Petroleum, again

11/29/12, 4:30pm: I just walked outside and smelled petroleum, just as I did a few weeks ago right before the oil spills in NJ/NY and the Gulf. I really, truly hope that it was just someone's car malfunctioning. I'll post any events if they happen (let's hope nothing does happen!).

UPDATE 12/3/12, 12:26 pm: I just read this posting by Wings of Care re Gulf of Mexico drilling with new oil slicks: http://onwingsofcare.org/protection-a-preservation/gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-2010/gulf-2012/334-20121202-slicks-macondo-area.html

tumor or stroke?

tumor or stroke? http://soundcloud.com/kkmurphy/tumor-or-stroke At 0:34 you'll hear the whispered voice say "canker" or does he/she mean cancer? I recorded this today as I was working at my computer; I had turned on my voice recorder and asked that if anyone wanted to speak to me, he/she should feel free to chat away. I then remembered to ask about my brain anomaly - tumor or stroke - and the result was a whispered reply. Please let me know what you hear! This recording is an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon)

SO. I HAD A STROKE

So. I had a stroke. More accurately, I had a TIA - transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke, and it wasn't the first time this had happened to me, but it was the most severe attack I've had. Sometime in early October, 2012, a figurative bolt of lightning struck me while Jeff and I were in the kitchen fixing dinner. I saw a flash of light, felt off-the-chart pain for about a second, and then the left side of my face and head went completely numb and stayed that way for several days. I could still speak and think coherently, so I thought it wasn't an emergency - little did I know that most attacks that happen in this manner ARE emergencies with the likelihood of a full-blown incapacitating stroke happening within 24 hours of a TIA. If this ever happens to you, go to the emergency room immediately!

I continue to have a dull headache every day with numbness on the left side of my face, along with double vision, extreme vertigo and "brain fog" - it's taking me much longer to comprehend what I'm reading/seeing/doing than it had in the past . But I'm not incapacitated, I can still walk normally, I can still speak normally - I'm still here in this world so I consider myself very, very fortunate!

I made an appointment with a neurologist but had to wait until November 15 to actually see him. I used that intervening time to research "bolts of lightning to the head" and was rather dismayed to see brain tumors - along with strokes - pop up on Google. Ugh. But the doctor confirmed it was a TIA, so off to the testing facilities he sent me: blood work, MRI and MRA, and a carotid doppler.

Meanwhile, the doc told me to take a daily baby aspirin to open up the blood flow in my veins. I told him that I was taking a daily regimen of willow bark: 2 capsules 400 mg. each, twice daily. He asked me what willow bark is, and I said, "It's what aspirin used to be made from before it was synthesized." He said, "I don't know. I'm not sure what all is in it." I looked at him in amazement and retorted, "Bark from the willow tree. That's all that's in there - willow bark!" He sheepishly told me that he would feel more comfortable if I started taking baby aspirin anyway, and I told him I would (and I am - I want to do exactly as he instructs, but I'll also continue to take the willow bark!). I'll be researching holistic therapies for stroke, and meanwhile, I'm eating broccoli and kale every day as a start to opening up the veins. I'm also convinced that my daily willow bark regimen is what prevented me from having a full-scale stroke. It's kept my blood from clotting abnormally (though obviously not enough, it's definitely a lifesaver!).

Another thing that saved me was my diet. I spent years and years eating unhealthily at times, and it's only been the last 7 years that I've taken nutrition seriously. This just shows that it's NEVER too late to start eating healthily, y'all! Stroke victims are advised to go on a DASH diet to lower their blood pressure. The daily food intake is broken down to this:

4 - 5 cups raw veggies and fruit OR 2-1/2 cups cooked veggies/fruit
2 - 3 cups low fat/no fat dairy
7 - 8 servings of grains: serving size: 1 slice bread; 1/2 cup oatmeal, rice, etc.
2 - 3 tablespoons oil (olive, etc.)
6 oz. meat
4 - 5 servings of nuts (handful per serving) OR beans (1/2 cup per serving)

