SANDRA CHADSEY

1. Which accomplishment/event/moment are you most proud of in your career as a Homeopath?

 My homeopathy career is still rather new and exciting.  I continue to be in awe when remedies work perfectly and improvement or healing comes swiftly.  I love watching the body respond to  a well-chosen remedy and sort out how it became distorted or stuck in a dis-ease pattern.  I would say that what I am most proud of in regards to my success and journey as a homeopath is that I have stuck to the path that most resembles who I am. 

I went back to school in my 40's and that came with some challenges, but I had the attitude that I can learn from every situation and every teacher. I also believe that my life experience and personal journey of homeopathic care adds depth and encouragement for many of my patients. I have created a growing practice that fundamentally involves homeopathic healthcare, but also includes life style management, crisis care, education, nutrition, and a few ounces of friendship. I have become a life coach to many of my senior patients who have spent decades in the medical system without someone who took the time to care.  I have become a mentor to many young moms who need support and examples to follow.  I am often 'taken back' with how much opening myself to my patients and giving them a few ounces of love mixed with homeopathic care has changed a life even before the remedy takes effect.  It's an aspect of our medical system that has been missing for a very long time. 

2. What 3 aspects of your Homeopathic education contributed the most to your success?

Variety: Having a variety of different teachers always adds flavour to education. CCHM does a great job providing a variety of teaching perspectives.

Beginnings: One thing that I learned at CCHM is that what is taught in class is only a morsel of what you will need to know in everyday practice. It is a teaser to get you thinking, reading, studying and researching. CCHM gives the foundation: a solid foundation for a new homeopath to get started. From there one will quickly see that there is more to do and learn, but with the right foundation, learning is quick and relatively painless.  I developed a variety of perspectives to consider with every case, and I have practiced consistently the solid Hahnemannian principles taught in class.  There are multiple ways to practice Homeopathy; some are better and more effective then others (which we debated in class!); regardless, I was taught clearly how to approach a case, how to "take a case," and how to analyze a case. The rest comes with experience and study.

Clinic: all the case work we did was some of the most valuable education. I valued time in clinic and with my supervisor because the real learning happens in the daily work of patients in the office.

3. Share with us a recent and successful case treated with Homeopathic Medicine. 

This past September I had two sisters come in my office with the chief complaint of Molescum. They both had approx 50 warty blisters from their groin down to their ankles. The eruptions had been present for just over a month and mom had used a harsh medicated cream to attempt to eradicate the molescum, which did not help.  The eruptions started at the same time after summer camp and presented identically, but as to be expected, I treated them separately.

Sister #1 is 5 years old; She is gutsy, impulsive, headstrong, determined and pushes limits and rules. She had energy, curiosity and filled the room with her personality. She was smart and picked up concepts and abilities easily. She develops rashes and eruptions easily that are always worse in the heat and water.  She experiences nightmares, has foul breath in the morning, and is very warm blooded, sleeping naked and always throwing off her blankets at night. She experiences very foul flatulence and is always very thirsty. Her molescum was primarily in the inner thigh area and very itchy.  I gave her Sulphur 30c to take every second day for 3 doses. 

She returned 2 weeks later to show all molescums were gone and no scars were left. She continued to have many nightmares, and there was an increase in lying and temper tantrums (she was not holding in her anger any more). Her verbal and reading skills at school had seen a sharp increase, and her over-heating at night had balanced out. I prescribed 4 doses of Sulphur 200c to take once a week for a month. She returned reporting that she was rarely having nightmares, no more lying or temper tantrums, and her teachers felt she was engaged, sensitive, articulate and strong in math and reading. All behavioural and sleeping issues were gone, as were the skin eruptions, and mom felt her daughter "was in a really good place right now."

Sister #2 is 8 years old; She is quiet, easily worried about her family and others, and she has anticipatory anxiety (expressed especially at night before bed). She works at things slowly and methodically until everything is perfect. She sweats at night, especially on her head. She has cracks on her lips, feet and hands; she also licks her lips when anxious causing chaffing and chapping. She continues to suck on two soothers at night and loves to feel cozy with blankets and have company around her. I prescribed Calc Carb 200c to take every second day for 3 doses.

She returned 2 weeks later with all the molescum and scars gone (they flared up, looked angry, then disappeared 24 hrs after the third dose). Her anxiety was mildly improved, but she had started to lick her upper lip constantly at school causing chaffing and chapping.  I gave another dose of Calc Carb 200c

She returned 2 weeks later to say her anxiety at night over people and horrible stories had improved, her skin was no longer cracking, the molescum was still gone, and her sleep had improved.  I wasn't happy with why she was licking her lips so much (anxiety), so I repeated the dose once every 2 weeks for the next month.  She returned a month later with less tendency to worry about her family and continued decreased anxiety at school; a calendula salve easily healed the lip chap (previously nothing helped healing this), all skin was clear, she was more vocal and communicative, and she decided it was time to throw out the soothers.

 4. Do you have anything else you would like to share?

As a graduate just start working, start caring for patients, and start studying Materia Medica when your office is empty...it will fill up. The foundation you receive from CCHM is fantastic, and the resources they provide after graduation will be there for you during times of struggle. Trust in what you have learned and how you have been taught. Take charge of your post graduate education, you will always be learning. Listen to Joe, Lisa, Kim and Monica - they know what they are doing and they will help you flourish as a homeopath.