I lift them up through my sacrifice: a case of sheep's milk

Case Code: S = Subject; O = Observation; A = Action; P = Plan; HP = Homeopathic Practitioner

Female, 53-years old;

Complaints: Fuchs' dystrophy; numbness and sciatica of left-leg; neck pains; rectal prolapse; ailments from disappointed love and betrayal. History of Fuchs’ dystrophy in family.

Initial case 12/03

S: “I have no self-confidence. I gave my life over to my husband and family. I gave up my career to raise our seven children. I worry about many things. My husband is in banking and real estate. He had an affair with his secretary. I feel so alone. I do not want to speak ill of anyone, especially my husband. I believe that God will heal this. I have the deepest heartache from this. No one knows. I am gracious and polite.”

[O: Closing eyes as she speaks, silently weeping]

“I feel so alone. I often go to chapel to pray. I go and pray and I minister to many. My husband says, ‘You spend too much time at the church.’ I must pray. I make meals for shut-ins in our community. I serve God; there is nothing that He cannot get me through…

I never thought this would happen, I’ve done everything right. How could this happen? I minister out of my love for God and it helps me to feel good, it occupies my mind. I feel so much resentment and grief.”

[O: Weeping]

MIND - FORSAKEN feeling

MIND - PRAYING

MIND - RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS

MIND - SELFLESSNESS

MIND - TIMIDITY

“These acts, along with taking care of our children, help me, as well as God’s protection. I wall things off. At first this helps, but eventually it leads to a sense of isolation; I feel I have no one to turn to. This wall is like being in the desert alone, wandering. No one is around for thousands of miles. You can walk for a day and never see another person.”

MIND - FORSAKEN feeling - isolation; sensation of

HP: What is it like to do so much for so many?

S: “I know now that I do for others what I wish that they’d do for me. I lift them up through my sacrifice so that I will not burn in eternal fire. My husband had this affair; through prayer, I decided to stay. As I watch myself, I see how I constantly do for others, but my husband never lifts a finger for me. I do all of the housework and raising of the children. He led us down a humiliating and tumultuous path. I fight the good fight, but feel defenseless because I cannot count on him. Will he do this again? Has he done this before? I’ve given my all and my children still go down wayward paths, ungodly paths.”

[O: Face flushes with heat, redness, with anger]

MIND - AILMENTS FROM - embarrassment

MIND - HELPLESSNESS; feeling of

MIND - OCCUPATION - amel.

“I am seething with resentment. I hate conflict and must keep the peace. I must keep this anger down. This situation has divided our family. I have sacrificed so much. I have no sexual drive left in me. I feel dead inside. All of my physical symptoms got worse after the affair.

I have Fuchs' dystrophy; I developed this at age 35. My mother and two of her sisters also had this; although much later in life. I fear that I will have to get cornea replacements like my mother and aunts.”

MIND - AILMENTS FROM - anger - suppressed

MIND - HATRED - persons - offended him; hatred of persons who

MIND - QUARRELLING - aversion to

HP: What are the symptoms of Fuchs’ you experience?

S: “My eyes build up with fluid; they swell, and burn, they blister and erupt. It feels like sand or gravel in my eyes. It’s horrible and painful. I feel blind and alone. I do not know what I can do. I don’t want to bother people.”

EYE - ERUPTIONS - Cornea - blisters; small

EYE - PAIN - sand; as from

HP: What other symptoms are you experiencing?

S: “I have left-sided sciatica, restless leg syndrome, and I cannot sleep because of this. My whole leg is sore and painful and my foot goes numb. Now that I mention this, my neck is always sore on the left side as well, and I have left sided breast pains, neuralgias, electrical sensations, and muscle pains. I also have a rectal prolapse. These all seem minor in comparison to the anger and betrayal of the affair.”

CHEST - PAIN - Mammae - left

CHEST - PAIN - neuralgic

BACK - PAIN - Cervical region

EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower limbs - Sciatic nerve

EXTREMITIES - RESTLESSNESS - night

Key points to consider:

Self-sacrificing

Betrayed

Defenseless

Fuchs’ dystrophy

Restless leg syndrome

Walled off

Repertorization using Synthesis 9.1 rubrics:

MIND - AILMENTS FROM - anger - suppressed

MIND - AILMENTS FROM - embarrassment

MIND - FORSAKEN feeling

MIND - FORSAKEN feeling - isolation; sensation of

MIND - HATRED - persons - offended him; hatred of persons who

MIND - HELPLESSNESS; feeling of

MIND - OCCUPATION - amel.

MIND - PRAYING

MIND - QUARRELLING - aversion to

MIND - RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS

MIND - SELFLESSNESS

MIND - TIMIDITY

EYE - ERUPTIONS - Cornea - blisters; small

EYE - PAIN - sand; as from

CHEST - PAIN - Mammae - left

CHEST - PAIN - neuralgic

BACK - PAIN - Cervical region

EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower limbs - Sciatic nerve

EXTREMITIES - RESTLESSNESS - night

Analysis: The repertorization above brings remedies such as Pulsatilla, Sepia, and Natrum muriaticum to the forefront. However, the Northwestern Academy of Homeopathy proving of Lac ovinum was fresh in my mind. The strong theme of martyrdom, self-sacrifice, timidity, combined with being lost in the desert reminded me of the biblical symbol of the Lamb of God. This woman is a devoted wife, mother, and community member, helping others, sacrificing her self for the good of others. Her self-sacrifice brings about the exact opposite of what she wants. She sacrifices her time and energy etc to the community, gives in to her children (no healthy or clear boundaries) and she strives so hard to do what she thinks is right that she loses her children in the end. Her children are living quite ungodly lives despite her best efforts. Her deepest fears became realities in her family life. It is as though she does all her 'good works' so she is not dammed to eternal fire.

P: Lac ovinum 1M one dose

Follow up 6/04

S: “This remedy has been unbelievable. I got bright eyes and a burst of energy.  It was like a hood that had been over my head, resting on my neck, causing me pain, is gone. My neck pains and headaches are gone. So are my allergies (I don’t know if I mentioned the allergies last time). My lifelong sciatica pain is gone and so my sleep is much, much better. My hip is better. Also, my eye symptoms are completely resolved. I got a cold sore that appeared and disappeared within 24-hours. I used to get them as a teenager, but not in forty years.

I still have a lot of anger and I have been expressing it. I didn’t ever know I could yell as loud as I can now. I am setting clearer boundaries, and asking my husband for help. I am doing less for my children, encouraging them to do more for themselves. I give everyone extra grace. I still put up walls and ask God for protection.

Also, even though this is embarrassing to talk about, my sexual feelings have returned as well. My husband let his secretary go. I am committed to stay in the marriage, it’s the right thing to do, it’s what God wants. I am also letting go of worrying about how the children live – that is between them and God.

I have natural lubrication and my vaginal dryness is gone completely. I no longer feel dead inside. I no longer feel lost in the desert.

When I get anxious, or suspicious, my neck and back will hurt for a while, then I pray and breathe and center myself in God’s love.”

Final Analysis: The follow up speaks for itself. Marked improvement on all levels continues to this day; many years later. Her Fuchs’ dystrophy never returned. Her rectal prolapse of twenty years duration has healed by 80%. I classify the healing in this case as pure and deep.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
A young lamb amongst the bracken fronds; Eric Jones; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license