Podcast 87 – Moms with Moxie: A “Spouse with Spunk”

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: Today, I am so excited to be able to welcome a dear friend of mine and someone that I am privileged to be able to work with. She's a co-worker of mine with Joette’s team. I'm super excited for you all to get to meet Tracey.

Tracey, welcome to the podcast.

Tracey: Wow, Kate, thank you. That was such a sweet introduction. I'm excited to be here with you on your podcast.

Kate: I'm excited to have you. Normally, we are on the backside of the podcast doing the work for them. But now, you're actually being interviewed. It's super-fun.

Tracey: It feels like a role reversal.

Kate: Normally, I get to interview Moms with Moxie or Dads with Audacity. We even have Teens with Tenacity. But you have your own category for yourself. Why don't you share that with us?

Tracey: Well — full disclosure — I'm not a Mom with Moxie because I'm not a mom. So, I thought, “Oh, I have been married for 36 years, so what if I'm a ‘Spouse with Spunk’?”

Kate: That's awesome. You know what? That fits you because you are spunky, too.

Tracey: Awwwww. Thank you. I appreciate that. Well, Joette always says, “It takes guts, spunk, and moxie,” so I figured I'll fill in that middle category.

Kate: Right, and you do that well.

Tracey: Thanks.

Kate: All right, let's get to know you a little bit, Tracey. Who is Tracey?

Tracey: Oh, wow! The Cliff Notes are that I have been married 36 years. My husband and I met in college in California. We lived there for most of our lives and just fairly recently moved back to Florida (where I had been born) to be closer to my mom. She's 96 years old. So, that's a pretty big number, and we thought it was a good time to be here with her.

Kate: Your mom is actually 96 years “young” because she is also spunky.

Tracey: She is. I inherit it from her, definitely. Yes, she's amazing.

Kate: In fact, doesn't she still go to Pilates?

Tracey: She does. She does Pilates twice a week. She has a private session. She has really inspired a lot of other people that want to get their parents involved in it. She's in good shape.

Kate: That's incredible. Wow! I'm just in awe of her.

Tracey: Thank you.

Kate: Tracey, have you heard of homeopathy before you started working with Joette?

Tracey: Well, I had heard of it, but I didn't know exactly what it was — which I don't think is that unusual for newbies. I will admit that I am a newbie. I've only really been involved with learning about homeopathy for a couple of years, and I'm so inspired by the other Moms with Moxie who are so well-learned and so successful in their use. So, they inspire me.

But my first exposure to homeopathy was seeing the blue tubes in the health food store. I would walk by and think they look so fascinating and so professional. I thought, “Oh, I wish I knew what all of these words meant.” And I didn't know really how to learn about them. But now I do, so I'm really enjoying my exposure to homeopathy.

Kate: When you started learning about them, was that when you met Joette or had you used them before that?

Tracey: No, it was when I was brought into work with Joette and on her team, and just reading all of the free information. The wealth of free information that Joette offers on her site is unbelievable.

Reading all of that, I thought, “Why have I not spent my whole life learning about homeopathy?” I've tried to make up for lost time and learned as much as I possibly could for the things that affect me and my family.

Kate: You mentioned something. You said you're a relative newbie to homeopathy. While that may be true, you've had a lot of success stories with homeopathy. In fact, many people who are new to homeopathy do have some pretty incredible success stories.

I just had a new Gateway to Homeopathy group start last night. There were some people there that had only been using homeopathy a few months, maybe longer, but they had these wonderful stories of how it has helped their family in incredible ways.

And so, I think that's the beauty is that you can dig in. You can start using these remedies right away, and they can do amazing things. I don't think people have to worry about being new and having a certain number of years of education behind them. They can jump right in with all that free information like you pointed out.

Tracey: I agree. There have been a couple of things that have plagued me literally my whole life. I've tried a zillion different supplements or allopathic medicines, and homeopathy cleared them up quickly and inexpensively and easily. That's why I say, “Where has this been my whole life, and why didn't I learn about these blue tubes faster?” But, you know, we’ll go forward from that.

Cantharis for UTI

Kate: Yes, exactly. You mentioned that you had conditions or things that have troubled you your entire life. Tell us about some of those things, and what you did with homeopathy.

Tracey: Well, I'll tell you about two things, if we have the time. The first one is I was constantly getting UTIs (urinary tract infections). I did the antibiotics a lot. However, I'm allergic to most antibiotics, so it was difficult to cope with them that way. I would turn myself into a cranberry, drinking cranberry juice. I just really tried everything. Then especially when we moved back to the South — they have sweet tea here. I don't know if you've ever had sweet tea.