I don't know about you, but this seems like a LOT of food, so I've modified it somewhat by fixing fresh/frozen fruit with kale and carrots juiced; an omelet cooked in a tablespoon of olive oil and consisting of celery, at least a cup of mushrooms, onions, two garlic cloves, turmeric, 1/2 cup of black beans, a cup or more of cilantro, chopped broccoli, coconut milk; oatmeal with a generous shake of the cinnamon jar and dark buckwheat honey. I'm not a big dairy eater, I rarely eat meat, and I'm totally uninterested in eating that much grain - ugh. I've added freshly grated ginger to my nightly cups of green and chamomile teas, along with some more cinnamon, and I'm now taking a daily supplement of CoQ10 (100 mg. twice daily), the white willow bark (2 capsules of 400 mg. each, twice daily), and 5000 mcg sublingual (under the tongue) Vit. B-12 to combat high blood pressure and clogged arteries. I also take other supplements, but those 3 are probably the most important when it comes to arterial health. I also found that Hawthorn - 1200 mg. daily - is supposed to be excellent as well, but I have not tried it. The ginger, dark honey, fruit/veggies, chamomile tea, baked potato, garlic, turmeric, mushrooms, cilantro, onions, broccoli, celery, black beans and coconut milk/oil are all foods/spices/herbs known holistically to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. You should avoid licorice, ephedra, ginseng and, interestingly enough, rosemary essential oil.

A quick note on the length of time to actually get an appointment with a neurologist, get the tests completed and get the results back: From the first day of the TIA to getting the results back from the doctor will be a little over two months. If I had had a large stroke, this would absolutely be unacceptable. However, I had a mini-stroke, and I did not go to the emergency room. Why didn't I go? Because it's way too expensive. For those of us who have insurance, we all know that most policies won't pay for much of emergency care. The insurance companies like for their clients to have all their medical needs pre-approved, no matter what policy you may have. First of all, I haven't been to a GP in years - the last doctor I went to was my rheumatologist, and that was two years ago. If you go to the emergency room, the hospital wants to know who your primary care physician is, and they usually coordinate treatment through him or her. If I had had a full stroke, many of these tests would have had to be pre-approved, and indeed they're all being pre-approved even with the TIA. While I know many medical tests are unnecessary, the medical tests and protocol for certain illnesses/diseases are pretty straight forward. Stroke is among the most common event in today's world - the protocol to treat strokes, along with the tests to confirm a stroke has happened are universally accepted by the medical establishment as vital and necessary. But try to face an insurance industry in which profit is above even a patient's wellbeing, and therein lies the dilemma. We really, REALLY need universal care, y'all! The way sick people are treated by insurance companies is abominable and a direct consequence of "for profit" healthcare. There's no telling how much I'll have to pay out of pocket for all my tests and doctor's visits as it is (my doctor charges $400 per visit - wow), but to be denied care or to not seek care because you can't afford it, as many people are, is truly a national disgrace. 

another earthquake vision

Tonight, Saturday, November 17, at 10:05 I felt an earthquake, turned to Jeff, and said, "Earthquake! A big earthquake is going to strike somewhere soon." Stay tuned...

UPDATE: 11/18/12 a 5.1 struck the Phillipines

Earthquakes and Oil Spills

On November 5, at around 1:30 a.m., I posted to Facebook: "earthquake?" I had been almost asleep when I felt the tremors/had a vision, and I wondered if an earthquake was happening or was going to happen within the next 7-10 days (which is my window of seeing - and by "earthquake" I mean anything other than a small one, which the Earth has every day). As it so happens, an earthquake was happening right at that moment in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey (it occurred at 1:19 a.m.: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/new-jersey-earthquake-2012_n_2075620.html). Then on November 7, a 7.4 quake struck Guatemala. 

