Podcast 101 – Moms with Moxie: Journey to Homeopathy

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IN THIS PODCAST, WE COVER:

3:40     Journey to Homeopathy

9:47     Pregnancy 

18:38   Things Handled with Homeopathy 

24:30   Tips and Wisdom to Share

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:

Baby Grande: sold as part of the Combo Pack (my top 7 products). Information can also be found in my free blog post series, “Birthing.”

      https://joettecalabrese.com/blog/turning-a-breech-baby/

      https://joettecalabrese.com/blog/premier-remedy-for-child-birth/

      https://joettecalabrese.com/blog/birthing-part-three-baby-is-born-but-youre-not-done-yet-neither-is-homeopathy/

 

Allergic!? Escape Allergies, Sensitivities, and Intolerances, with Homeopathy

Podcast 98 – How to Take Your Own Case: Prioritize!

First Aid in a Pinch (free first aid chart)

My blog, podcasts, Facebook Live events and courses

Gateway to Homeopathy: A Guided Study Group Curriculum

 

Kate:  This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast Episode Number 101.

 

Joette:  Joette Calabrese here, folks. I’m happy that you’ve joined me for my podcast today. You’re in for a treat. From my virtual classroom, I’m privileged to see how homeopathy is transforming lives all over the globe. Their successes inspire me. They’re glorious and powerful, and I can’t keep their triumphs a secret. I want you to hear the excitement my students experience, too. So, you can be inspired by their unique stories.

 

With the help from Kate, my reporter, I bring you a podcast series I call, “Moms with Moxie.” Sometimes we even interview “Dads with Audacity” or “Teens with Tenacity.” See how regular mothers and others — average folks who love healing those around them — have gone from freaking to fabulous by simply applying what they’ve learned using what I call Practical Homeopathy®.

 

 

Kate:  Hi, this is Kate, and I want to welcome you back to the Practical Homeopathy® podcast. Today, I have a wonderful friend here whose name is Chris. Chris is a Midwest gal just like myself. Welcome, Chris.

 

Chris:  Hello, Kate.

 

Kate:  It's great to have you here. I'm so excited to hear from you today.

 

Chris:  It's good to be here. It really is a pleasure.

 

Kate:  Tell us about yourself, Chris.

 

Chris:  Well, like you said, I'm a Midwest gal — born and raised right here in Central Illinois — and married to Mike for seven years. Have three kids, 2, 4, 6. They keep me very busy.

 

In my free time, I like to bike, hike, be outdoors, garden. My winter sport is quilting and sewing. I’ve got to do that on those cold months around here. But most of that is to keep me sane while I have my main job of staying at home, raising the kids and being a mom — which is the hardest, craziest job I've ever had — but I can't see myself doing anything else.

 

Kate:  As you're saying this, back in those days when I had young kids, and I feel you.

 

Chris:  It's crazy.

 

Kate:  Yes.

 

Chris:  You can't wrap that up into a sentence, really.

 

Kate:  No.

 

Chris:  It's wonderful and still insane.

 

Kate:  Yes, the best, most challenging …

 

Chris:  … job I've ever had. 

 

Kate:  Most fun …

 

Chris:  Yes.

 

Kate:  Exactly. Chris, in your spare time, I know you are an outdoorsy kind of gal, and you like to bike ride and do a lot of things outdoors with your family. And we're going to get into this in just a minute, but I find it kind of ironic because you have a lot of issues being outside and doing those things because of some allergies, right?

 

Chris:  Yes. I have some seasonal allergies as well as some pet allergies — which I don't know if we'll talk about this, but I don't have any! But I usually steer clear away from animals.

 

Yes, being outside and being around anything in the garden, I'm usually careful about those sensitivities and asthma. I love being active and doing things, but exercise-induced asthma has been a plague in my life for quite a few years. Homeopathy has really helped out with that.

 

Kate:  We're going to get into that in just a minute. But talk to us for just a few minutes about your journey to homeopathy. What did that look like?

 

Journey to Homeopathy

 

Chris:  Well, it started when I became a mom. My daughter was six months old. I think I just remember her having some pain or bruises. A friend mentioned Arnica.

 

I had no idea what it was, went to the local natural food store, found it — like the one place in town that had it. I didn't even know how the heck to even open the bottle. Turn it over and twist the cap, right?

 

So, I'm pretty sure I didn't even give it to her a lot. I mean, maybe it was more like one or two times I gave it to her. But other than that, it just sat on the shelf for about a year.

