A 36-year-old woman, mother of a 15-month-old child. Her energy level is low. She also wants to do something about her weight. Since giving birth, she has had cravings for sweets and cookies, she had never that before. She has also remained emotionally unstable and can become overly angry. Her emotions are more pronounced then usual. She is always cheerful, normally reacting emotionally and then moving on. Now her reactions comes across as ‘stronger’ than intended, she can lose her temper and then it takes a few hours to calm down. She has intestinal problems; her bowel movements are regular, but in the evening she has a bloated, tense stomach. She suffers from muscle and joint pain, first in her left hip and now in her right, her right knee hurts, and her ankles are stiff. She is still 10 kg heavier. She moves less, life is busier. This puts pressure on her and fills her head: just this, just that, she always sees everything that needs to be done, wants to do everything neatly and tidily. She is a busy bee and does not allow herself any rest or relaxation. She is already tired when she gets up, ‘I have to do so much’ so she thinks and feels, there is no relaxation in her, doing a lot can be pointless actions, which in turn frustrates her. There are moments when she cannot move forward. She sleeps well, she has always needed 9 hours, her dreams are vivid, about all kinds of people, mixed up. The pregnancy went well, but it was also busy. She had a lot of trouble with her pelvis, a pressing feeling, chiropractic did not feel good. She also suffered from heartburn. The hip: a kind of stiffness when moving. She feels it when she starts moving from a resting position, then it subsides. The knee: she feels it when under strain, the ankles are also stiff. During the day, she take care of her child, and she also does the company's administration. Twelve years ago, she had a burnout due to high work pressure, wanting to do well, doing her best, and having a managerial position for the first time. Three years ago, she had surgery for an abscess or fistula above the buttocks. Her attitude in life: “We'll make the best of it, we'll go for it.” Her parents were the same, a farming family: just get on with it and do it. If someone else doesn't do it, she works even harder. The environment is busy, the work means going on 24 hours a day. 'As long as everything around me is going, I can't stand still myself! ' She seeks harmony and cooperation; if someone doesn't do that, she feels not accepted, unappreciated. Then she has trouble letting go. She does yoga and reads – when she has time. Gardening, plants.
Analysis
Series 4: everything is geared towards being practical and functional. Focused on immediate surroundings, work, family. The nuisance of the physical complaints: it prevents you from doing what you want to do.
Fabales: tackle it, keep going, tiredness, don't complain. Keep going as the only option. Weight, digestion.
Phase 5: high work pressure, busyness, wanting more, wanting to go further, restlessness.
Phase 6: fistula, fatigue, doing a lot and getting little in return, burnout.
Stage 11: Building tension, persevering.
Prescription: Caesalpinia bonduc MK.
Follow-up
Things are going well, she says after three weeks, after insisting on what that means: more rest, more balance, going with the flow, no longer seeing everything as a mountain to climb. The week before her period, she was able to stay more grounded, no longer throwing everything out. Menstrual cycle: after a few days it stopped, I felt very irritated, let it out for a moment, immediately felt calm again, and the flow returned. Her energy is good, she feels fine, she has slept a lot, she still has trouble getting up but feels good afterwards. During the day she is busy, the ‘must’ is gone. Her intestines are no longer bothering her, but she is eating better and no longer snacking. It is as if she can now listen to her body better; she can suddenly do that again. Before, she was so busy being busy that she couldn't pay attention to it. The pressure at work is still there, but she can handle it better. It is no longer weighing so heavily on her. As is often the case after Caesalpinia bonduc, she seems unaccustomed to feeling or describing the symptoms: The joints, what do I actually feel, I don't know, it hinders you. A kind of heavy and solid feeling, a stiff feeling, only with effort. It's incredible that those little granules can change so much. The amazement at the improvement also seems to be characteristic of this medicine, or of a detachment from the body. Other statements: miraculous, what those little granules do, or strange, you are my hero. An openness, naivety and cheerfulness, a nonchalance as a theme.
The energy and well-being continue to increase, but after three months the energy decreases and she becomes ‘fuzzy’ in the head. This lasts for a period of time and disappears after Sanguisorba officinalis.