Renewed passions

I started on my journey towards "all things natural" about 12 years ago when I first started researching home birth, water births, and things of the sort. That journey let me to have a home birth almost 10 years ago and then shortly after to chiropractic care. Through friends, acquaintances, the internet and other resources, I've hungrily taken in every bit of information I can get to learn more--some times of my life lending more easily to obtaining information than other times.

I've always been interested in essential oils and thought they had great healing properties. As you know, I love being able to take control of my own family's health. I love being proactive, and when sickness does creep in, I love having the knowledge of what to use to comfort them and help aid in their  healing. I do visit a medical doctor occasionally and may even get the prescribed antibiotics or whatever it is. I do this reservedly, knowing that the overuse of antibiotics is what has created all of these "superbugs" that take stronger and stronger antibiotics to get rid of. There are other things that have contributed as well, but I'm not going into those today!

I've used essential oils sparingly throughout the years. Gathering bits of information here and there, my favorites, as many know, have been peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender. I've used these for many things and have also used other oils like orange, ylang ylang, sage, rosemary, oregano, geranium and others. We use them for respiratory issues, calm and peace, anti viral and anti bacterial, stimulating contractions during labor, and even for getting rid of ticks on pets!! But recently, a friend has introduced me to a whole new world of essential oils. She sells doTERRA and has given me a couple of books. I was really interested in these oils because they are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) and the plants are grown in their own natural environments.

I started using the On Guard when my friend gave a bottle back in October when I was in Naples. I was diffusing it throughout our living space, and not only did it make the house smell great, I really believe it protected us from all the flu that was going around in Knoxville. Everyone that we knew had gotten sick, and we had been around them. Then, of course, we went off for Christmas and didn't have our oils, and we all got sick!! :) Ha ha!!  But I ran out of the On Guard and wanted to get more. Lindsey thought that I should become a rep just so that I could buy my own stuff at wholesale.

While figuring out what I wanted to do and then deciding to go ahead and become a rep and then waiting on my shipment to come, my youngest was exposed to rotavirus somewhere and became ill this past Monday. Now, this is self diagnosing. I didn't take him anywhere. But he had all the symptoms. My 5 year old came down with it on Wednesday and then my 8 year old started throwing up last night. Oh the joy! But I was so excited when my oils came yesterday!!!

[disclaimer: I may get a bit descriptive here to be able to tell you what the oils did for me!!]

So Cedar threw up all day Monday and ran a low grade fever. Tuesday he seemed okay but was very tired and took a nap--which is sooooo not like him. Wednesday he started having major diarrhea (Which is when a friend suggested maybe rotavirus. I looked it up and it sure looked like it!) Without going into too much detail, at one point I had to change four diapers in 20 minutes. He couldn't keep anything in his tummy. It was like that all day Wednesday and Thursday until I got my oils. The oils came about 2 pm. I immediately rubbed some DigestZen (one of their blends that I had been waiting for) on his tummy and dabbed some frankincense on his feet. He hasn't had one bad diaper since. That is no lie or exaggeration! I was pumped. I also put some of both on Cama-Jane and Shepley. So far, Cama-Jane hasn't had any diarrhea. We'll see.

I also had Jon rub some of their DeepBlue on my back and shoulders last night for muscle aches. It definitely helped the soreness, but this morning I can tell that there is just something pinched or out in my back. A visit to the chiropractor is in order! It started this week so it must be from the rise in Cedar's need to be in my arms.

I'm so excited to learn more and use more oils! In listening to some of the information about them, I learned that oils (which are made out of plants--just like herbs) are 70% more effective in healing than herbs. I've used herbal remedies for years. And they do work--but yes, you have do be vigilant to do it a lot! Essential oils are so much more potent that it doesn't take much. And for the skeptics, there is even scientific research that says that essential oils DO work!! And from just what I've seen so far, there is definitely a difference in the potency between CPTG oils and off the shelf oils. I'm not knocking "off the shelf." I used them for years!! I just do think that the other is way more potent. I was seeing where it just said "use one or two drops." And I was thinking *one or two drops? that's nothing!* But after just seeing them work over the last day or so, I'm seeing how one or two drops is really all it takes. So they are much more cost effective in the end.

Not trying to make a sell or anything. I just like to share what I know because I know there are so many others out there beginning their journey or somewhere in the middle like I've been before. We can all learn from each other. And I love arming other moms with information to help them feel more able to care for their families in the ways that they choose.