 

Then my daughter got her first ear infection. That's when I knew there had to be something else. It just led me down that path of finding a different alternative to caring for my family as opposed to giving her antibiotics. That really was the gateway to my homeopathy journey.

 

Kate:  Now, talk to us for a minute about that struggle that you had when your daughter got an ear infection because you had said something when we were talking earlier, you really struggled during that time. I want to hear more about that.

 

Chris:  Sure. I remember that time when she got the ear infection, and the doctor wrote her her prescription. And I knew I had to give her the antibiotics (because I didn't want her to be in pain) because I had no other way of treating her. That led to a discussion with another dear friend about alternatives, and homeopathy was that one.

That ear infection was clear because I have had enough experience with friends who had kids with reoccurring ear infections, one after the other. That just was something that they always had.

 

I just knew that there was something more than just giving antibiotic, after antibiotic, after antibiotic. And so, I was happy to learn something that I could control and treat my kid with — and she's never been on an antibiotic since.

 

Kate:  That's great!

 

I wanted you to share that because I feel like as I talk to moms, this is such a common theme that something happens with the kids. It's what happened with me! That's how I got into homeopathy as well. My daughter was struggling with eczema.

 

She was like you said, in pain, itching; we had to do something. I didn't have an alternative at the time.

 

I feel like this is such a common theme for those of us who have children. That was a tipping point. That's what led us to learn about homeopathy and other methods of healing our bodies.

 

Chris:  Right. It's true. I started seeing reoccurring instances in my life with my health. But I took those as part of my life, and that's just how it's going to be.

 

When my child got sick, I knew there had to be something else.

 

Kate:  Let's step back just a minute because there's a really great story, and I want everyone to hear it about your dad. I love hearing about your dad!

 

I feel like you've gotten some of your desire to heal your family from your dad. So, tell us how you grew up with your dad and his medical interest.

 

Chris:  Well, I want to say that he was not a doctor and did not have medical training. However, he was in the military, and his grandfather was a surgeon around like the Great Depression time. So, I had heard stories.

 

However, my dad was not any doctor, yet he always treated us. He was the one giving us the first aid. He was the one saying, “Sit at the counter. Let me get to your finger under good light. I want to see how bad that cut is. I want to clean it. I want to put a bandage on it. We're going to just monitor that and see how it is tomorrow, and is there an infection?”

 

He always had an eye and a consciousness of any kind of ailments — whether it was a cut on your hand, a blister, an ingrown toenail. He was always the nurse/doctor in the house.

 

So, I have fond memories of a time when I was struggling with an ingrown toenail. He would just, like I said, prop me up on the counter, and he wanted to take a look at it.

 

He would get a suturing kit out, and I'm not kidding because he had a little kit. It was the same needles and thread that he would sew up the Thanksgiving turkey with. He would put those out!

 

You know, he always wanted to sew one of us up, but I'm pretty sure that didn't happen. But he was always ready!

 

But he had his sharp knives and things like that, so he cut out an ingrown toenail, pretty much a surgery, on the kitchen counter.

 

One of his sayings was “never hesitate, self-medicate.”

 

I'm pretty sure he was talking about pouring some whiskey as well to yourself when you're sick and taking care of yourself that way. But also taking care of yourself in the sense of don't just run to the doctor right away.

 

So, I just remember finally him cutting an ingrown toenail out of my toe and making sure that it was clean, and packed it in right, and paid attention to wound care. It was pretty remarkable, and I have very fond memories of him. He's quite a character.

 

Kate:  Do you feel like you've grown up like him? I mean, do you feel like you have that desire as well?

 

Chris:  I think it's definitely an influence in my life. Both my mom and dad were remarkable parents and are very influential in how I raise my family. I think I definitely try to keep an eye on everybody.

 

I know that one of my kids has a blister on his foot right now. They've got some splinters in their feet. I don't know if my dad knew that to some degree, but I'm sure as a parent, we all try and keep an eye on our kids physically and mentally. I think there has been a great deal of influence in my life from him.

 

Pregnancy

 

Kate:  Let's talk about your pregnancy. I know that was sort of a tipping point as well in your journey with homeopathy. Tell us what you did with that.

 

Chris:  I think you're talking about the second pregnancy.

 

Kate:  Yes.

 

Chris:  Because I was discovering homeopathy at the time of my daughter (she’s my oldest), her first ear infection that we've talked about. And then I found out I was pregnant. So, it was, “I've got to learn as much as I can to have a much easier labor the second time around.”

