Podcast 154 — Moms with Moxie: From Hopeless to Hopeful, Homeopathy Addresses Serious Conditions.

Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.

So, for the next few minutes, let's link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.

This is the medicine you've been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.

Introduction: From Hopeless to Hopeful, Homeopathy Addresses Serious Conditions.

Kate: (00:58)

Welcome to the Practical Homeopathy® podcast, where we dive into the transformative world of Practical Homeopathy® and how it empowers families to take charge of their health.

I'm your host, Kate. And today I'm thrilled to introduce our guest, Shannon, a remarkable woman whose journey with homeopathy is nothing short of inspiring.

Shannon is a dedicated stay-at-home homeschooling mom of three on a small farm near the Amish community in southeastern Pennsylvania. Shannon and her family embrace a holistic lifestyle, where they raise chickens, goats, and even pigs to ensure they know exactly what's in their food.

Her passion for natural living began 20 years ago when she started exploring the impact of food and lifestyle on health, leading her to embrace organic eating, fermented foods, and traditional practices, inspired by the Weston A. Price Foundation.

From crafting bone broth to sourdough bread with freshly milled flour, Shannon's commitment to a chemical-free life is truly inspiring, but it's her journey with homeopathy that we're here to talk about today. Shannon's introduction to homeopathy began with her son's diagnosis and a classical homeopath’s suggestion to explore homeopathy. This eventually led her to Joette’s teachings.

Homeopathy was also instrumental to help her husband who suffered a devastating accident. We'll hear more about these incredible stories in just a few minutes, and you won't believe what this family has been through.

Now, on a lighter note, Shannon is a soon-to-be graduate of Joette's Mastery program. She's taken her knowledge to new heights, helping others with complex health issues, from supporting a woman with chronic Lyme, Epstein-Barr, and mold toxicity to helping a man lower his PSA levels naturally.

Shannon's success stories highlight the power of homeopathy. Her message is clear. There is another way, and there is hope.

So, let's get started. Shannon, welcome to the podcast.

Shannon:

Thank you, Kate. It's wonderful to see you again.

Kate:

It's great to see you. We've known each other for a little while now. It's been about four years, I think you said, since you joined our Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study group. And so, that was fun getting to know you then.

And since that time, you've really taken your knowledge of homeopathy to a new level. And I would love to just hear a little bit more about the story of what happened, how you got into homeopathy and where it's led you.

It All Began With a Diagnosis of Neurofibromatosis

Shannon: (03:27)

Sure, Kate, thank you. I love sharing my story. So, it began with my oldest son, who is 16. (We do have three children. So, I have another son who's 14, and our daughter is 12.) And he was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1.

Kate:

What is neurofibromatosis? Did I say that right?

Shannon:

You did. What that is … it's a rare genetic disease, and it causes tumors to grow on the outside jacket of your nerve, and they can grow anywhere in your body.

Now, 20% of these cases have what's called a plexi neurofibromas. And what that is is you have a cluster of these tumors that are somewhere in your body close together, and my son happens to have that as well. It is rare, and I didn't really know much about it because my husband and I do not have it. No one in our past has it either. It's kind of like a snip in his gene that he has.

We went to a doctor — we have some hospitals around here, conventional doctors that specialize in children that have NF1 — and we went to them. And we decided to get some imaging done — MRIs. He would get them every year just to kind of keep an eye on things to make sure that nothing is growing and that things are okay.

A Slightly Overwhelming Introduction to Classical Homeopathy

Shannon: (04:45)

We ended up going, Kate, to his doctor around here in the past — we don't go there anymore — was a classical homeopath; he was also an M.D. And we went there to have him check on Aidan just for wellness checkups. And he was the first person to obviously introduce me to homeopathy. I really didn't know much about it, and he actually said, “I think there's something that we could do to help him.” And of course I was ecstatic, Kate, because I did the one thing a lot of people do. I googled what this was, and it was really scary.

Kate:

There was nothing that you could do medically that you hadn't tried.

Shannon:

Correct, as of right now, because his tumors weren't causing an issue at this point. And there really wasn't anything even in the conventional world at this time, and that was 10 years ago. It was still so rare that there really wasn't any other options. So, that was exciting for us to hear.

And he was a wonderful doctor. He did not teach homeopathy, obviously, the way I'm learning now. He would give him the remedies, and then I kind of would ask what they were. And he was very vague about it, which probably was a good thing at the time, Kate, because I was so overwhelmed with information on things that I probably honestly wouldn't have really understood what was going on.

And he also encouraged me to buy a kit — homeopathy kit — and I bought the 50-remedy kit from Washington at the time with the 30th potencies. And I was like, “Okay, this is great!” But I had no idea how to use it.

