Mixing Aromatherapy and Cancer, part two

In the part one, emotional issues were explored and their treatment. Each person is very unique and each person goes through the phases of diagnosis fear and grieving for what was, in a somewhat different order. Grieving? Physical changes cause a lot of grief for self and loved ones!

SKIN DISCOLOURATION AND TEXTURE CHANGE

One of the “lasting” side effects of chemo is the unusual dry papery/alligator like skin texture that lasts long after the chemo is finished and the cancer is put out of the limelight. Once chemo starts and before hair falls out, the skin shows the stress on the bone marrow and liver. As the chemo starts impacting both the bad guys and the good cells, the skin’s elasticity diminishes. This causes the lips to start cracking as well as other more delicate areas such as the rectal tissue, cold sores, blisters, hemorrhoids, cracks and fissures to name just a few. Then, too, there are the nuisances such as an irritated tongue and mouth sores - not making the whole process of being sick much fun.

One of my clients moaned as to whether this was the way everything was going to stay. The inability to be able to open one’s mouth wide and take a bite of a big juicy apple, for instance, will cause a lot of frustration along with a lot of pain and discomfort, were one to go ahead and try.

To counter the delicate lip and delicate bottom, a combination of cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, virgin olive oil (equal parts) with 10% unprocessed beeswax - all warmed and melted over hot water - creates a base for a moisturizing salve/lip balm. The reason I suggest heating over hot water instead of a micro-wave is that the beeswax only behaves properly over a hot water bath and one runs the risk otherwise of raising the temperature too high which will also ruin the beeswax as well as running the risk of flame! This combination will cool into a nice semi- solid mass which is much easier to handle. Into approximately 1 tbsp (15 ml) of this base, add 6 drops benzoin, 8 drops yarrow, 6 drops frankincense plus 6 - 8 drops of osmanthus or magnolia to sweeten to the nose. This can be used on the lips as frequently as needed and ACROSS the bottom (rectal tissue) as often as needed to soothe and heal. The blend will improve the elasticity of tissue and counter any sores that are trying to set up house keeping.

To make an incredible moisturizing cream that can be used for the rest of the body, use the above base but before it has a chance to cool much below 52o C mix an equal amount (equal to the total of the oils you have left) of purified water that has a smidgeon of baking soda added into it. I have found that by using a hand whisk for stirring and slowly pouring the water into the oil mix PLUS continuing to mix until the entire batch is cool, works the best. If you have used a good beeswax, you have no further need of preservatives, for a couple of years. Your olive oil will go rancid prior to anything “growing” in your pots of good stuff.

Meanwhile, back at the blend. into about X (whatever amount you have left) cup of your cream, add 12 drops of your favorite citrus (this can be lemon, pink grapefruit, lime or orange), 9 drops of cypress and 16 drops of Himalayan cedar. The reason you would use a citrus is for the cell repair/rebuilding properties that all of the citrus possess. Citrus also are all liver tonics which assist in improving skin elasticity. They also are lymphatic stimulants and fluid balancers. These last two properties are the main reasons I am suggesting using the cypress and Himalayan cedar. Please note, this is cedrus deodora not cedrus atlantica or regular cedar that is being used. (The cedrus atlantica has a large number of ketones making it somewhat a problem for someone whose liver is already being overloaded.) For the most part, when a person’s skin is extremely dry, there is a definite moisture imbalance present in the interstitial fluids. How often can this cream be used? How often does the person’s skin annoy them? The latter is the deciding factor.

Another favorite of mine for dry and irritated skin is to bathe in a comfortably hot bath that has a couple of big handfuls of Dead Sea salt which has low sodium and a moderately high potassium and magnesium content. Doctors as well as alternative therapists the world over recognize the incredible healing properties of Dead Sea salts. When comparing to Epsom salts there just isn’t a comparison. Epsom salts, when mixed with water, give off sulphur dioxide and can be fairly poisonous to most of us.

To counter skin discoloration, I have made a mix of ground scotch oatmeal and a small dab of liquid Certa or fruit pectin. This mucky mix gets lightly polished across the skin and then rinsed off IMMEDIATELY with warm water and follow this procedure with some of the moisture cream. Please remember to use skin products that do not contain any petroleum products whatsoever, since these are good for your car but not for you.

Another good skin smoother is to blend a number of calcium/magnesium tablets together in your blender or food processor until powdery and then, with slightly moistened finger tips, rub this lightly across the roughened lips or cheeks. Rinse with warm water and once again follow with a moisturizer.