 

I had a pretty hard time with the first one.

 

Kate:  Yes, you said it was many, many hours.

 

Chris:  I like to just say 50+ hours. It was a couple days.

 

I went in not knowing, obviously, what was going on but wanted — naively — to do it all naturally and did the best that I could. I got through it eventually after two days of being in labor.

 

I did have an epidural, but then I slept. I was nine centimeters, and I was exhausted. Then I woke up and pushed for three hours and then I had my baby. So, the epidural pretty much wore off.

 

You mommas out there, you’ve got to do it anyway you do it, right? I mean, there's no judgment, no shame in the way you do it.

 

But I knew when I got the news that I was pregnant again, I knew I had to find a way to curb the exhaustion and the cramps during labor. So, I did that. I ordered Baby Grande, the CD Joette has, and I listened to that thing over and over again. I took notes. I did a summary page, and I gave that to my doula. I'm pretty sure I did everything to a tee. That labor was about 16 hours.

 

It was, out of my three births, the best one. I did the cell salt protocol my last trimester only. It wasn't the whole pregnancy, but I did that just the third. And it was a remarkable labor. My doula was there helping me along the way. I gave her the information that I learned during Baby Grande.

 

I said, “Here's the information I need. Here’s my kit.” And she was giving me what I needed. It was pretty awesome.

 

The nurse even said — right after he was born, and they did the checks and stuff in the room and weighed him — she said, “Oh, he has very long fingernails. You must have taken your prenatals.”

 

I said, “Yes. Yes, I did.”

 

Kate:  That’s awesome. I would love to hear some of the remedies that you used during your labor. Tell us.

 

Chris:  Yes. I remember — well, my doula took notes — switching between Gelsemium and Mag phos and Arnica. I think I only had 200 then.

 

But I also know a friend of mine said, “You need Arnica 1M as well.” I think that was in my arsenal.

 

So, I'm pretty sure I just switched between those during the labor.

 

Postpartum, I used Arnica 1M and Mag phos. I didn't take a Tylenol after. It was all natural. I mean, in the hospital, I'm pretty sure I didn't have any intervention. It was pretty amazing what my body was able to do. I want to just give that up to homeopathy, and the things that I learned during that time.

 

Kate:  Your journey with homeopathy led you next to, I think, the Gateway Study Group?

 

Chris:  Yes, I took the Study Group Gateway I. I knew a lot of the stuff, but it was still good to go over some of those basics.

 

After the Gateway I class, I took the Allergy course. That was eye opening because allergies are my most chronic issue. That's where I started learning so much. But I felt like every single page was, “Yes, I need to take that remedy!”

 

I know Joette talks about, “Finish the course before you start anything!” And she says it over and over again — because you think in whatever topic you're looking at, you think you have it all.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm still working through lessons. I've listened to them all. I'm pretty sure I haven't sat down and taken rigorous notes on every single lesson. But that's what I love about the courses. I own it. I can go back to it any time.

 

Right now, in my life, sitting down and taking a class and very heavy notes is not the season I'm in. So, if it's something I can listen to like this podcast or anything online, it's been the way that I've been saturating myself with homeopathy.

 

Kate:  Then you tackled your allergies. This is an amazing thing how you've overcome the allergies that you have. Tell us about that.

 

Chris:  Absolutely. So, when I was taking the Allergy course, I felt like I didn't know which way to go because I had those chronic allergies, but I also had some other chronic mental and emotional issues. I didn't know which way to go first.

So, I became a client of Joette’s. She really helped me overcome some of those chronic issues: the chronic bronchitis that I had, the asthma that really was impeding any kind of physical exercise. That was just a big hiccup.

Then even the allergies. I could barely set foot into my sister's house without sneezing over and over again or having itchy eyes because of pet allergies or anything like that. Those were the things that were disrupting my life day to day. I have a much better handle on those.

I wouldn't say they're completely gone because I still carry some of those things when I sneeze or have some itchy eyes. But in terms of the wheeziness, shortness of breath, and the chronic bronchitis, it's gone. It's gone.

I didn’t have any occurrence of that in the last year. It's been about a year, and I know what to do in the beginning of it when I start to get that sore throat. It always started in my throat, and then it would tickle.

You tell yourself, “Oh, it’s allergies.” But it really is something deeper, and then it would go into my chest. Then once it was there, it would just stick in my lungs.