Kate: No.

Tracey: But it's hummingbird food. Let's face it. It's just sugar and water, and they wave a tea bag over it, and you drink this. Well, that much sugar, I can look at a glass of sweet tea and end up with a UTI. So, I have to be a good girl and watch my sugar intake because it's only fair to the homeopathy that I do my part.

But in a blog post that Joette wrote called “Recurring UTIs and Antibiotics: Stop the Cycle,” I discovered Cantharis 30. I used that for … I would say I used it twice a day for maybe five days. The current UTI went away. I came up with another one maybe two months later. I used it again. It went away. Then I probably haven't had one in a year and a half —after using it those two times. That's a miracle for me because this has been my entire life of dealing with one on-one off. It's amazing.

Kate: Wow! Maybe someday you'll be able to have that glass of sweet tea.

Tracey: Well, now, I just look at it longingly. But no, there's no good that can come out of that glass of sweet tea. But boy … no good can come out of it.

Learning about it, about Cantharis, was really life changing for me. Also, I think you did a podcast with Joette, “Podcast 81 – Ladies Only,” that she talked more about it in that. Once I had those two pieces of information, that was a life changer for me.

Zincum metallicum and Cuprum metallicum for Restless Leg Syndrome

Kate: Wow! What was the other thing?

Tracey: Well, the other thing is not life threatening, but it's really, really annoying. I don't know if you've ever had Restless Leg Syndrome.

Kate: No.

Tracey: It's just really, really annoying. You go to bed, and all of a sudden, you have to move your legs, and then you have to move them again, you have to move them again. It's just like your legs take on a life of their own, and you can't lie still — so annoying.

That has gone on since I was five years old, because I remember when I was in kindergarten, my mother would come in and rub my legs and try to help me go to sleep.

So, Joette wrote a blog post called “Get a Leg Up Over Restless Legs,” and I thought, “This one must be for me.” She wrote about two different remedies. One is Zincum metallicum 6. That's for — just like I described before — it’s involuntary movement. Your legs just have to move around. The other is Cuprum metallicum 6. That's when it's just so bad you just have to get out of bed and walk around.

Those worked amazingly for me. I had tried magnesium oil — rubbing that on. I had tried everything over the course of my life, and nothing worked like those two remedies.

In fact — kind of an interesting story — I ran out of the remedy and just ran to the health food store and picked up another tube. This time, I had forgotten to get a 6, and I got a 30 potency. That didn't quite work as well. So, I referred back to the blog post and realized, “Ah, I'm supposed to be using this in a 6 potency.”

That's when I realized how Joette says if you want it to work as effectively as described, then use the exact potency recommended in the protocol. I realized it really does matter. Potency matters.

Some people want to use a different potency sometime, but I always rather liken it to baking. If a recipe calls for a cup of milk, and you put in two cups of milk, it's not going to work. So, better stick with the recipe, right?

But those two remedies are miraculous for restless legs.

Kate: Wonderful. Actually, a lot of people that I've come across lately have been talking about restless legs. I didn't realize there were so many people that had trouble with that. Thank you for sharing.

Tracey: Oh, no problem. Yeah, I didn't realize until you just said that a lot of people do. It's something I don't think you realize is a “problem.” You just think it's some little personal issue you’ve got going on. But then you read more and more about it, and it does exist.

But if everyone would look up that blog post, they'd be fine.

Coffea for sleep problems and Nux vomica and Ignatia for Overstressing

Kate: You've also mentioned about sleep, having trouble sleeping, and that's also super-common. So many people have issues getting to sleep or staying asleep. So, tell us a little bit about what you used for what you were experiencing.

Tracey: Well, I first tried Coffea. I had seen that spoken about many times on Joette’s site. Somehow, Coffea just wasn't for me. I can't explain it. It just didn't quite give the reaction that I was looking for.

Then Joette had written a blog post called “Counting Sheep? Try Homeopathy.” It spoke about what my problem was, which is wakefulness between the hours of two and four in the morning. That was my biggest issue. So, the remedy that she mentioned was Nux vomica in a 30 or a 200. I tried that, and that really was a blessing for me. I must be a “Nux girl” when it comes to sleep because it helped a lot.

Kate: Well, that's no surprise there, Tracey, because you tend to burn the candle at both ends, so overdoing it: Nux vomica.