On November 6, I posted the following to my Facebook page: "I've been smelling petroleum all day long while outside (and a tiny bit while inside). It's not our cars, no other neighbors' cars are parked near us, so I'm uncertain where the smell is coming from. If what I'm smelling is metaphysical, I reckon that means there will be a large oil spill in the near future. If the smell is actually real (hahaha - jeez sometimes I crack myself up by how totally loony tunes I sound!), wonder where it's coming from?" On November 7, one of my FB friends posted an article re a 840 gallon spill in Port Angeles, WA: http://www.king5.com/news/environment/840-gallon-fuel-oil-spill-in-Port-Angeles-177640001.html, and on November 9, a 336,000 gallon spill happened in New Jersey and New York: http://greenpeaceblogs.org/2012/11/08/photos-336000-gallon-diesel-spill-pollutes-waterways-after-hurricane-sandy/.

UPDATE: keeping with my visions of a 7-10 day time span, there was an oil platform explosion today: http://www.wwltv.com/news/Coast-Guard-reports-offshore-platform-burning-in-Gulf-of-Mexico-179665361.html

I swear I'll try to be better about simultaneously posting my visions on this blog, followed with updates, as soon as they happen as I do on Facebook.  Stay safe, everybody - our precious Earth is going through a time of upheaval!

Hurricane Sandy

when Hurricane Irene blew through here last summer, I knew there'd be lots of rain and flooding, but I wasn't all that concerned about our area. We DID have flooding in our basement, but no big damage. Vermonters, however, experienced major flooding, so it wasn't exactly a minor storm for them (understatement!). With Hurricane Sandy, though, I have a bad feeling. It's going to collide with a Nor'Easter - never a good thing! For the last few days I've felt a sense of dread. I'll try to mojo it out to the Atlantic, but quite frankly Mama Nature has a will of her own and loves to laugh at those of us who are most connected to her. Should hit Monday/Tuesday, so buckle up East Coast peeps and stay tuned...

Message from Beyond, Mexican Warning & Announcements

Message from Beyond: This is for Sherry, or your passed loved one's name is Sherry: A woman (I believe - I could have just picked that up from the name 'Sherry') told me that "Sherry dealt with insurance companies and others because I just couldn't deal with any of it. She'll never know how grateful I am that she did that for me." 

Mexican Warning: I was shown in dreamtime Americans in Mexico who were shot at on three separate occasions simply because they were American, and the Americans may or may not have been military members. It seemed as if the US Military was involved - innocently - somehow. If you're planning a trip to Mexico, please be cautious and aware of your surroundings!

Ageless Knowledge: I have a new weekly webcast on Ageless Knowledge called Holistic Healing with Medicine Woman Kerry in which I'll discuss one herb a week, along with aromatherapy and using different healing methods for whatever ails you :D! Starting with the second show, I'll also close each segment with a brief visual healing meditation. Please watch - it's free and educational and, hopefully, interesting! Here's the link to the show: http://www.agelessknowledge.com/HH_Medicine_Woman_Kerry.html

Skincare Products: I'm also pleased to announce that my new Skin Care Products are ready for sale! These are organic, luxurious products that really, truly work and are just plain GOOD for your skin! Here's the link to the products:http://www.gertieseesghosts.com/skincareproducts.html

Treating Shingles Holistically

My local television station gave a segment with a doctor who urged everyone who has had chicken pox as a child to be vaccinated against shingles. Since I have serious reservations about most vaccines because of the additives in them, I went to the CDC website and looked up the vaccine for shingles, ZosTavax. The following additives are included in this vaccine: sucrose, hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, monosodium L-glutamate, sodium phosphate dibasic, potassium phosphate monobasic, neomycin, potassium chloride, residual components of MRC-5 cells including DNA and protein, bovine calf serum. Many people are allergic to MSG, and both neomycin and the potassium additives can cause neurotoxicity and kidney failure. Source:  http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

Then there's the cost of the vaccine: Medicaid Part D pays for it, Medicaid Part B does not, and private insurers may not cover it either. And it's expensive - several hundred dollars. The efficacy rate is only 51% with a 64% rate of lessening the severity of symptoms. So you may be paying hundreds of dollars for a vaccine that may not work, contains additives that may poison you, and only lasts about 7 years.