So, he encouraged me to purchase Dana Ullman’s book of “Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines.”

So, Kate, I'm going to be honest with you, I bought the kit; I bought the book; and honestly, I didn't use it. I was like, I have no idea how to really do this. I was intimidated.

So, what happened moving forward … my son was getting the checkups, and we had an MRI checkup (a standard routine), and the doctor told us that one of the tumors that was near his trachea — it's on the nerve by his trachea — has grown larger than what it should be growing.

At that time, they didn't have any options but surgery, and surgery was extremely risky. It was also near his carotid artery. We didn't really know what to do.

Gateway to Practical Homeopathy®

Shannon: (07:06)

And we decided God has been wonderful with a lot of prayer. God intervened.

And at that time, they decided that they were experimenting with a chemotherapy drug. We decided to try that for Aiden. And there was no radiation in this chemotherapy drug, but they found in studies of children with NF1 that this drug would help reduce benign tumors.

So, since we didn't really have any other options, we decided to go down this path. And the drug worked for a little bit, but then over time it stopped working.

And what we did is … I always continued, Kate, in my journey to explore other options — any alternative way that maybe we didn't have to go down this road with him.

In between all of this, I started learning about Gateway I and Gateway II courses through Joette, which I took with you and Michelle. I started learning about Joette's blog and a different way to use homeopathy, and I was really intrigued.

And during — it was Gateway II — I actually finished that course in the hospital because in the interim with all of this, my son got a rare brain infection, and he was really sick. And it was actually four years ago, around this time, that he went to the emergency room. I had thought he had the flu, and he was just really sick. Very sick, very sick.

I honestly, Kate, I do not run to the doctors unless I feel it's absolutely necessary. I try a lot of things at home, and this warranted an emergency room visit. And I was even doing homeopathy at the time, Kate, trying something. Again, all I had was the — which I'm thankful for — I had the kit of 30th potencies. I wish I had more, but I didn't at the time.

And we went to the emergency room, and I'll never forget when … here I'm thinking my son's going to get … maybe he's dehydrated or what was going on.

And I'll never forget them telling me they did an MRI, and they came back and they said, “Well, the good part is it's not any of the neurofibromas in his head because he does have tumors throughout his body, so it's not that causing an issue. It's an infection, a brain infection.”

I was like, “Wait, what?” I'm like, “Okay.” So, I'm thinking brain infection. I'm thinking infection. I'm thinking, “Okay, he's going to be on some type of antibiotic. And my son has never been on an antibiotic ever in his entire life.” And I was like, “Okay.”

I went back to the emergency room, the ER doctor comes in, and he's like, “Yeah, so we're going to prep him for surgery. He's going to be getting brain surgery.” And I was like a deer in headlights.

I'm like, “Wait, what?”

The Brain Surgeries

Shannon: (09:53)

So, he ended up having four brain surgeries in total.

They tried two surgeries to drain the infection. And then the third, because the infection was so bad, they needed to relieve the pressure in his head because the antibiotic wasn't getting there fast enough.

So, his third surgery was removing the part of his skull to help relieve the pressure in his brain, or he was going to die. So, we opted for that, obviously, and thank God he survived the surgery — all of the surgeries. And after that surgery, he started to make a full recovery.

He had to wear one of the helmets on his head because he had nothing protecting his brain for three months.

So, the time came three months later — remember it was right around Christmas — he was to have the surgery to have his bone flap (they call part of the skull put back together). And at this time, I finished Gateway I. I finished Gateway II with you guys, and I was really into Joette's blog daily and researching.

I came across her surgery protocol, and I was like, “I'm using this.” And one thing I did learn after my son's bout in the hospital. He was in the hospital for about four or six weeks, and he did make a complete recovery, which I'm so thankful for.

Kate:

Yes.

Shannon:

And Kate, I ended up buying so many kits with different potencies at that time. So, I knew that I was going to be prepared in the future for whatever was in store.

I'm so glad I did because I used — when he went back for that fourth surgery — I used the surgery protocol that Joette has on her blog.

I used Arnica the night before. I used Arnica the day of the surgery. And when he got done surgery, I even gave it to him while he was in the hospital.

And he was supposed to stay overnight for observation to make sure everything was okay. And he came home that night! It was awesome, Kate! The doctors could not believe how well his surgery went.

Kate:

Oh, that's so great.

Shannon:

It was so exciting because he just wanted to be home. I mean, he did have some pain that night, and Arnica helped with that. But in hindsight of everything that he went through with that surgery, Arnica took care of it. I didn't have to use anything else. And he was back to himself within probably a couple days.

