Second Visit

We had our second visit with the herbalist last Tuesday.  The appointment went well.  Kristine was advised to remain on the same routine for another month.  He noticed immediately that Kristine was brighter and more energetic than she had been at her last visit, although he was concerned about how much she was coughing -- a symptom that has remained constant for several months now.  

Part of the herbalist's evaluation involves a procedure where he looks into his patients' eyes with a magnifying glass. (I have read some research that tested this alternative diagnostic approach and concluded it to be an ineffective and inaccurate tool.)  While looking into Kristine's eyes he casually asked if she had been having any back pain.  Interestingly, since our last visit with the herbalist Kristine had been getting spasms in the left side of her back, likely from the coughing fits.  The herbalist seemed to pick up on this right away without any mention of it from us.  This may have been just a coincidental finding, but we were none-the-less impressed by his unaided discovery.  He continued to express a positive prognosis for Kristine.

Two of Kristine's high school friends, Jill and Missy, were in Philadelphia this past weekend to visit and help.  Kristine enjoyed the visit and had fun reminiscing over old school days.  Visits from Kristine's friends and family are a welcome distraction from her regular routine.  Kristine has some additional visitors planned for the next few weeks.  

Other than that there is not much to report.  

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FYI-

In our quest to eliminate toxins from our daily lives we did want to pass along one product discovery with which we are particularly satisfied.  Major label deodorants with antiperspirant all contain Aluminum - a material known to increase the risk of cancer and thought to be a major cause of breast cancer.  The problem is that natural antiperspirant options are often worse than not wearing deodorant at all.  Kristine and I recently found a natural brand that actually works to deodorize and prevent sweating.  The brand is earth essentials and can be found at Whole Foods and other health food stores.  Even the unscented version works better than my old Speed Stick used to do.  Below is a photo of the product so you can find it more easily.  We highly recommend it.