Shingles is a virus. There are many antiviral essential oils and herbs that can be used to treat shingles, chief among them Melissa, hyssop, tea tree and  Bergamot. If you get shingles, sprinkle a few drops of Melissa essential oil onto a cotton pad and apply directly to the lesions. The essential oil will be absorbed into your blood stream to kill the virus. While you're letting the Melissa work, make up a mixture of one tablespoon coconut oil, one tablespoon aloe Vera gel, one teaspoon honey, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, along with a few drops of one (or more) of the following essential oils: Melissa, Hyssop, bergamot, eucalyptus, Lemongrass, or tea tree. Adding a teaspoon of clay to the mixture will also speed up the process of drying out the lesions, and any clay that clings to your clothing will wash right out. Apply mixture to the lesions at least three times per day. Store any unused mixture in an airtight jar, away from heat and light.

You can also treat the shingles internally by adding the raw herbs Lemon balm (Melissa), oregano, thyme, lemongrass and sage to your meals. 

Tuning into the Earth

I'm back to having to mow the yard myself after three months of a yard service doing it for me - no way was I willing to spend 2 hours in 100 degree heat & awful humidity doing it on my own. Since the weather has gotten cooler (it's only in the high 80s/low 90s y'all! Lol), piece of cake, right? Um, not so much, but I got it done, and The Girls (dogs) and I went into the shady backyard so that I c

ould smell that heavenly aroma of newly cut grass. I was sitting on the ground, rubbing my bare feet into the grass and earth, when Maggie jumped into my lap. She has long hair and is like a heater, and coupled with the heat radiating off me in waves, I was sweating profusely. I looked at her and blurted out, "a little breeze, please, said the birds to the bees" and gave her a kiss. At that moment the trees started swaying, and Maggie wagged her tail. Ah, bliss ♥

Tune into the Earth, y'all! Crinkle your toes into the ground, close your eyes and let your mind drift into oblivion. Let the trees' gentle swaying waft into your senses and your soul. Discover that you are of the Earth, and she is of you. You'll catch yourself grinning from ear to ear before you realize, recharged and re-energized to tackle the rest of the day. Ah, bliss, indeed ♥

Choice, followed by A Moment of Laughter

A Friday commentary and then I'm going to insist on happy happy joy joy for the rest of the day: for any of my friends still waffling on whether or not to vote for a Republican - ANY Republican- into office in November, be aware that the GOP has adopted as a major part of its party platform a Personhood clause. Even if you think abortion is wrong, what a personhood clause does is to outlaw removing an ectopic pregnancy, ban in-vitro fertilization (multiple eggs are fertilized with a few being implanted and the rest destroyed), outlaw the morning after pill, prevent a doctor from giving life saving treatment to a pregnant woman if the fetus could be harmed (like in a car crash, or shooting, or major illness). Take it one step further: your sister, cousin, aunt, mother, best friend cannot seek treatment if they have been raped or incest has occurred. One more step further: your 13 year old virgin daughter has been raped, tells you immediately, you report it to police, and at the hospital the doctor tells you that it's illegal to give her the pill. Is this really the direction in which you wish our country to go? Women deserve a reproductive choice. Don't judge - any of these scenarios could happen to you.

Of course if this IS the direction the country goes, business will boom for me and other shaman peeps. Remember, I'm a medicine woman and herbalist and know the formula for herbal cocktails used by women since ancient times to end pregnancy

. But as with all herbal medicine, one type doesn't fit all, allergic reactions can occur, depending on the herbs used may be ineffective (and there are many scam artists just waiting to take your money and run), and certainly won't help in cases of ectopic pregnancy or major body trauma. Let's keep a woman's choice between her and her doctor a personal one, please.

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I guess my mother's been visiting from the otherworld as I've been thinking of her all morning. Placed into my consciousness was an incident that happened when I was in my 20s and had dropped by mom's house for a visit. I had dated a guy named Dan when I was 15 and 16, and he and i still were on good terms with each other's mother. On that particular day, mom told me she had gotten her hair done and then went shopping at the mall. Mom: I saw Dan today, and he said, "Beep beep Miss Pat"! What on earth could he have meant? Me, looking at her new extreme hair style: um, you look just like the Road Runner, Mom. Needless to say, we laughed and laughed, and I'm laughing still. So Beep Beep Mom! I feel you, I appreciate and love you and I miss you...