Learning about homeopathy, becoming a client, and consulting with Joette, it really did help. I've thrown inhalers away because I don't need those rescue inhalers anymore. I haven't taken those inhalers anymore.

At one point in my life — this was years ago — I was on a daily allergy pill. I used to carry the over-the-counter allergy pill everywhere I would go. Now, I carry my homeopathy kit — or a small little one for itchy eyes and sneezing and my Hyland’s Allergy Relief — with me everywhere I go. It's just been a complete relief and a game changer.

Kate:  Yes. It sounds like your life has really changed since you've employed homeopathy for these chronic conditions.

 

Chris:  For me, yes. And I realized, after learning how to take care of those acute problems in my household, I realized in order to tackle those chronic issues with anyone else, I’ve got to figure out how to get all my stuff under control. So, eventually, I'll be able to do some chronic stuff with my husband and help with his health.

 

I think you just did a podcast, Taking Your Own Case. It was really trying to figure out how to take care of yourself — because you want to heal the world when you start learning about homeopathy.

 

When I look back at how far I've come in my own health over this past year and working with Joette and my chronic issues — I haven't had any sinus infections.

 

I haven't taken antibiotics for my chronic bronchitis that I would get once or twice a year. It was just a given. I knew I would be doing that. I would be going to the doctor because I couldn’t breathe, and I haven't had that!

 

I can exercise frequently and with no indication of wheezing or shortness of breath. That was even on bike rides in cold weather. I remember I took a bike ride January 1^st, and it was probably 40 degrees. I wasn't wheezing! That had never happened before. I

 

 don't travel with my inhalers anymore. It's definitely changed my life and given me the strength to take care of my family.

 

Things Handled with Homeopathy

 

Kate:  Tell us about some of the other things that you've dealt with in your family and how you've handled those with homeopathy.

 

Chris:  Sure. With kids? Teething, pink eye, strep, wasp stings, bee stings, all those kinds of things. I don't panic about them. It's not something I run to the doctor for. I know how to handle it with a little bit of homeopathy that's in my house. It's remarkable to not have to stress out about that.

So, pink eye to me is, “Okay, I give my kids some Hepar sulph. Watch it, keep it clean, and it's fine.”

I don't know if that's THE protocol, but for me, that works for my daughter. After a day of a red eye, maybe some crud, it's gone, and she's fine. Knowing that I didn't give her 10 days on an antibiotic for something, and her body is stronger for using that — it gives me so much ease and confidence in healing those things.

Strep throat, she had a case of that as well. It was diagnosed at the doctor's office. I said, “Thank you for telling me she had that,” went home, and gave her … I want to say it was Hepar sulph again. That stuff is amazing!

I could be wrong. I didn’t write that down. Take notes, people! Take notes. It is important.

But those things that happen, that feel like they can be a disruption in your family and can stop everything, it's good to know how to handle those things that come up.

With a bee sting my son got — he was young, very little — and he came, and I saw a swollen red area. Within 20 minutes of giving him Aconitum (I believe, at first just so he would calm down) and some Ledum, he was fine in 20 minutes. There's no swelling. He was walking around playing. He had no pain.

A little bit later, I did give him some Arnica. It was starting to get slightly red and hard, and then he was fine. I did put in my notes also that he was irritable and cranky already because he was teething. So, I'm sure I'd given him some teething tablets.

Moving right along, puncture wound for my husband and scalding emergencies.

 

Kate:  Didn't your husband have some sort of major injury? What happened?

 

Chris:  It was a puncture wound. He was working in his wood shop, and he comes upstairs and holding his thumb.

 

I'm pretty sure there may be a few choice words at that time as well. I mean, obviously I knew there was an incident, so I gave him some Aconite.

 

We hadn't quite figured out what was going on. I think he was stunned as well. But he was nailing something. He had a brad nailer, so it's a pretty thin brad. He was holding a piece of wood. It hit a knot as he put the brad in. It turned 90 degrees. It came out and went in through the pad of his thumb. It came through and punctured his thumbnail.

 

So, I was like, “Oh, Ledum for a puncture wound!”

 

I’m pretty sure I gave him Hypericum as well for the shooting pain, and like I said Aconite 200 because of the shock of what the heck just happened.

 

Kate:  Did you take Aconite 200 as well?

 

Chris:  Did I? I don't think so. I think I was like, “This is cool! Let me help you!”

 

I was kind of probably geeking out, at the same time knew that his hand was still intact and all that. I was giving him Hepar sulph the next couple days to keep infection out as well.

 

So, emergencies like that happen. and I feel prepared.