Tracey: Well, and I had seen that because I try to really use Joette’s site search box. So, I'll put in the condition. Then when I find something that I think may be the right remedy for me, then I'll put in the remedy and read everything about the remedy — as well as I have her materia medica, which is amazing, and look it up there.

But I did find an old, old podcast that Joette had done, “Joette Offers Her Favorite Tips and a Dose of Mothering Inspiration.” In that, she mentioned Nux vomica for overstressing. I thought, “That is me.” I think that's why I'm waking up in the middle of the night because I'm just overstressing. It solved that problem, too. It's my hero.

Kate: Joette talks about certain remedies needing to be in the water like Ignatia. I think Nux vomica is another one of those.

Tracey: I agree.

Kate: Everyone can use Nux vomica from time to time.

Tracey: It's very true. But I don't want to say anything bad about Ignatia either because I'm living on one or the other at any given moment.

Kate: Yes, you and I. That's a great lead into what we have in common. You and I share something special in common, and that has to do with our moms. Why don't we talk about that for a little while? We have lots to share when it comes to our mothers.

Tracey: Yes, that's very true.

Kate: Both of our mothers actually had a stroke. It’s about the same time about a year ago now. So, we've been walking this road together.

Tracey: Yes.

Kate: You've been a big help to me so many times. We've been able to just talk about what we're experiencing and how this is going for us and what our moms are going through. It's been so helpful to share that with you, Tracey. I just want to thank you for that.

Tracey: Well, I thank you. You've been a huge support to me as well. My mom had her stroke, I think, a couple of weeks before yours, and you had been so supportive of me in that two-week period. Then for you to have to go through the same thing, it just broke my heart because it's very stressful, very scary, and it's a lot.

Kate: Yes. Getting back to that Nux vomica, we both were, like you said, living on Nux vomica and Ignatia.

Tracey: I remember every once in a while, we text each other, “Ignatia!”

Kate: Yes, yes, “Don't forget to take your Ignatia.”

Tracey: Right.

Kate: For those of you who are listening to the podcast and maybe new to Joette and Practical Homeopathy®, Ignatia is great for when you are experiencing grief. If you feel sad, if you have that sighing feeling a lot, any emotional thing, Ignatia is a great option to consider for all emotional conditions. It's not that it's 100%, every time, Ignatia, but many times, it's very helpful.

Tracey: There's actually a podcast #69 Life's a Tragedy in which Joette talks about it being overwhelmed with responsibilities and anxiety and fear. That pretty much has defined our days, Kate, sometimes.

Kate: Yes, I know. Unfortunately, yes.

Tell us a little bit about how you've been using homeopathy for yourself as you’ve been walking through this with your mother. If there's anything that you want to share with your mom, that'd be helpful as well.

Tracey: Sure. Well, the night that it happened, was just — you know — it's like a punch to the stomach. It's shocking, and you can't believe this is happening. When we got to the hospital, I had grabbed my little red Top 100 Kit that I brought through Joette’s office because I didn't know what I might need with me in the hospital. I had that with me, and my first thought was Aconite for the shocking ordeal that we were entering.

It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it — it’s just, this is my life. It was about three o'clock in the morning. It was dark. We were in ICU. I was in a little cubbyhole that they had for the family off to one side of the room. Mom was hooked up to every machine that they've ever created. I was trying to find the Aconite in my little Top 100 red kit, and I spilled the entire kit in my lap. All 100 little bottles went every which way. And I thought, “This just can't be happening.”

It was sort of a blessing, though, because I did find the Aconite. I took that. That, of course, helped me. Then I had to spend the next 30 minutes by the flashlight on my phone trying to re-alphabetize my Top 100 kit. So, it distracted me anyway.

Kate: Right, and we have to do that in the secret because when the nurses come in, you don't want them to see.

Tracey: Yes, yes, exactly, exactly!

I gave myself the Aconite. I gave it to Mom, too, because this was a shocking event for her. You don't expect this to happen even though she's of an age where things do happen. She's very robust, so we kind of expect her to outlive us. The Aconite, I think, helped her a lot as well.

Kate: Did you take other remedies during this time as well?

Tracey: Mostly, it was Ignatia because I was just — you know — it was that sighing thing you talked about. I think I sighed more during that time when she was in the hospital than ever before. Ignatia got me through it.

There was some diagnosis time period, so I didn't really quite know what to give Mom, but I have given her several homeopathic things.

