A case of breast cancer supported by Homeopathy

A case of breast cancer supported by Homeopathy

 GH – Female, born October 1949

First interview: 22.01.2001

GH is working as a financial assistant, in her work is a lot of disturbance, very busy and a lot of stress. Has two girls with her ex-husband, which she divorced after 8 yrs of abusive marriage. Has a boy with her present husband and 5 grandchildren

 

One month ago, she went in for a regular breast cancer check, a lump was found in her left breast.
She went for an operation (03.01. ´01), the lump was removed and 8 lymph nodes from her left armpit. Tomorrow (23.01. ´01) she will go to the hospital and get the results.

 

 

Presenting complaints:

She has ++ pain in her left arm, which is a bit swollen and pain is worse by moving the arm.
She is ++ anxious, as she will get the results tomorrow, is malignant or not and does she have to go through either chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both. Is scared and wants to know if homeopathy can help her cope if that is what she must do.

 

 

My observation:

GH is a very nice lady, very easy going and mild, but to me it seems there is a bubbling character somewhere deep under or that she is appearing with a learned behavior as she is not showing her true self. She is easy to talk to, and it doesn´t seem to be a problem for her to talk about her symptoms or previous operation. She is nicely dressed and has a perfect make-up on.
GH complains about coldness while I´m taken the case, even though it is rather warm in the consultation room and she has a thick flees sweater on. She is sighing a lot.

 

 

History:

Married to an alcoholic for eight years, who abused her both physically and mentally – divorced.
Problems in current marriage – husband had an affair and moved away from home (had happened before)
Her biggest grief  –  when her father died
GH has a history of constipation and piles – for 20 yrs started after the birth of her youngest.
GH has had some operations for the last nine years:

 

´92 Uterus Laser cut – uterus cell changes
´98 Hysterectomy – prolapsed uterus and +++++ bleeding
´00 Gallbladder removed
´01 Lump in L-breast and lymph from L-armpit removed

 

 

Mental Symptoms:

Fears everything new
Fears ++ to get injured
Fears ++ to get cancer
Fears ++ something bad will happen to her family
Fears ++ dark
Fears ++ height
Fears ++ noise from the wind
Fears ++ storm, bad weathers

 

Gets angry easily, says inappropriate words, usually to those who are nearby
She is a perfectionist – gets angry towards herself if she does mistakes
Loves to be around other people
Cries easily, before had to be alone when crying, now it´s ok with others around

 

Describes herself as a good listener „people come to me for advises “
I´m a +++ control freak, everything should be done my way!
I´m +++ obstinate
I get happy for others, but can be quite jealous
I lack self-esteem and feel depended on others

 

 

Generals:

GH is feeling best when waking in the mornings.
She needs ++ fresh air „can´t get enough of fresh air“
She is over sensitive to thunderstorms and when it is +++ windy „I get tommy-ache if I hear about a stormy weather is coming up, esp. if I know I must go out “
Sensitive + to smells, since sopped smoking 21 yrs ago

 

Sleep –

Sleeps most often on her right side
Takes a sleeping-pill every night
Gets headache if she doesn’t get enough sleep
Sometimes it´s very difficult to fall asleep –  lying in bed until falls asleep between 2-3 am

 

Food –

Likes meat, esp. smoked meat ++
steak w/sauce ++
salt ++
salted peanuts and raisins ++
water ++
white and red wine +

Dislikes fish
coffee
beer
coca cola

Is always thirsty +++, wants ALL drinks ice-cold, ice with everything, even her glass of milk and her glass of red wine.

Body temperature

Usually ++ warm, but has been rather cold lately.

 

 

Physical:

Left breast, bruised after operation
Left arm swollen, painful, worse moving the arm, after operation

 

 

Medication:

Hormonal band-aid 75mg. since hysterectomy
Zobril 1 tablet every night – before sleep
Plendil 5mg. 1 tablet – high b/p

 

 

Family history:

Mother: 71 yrs, arthritis
Grandma: died from a heart attack
Grandpa: died from a cancer 70 yrs old.

