bread and tahini, fruit, nuts, muesli, dried apricots, etc.
I prescribed her Ara MK.
Follow-up, 5 weeks later, late March 2003
"On our site it's very dusty at the moment because renovation work is being carried out. Everyone has to pitch in. I wear a face mask, but my nose is blocked anyway; I snore at night because of it. I'm careful with my belly, but I work a lot, doing the cleaning, etc. It's amazing how much energy I have. It feels really good. No signs of breathlessness, even though there are cats. At the house meeting I let my anger out. I threw the papers on the floor and walked out; I'd never done that before. I used to be very conscientious, but now I've had enough. I told them that I will no longer take part in the meeting.
When I physically overdo it, my uterus sends me warning signals by contracting; then I simply stop. I found a beautiful photo of a Ara and hung it in my studio."
Follow-up, July 2003
In April she had visited her sister in Portugal, who has two cats. Afterwards she had a heavy cold, but no breathing problems. At home she also did not react to the building work with all the dust. At the moment she is troubled by restless legs from the hips downwards; at night her legs feel stiff and she cannot sleep. It can take up to two hours before she falls into a deep sleep. She bought a preparation containing valerian and zinc from the health food shop, which helped her.
In June 2003 we spoke on the phone and she had taken Ara MK again.
"Since I took the remedy I have become more confident, not angry but more direct. I can't cope so well with dramas any more. I know my feelings better and express them and share them with the people I love. It feels very good. It's not easy for me to accept that I need more help, for example with lifting, or that I have to leave a concert because the baby doesn't like the noise and excitement. I have a nap every day because I feel I need it. When it was so hot I had swollen feet, but when it cooled down the swelling went away. Energy-wise I feel well." A poorly healing wound on her nose has gone, she no longer has problems with haemorrhoids, and her bowel movements are regular.
"In the last week I have, from time to time, felt and heard myself breathe again, but the dust doesn't bother me. Other people have noticed how relaxed we are. I enjoy the baby's movements, I feel the contact with him and feel very comfortable."
I gave her a dilution of Ara MK, to take 3 drops daily for as long as she felt the need. She was to call me in four weeks and report how she was doing.
Follow-up, four weeks after our last appointment.
She is not sleeping well because of her restless legs, which begin to torment her as soon as she goes to bed at night. She then has to move her legs and tries walking a little, stretching and massaging them, which helps briefly. She has a stiff feeling in the lower legs. She is always hungry and eats all day. Lack of sleep makes her tired and she begins to think about the future. "How will we manage? We haven't found a house, where will we live? I am about to become a mother, am I making the right decisions for myself?" She has many ideas for her creative work and ways to earn money, but not enough energy to implement them now. The remedy Ara did not help her with this discomfort.
So I searched for a remedy for the last weeks of pregnancy with the following symptoms (Reference Works): restless legs/night/stiffness, improved by movement/hunger/worry about the future.
I decided on Calc. Carb. C30.
After three days she phoned me and told me that she had slept like a log for the first few nights. Last night she was awake, but had no restless legs and no worries (so far). I advised her to take the remedy again if needed and to stay in contact.
She did well throughout the pregnancy and on 23 September she gave birth to a healthy girl. She and her boyfriend were overjoyed.
When I presented the case in my supervision group, a colleague made a remark about Calcium carbonicum. He suggested it made perfect sense that at this stage of the pregnancy she needed the remedy to prepare the 'egg' for the forthcoming birth (to be expelled).
In the two years that followed she came to see me twice:
Once because of 'rheumatic pains' after stopping breastfeeding; starting from the hands and spreading over the whole body, and stiffness after sitting or lying down, improved by movement. It felt as if the bones were loose in the shoes and the ankles were too weak. The joints felt dry. She had to wear hiking boots so that the ankles were sufficiently supported.
Ara MK healed her joints within a week.
The second time she came because the relationship with her partner was strained. She was irritable and impatient with her partner, even though he gave her as much space as possible. Here too Ara MK helped very quickly.
July 2005
The young family live in their own house, but the parents long to live again in a community that shares their idealism.
They look after their little daughter together and my patient is working again as an artist. At the moment she even has her own exhibition.
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Source: http://www.interhomeopathy.org/macaw_a_bright_bird
Photo: Shutterstock_1033096888, Copyright: Prostock-studio