It reminds me, you and I hadn't discussed this before, but I remember when I first asked Mom if it was okay if we tried some homeopathy, and she said, “Oh yes, I completely believe in homeopathy!”

I thought, “Does she know what I'm talking about?”

Then she went on to tell me that indeed she did. She had forgotten all about it. But when she was a little girl, they didn't take her to a doctor; they took her to a homeopath.

Kate: They did?

Tracey: Yes! She had used homeopathy as a child. And she said it just … you know as it kind of was replaced with the more familiar allopathic medicine, I think she fell away from it and forgot to use it when I was a child. But she was so familiar with it, and she really believes in it. So, it's been great having it for her.

Helleborus niger for Dementia

Kate: That's wonderful that she knew. You would actually talk to your mom before her stroke about using homeopathy. This goes back to pre-stroke. What did you use with her before the stroke?

Tracey: Well, Mom was having some memory issues — not Alzheimer’s, not really severe — but what we would consider natural lapses in remembering what time something was going to occur, or when she was supposed to do something. And, I think that's to be expected at her age. I had read in Joette’s free downloads and articles page that anyone can join on Joette’s website. That is chock-full of great information. I had seen on there an article called “Best Remedies for Seniors.”

Looking through that, I found Helleborus niger 30 that was for memory or dementia and utilized that with mom after we talked about her experience with homeopathy. She was very eager to try it, because she had tried some of those supplements that they advertise on TV: the pills that instantly bring back your memory. And she was like, “These things don't work.” So, we thought, “Why not give homeopathy a try?” I really think that has helped her a lot, so we continued to do that.

Kate: How often did you give that?

Tracey: Well, it's in liquid, twice a day. I'm actually still giving it to her because this is an ongoing thing. I still give it to her twice a day. Every rare once in a while, I will not be able to give it to her, and the next day, I can just kind of tell a slight difference — a slight loss in focus.

Antimonium crud and Arsenicum for Itchy Skin

Kate: Your mom also had some trouble with her skin.

Tracey: Yes, she just had some itching, and it wasn't really fully defined. We couldn't figure out what it was, whether it was maybe heat-related or just dry skin-related. But Joette, again to the rescue, wrote a blog post “Here an Itch, There an Itch, Everywhere an Itch-Itch.” (I love her titles!)

Kate: I know. I do, too.

Tracey: But it was Antimonium crud 6 mixed with Arsenicum 200. I tried that with mom. Of course, homeopathy did it. Now, her skin is beautiful. I keep it well moisturized. We try not to let her get too warm.

That cleared up. Thank goodness for that one, because itching is just annoying and not fair when you have other things you need to do.

Sepia for Hormones

Kate: Tracey, are there any other situations that stand out where you've used homeopathy that you want to share with the listeners?

Tracey: There is one, and that's using Sepia 200 — my new best friend. Since it's just you and I, Kate, talking here amongst girls, I will admit that my hormones have been a mess for my entire life because I took the easy road. I was on the pill for years and did the Norplant and the Depo-Provera shots. I did just about everything brutal that I could do to one's hormones. And as I aged and went into menopause, I really could feel that my body was just on tilt. It just wasn't where it needed to be.

I almost went the direction of hormone replacement, because — why wouldn't I? I have been doing this synthetic crap for my whole life. Why wouldn't I keep on that path?

But then, I met Joette and started learning about homeopathy and realized, “What am I doing to myself?” I put a stop to it, and I did not do the hormone replacement. The biggest symptom that I had from menopause was the hormonal headaches. They almost seemed like migraines. They were very, very intense.

I found a blog post that Joette had written. (I sound like I live on Joette’s blog post, don’t I? I kind of do.) But she had written “Sepia for Mother's Day! This Time for Headaches,” and it described me. Every three days, I took Sepia 200, and those headaches went away. So, Sepia 200, my new best friend.

Also, you know, that it's for when you're overwhelmed. Sometimes you need Sepia. Sometimes you need Ignatia. I'm not sure how, but sometimes I can just tell which one I need. The little bottle calls me. It's just been a real tremendous change to my life.

Then I look at other folks, other of my friends, who have tried the hormone replacement, and I don't think they're doing as well as I am on homeopathy.

Kate: I feel like there's a period in every woman's life where they need Sepia, either they’re new moms and overwhelmed, or they're going through that perimenopausal age and have those headaches or other issues. But Sepia, I took it for a while as well, and it was fantastic. It helped several issues, but it really helped me to sleep through the night. I think that I hadn't gotten a full night's sleep for, I don't know, I think 15 years before I took Sepia. And it really helped me to rest at night.