Father: Died in a car accident ´95
Grandma: died recently 92 yrs old.
Grandpa: is very healthy 100 yrs old

Lot of cancer in both moms and dad’s families, parent siblings

 

In consultation, I gave single dose of Arnica 200c – GH was reaching for her glass of water and was obviously hurting, when I asked her if I could help her, she replied quickly “No, I´m fine!” She had bruises on the operated areas, but felt as her whole body was bruised.

 

 

Overview:

As seen in her history she is in high risk of developing cancer (uterus cell changes) along with a history of cancer in both families. She was a very happy toddler. Her father was a sailor and she was raised by her very ++ controlling mother along with 4 younger brothers. As she grew older she had to help her mom a lot, she never said NO, always did as told! She never had the opportunity to enjoy her teenage years, unless she had finished her duties at home. Her life was quite suppressing and dutiful. She also got married to her first husband because of a duty. She was pregnant so she should marry the guy though he wasn’t nice to her. Then in her later marriage she went twice thru the experience of having her husband to move away from home, because of an affair with another woman and took him back both times. Plus, all the operations and blood transfusion, medications and anaesthesia’s she has been thru. A lot of emotional suppression and traumas, plus a lot of fears. Obviously, a cancer miasm.

 

I will wait with further remedies, until I hear about the results from the hospital. Does she have a malignant cancer or not? How is she going to deal with the results, does she have to go through chemo/radiation or what will the doctors decide to be her next step.

 

 

GH:

´68 – got married – was pregnant (had a girl and another girl 2 yrs later)
´76 – got divorced after 8 yrs – she said “It was great to get rid of him out of my life”
´79 – sun-eczema, started on chest, spread over the body
´81 – met another man – had her youngest child, a boy
´81 – constipations and piles on and off since the birth
´85 – got married, the boy’s father
´92 – uterus cell changes, operation – laser-cut
´95 – father died in a car accident, ++ trauma, +++ grief
´95-´96 – bankruptcy, own company, lost everything, along with their home
´98 – hysterectomy – blood transfusion as lost a lot of blood (hormonal medication – band-aid)
´98 – hypertension started after the operation (medication)
´98 – memory weak  – worse after the operation
´99 – husband had an affair, and moved away from home ( second time) for few months
´99 – Sun eczema ++ bad, vacation in Spain (lotion from pharmacy)
´00 – gallbladder removed
´01 – Lump in left breast and lymph’s removed from L-armpit

 

 

23´01. ´01 Phone call: 

GH met with the doctors today. She got the bad news, her lump was malignant and she should have both chemo and radiation. She had decided to do so and will start chemo in 3 days. (doctors’ advice is to stop using the hormonal band-aid, but keep taking the blood pressure medication)

 

I sent her Aconite 200c to take as needed, she was ++ afraid of that she will die and traumatized from these BIG news, ++ palpitation and her voice was trembling, she almost couldn´t talk because of shortness of breath.

 

 

Now it is clear, she has developed cancer and decided to start chemo. She will need support in the coming months, both mentally and physically. It means she will need support for her liver and kidneys, remedies for any side-effects she might get from the injections and remedies for her mental and emotional state to help her to deal with her situations as gently as possible.

 

 

Remedies:

Arnica 200c one before and another after every injection, for trauma and bruises/bleedings afterwards.
Proteus 200c single dose the day after the injection, as a support to her bowels (this situation might make her body feel as in a war condition.)
Pyrogen 30c single dose the next day, to prevent any septic condition and general toxicity and as a support for both liver and kidneys.

Asteria Rubens 6x (low and often) three times a day, as it’s a fabulous remedy, indicated for breast cancer. Left sided, and it the main remedy when lymphedema -lump is removed and axilla and the arm gets swollen.

Cadmium sul. 30c, to hold if nauseated. It is a specific therapeutic remedy for cancer and the biggest one in the rubric, Toxicity, chemotherapy, treatment, for side effects, of in Murphy´s repertory. I asked her to contact me if she was nauseous and Cad. Sul didn´t help as there are many more helpful remedies for nausea, to find a better choice when we could use her matching symptoms, if needed.