Kate:

That seems inconceivable, honestly.

Shannon:

Yes. He still has NF even with all of this going on. So, after all of that, we're still dealing with the neurofibromatosis with him.

And a few months after that brain surgery, he became a client of Joette’s. That was an answer to prayer. And he is still on this health journey. With Joette's help, he remains stable, and the tumor that was of concern by his trachea is not causing any issues. So, he is stable right now, and I am so thankful for that.

A Horrible Accident

Kate: (12:48)

Wow. And then I can't even believe what happened after that.

Shannon:

Right! His last brain surgery was in December.

April, which was only a few months later, my husband was in a really horrible accident. He was crushed by a 14-ton steamroller that tipped on its side and fell on him and crushed him.

Kate:

How did he survive that?

Shannon:

Well, Kate. God. That's how he survived it.

But when they checked his pulse — the EMT wasn't there yet — but when the gentleman that he was working with were checking him for a pulse, he didn't have a pulse. He remembers feeling this amazing peace.

I remember him saying he prayed for all of us, and he was just excited. He was excited! We love the Lord. And he was excited to be with Jesus. And then he remembers, all of a sudden, extreme pain. He was like, “Oh, wow.” He was in so much pain, Kate.

And I remember when that day happened, I was having a hard time getting ahold of him. I needed to get ahold of him for something, and I couldn't get ahold of him on the phone. I'm like … I don't know. Something just did not seem right. I texted him; I called him. No answer.

I was like, “What is going on?” I kind of dismissed those feelings, but it was still there, that nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

And my brother and sister-in-law pulled up in the driveway because we live near them. And Kate, I knew at that moment that something wasn't right.

And they walked in. I said to them, “Is Derek alive? Is my husband alive?” And I said, “Wait, don't tell me anything.” And I took a dose of Aconite.

I took a deep breath, and then I was ready for them to tell me whatever news it was going to be.

And I said, “Okay.” I said, “Is he okay?”

And they said, “I don't know.” They're like, “We need to go to the hospital.”

Kate, I had no idea what I was walking into.

Kate:

Wow. You didn't know if he was alive even.

Shannon:

I didn't. I didn't.

They said he was in a really bad accident, and they took him to the hospital.

I said, “Okay.”

So, I took another dose of Aconite — another amazing medicine, Kate — and I was able to drive to the hospital, and I walked in.

He was alive and in very bad shape. But I was able to process the information that I needed to hear at that moment because I was also having moments of PTSD from all of the information from my son that happened just a few months ago — within six months ago.

And when you have these things happen, the doctors are talking to you, and they're trying to tell you what's going on. And I'm trying to … I was just was having a hard time, just kind of like, “Alright, just give it to me straight. What's going on?”

Aconitum for Shock

Kate: (15:32)

So, for those people who are listening and are new to homeopathy, Aconitum napellus is a great medicine for shock. So, that's why Shannon chose that medicine.

Shannon:

It was amazing because I was able to function. I was able to process everything, and I was able to function with what was now going to happen with my husband.

So, after that — that was three and a half years ago — he survived with long recovery. He crushed his pelvis. He has permanent nerve damage, but he is able to walk today with a limp.

He's in pain every day, but the pain is manageable, and he has permanent muscle damage and permanent nerve damage. But in hindsight of everything that happened, it's a miracle that both my son and my husband are here today. Yeah.

Kate:

Wow. You have been through so much. Your family has been through that. And then on top of that, then you decide, “I need to know more, and I need to dig deeper in homeopathy.”

So, then you decided to join The Academy?

The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®

Shannon: (16:30)

I did. Kate, I did. While all this was going on after Gateway — Gateway I — my husband was recovering. I was like, “You know what? I want to purchase the Good Gut, Bad Gut course. I really wanted to start diving in.” But Kate, with his recovery and everything going on, honestly, I didn't have a chance to do the course.

So, I remember The Academy was starting. It was a couple years that The Academy has started, and I've always said to my husband, “I really want to do this.” And it never seemed like the right time, Kate. Never.

Well, I chose to do The Academy at probably the most inconvenient time ever in my life because it was a struggle for us financially. My husband wasn't working; he was still recovering. And I remember looking at him, and I said, “I really want to do this.”

And he goes, “I really want you to do it. We will figure out a way. Just enroll.”

And Kate. I mean, look! I'm going to graduate Mastery!

It's nothing but wonderful things that I have. The information that I have learned through The Academy and Mastery is priceless. It's priceless. Even if I never was able to help anybody else, just the information I have to empower myself and my family is something that I am forever thankful for.

