This picture doesn't have much to do with today's topic, except that I will do everything in my power to keep my daughters healthy, without the benefit of health insurance.
Today the government announced that the swine 'flu is considered a level 5 health emergency. That is out of a possible of six levels. I decided to devote today's post to talking briefly about health care options and what we can do for ourselves to stay healthy.
My family of four is among the forty million Americans who have no health care coverage. When we lived in Alaska my daughters were covered by a state plan known as Denali Kidcare. In Oregon they call it the Oregon Health Plan, but we don't qualify. We are just one more family that slips through the cracks. They ( the state) say we've made too much money. We don't see how that can even be possible, (we certainly don't see any money around here), but that is what they've declared and there is little sense in arguing with them. To add insult to injury, when we first moved down to Oregon after my birth-mother had died, there was a little more money and I did apply for health care insurance for my family. Only to find that three different companies outright refused to cover Mick or Samantha. Although Mick hasn't smoked in more than 10 years, they didn't want to cover him. Because Sam is autistic, they seemed to feel that that was a good enough reason to not cover her. Shameful. Everybody kept saying, "Have you applied for SSI? Have you applied for Oregon Health Plan?" Well, we did. After being clearly denied in no uncertain terms, and not being willing to give up my house to live in a hovel, I didn't feel like tackling all that paper work again. State and federal government agencies win these battles by burying applicants in paperwork.
However, I didn't despair. I got ticked off, but then I got over it. How willing was I to go to the doctor anyway? Before you conclude that I'm one of those people who is afraid of the doctor and therefore reluctant to go, let me explain. I'm one of those people who has seen friends go to doctor after doctor and get a different diagnosis each time. I'm someone who has seen people given multiple prescriptions for drugs that then leave them battling unpleasant and sometimes serious side effects. I'm someone who has watched people not get better after spending tons of money looking for relief.
When we lived in Alaska, we lived below the poverty level and in a fairly isolated location with minimal health care. Luckily, one day when I was in the Pelican Library, a woman from an area known as Phonograph, heard me talking about some health problems I had at the time. She told me her own tale of woe, having been desperately sick, she had flown all over Southeast Alaska to different doctors and not received any real help. What she received was about seven different diagnoses.
What saved her life is the Herbal Healer Academy. I know some people are very suspicious about alternative medicine and unwilling to trust or try anything of this nature. That is fine. It's a personal choice and far be it for me to try to insist that someone venture outside their comfort zone. I had little choice. To go see a doctor while we lived in Alaska was not only the cost of the office visit and any prescriptions, but also a round-trip flight, hotel, cab fare, and meals. Plus I ran the risk of getting weathered in and having these expenses double every day that I was stuck. People up there try to schedule appointments around the ferry, usually wanting to return to their village on the ferry so that they don't get stuck, but sometimes an illness or a doctor's schedule doesn't cooperate.
I feel like Herbal Healer has saved my life more than once. Since I didn't go to a doctor, I can't give you an exact diagnosis of what was wrong with me. Besides, if I'd gone to two or three doctors, I might have been able to give you two or three completely different diagnoses. But I wasn't well. I ached, had NO energy, couldn't eat most foods ( at one time that included: milk, eggs, all nuts, flour, pop, alcohol...), I'm forgetting some, but suffice it to say that when I did ingest any of these foods, within minutes raging red hives would erupt all over my face and remain for days, thick, scaly, and miserably uncomfortable. Later the hives migrated to other body parts. I was the picture of misery. I was also willing to try anything.
So I borrowed my new friend's catalog from the Herbal Healer Academy and started reading. I can't remember what I purchased that first time. I believe it was the grapefruit seed extract that I took --two drops a day in juice, just once a day, for 30 days. I later found out from my sister Deanna, who had traveled to India a couple of times, that grapefruit seed extract is highly recommended when traveling in some of these other countries with compromised sanitation.
The Herbal Healer Academy is available on-line. Membership is required, but sometimes the fee is waived, and if not, the one-time, life-time membership fee (it was $20 when I joined), is well worth it. Marijah McCain, who is the naturopathic doctor behind the academy, has a very informative site, and is also available through the website to answer questions to your health problems once a week. Check the site for hours of availability. That is located toward the bottom of the home page with a graphic of Peanuts' Lucy sitting in her stand with "the doctor is in" sign.
When I have written to Dr. McCain, I simply told her what I thought my pertinent information was, my age, sex, and symptoms. She replied within a day or two with a recommended protocol of which supplements to buy and how much and how often to take them. Herbal Healer ships quickly and everything is well-packed.
Besides grapefruit seed extract, another great product that can help with numerous complaints is the colloidal silver. Many people saw the blue man on TV this past year whose skin turned blue after using colloidal silver. That won't happen with this colloidal silver. That man was using a system where he made his own and he applied it topically. Herbal Healer colloidal silver is of the highest and purest quality and you ingest it, not rub it on your skin. This stuff is great when you have a cold or virus or just for general health. It prevents one-celled organisms from reproducing and leaves the "good stuff" alone in your gut.
Four-herb tea, bought in bulk that you brew yourself, is an amazing tonic. Many people with cancer have been cured after taking the four-herb tea religiously. I know. Those are fighting words to some, and I'm not saying it cures all cancers or for everyone, but the literature is there. Originally known as Essiac, go to Herbal Healer and read of the nurse who originally developed this tea and the history of its use and effectiveness. Not a boring story, it reads like an international espionage thriller. What I like about four-herb tea is that it is an all-over tonic for the body. It doesn't just treat one symptom or illness, but strengthens the entire body. If you have any kind of chronic condition, you can take this tea and it doesn't interfere with any medications that you may already be taking. It will just make your body stronger. However, buy the tea in bulk, not the capsules or the concentrate. Those are just to use for maintenance or when traveling.
My number one recommendation from Herbal Healer is called "Physician's Strength Oregacillin". This is powerful stuff for immune support. Here is what the back of the bottle says, and I say they are telling us the truth: "Oregacillin is the most powerful oregano and spice extract available for maximum immune support. Oregacillin is made from natural herbs and spices, including the proprietary P73 wild Oregano blend. Georgetown University and independent laboratory research prove that Oregacillin kills a wide range of germs, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is also a powerful antioxidant which helps protect cells from toxic damage..." I have used this Oregacillin when nothing else would seem to help. It is particularly effective for respiratory illnesses.
I realize that a lot of people prefer to go to their doctor and that is fine. We do things a little differently in our family and I try to stay educated and find ways to keep my family healthy. The Herbal Healer Academy has been instrumental in that and I can't sing their praises enough. Check it out. Go to www.herbalhealer.com. Stay healthy, everyone.
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