When to choose Modern Medicine over a Holistic Approach

When we began our homesteading journey the goal was to create a holistic lifestyle free of chemicals and synthetic medicines.  We knew that this would be achievable based on the foods we consume to the holistic preventative healthcare plan we developed; the idea was to know, and pronounce, every item that entered our bodies.   What if one day you have to put aside the holistic healthcare plan you worked hard to create in exchange for modern medicine?  Be prepared, at some point in your life it’s going to happen, and to be honest, we didn’t prepare ourselves for how disappointed we’d be when that moment came. 

The Issue

Life decided to throw me a curve ball, I was diagnosed with Nodular Episcleritis (NE).  You’ve never heard of it?  Welcome to the club, neither had I.  Justin and I spend hours researching what it is, what causes it, and how to treat it holistically; we came up more questions than answers, plus a whopping headache.  In short, Nodular Episcleritis – a condition affecting the eyes.  Okay, let’s start with that.

I awoke one morning to what I thought was a broken blood vessel in the corner of my right eye.  Being a homesteader and a preschool teacher many things seem to make into the eyes ~ dust, straw, dirt, glitter, but me being me, I didn’t think twice about I and continued on my happy little way.  However, as the days passed, the irritated spot continued to growing in size and I could tell that it was inflamed.  By the 6th day I had discovered a bump had formed in the irritated area and that’s when I realized it was something worth thinking about and a trip to the optometrist was unavoidable.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis?  Nodular Episcleritis.  NE occurs when the episclara (the protective barrier of the eye) becomes inflamed, red and irritated allowing for nodulars (hard bumps which consists of dead tissue) to form.  NE should not be mistaken for Simple Episcleritis, which is actually common and easy to address.  NE a bit more complicated and can take longer to treat, it’s also likely to be associated with a systemic disease.  Oddly enough, what causes it is uncertain and can’t be narrowed down.  It could be something as simple as dry eyes or low Omega 3 levels, but again it could be something as major as the first indications of an auto immune disorder.

The Pain

The pain affiliated with it…beyond bearable.  Tear jerking, face numbing, unable to open your eyes or move, needle in your eye, type of pain; no other pain compares and I’ve experienced many degrees of pain ~ birthing, kidney failure, morphine withdrawals, gallbladder, broken body part….nothing is as immobilizing as the pain brought with noduclar episcleritis.

Treatment

Nodular episcleritis is treatable and some individuals are able to bounce back quickly after treatment and it may never occur again.  As with any type of ailment there’s always a worse case scenario, or two.   NE could be the first indication that an underlying issue is happening, or even vision loss could occur if left untreated. 

Upon further exam my condition had a bit of a twist.  Three weeks prior to my diagnosis I noticed my vision was declining in my right eye, which I had blamed on my reading glasses, and  my left eye was also beginning to show symptoms as well..  For these two reasons my ophthalmologist decided that an intense treatment plan would be in my best interest; steroid drops every 2 hours into the affected eyes and a strong antibiotic in case infection were to occur.  Apparently when the episclara deteriorates the eye can become susceptible to infection making it high risk for staph.

The Dilemma

We believe in treating ailments through a holistic approach.  Colloidal Silver (CS, the strongest natural antibiotic available) would have been the perfect alternative in addressing nodular episcleritis verses using steroid eye drops and an antibiotic for possible infection.

The idea of using modern medicine prior to attempting a holistic approach is very difficult for me.  It was a hard pill to swallow, excuse the pun, and I became truly torn by what to do.

You see friends, when you’ve learn to step away from the quick fix of pharmaceutical medicine and work on dedicating your life to a holistic approach, resorting back to modern medicine can be difficult, a lot more than you’d think.  It’s not because we don’t believe in modern medicine, we do.  But not prior to exhausting all possible options of a holistic approach first.

Feel free to call me stubborn, foolish, stupid…many individuals would never take the chance of a holistic approach when it comes to the eyes.  As a matter of fact, my closest homesteading friends advised that I take the modern medicine and not be regretful of the decision.

The Emotions

For some reason, I felt that if I were to begin the treatment proposed I’d be throwing away my values of the holistic health plan in which we set up.  The hours devoted to learn about colloidal silver, herbs and essential oils. , not to be lost but instead parked for this ailment ~ not what I wanted to do at all.  The longer one stays away from the use of modern medicines the harder it is to return to it, even if it’s in your best interest. 

The lesson here?  Be prepared and have an action plan in regards to your health, you do not want to be stuck between a rock and a hard spot when a decision needs to be made.  Make sure you and your partner know how long each other is willing to go holistically prior to beginning modern treatment, this will make it much easier for you during times of stress.

The Outcome

My regiment started with using colloidal silver drops directly into the eyes, which was fine…until the pain began.  After a few episode I opted to switch to the steroid drops and antibiotics, and oddly enough I did feel remorse for a short while.  But as my eyes began to heal and the pain was no longer present I felt quite a bit of relief in my decision.

Once the steroids and antibiotic regiment is completed I’ll begin the mop up treatment of any residual junk left behind from the steroids and antibiotics ~ a deep detoxification process, build up my destroyed gut flora with natural probiotics, and consume a turmeric regiment.  

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