Kate:

So, for those listening, again, who don't know what The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® is, it's a yearlong online school that Joette leads. And it's an immersive school where you learn all about Practical Homeopathy®.

And then there's a second year for those who choose to go on to what we call the Mastery program. And so that's what Shannon is going to be graduating from soon.

And Shannon, you've been taking some cases of some of your friends, family members. You actually, as part of Mastery, are going to present a case coming up here as you finish Mastery.

You've already done one in your Mastery program, but tell us about some of those cases and what you've seen and how you've used homeopathy.

Success Story: Epstein-Barr, Chronic Lyme and Mold Toxicity

Shannon: (18:24)

Sure, Kate. So, the case that I presented to the class in Mastery was a friend of mine, and she was having some issues. She saw a few doctors (natural doctors, conventional doctors), and she was getting better, but she was still struggling.

And I said to her, “Would you like me to help you?” I said, “I can try. If you're okay with it, I'd like to present it to Mastery so I can get some feedback from them.”

So, she came to me, and she was sharing with me what her symptoms were. She was diagnosed with chronic Epstein-Barr, chronic Lyme and mold toxicity. And what I was doing was basing off of the symptoms that were presenting and the diagnosis that she was given … is what I base the homeopathic remedies on.

So, she was experiencing chest tightness, fatigue, irritability, brain fog, sensitivity to light. She's having ear ringing, headaches and muscle cramping. And a lot of these on a number scale with 10 being the worst … a lot of these were an 8, a 9 or a 10, Kate.

She was also on a hormone replacement therapy drug for many years. With everything that I've learned from Joette, I used the mold remedies Joette teaches in the Detox course of Nat sulph and Arsenicum album.

I used Gelsemium for the brain fog and fatigue, and Chamomilla for the irritability, as well as some other remedies that have been mentioned — especially the one for headaches, which Joette mentioned on her blog of the Banerji protocol of Picric acid mixed with Belladonna.

I presented the case to Mastery, and it went very well.

And I had a follow-up with her a few weeks ago. We went over everything in the consult, and, Kate, she was so encouraged because after she told me how well she was doing, I was able to kind of tell her what her numbers were from about eight weeks ago. And her numbers went from a 10 to a 1 and a 2, in almost 90% of her symptoms.

So, the only thing that she's really struggling with right now is brain fog. Everything else? There was significant improvement, and she was so encouraged to hear this.

Kate:

That was only a matter of weeks!

Shannon:

About eight or nine weeks, yes, by the time we had our follow-up.

Kate:

Good job, Shannon.

Shannon:

It's encouraging for me, but it's encouraging for her. But Kate, as Joette says, “It's God's medicine.” It's the remedies and just the tools that I have been taught — of how to use them — is priceless, Kate.

Success Story: Elevated PSA

Kate: (21:00)

Yeah. And you have another one with a man in his fifties, I believe it was.

Shannon:

I do. So, he is in his fifties. There is a history of a lot of prostate cancer in his family. And he went to the doctors, and his PSA levels were rising. And his conventional doctor said, “If these continue to rise, my suggestion would be to do a biopsy.”

And he really did not want to do that, Kate. So, he asked me is there anything that I could help him with his elevated PSA levels? And I said, “Sure.” So, I said, “We can try it.”

I suggested that he try Conium and Thuja. And I learned about these medicines for elevated PSA levels in a men's health lecture in The Academy, and how beneficial they can be.

And he just had a follow-up appointment with his doctor. His PSA levels are now within normal range. Kate, he was ecstatic. And the doctor said to him, “Whatever you're doing, continue to do it!”

Kate:

Wow. You know, whenever I talk to people about homeopathy — like you — it is incredible the stories that they tell and how homeopathy has changed their lives and the lives around them. And I get tears in my eyes every time I hear these stories. You've been through so much, and now you are taking what you've learned and helping other people. What a rewarding thing to do, Shannon.

Closing Thoughts

Shannon: (22:30)

It is Kate.

And I wanted to share that there is another way to do things, and especially when it appears no other way. I mean, as I shared in the story, there was no other way for my son.

There was a way, and there still continues to be a way with homeopathy.

And it just doesn't need to be with my son. It can be with anything. Homeopathy has given me hope, Kate, in a place where I didn't have any. I had very minimal hope, and I am so thankful for this medicine.

Kate:

Well, Shannon, thank you so much for your willingness to open up and share your life and the life of your family with us and what you're doing. I appreciate you being here and look forward to hearing about all the other things that you accomplish now with what you've learned. Thank you so much.

Shannon:

Kate, thank you so much.

Joette:

It's my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.

But it's critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.

So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.

Kate:

You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.

To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.