There’s nothing like getting a call from your kid’s phone when they are out doing an extremely dangerous sport. It’s just that much worse when it’s not your kid that responds when you say, “Hey, what’s up?”, when in fact, it’s someone you’ve never met, speaking to you on his phone. Not a good feeling.

This kind of situation is never good. It often requires immediate action, possibly without the benefit of coffee or breakfast. You may be in your pajamas and haven’t even brushed your teeth. You just spring into action, and try to remember everything you might need, for any possible outcome. In my case, the first thing I thought to bring was a phone charger, in case a hospital admission was in my future. You know how it is when your phone dies at the hospital, that’s the moment everyone is texting you every 10 seconds wanting to know what’s going on. I also remembered a nice thick book, in case I was stuck there while they did exploratory surgery. Of course I thought about snacks and water – hospital cafeteria? No thanks. Did I brush my teeth Do I have shoes on? Am I wearing my glasses? And so it went on, this crazed list of what-do- I-need, as I rushed around thinking tick tock, he’s sitting there waiting for me.

And as I am running out the door, my husband says, “Umm, do you think you want to take some remedies?” as he holds out the red home remedy kit. Seriously.

I seriously was running out the door with NO REMEDIES. Completely forgot that homeopathic remedies are very helpful in injuries and traumas. I really hope my homeopathy instructor is not reading this right now. This shows that you can be an A student, but its worthless if you forget to bring the remedies!

By the way, in case you think I am overly glib and shamefully using my son’s injury for self-benefit… he is fine. Really. Banged up and currently very bored, but fine. He hit an obstacle and landed on concrete on his head, shoulder and hip – and he broke his collarbone.

When I got to him, I saw he was sitting on the ground, leaning on a tree with his arm in a makeshift sling. He was pale and trembling, but trying to be brave in front of the adult coach that stayed with him (see stranger reference above). He had one shoe on and one shoe off (Why? who cares, just remember to bring it, those things are expensive.)

The first thing I administered was Aconite. This is a remedy for mental and emotional shocks. This remedy is powerful, and is indicated in situations where a person has experienced something deeply frightening, such as having been in an accident, a natural disaster, or has witnessed an accident or other frightening event. It is also indicated for panic attacks, phobias or when someone is in an situation and fears they are going to/might die. After the Aconite, we headed for the ER.

When we parked in the emergency room parking lot, I gave him Arnica before going in. He’d had no pain medication and I knew it would be painful to get him out of the homemade sling (and hopefully also the brand new $150 jersey without scissors). Arnica is a commonly known remedy, but not well understood – according to my unscientific polling – by most people. Arnica is a remedy for injuries, falls, blows and contusions. It is useful in any kind of traumatic injury, because it has an affinity for the blood and muscle tissues. Think of it when there is swelling or bruising due to soft tissue trauma. In this case, he broke a bone, but there was subsequent swelling all around that break, in addition to all his other body parts that impacted the ground. I think of it as a homeopathic anti-inflammatory. Additionally, I had some concern about his head. The coach told me he had hit his head hard on the ground. Even with a helmet, this could mean a concussion. Arnica is a common remedy I give for suspected or confirmed concussion. I have seen high potency Arnica remove concussion symptoms entirely; headaches, brain fog, confusion, “not feeling right” and blurry vision. This whole situation with my son called for Arnica; blunt trauma to the head, shoulder, elbow, hip, as well as swelling and pain from a broken bone and a head injury. I gave it in pellet form, internally, as I always do. I prefer it to externally applied Arnica for several reasons; you can give higher and varied potencies in pellet form, you can give it when the skin is broken (never put Arnica on broken skin), and when you give it orally, it heals all the injuries, not just where it was applied locally.

Once we were back home, I fixed up his road rash with Calendula. Often found in ointment form, I use it in place of polysporin or other OTC antibiotic ointment. Calendula is for wounds, cuts, abrasions, lacerations or other broken skin. This remedy made from marigold promotes rapid healing of wounds, and has antiseptic properties. If he had had severe lacerations or wounds from the fall, as many cyclists do, I would have given Calendula internally, and also put Calendula tincture on the wounds.

As time passes, and the swelling has gone down, I will pull out the final remedy, Symphytum. This is a remedy for broken bones. It aids in the healing of fractures, or any injury to a bone. I plan to give him a low dose of Symphytum for a week or two to promote the healing of the break, and speed up his recovery.

My students often ask about dosing. Here is what I did:
• Aconite 200C one dose
• Arnica 1M 4 times per day for days 1 & 2
• Calendula ointment as needed with band-aids
• Symphytum 12C daily for 1-2 weeks

Below please find succinct descriptions of the remedies that I used. I feel Aconite and Arnica are so useful that I carry them with me at all times in my purse. I have whipped out my vials quite often, you never know when you may need one of them. I used high potencies in this situation, which you may do with caution. Please always consult a professional homeopath if you are using high potencies, or have a complex trauma situation.

 Aconite:
Think of it for: Fear, panic or anxiety after shocking events, first 24 hours of acute inflammatory diseases or fevers, croup. May follow a traumatic event or exposure to wind, cold weather or extreme heat. Keynotes: Fearful, panicky, anxious. Sudden onset of intense symptoms. Fear of death. Terror stricken. Fear of going to the doctor or dentist. Flushed face alternating with pale face. Very thirsty. Senses are over-acute. Restless anxiety.

 Arnica:
Think of it for: Shock to tissue or psyche. Injuries, falls, bruising to soft tissue. Keynotes: Trauma and its affects, recent or remote. Traumatic injuries. Feeling of being sore, lame, and bruised. Aching as if having been beaten. Denial of help (“I’m fine, don’t touch me”). Worse from being touched or approached. Restless from feeling unable to get comfortable. Do not apply to broken skin. Tissue affinity: Muscles, bruising.

 Calendula:
Think of it for: Wounds, lacerations, broken skin, infected wounds. Keynotes: A most remarkable healing agent, applied locally or given internally in potency. For open, torn, cut, lacerated, ragged or suppurating wounds. Rapid healing of wounds. Prevents scar tissue formation. Arrests bleeding from wounds, especially to scalp, mouth. Both prevents and heals infection, pus formation. Antiseptic for sores, abscesses, infection at the site of a wounds. Give it before and after surgery. Indicated for burns, scalds, sunburns.Can be applied topically in ointment or tincture form, or internally with potentized pellets.

 Symphytum:
Think of it for: Bone fractures, non-union of bones. Keynotes: Bone fractures. Non-union of bones. Accelerates healing. Pain in area of bony protuberances, elbow, ankles. Injury to periosteum. Injury to hard tissue, shins. Pain at the site of old wounds or fractures, past injury to cartilage or bone.

 Practice note:
I have not changed my rates in over 3 years. As of March 1, my rates will change as follows:

• 3 hour initial intake appointment – $425
• 1 hour follow up appointment – $120 • Acute care – $30 billed in 15 minute increments
• Acute care (weekends and holidays) – $40 billed in 15 minute increments