About 15 years ago my children had grown up, I was bored with my career and my husband encouraged me to go back to university and study for a new career. I considered many things – building web sites, teaching, designing…. I thought they’d all be fun to learn, but the thought of doing any of them for the rest of my life didn’t inspire me much.
I plodded on with work, grumbling frequently I’m sure – and dabbled with various ideas of what I might do. Gradually I remembered an experience I’d had years ago when my children were little. I’d attended an activity day at church where we could choose a number of classes, taster sessions on different things. I remember one class I did was lace making – I’d always wanted to learn how to make lace, but one class was enough, wow – that was more difficult than I imagined! I chose a couple of other classes – and then somehow ended up in a one hour taster session on homeopathy, something I’d never even heard of before. I think my friend fancied it and I just went along. It was amazing, I was fascinated, but I absolutely KNEW it would never be part of my life. I was struggling to bring up 4 young children pretty much on my own, with a limited budget and the thought of even going to a homeopath was outside my realms of reality. Of course, at 20 something, I couldn’t imagine that in another 20 or so years I’d still be a proper human being with passions and a desire to learn and have fun, along with the freedom to do it, so I gave it no further thought and got on with life.

So now, perhaps 15 years later I began to remember my previous interest in homeopathy and considered looking at it as an option for study. I looked it up on the Internet, and strangely only found negative things about it, so I put it on the back burner and continued wondering what to do. Visiting my mother that same week she was very excited to tell me about how she had gone to show her next door neighbour her arm, which was red and swelling up to see if she had any advice for her. Her neighbour’s niece was visiting at the time – and she was a homeopath…… She offered to either give Mum something for her arm straight away or take her to casualty. She thought it was cellulitis and that it shouldn’t be left without treatment. Mum agreed to have one of her homeopathic remedies and – so the story goes, they all sat and watched the redness and swelling recede before their eyes.

Mum’s excitement was contagious as she told me all about it, and I got the phone number of the homeopath and gave her a call to talk a bit more about it, and she was very helpful and encouraging. I have ever since wondered about the strange synchronicity of this event. I’m sure it wasn’t a coincidence.

A few months later I began studying at The School of Homeopathy, which was then in Devon, and I started one of the greatest adventures of my life. A couple of months into the course I discovered that I was pregnant, 19 years after my last baby who was now at university! We were delighted, but I wondered at my bad timing, wishing I had known before I started studying so that I could have put it off a few years, but actually, it was perfect. Being such an old mother I needed lots of rest, so I spent most of the 9 months studying and my little daughter was welcomed into the classes for the first few months by all my new friends and the teachers.

I soon discovered that I was the only person in my class to have never been to a homeopath, so I set about rectifying that and visited one, very doubtful that the headaches I’d suffered with for years could be cured, but happy to go just for the experience. That’s another story of course, but the headaches went pretty much immediately and I got a personal testimony of just how powerful homeopathy can be. Four years later I qualified and have never regretted my choice of study – I love homeopathy, love seeing it change lives and love the people I’ve met through being a homeopath.

(By the way, in case you’re wondering there is a meaning to the stones in the picture – we were each given one on the day we qualified in an emotional send off and I’ve had it on my desk ever since.)

Homeopathy for cellulitis:

“Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers of the skin and the underlying tissue. The main symptom of cellulitis is the affected area of skin suddenly turning red, painful swollen and hot. It most often affects the legs, but can occur anywhere on the body.” (NHS choices)

For acute conditions, give a 30C or 200C dose two or three during the first hour, then repeat as necessary. If there is no change in the condition during that time, or if worsening occurs, the remedy is incorrect and another one should be chosen.

• Sulphur: The skin is puffy and red; the infection feels quite warm to the patient and to the touch. It’s especially indicated if it is itchy and worse from heat.
• Apis: with marked redness, heat and swelling. No pus, worse for heat, better for cold applications.
• Calendula: after a laceration or abrasion, the pain from the wound is excessive. Wounds fester and become red and swollen.
• Lachesis: with marked swelling, mottled skin, burning or icy coldness. Part feels swollen to the point of bursting. Worse for heat, pressure, touch, tight clothing.
• Graphites: poor healing of wounds with slowly progressing infection. Thick crusts but no real healing seems to occur; oozing wounds.
• Rhus tox: advanced cellulitis with swelling, pitting, purplish discoloration. Inflamed part which drains pus.
• Staphisagria: resulting from an incision or cut. The wound turns red at the edge, and drains pus. Sharp pains and great sensitivity.