Last week in the newsletter I mentioned I had ‘‘the Plague.” Later that day I found out I had a bacterial infection in my throat, and am now on antibiotics for the first time in over 20 years.
Since I was going to be on antibiotics anyway, I asked the doctor to prescribe me an additional formula to treat an H. pylori infection that I've had trouble getting rid of herbally. So I’m on a very potent cocktail that leaves me feeling pretty miserable digestively!
The Backstory:
My new reality.
After being sick for nine days, taking tons of herbs, using a steam, and taking tons of supplements, I was not getting any better. My throat killed and I had chills. I learned in a seminar once that if you don't treat strep throat, the infection can affect an area of the brain and cause permanent obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this case, I knew the antibiotics were best for me.
Getting on antibiotics brought up some feelings. Here I was, a major proponent of natural medicine, taking antibiotics. What would people think?
I thought this was a great opportunity to talk about when natural medicine isn't enough.
When I first began to work in the fertility field, I thought basically any case could be cured by natural medicine. But after becoming more of a veteran in the field, I think in some cases high tech interventions give us our best opportunities for success.
Sometimes holding on too long to our values in natural medicine can cause more harm and heartache than good. Antibiotics have been overused for many years, but in some cases they are truly needed.
I am thankful I have not had to use antibiotics in so long, and I hope I can go another 20 years. But if I or my family is ever in an emergency, or are having a serious or urgent health condition, I will always consider all my options. I will choose more modern or conventional medicine if needed.
Several years ago, when my son was an infant, he had a cough that wouldn't go away. I was struggling new mom and tried some homeopathics and probiotics, but the cough went on for a couple months.
Finally I gave him antibiotics prescribed by his pediatrician. The cough went away, but as time went by I felt guilty. Why didn't I look into other options? Did I ruin my son’s gut, and that’s why he tends towards constipation now?
After my own recent incident with illness, I started to forgive myself that I once gave antibiotics to my son. Perhaps it really was the best or only option. Perhaps he's just constipated because I just can't get that kid to drink water!
Luckily with my natural medicine knowledge, I know I will restore my gut. I am also very thankful that my painful throat is gone, and I’m hopeful the H Pylori infection will be eradicated.
If you too struggle with some of these choices, I hope this article was helpful. You're welcome to share your thoughts below on this topic.