Tracey: So, it's your best friend, too!

Kate: Yes.

Tracey: Well, it's funny. I have actually learned how to tie a little bow around the little blue tubes because I've given that one out quite a bit just to say, “Try this. If it doesn't work, you don't have to do it again.” (But it always works.)

Kate: If our listeners are looking for information on that, there are a couple of blog posts. One is “Sepia for Mother's Day! This Time for Headaches,” and another one called “Ditch Birth Control Pills.” There are some podcasts as well.

I loved what you said earlier, Tracey. We were talking about that search bar in Joette’s website, and how you can put, say, “headaches.” You're searching for it, so you can just type in “headache” there.

But I loved what you said — and I never thought of this — you said you came up with the remedy Nux vomica. Then what you did is you typed now “Nux vomica” in that search bar and started reading and listening to everything that dealt with Nux vomica. You really learned that medicine well then and all the different ways that it can be used. I think that's brilliant to put a remedy name in there and search that way! I never thought of that.

Tracey: Thank you for calling me brilliant. I needed that today. No, I just realized that sometimes when I look up other things that it can be used for, it will either include that as the correct remedy for me or it might exclude that as the correct remedy for me and lead me on to something else. But like with Nux vomica, I realized the overdoing, and I thought, “Yes, that's it.” It gives you more, more and more.

Kate: It confirmed.

Tracey: Yes, exactly. It confirmed.

Kate: Yes. Tracey, it's been so fun having you on the podcast today and talking about our lives together — commiserating, I guess.

Tracey: Thank you. Yes, commiserating.

Kate: As we do so often. But do you have any final words for the listeners today?

Tracey: You know, I do. The thing I think about — that I love about Joette — is she often says she's in the “empowering business.” That really is what I have gotten from Joette — is I feel empowered. Now, when I go into the health food store, I walk by those little blue tubes, and I know what those words mean. I feel so … “proud” is not exactly the right word … but strong. When I reach in there, and I grab the remedy, and I know what I'm doing, and I know this is going to work, or I know my family member is going to be benefited by this.

It's all because of the learning that Joette has provided on her website. Also, I can't speak highly enough about the Gateway to Homeopathy (that you teach a bunch of classes, and I know others do). That just is the most empowering information you can get, and then moving on to her courses …

If you don't leave throughout all that feeling empowered, then you ain’t doing it right!

Kate: Yes, I agree. It helps you to have that feeling of confidence so that you don't have to fear. You know that there is a solution.

Tracey: The interesting thing when you learn about homeopathy is you learn the right questions to ask about your own condition, right? So, I think you become a more informed healthcare consumer. Because now when I go to the doctor … and luckily, I have always, all my life, had very good allopathic doctors that were in favor of alternative medicines or homeopathy or acupuncture or other things. They've not been just allopathic “my way or the highway” kind of doctors.

But now when I go to the doctor, I know specific questions to ask them because I've learned how to listen to my own body or how to observe my family member’s body. I know more specific things to ask them that will help me determine my own healthcare path. As Joette often says, it's about self-reliance. She's given that to me, because now I rely on myself, and that's really all you need — that and homeopathy!

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 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.

I am a homeopath with a worldwide practice working with families and individuals via Zoom. I'm also a teacher and most importantly, a mom who raised my now-adult children depending on homeopathy over the last 31 years. I lived decades of my life with food intolerances, allergies, and chemical sensitivities until I was cured with homeopathy, so I understand pain, anxiety, and suffering. You may feel that your issues are more severe or different than anyone else’s, but I have seen it all in my practice and in my work in India. My opinion is that nothing has come close to the reproducible, safe and effective results that my clients, students and I have achieved with homeopathy.

Call today and learn how homeopathy might just be the missing piece in your health strategy.

Joette is not a physician and the relationship between Joette and her clients is not of prescriber and patient, but as educator and client. It is fully the client's choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn't "treat" an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. Joette believes that the advice and diagnosis of a physician is often in order.

We've provided links for your convenience but we do not receive any remuneration nor affiliation in payment from your purchase.

The Author disclaims all liability for any loss or risk, personal or otherwise incurred as a consequence of use of any material in this article. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Cantharis for UTI

Zincum metallicum and Cuprum metallicum for Restless Leg Syndrome

Coffea for sleep problems and Nux vomica and Ignatia for Overstressing

Helleborus niger for Dementia

Antimonium crud and Arsenicum for Itchy Skin

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