Cola nitida

Cola nitida
Remedy code: 3-655.31.08
A 48-year-old woman, who appears very youthful, has the build of a teenager but carries herself with an alert and self-assured demeanor, and has notably clear eyes. She is tired and suffering from leg fatigue, particularly in one leg. She previously had varicose veins, and after much deliberation, she decided to have them removed six months ago. However, the leg remains fatigued in the same area. The sensation comes and goes, and the vein is on the right lateral side. She finds it unsightly, as the vein runs from her groin down the entire leg, with the worst part around the knee. She experiences tingling around her toes when sitting. Before the surgery, she had a lot of bruising. Her symptoms always affect the right side of her body; she once had herpes on her face, outgrowth on the instep, issues with her right shoulder, and tight tendons. Otherwise, she is healthy. Before the surgery, she had already been dealing with fatigue for six months, and she couldn’t get herself going. Summer is always a busy time, as she works in an animal shelter. She calls it her ‘calling’; she always wanted to work with animals as a child. She enjoys it. She has a strong sense of responsibility, is always “on,” and has to manage a lot. Every time, there seems to be a solution. She works 12 hours a day and then answers messages afterward; there are always staff shortages at the shelter. Her energy is good, and she is physically strong. She is on the verge of emigrating and plans to quit this job and start a new life, which she sees as a second chapter. She still has so many other hobbies. She feels disconnected from the animals now; it’s become assembly-line work, moving quickly from one task to the next, which frustrates her. Because of this, she doesn’t like herself; she tries to spare her colleagues but ends up being a whirlwind and short-tempered, lacking some social grace. She’s always been active, doing a lot of lifting and carrying, and she also does strength training. She bruises easily but also bumps into things hard. Her sleep is good. She has subcutaneous cysts on her scalp. Her childhood was pleasant. Her mother feared animals and discouraged her from engaging with them, while her father would say, “Just let her be.” She frequently experiences white fingers, with no sensation, and cold hands. During peak season, she feels her head is overwhelmed as if there’s no room for anything more—not pain, but she can’t find the right words and feels pressure as if she’s full. She takes her time letting people in; it takes a while before she opens up to someone. She observes a lot, is creative with wood, enjoys painting, walking barefoot with her dogs, and reads a lot. She looked up her complaint in a book on Germanic medicine and recognized it as “a block on the leg,” posing the question, “Do I still want all of this?” But she finds it hard to leave it behind. She doesn’t seek out busy places and sometimes sits and listens, which is eye-opening for her.

Analysis
In looking for an entry point in this case, the rubric ‘varicose veins’ was reviewed. The remedy Kola stood out immediately, given her boundless energy, being a “whirlwind,” and her strong personality.
Helpful to make this choice are the themes as we use in Plant families and Wonderful Plants.
Silver series: creativity, philosophical.
Malvales: she listens and observes in a very receptive manner.
Phase 1: idealistic, with a fearful mother.
Phase 3: a yielding father, she works hard to achieve an unattainable result, running from one problem to another. Her creativity is (so far) unrealized, giving in (Phase 3) to impulsivity (Phase 1).
Stage 8: forcing things, hard work.
Prescription: Cola nitida MK.

Follow-up after 6 weeks
After taking the remedy, she felt as though she had received an energy boost. She felt “light,” was cheerful, clear-headed, and full of energy. The fatigue in her leg gradually improved, and now her leg feels much less tired. She finds it difficult to explain exactly how it feels now. After a few weeks, her leg started to drag a little again. She had been in the process of breaking away, with the accompanying tension, and now she feels that she has found fulfillment in what she has achieved so far. It brings her joy, but it has become too much. She can let it go now and is ready for something new. Over the next year, she is in good health.