Berberis tincture as a kidney support (5 drops in a glass of water, twice a day)
Carduus mar. and Hydrastis tinctures as a specific liver support for the liver (5 drops of each in a glass of water, once a day)

 

 

General advice and support:

Water – drink as much water as she possibly can, to help her body/kidneys to clean out the toxicity. To drink a cup of hot water with a tablespoon of Royal Jelly, half an hour before breakfast. Royal Jelly is great for the immune system and is good for reproduction of new cells. I thought her to make her own herbal tea made of liquorice root with raspberry leaves, which is known to be helpful for stomach and bowels. Encouraged her to rest as much as possible to allow her body to use most of its energy to regenerate and to call me if any questions, if in need for a support or a chat.

 

 

05.02. ´01 Phone call:

GH called – she is +++ restless, ++ scared and 100% sure that she is dying. She has had ++ diarrhoea for two days and ++ chilly.

Sent her Arsenicum 200c to take every two hours until the evening and call me later that night.
She called around 19:00, she feels much better, but very tired. I asked her to stop the remedy and get some rest. She promised to call right away if she started to feel upset again.

 

 

15.02 ´01 (10 days later) – first follow up in the clinic:

GH will have her second injection in two days. She said Arsenicum did save her life. The diarrhoea had stopped after taken the remedy for the second time and she said “I felt so good, very tired, but felt so good and very relaxed”

GH felt tired and a bit nauseated after the first chemo-injection, she took Cad.sul for two days afterwards, after that she didn´t feel nauseated.

She asked if she shouldn´t just go to work as she was feeling fine, but bored.

I reminded her of how she felt 10 days earlier and suggested she rather take it easy and enjoy the days and meet up with friends until next injection.

We decided no changes in her remedy intake.

29.03 ´01 second follow up:

GH has had two injections since we last met, (now she is done with 3 of 6). She did fine after both injections, is still taking the same remedies. Cad.sul for two days after each one and that´s it.

Now she has a new complaint. She has difficulties to fall asleep and lays in bed for a long time before she falls into sleep. She tells me she decided to stop taking the sleeping pills after our first meet up in January, and she does not want to start again. She said she has sometimes taken Arsenicum and it helps.

GH seems to be coping well – except for her new complaint, difficulties falling asleep. I considered the rubric, Sleep, falling asleep, late in Murphy´s repertory. The three top remedies I thought might be helpful in a cancer case with sleeping problems, were Arsenicum, Carcenosinum and Conium. Arsenicum has been helping her a lot emotionally, and is graded with 3 in the previous mentioned rubric in the repertory. Carcinosinum is a big remedy in sleeping problems and fits her cancerous state and her picture of suppression from her first interview, but is not listed in that rubric. Conium is a big cancer remedy, has difficulties, falling asleep until after midnight, it is graded with 2 in that rubric.
I decided on Arsenicum 200c once a week, as it is the remedy she claims is having her to relax. She has already been taking Ars and will probably do so again, it is graded with 3 in the rubric it also fits other symptoms she´s been showing, chilliness, restlessness, controlling perfectionist and more, so why change it.

We also decided to take a break with the tinctures.

 

 

16.05 ´01 third follow up:

GH had her 6^th injection yesterday and is now done with all her 6 injections.
After injection 4 and 5 she called both times and was doing well, except her feet started to swell a bit after the 5^th one.  I added Berberis tincture again 2 times a day, 5 drops in a glass of water, (specific support for the kidneys) to help her to deal with the water retention. She has not needed Cad. Sul after the last 3 injection.

She will start radiation on the 31^st of May and will go 5 days a week.

GH has handled chemo extremely well, even though she was very anxious and frightened in the beginning she has been feeling so much better, being positive and optimistic has definitely helped.

