8 Things To Do When Sickness Strikes

We were supposed to go on a family daytrip... plans were made... destination was set.... bread was made, ready to be sliced for sandwiches....cans of tuna were on the table waiting to be made into tuna salad sandwiches just before we left.... first aid kit was all packed... bottles of water were ready.... snacks were ready and in the cooler.... cookies were made.... cameras had charged up batteries.... we were all ready to go. It was going to be a great trip. Then, at bedtime, I heard those dreaded words, "Mom, I don't feel well."

We hoped it would be gone by morning... it wasn't and instead of a special day trip of hiking and touring this old mansion, a few of us were sick and only able to shuffle from bed to sofa to chair and back. A couple of us spent almost the whole day lying around and sleeping. There was no energy at all... no appetite... no interest in reading or anything....  we were sick.  There has been sickness going around and we have done well and haven't gotten it... but now we have.

What is a mom to do when someone is sick? Especially when Mom is also one of the sick ones? Hmmm.  






Well, here are some of the things that this mom does:

We try to eat healthy most of the time and are in quite good health, for the most part. The week prior to this, though, had been rushed, hectic and our meals hadn't been as healthy. Also we had a birthday to celebrate... and company several of the nights... and very late bedtimes... and stress. 

1. Evaluate
Normally, when someone is sick, I immediately activate and try to pinpoint the possible cause...and treatment. Evaluating the days before the sickness is one of those steps, since that helped me see very quickly WHY we were sick... too little sleep, not good nutrition, too much stress, etc and our bodies were unable to fight off what was "going around". 

Another thing I usually do is to evaluate symptoms. In this case, the biggest symptom was extreme fatigue, weakness and lethargy, along with headaches, nausea and more. No fevers. Not every person had the exact same symptoms, but there were some symptoms that hit all who were sick... mainly the fatigue, weakness, headache and nausea. 


 2. Research

 Research can happen in trusted books.... this is one I really like...and I also have many others. Research can also be done online(but be VERY careful of advice given there... I like to have 2 sources or more giving the advice.)  It is good to keep notes of information found so that it is available when needed. Research can also be done by talking with someone you trust... a friend or parent or other person who it knowledgeable on the subject.








3. Get a lot of rest and drink lots of fluids
Anyway, this time I was also sick.... and I knew my problem was stress, exhaustion, adrenal, etc. with the most urgent need being sleep, so I slept all I could for two days. All of us needed rest and sleep. 

 Sleep was good and needed... and lying around was fine. Lots of water was needed to flush toxins from the body, but who wants to drink a lot of water when not feeling well? Still, it has to be done.

Many times, over the years, I have noticed that different family members will respond differently to the same treatment when they have the exact same symptoms. Puzzling, but as I have analyzed that, I have found success when I treat each similarly, but tailored to each person. For example, I have noticed that one person may seem to do well when I try to treat their liver, another the pancreas, or lungs or digestion. It's not an exact thing, but it has sure helped. So, when one child has an upset stomach, I immediately suspect some constipation... and deal with it through essenial oils, pressure points, vitamins, etc. The same is true for other issues. It just shortens the process of dealing with issues, since some of them appear more often with sickness.




4.Use Herbal Teas Herbal teas are wonderful... they can be used to address specific symptoms... or just for general health.








 5. Take Probiotics


 The probiotics in this picture are in the form of a Kefir smoothie. It could also be in the form of kombucha, yogurt, tablets, etc.


We also did  detox baths, probiotics, vitamins, lots of fluids, oils on the feet and ears, and herb tea and other things.






6.Use Essential Oils

Essential oils are helpful ....  in so many ways... we use them on the bottom of the feet and on ears, in bath water, diffused in some way, as a cleaner for germs...and more.








 


7. Take Herbal Tinctures and Vitamins
 Herbal tinctures can be very helpful... I make my own... it is a way to preserve and condense the nutrients of the herbs.  There can be a lot of nutrient value to tintures.... Also vitamins can help, depending on what the sickness is.  The point is to help support the body while it is sick so that it can recover.


8. Take a Detox Bath There are different kinds of detox baths.... we use epsom salts and essential oils... or ginger, red pepper and baking soda... or I experimented today and came up with a really good one, but I need to work on the ingredients and amounts. I will probably share more on that another time. Even just an epsom salts bath can be so relaxing and helpful.

These are not "magic"... and maybe you would do only a couple or a few of these things... or maybe all of them... or maybe more. I am not a doctor or a health professional, just a mom with a lot of children... who studies and experiments and I have found some great things that help us, so I am sharing those.

A few other things are reflexology points... massaging them on the feet or hands... or back, etc., can help relax and allow the body to work better.  Sometimes a coffee enema can be helpful... I have seen it do wonders with a high fever since it can remove the source of the fever if the infection is in the intestines.

Today, we are improving, but not over it all yet. However, since I am able to write this, it is obvious that I have improved much since yesterday, I couldn't do anything but the bare minimum. We will need to be careful this week to allow our bodies to heal all the way... to rebuild our strength and immune systems. After the way I felt yesterday, I would have expected to be wiped out and incapacitated for days... what a relief to have a little energy again, even if it isn't the full amount I should have.




One tidbit I learned from a nutrition doctor years ago was:  You can eat everything healthy, you can drink enough water, you can take vitamins and nutrition, you can do everything "right", but stress can short-circuit everything.... and I have seen this to be true again and again. Too much stress is not a good thing, but we tend to live with too much stress...   

Anyway, these 8 things can help to get over some sickness and get well. Maintainence is wonderful, but this article is about dealing with a bout of sickness and getting over it. I hope you and your family enjoy good health... and when you do face a problem with illness, maybe these things will be helpful to you. One thing we do each time is to pray also... to God who is the One who knows all things and is the Great Healer.  Thank you for visiting.  :)






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