A CASE OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS WITH PERITONITIS.

Mr. A.G. aged 20yrs was brought to me on the evening of the 20th May with severe pain in abdomen of 2 days duration. Mild fever but no vomiting or diarrhea. The pain was cramping, cutting and forced the patient to bend double as he walked. Physical examination revealed P.R. 85/min. BP 120/70. Temp: 99*C. Abdomen rigid with especial tenderness at the McBurney's point and L. hypochondrium. No lump palpable. Patient was thirst-less but had good appetite.USG shows 2 small bilateral renal calculii and appendicitis. Probe tenderness at McBurneys point.

There was very little in the history to go by, hence the reasoning for prescription was based on common sense. Severe and acute inflammation of an organ + thirstlessness = Belladonna. The same was given in 1M potency every two hours for 24 hrs. 

21st May 6:30pm - Patient is much better. No fever, pain only in L. hypochondrium.

22nd May 6:30pm - Patient totally relieved. No pain, tenderness. He is comfortable and asymptomatic.  No medicines needed.

The patient had been advised immediate surgery but was too afraid and poor to undergo the same, hence sought Homeopathic treatment and was amply rewarded.

BREAST TUMOR in a boy of 13yrs 

07-09-2013. V.B. a young boy aged 13 years was brought to me by his worried mother complaining of sharp pains in the left breast. . The boy complained that it was painful when he played football or on touch especially in class if he came in contact with friends in school. He was deeply embarrassed at the development. He could not sleep on his chest for the same reason. The boy was a plump energetic fellow with (his mother complained) an almost unsatiable appetite. If she scolded him for over-eating, he would take money from her on some pretext and go out to eat `Bhelpuri' cold drinks,  icecream or some other delicacy he fancied.
On palpation a small firm, well defined, encapsulated tumor 2 cms X 1 cm, tender to touch was palpable in the L breast.
Clinically it was a fibroadenoma. 
Repertorization suggested `Bromine ' which I gave him in the 30th potency. To come after 7 days.
15-09-2013. No change. I decided to leave the repertorization aside and gave him `Skookum Chuck' 30 - follow-up after 1 week.
21-09-2013. Mother dragged in a very reluctant boy whom the mother had told he would now need to be operated. The boy was scared. I asked him if he would like to have the tumor removed - he could only shake his head with tears in his eyes. I informed the mother that such benign tumors can recur after operation and hence it may not be the final answer. I re-assured her to be more patient. This time I trawled the Materia medica and came across a drug I had used in the past for a similar tumor in a woman - Lapis alba.(refer 1001 Small Remedies -Dr.Frederik Schroyens; Concise Materia Medica by S.R.Phatak; Materia Medica by Boericke W. ) I had the 200th potency and gave him 15 doses - 3 per day for 5 days. 
03-10-2013. The boy came into my clinic beaming - the tumor was gone. 

Several lessons can be drawn from this case 
1. Repertorization is not the final answer for all cases. 
2. Past experience counts - this last observation was Hahnemann's  concluding advice to his followers. Quite a U turn from his previous exhortations that experience was not to be relied upon for prescribing a drug..
3. Higher potencies do have a place in treating pathology 
4. Repetition even with such potencies can throw up remarkable cures with no danger to the patient as many Homeopaths claim. 

So can Homeopathy treat all cases???? Well almost!!!!! 

OBSTRUCTIVE JAUNDICE

As an adjunct to what I had said on my previous blog on this topic of  `CAN HOMEOPATHY CURE ALL TYPES OF CASES', I am presenting this case of Cholelithiasis (Gall stones).

Mr.A.M.P came to me on 11-10-2012 with moderate icterus and pain in the Liver region. No h/o fever, vomiting. The patient had obvious jaundice and had been seen by a surgeon and diagnosed as a case of Gall stones in the CBD with obstructive jaundice. His Total Bilirubin: 6.9mg%; Direct Bilirubin: 3.8mg%; Alkaline Phosphatase: 224 IU/Lt.

With very few symptoms to go by, the indicated remedy was Chelidonium which I gave in the 30th potency -  a dose every 6 hours for three days. on 16/10/2012 he reported that he was feeling much better. The icterus had certainly diminished.

17/10/2012 - the patient reported that he was relieved of his complaints. His tests were repeated.
Total Bilirubin: 2.8mg%; Direct Bilirubin: 1.6mg%; Alkaline Phosphatase: 184 IU/Lt.
At this juncture I had proved my point that Homeopathy can help in such cases, but I was not under any delusion that the obstruction (14mm stone at the distal end of the CBD along with multiple large stones in the Gall bladder) had dissolved or passed through. I repeated the USG and my suspicion was confirmed. I referred the patient for an ERCP procedure to a Surgeon.

Homeopaths cannot and must not go on symptoms alone. The patient then revealed that he had a similar attack five years ago and produced the old USG reports which were identical to the present!! This is  another lesson for all homeopaths - the limitations of case-taking. Despite all your experience, it will do you good to remember that you will know only what the patient chooses to reveal!  By referring the patient for a procedure, I had done what is ethically and morally expected of me. I refrained from claiming a fictitious cure based on symptoms and I had probably saved the patient from a more severe episode of jaundice, infection and unimaginable suffering. Such patients will always remain grateful to the physician for being balanced and practical and to Homeopathy for having prepared him for the unavoidable endoscopic procedure.

To conclude,.discretion must take the better part of valor. As in this case, surgery can be your victory in defeat. 

CAN HOMEOPATHY TREAT ALL TYPES OF CASES

Contrary to belief, like all other systems of medicine, Homeopathy too has its limitations. However it may be said that some of the more spectacular cures that Dr.Kowshik has achieved through Homeopathy, certainly stretches this belief. Dr.Kowshik specializes in treating post-operative complications and multi-drug resistant infections that plague surgeons and also in acute infective disorders such as Pneumonia.