No changes to the remedies for a week.
After next week stop all remedies until radiation starts, except for Berberis tincture, as the oedema is not completely gone, though it is a lot better.

 

 

04.06. ´01 fourth follow up:

Radiation started 5 days ago. L-breast hurts, is red, a bit swollen, sore and itching ++, she scratches and it makes it worse.
GH is + irritated, she is stressed and overwhelmed, feels everything is just too much. She has a bit of a bleedings from the anus after stool.

Berberis should still be taken, for a week or two (finish the bottle) to support the kidneys.
I advised her to use a cabbage leaf. Wrap the leaf around the swollen breast (an old advice from my granny), it reduces the swelling, cools down the area and diminishes the itch.

I decided to give her the remedy Sol 3x once a day after every radiation, her breast looked as sunburned after the radiation. Also, Radium brom. 12c, once every evening on a radiation day. To support her tissues, I added Schlüssers Cell Salts. Radiation affects every cell of the body, she needs every tissue support she can get. Combination of three Cell Salts in 6x to be taken 2-3 times daily. Calc. phos. 6x helps new tissues build up and helps in creation of new blood cells. Ferrum phos. 6x helps the oxygen to travel around the body and is good for an abnormal condition of the blood cells. Kali mur. 6x works deep into the tissues and is very good in chronic conditions.

She will have Cad sul 30c to hold if nausea will be a side effect, but only to be used if needed.
She also has Arsenicum 200c to hold if needed.

19.06. ´01 GH called:

GH is doing well, feels irritated from time to time and gets tired. Breast is red, not as swollen or itchy. “The cabbage leaf it great” she said, “it really helps! – I´m teased about it at the hospital, I´m called “The cabbage lady”, but there are more ladies now who has started to use it as well, and they are also very happy with it”

GH hasn´t taken any Cad. Sul, she hasn´t felt nauseated at all!
I sent her some more of the same Cell Salts.

 

 

20.07. ´01

GH has finished all treatments; scans looks good and she is happy. She will be finishing the rest of the Cell salts. Her sleep is a lot better and she has stopped taking the medication for high blood pressure. She takes Arsenicum 200c single dose, every other week.

 

She took Arsenicum for a while, until her sleep started to worsen again. We changed the remedy to Carcinosinum 200c and her sleep got so much better.

Today (2016 15 years later)

GH still sees me, occasionally, she is still cancer free.
– She is doing wonderfully on Phosphorus whenever she develops a cold, gets the flu or feels she is not in balance, usually that is the only remedy she needs. Phosphorus came up when re-evaluating her case some years back. Looking thru her file, this SRP symptom (Is always thirsty +++, wants ALL drinks ice-cold, ice with everything, even her glass of milk and her glass of red wine. – *who puts ice in red wine or milk*) was the one getting me to re-read her case and find the remedy that fits her beautifully

 

 

GH is cancer free, blooming and healthy.
She keeps on telling everybody she knows “Homeopahty saved my life”

 

 

 

 

About the author:

Guðný Ósk Diðriksdóttir, Homeopath LCPH, MARH Guðný Ósk, studied homeopathy at The College of Practical Homoeopathy in 1999-2003. She is a mother of six and a grandmother. She has written two books in Icelandic, „Meðganga og fæðing með hómópatíu“ published in 2010 and „Barnið og uppvaxtarárin með hómópatíu“ published in 2011, and one in English, „Pregnancy and Childbirth with Homeopahty“, published in 2017. Guðný Ósk is an active writer for her website www.heildraenheilsa.is as well as running a successful clinic in Reykjavík, Iceland. Guðný Ósk is principal of the Iceland School of Homeopathy in Iceland.
She was a board member of Organon, The Society of Homeopaths in Iceland, in 2005-2007 and again in 2013-2015. She also served on the board of The Association of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Iceland in 2005-2006 and as an administrator for the Homeopathy World Community in 2009-2011.
Fb-page: http://www.facebook.com/GudnyOsk.homeopath.
Fb-page: http://www.facebook.com/HeildraenHeilsa.h2.