 

Kate:  Oh, my goodness. That was very traumatic.

 

Chris:  Another emergency I handled was my daughter scalded herself. My husband had some teacups. He had warm water on the counter. She pulled the water down on her chest.

 

I wasn't even home. I got a phone call saying, “Where are you? Get home now.” I was 5-10 minutes away, came home, gave her Aconite and Cantharis, and externally applied vitamin E oil, and just monitored it that day.

 

We carried on with our regular schedule of events. At noon, I’m pretty sure in the day, gave her some more Cantharis and Arnica for the pain and the burn.

 

The next day, it was a burn enough where it blistered. I knew it wasn't worse than that. It was not third degree at all. We would have definitely been going to the hospital for that.

 

Her blisters the next day were beginning to scab. It was beginning to heal after just that 24 hours, and then Hepar sulph to follow up and avoid infection the next couple days. I kept taking pictures of this when it happened at the time. Then 24 hours later and comparing and making sure I wasn't missing anything. And she was fine.

 

Kate:  How great that you were able to handle that at home and not have to go to the doctor. Burns are really painful! Did the homeopathy that you gave her help the pain, did you notice?

 

Chris:  Yes. I gave her the Aconite right away to help her. That always calms my kids when they can take that Aconite, and then I can do more assessment. Homeopathy is not a magic wand. You have to work at it. You have to work at it, and you have to learn. You have to observe.

 

That's really something that … I've been learning the difference between coughs and colds and all the symptoms. I know when I start asking my husband all the questions he's like, “Oh, stop it!”

 

I’m like, “But I'm trying to assess you and your pain.”

 

He's a tough cookie to figure out when it comes to homeopathy.

 

Tips and Wisdom to Share

 

Kate:  That's a good segue actually into your tips. I want to hear what you would like to share with the listeners as we wrap up this podcast. What wisdom do you have to share?

 

Chris:  Keep learning. Coughs and colds are the hardest things. I just kept learning and studying and listening for different symptoms.

 

That's one tip I'd say, but also always carry your remedies with you. Whether it's a little bit in your purse, for the things that you usually encounter throughout your day, or if it's your kit when you're leaving town.

 

Take your First Aid in a Pinch. Print it out. Don't just rely on your phone to have it.

 

Then also just buy all the remedies. Buy all the books. When you can afford them, do it! Like I even said earlier, I think that I don't have all the time in the world to sit and read a whole bunch of books. But I buy them here and there. I am building my library, and I refer to them when I need them.

 

Trying to figure out those little acute things and gain your confidence and being able to tackle the bigger issues, it really becomes a way of life for you and your family. It's pretty awesome.

 

Kate:  Thank you so much for sharing with us, being so open and sharing your struggles and your successes. It was a pleasure to have you on this podcast.

 

Chris:  Thank you. It was awesome and an honor to be here. I mean, it really is. I don't think of myself as a Mom with Moxie.

 

There are times when you feel like you're going to conquer the world. Then, there are times when you're like, “Oh, what the heck do I do to get through this hour?”

 

But the things I've been learning about homeopathy and putting them into practice in my family have been countercultural — but it works, and it's worth it!

 

 

Joette:  As I hope you know by now, on my blog, podcasts and Facebook Live, I offer as many protocols for simple conditions as I can — for free, without affiliates or advertising.

 

But let me be clear. When it comes to more complex conditions, it’s key that you learn how to use these medicines properly. I want you to be well-trained. So, I save discussions of the more involved methods for my courses in which I walk students through each method with step-by-step training.

 

In these podcasts, I focus on those students of mine who have already tunneled in and learned how to take care of themselves, family, friends, and pets, and even livestock using homeopathic medicine. Many of these students began their education by participating in one of my Gateway to Homeopathy study groups. And now, after taking one or more of my courses, they’re well-trained to use my specific brand of homeopathy.

 

I hope listening to this podcast has inspired you to follow in their footsteps. With the proper training, you, too, can nurture and protect the health of your family and loved ones with Practical Homeopathy®.

 

Kate:  You just listened to a podcast from PracticalHomeopathy.com where nationally certified homeopath, public speaker, and author, Joette Calabrese shares her passion for helping families stay strong through homeopathy. Joette’s podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google Play, Blueberry, Pandora, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.

 

Thank you for listening to this podcast with Joette Calabrese. To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.

 

These Moms with Moxie podcasts are designed to be inspirational, not specifically educational. No Remedy Card is provided.