The calcium, used topically, will assist in diminishing the anti-inflammatory process that is causing the irritation in the first place. What’s the point of looking after your skin texture? It will make you feel a whole lot better should you dare to glance in the mirror or when someone gives you a hug. If you can lift your mood even a little, your immune system will function better.

What about the texture of the skin inside your mouth? When a person is not in the best of health, it seems that the mouth environment really takes a beating. A blend that prevents/clears up thrush (a fungal infection that sets in when the immune system is lowered) is 30 ml (1 oz) liquid honey with 12 drops manuka, 12 drops melissa, 9 drops lime and 12 drops poplar. Warm in hot water and shake until well mixed. Then put approximately 1/4 teaspoon in your mouth 3 - 4 times per day to counter mouth infections. To prevent them, twice per day should de fine.

BLOOD WORK

The fact that rogue cells, aka cancer cells, have managed to set up housekeeping, shows that the immune system, blood and all of its components, aren’t working at optimum. For those who work with chemo, the basic premise is that by shutting down or destroying every cell - good guys and bad guys - the good guys bounce back at a faster rate (it is hoped) than the bad guys. However, the whole stress factor now comes into play as well as the question of how much the immune and lymph systems have been compromised. We won’t become complicated about the implications, in this article, but focus on the positive “fix-it” or mitigating aspects.

There are certain essential oils that are recognized by the scientific community as having definite tonifying actions on the liver and the kidneys. Many of these same oils also have a very uplifting action on the emotional part of the brain. This is very good since this is one of the controllers of the bone marrow or store house of the new cells that enter the blood stream. Why are we concerned about bringing the liver and kidneys into the equation? These are the main suppliers of the key hormones responsible for the production of red blood cells and platelets as well and as a side effect, the liver and kidney are fantastic and profound toxin-filters, most necessary at this time.

Blend for building up the red blood cell or hemoglobin count as follows: in a 120 ml or 4 oz. lotion add

    * 24 drops lemon
    * 18 drops cypress
    * 24 drops benzoin
    * 24 drops frankincense

This entire blend should be used up within 1 week, being applied across the upper right abdomen or liver area and the lower back for the kidneys and pelvic bone which is a main blood producer. The shins or tibial bones are also a good site to apply this blend since it this is another site to promote red blood cells, so essential to life. This blend has also shown to be beneficial to counter bruising and to build up strength prior to surgery.

Meanwhile, keep your master controller or brain happy by using a blend across the back of the neck, morning and night. One of my favorites is an undiluted mix of hyacinth, red champaca, honeysuckle, frangipani, nightqueen, neroli and linden blossom - all equal parts plus a couple of drops of tuberose. I put this blend into a roller bottle and apply it morning and night or at anytime something or someone is causing me to grit my teeth. Some days, that’s all day long. For those who have been trained in the “never use essential oils undiluted” mode/premise, you are now faced with a huge choice - to use a concentration of oils that changes the mind or to use one that simply smells nice and doesn’t have an impact on those people who are seriously ill and in need. Some of my clients have found that this blend works better on pain control than morphine ever had, while doing away with the nasty side effects! Voila.

When needing to invigorate and boost the white blood cells - central to the immune system, my most successful blend is as follows: in 120 ml lotion

    * add 20 drops high altitude myrtle
    * 18 drops linden blossom
    * 18 drops neroli
    * 20 drops Himalayan cedar
    * 12 drops frangipani
    * 12 drops mimosa
    * 12 drops cassie
    * 16 drops maile vine

This is applied across the abdomen - front and back and across the rectal tissue for fast absorbency into the mucus membranes. This entire blend has also been used as a massage blend to be used entirely in one massage.

So far, in my clinic, clients with liver cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer and a sarcoma have been using undiluted blends on the areas of rogue cells as well as their livers. Results have shown improved blood work and decreased abnormal cell activity. We have combined a “chemo” blend, a “sleep” blend and a major emotional de-stress blend to be used by the same person, just not necessarily all at the same time! The “chemo” blend and pain control are discussed in the next issue.

Is there hope? As Dr. Patch Adams says: “Dying is not contagious, only the fear is.” So, until the breath has gone out of a person’s body, let’s not give up hope!

Jennine Stromkins, RA, can be reached at www.scentsofcomfort.com.