Case 4.1: Phytolacca
By Annemiek Klitsie, Utrecht
A 39 year old woman came with complaints of serious mastitis in her left breast. Since 20 months. She didn’t have children. She also didn’t use neuroleptica: cause of galactorroe as side-effect.
Half a year before the first consult, she underwent surgery: the surgeon tried to cut away the infected lactation-channels and breast-tissue. With lack of succes. He also gave her several times antibiotics with again lack of succes. It was the surgeon who advised her to see a homeopathic doctor!
The mastitis imposed as a thickening around the nipple with the rest of the breast red and inflamed. She had a low fever. There apeared an abces with a lot of yellow-green discharge, creamy and thick, with a rotten smell. The dirty discharge came regularly out of the abces. It was a continuous proces, although in waves from once in 5 days heavier and once in 3 months a really heavy inflammation of the whole breast. At every menstruation an aggravation.
Since the surgery, the breast is intense red, especially around the nipple. The skin of the breast got desquamated. She feels tension on the skin. The pain is stitching, as if going to burst. On the X-mamma were no deviations. Touching the breast gives amelioration, because it relieves discharge. An ice-pack ameliorates, support the breast with a good bra or with lying on her arm ameliorates and showering the abcesses clean ameliorates. There is no influence of the seasons or emotions.
And emotions were in abundance present: Her partner (a woman) died nearly 3 years ago of a pancreastumor, her mother was operated in the same month her partner died at a coloncarcinoma and during the last two years her sister was admitted twice on a psychiatric ward. Especially the death of her partner knocked her down. Although she took great care for all three: partner, mother, sister: “Say nothing, keep mum and go on forward.” (Kiezen op elkaar en doorzetten)
Person: Pushful woman (=doorzetter), working in the after-care of young prisoners, always helping others, taking care of. Nine months before the first consult she decided to come more near her own feelings, didn’t want to take care too much for others. That brought the rest back in her head. She than noticed when she fell back in her caring role, but couldn’t say “no” loud enough. Introvert, difficult talking about feelings. “Lots of thinking”. By discussions coming to a decision. Since her partner died, she wants to find her own solutions. Perfectionist since her childhood: wanted to do everything immediately perfect. In the past she could throw away things when she was angry. She can be angry and can eventually explode from anger. At the same moment she is afraid for anger: fear to loose reasonability or communication. She is afraid of mice and big and hairy spiders. She knows fear of high places and crowds.
Food: She’s a thirsty type and likes her drinks cold. She likes water, coffee, apples, oranges and dislikes vegetables.
She is chilly and afraid of having it cold. Easy sweating: axillair, upper legs, palms of the hands, face. Sometimes night-sweating.
Menstruation: Once in 5 weaks. Since one year stitching pain in left ovary around the ovulation. Also instable mood around the ovulation. Just before the menses: clumsy: walks in on furniture, is slow, drops things out of her hands.
Mind: Suffered a depression: putted the sorrow of the world upon her sorrow in the family. Still passive at the time of the first consult. Normal appetite, didn’t loose weight. Her memory is a little bit weak an she has a difficulty in concentrating. She ameliorates on rest, not working and a little distance from the family.
Biografy: Middle-class family, one sister who is 6 years older. Her father died in 1987 and was 58 years old because of a braintumor. He was in fact 6 weeks ill, but it felt emotionally half a year. She had a good relationship with him. He was a family-man: very fixed on his family and working hard for them. Her mother is 71 year, always working in the house. With her she has also a good relationship. Her sister has a bipolar disorder, which diagnose is known for 17 years now. She is hard to deal with because of her changeable moods. As children, they had a lot of fun with their parents on holiday, together going outside with the dog, loud singing.
On primary school she was a quiet child with a lot of friends. Active in sports (basketball, tennis, football). She was a trendsetter and didn’t need a group to feel well. On the christian secondary school she made friends after a while, because she and her family hadn’t religious bonds. On the age of 14 she didn’t feel comfortable with girls who dated boys to go to the disco. She was then busy getting aware of her homosexuality. At the age of 17 she came out for her homosexuality: her father was shocked. Her mother accepted it easier and nowaday it’s totally accepted. Her parents at first were afraid of the social consequences and feared she would hate men.
From her 17th till her 22nd she had a relation. On her 22nd she met her later partner with whom she lived for 13 years. In the last year of her partners life they travelled a lot, got married and made the best out of it.
Work: Was groupleader with problem-children and went later on to the family-custody and the after-care of young prisoners.
Since one year she fell in love with a woman who was her collegue and they are living together by now.
On the remedy she had a very good reaction. The inflammation first became more superficial and the pus found his way out, which was a nice feeling for her, because it gave an evacuated feeling. Three months after the first consult, there were only superficial wounds with little amounts of pus.
Five months after the first consult she explained the crux of her problems in relationship with the mastitis: After the illness and death of her partner, she went over her barriers. Then the inflammation could cross her barrier and touched her into her left breast, which meant it touched her into the side of her heart, thus into her emotionality and into her female human being. After the remedy she became more quiet, had everything “in a queue” (“op een rijtje”) and was more assertive according to her new partner.
Short after the dead of her partner she worked over 36 hours a week as a flight. After the remedy she found more and more a balance between work and enjoy her relations with other people.