Category Archives: Medical Related

Pain In The Neck!!

February 2, 2019 Munchkin 2 Comments

Gnome has been out of action since Wednesday morning with a neck sprain. He was chain-sawing a high branch of a tree (the chain-saw is heavy and he was on his tippy-toes); I saw his face contort and luckily he could steady himself to switch the chain-saw off safely. I ran to his aid as he complained of neck pain and shooting pains down both arms (well, he was going ARRRGH ARRRRGH a and there was a lot of body language). Oh, poor Gnome!! I helped him back into the house and put my Doctor hat on (luckily we are both doctors so can stay collected and calm under these stressful conditions). With a couple hours of rest, analgaesia and observation we decided that it was not a medical emergency.

We have had accidents on the farm in the past and have just suffered and got through it together in our stoic sort of way! This time, we took a different approach and decided to “share the anxiety and stress.” So, with Gnome loaded up to the eye-balls with pain-killers, off we went to the Social Security department in Punta Gorda to report the accident. They were soooo nice and helpful and I was relieved to have done it. They said to us that it was important to report any accident on the workplace immediately because even although it might start off looking like a minor problem, the fact that we have reported a case allows them to follow up with medical investigations, treatment and care should the problem become chronic and ongoing. What have a learned from this? We really should remember to ask for help when needed…because we are doctors and the buck usually stops at us we often think that we have to bear the pain ourselves!!

I am happy that we live in such a small community in which we are not just a (social security) number and because we have been living in this place for such a long length of time, we are recognised by our positive interactions within the town. Everyone involved was lovely.

Last but not least, I need to assure Gnome’s parents and family that everything is okay and that he is recovering. He is resting and I am treating him with medication and acupuncture daily. He is not allowed to do any work right now (says me and I am the law on the farm!!) so he has to stay put. He is getting a bit bored which is a good indication that he is doing better!

Belize, Medical Related, Our Products

Sting-Done-Gone!!

September 10, 2017 Munchkin 2 Comments

I wanted to share this with you since it actually happened about 30 minutes ago. I was on the veranda moving paper bricks and I got an almighty, awful sting from a scorpion. It really caught me by surprise because I had just reached my hand out to grab a brick and it must have been hiding behind it. I gave such an almighty scream that even my cat woke up from his dreamy Sunday nap. He promptly fell asleep again once he saw me jumping about like a mad maniac…hmmm, he must think that this is a normal state for me…

Anyway, I didn’t want to be a woose and call Gnome (emergency doc) for a scorpion bite so I ran into the house to see what I could do myself. Yesterday, I had been bottling our Itch Done Gone (insect bite relief) product and since it was readily available, I grabbed some of that.

This is what I did: I dumped a bottle (10mls) of Itch Done Gone, about a 1/4 cup of baking soda, filled the jug up to about 500mls (1/2 quart) with water and stuck my hand in it.

Ahhhh relief…the copal (a natural anti-inflammatory) together with the camphor in the Itch Done Gone cooled down the inflammation and my hand stopped throbbing with the pain. I left my hand in it for about 5 minutes…I would recommend longer (like half an hour to get the full benefits).

My personal thoughts on using this concoction as a scorpion sting remedy: this time round, the area that was stung, did not swell up as much as much as previous times (when no remedy was used). I felt subjectively that although it did not take away the pain entirely, that the pain was lessened in intensity and duration.

Interestingly enough, I have been told by other people that they have used Itch Done Gone for scorpion bites with good results. I’ve been told that they apply it directly onto the affected areas. My use of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) was derived from the knowledge that it is used in allergic reactions such as poison ivy to help with itch relief. According to Gnome’s logic, immunological responses tend to set up an acidic environment so the logic in using sodium bicarbonate is to alkalinize the environment; possibly if there are any acidic components to the venom, they might get neutralised.

My recommendations: I think that a bottle of Itch Done Gone should be an essential in everybody’s first aid kit. Not only is it effective in relieving the itch and inflammation of insect bites, you can also use it in scorpion stings. If you are interested in this product please click on this link: Itch Done Gone in Casa Mascia Apothecary.

Belize, Medical Related, Plants

Teas For Insomnia.

November 21, 2016 Munchkin 2 Comments

Hello, Munchkin here!! I am feeling a lot better and the serosi (bitter gourd) tea really worked. Mouth ulcers gone in 48 hours. Since, we’re on the subject of herbal teas, Gnome and I have been experimenting with different teas for insomnia. We’ve been drinking each of the different teas every night for about a week. The overall conclusion for each of them is that they help you to get to sleep quicker but then sleep can be interrupted during the night. None of them actually work great by themselves and the effects seem to lessen with subsequent days. We are looking more in depth into this personal study to see if a combination would actually work better…perhaps with a few more additions.

Here is a summary of some of the main effects from the different teas; do remember that this experimentation is completely subjective.

Passionflower (Passiflora sp.) tea.

Preparation: 12 large leaves including flowers (if you can get them) boiled in 500mls (pint) of water for 15 minutes. Then steeped for 1 hour. This makes enough for 2 people.

Effects: Felt sleepy about 30 minutes after ingestion and managed to fall asleep fairly quickly. It was a deep, calming sleep but we both experienced interrupted sleep (Gnome couldn’t get back to sleep for about 4 hours and I had a 2 hour sleepless period). Felt refreshed in the morning on waking up.

White Lily tea:

Preparation: 2 flowers(chopped up) and boiled in 500mls (pint) of water for 15 minutes. Then steeped for 1 hour. This makes enough for 2 people.

Effects: Fell asleep within 1 hour and both us experienced prolonged dreams with “running commentary”…ie. dreams with a constant internal dialogue in the background. The content of the dreams were very mundane like talking about what to prepare for dinner or running through “to do” lists. We would wake up and then fall asleep in a few minutes back into the same dream (over and over again…sounds really bizarre!). Woke up in the morning feeling groggy.

Lotus Flower tea:

Preparation: 20 petals boiled in 500mls (pint) of water for 15 minutes. Then steeped for 1 hour. This makes enough for 2 people.

Effects: Gnome didn’t get anything out of this one! We both felt sleepy on drinking the tea but as soon as we got into bed, 30 minutes later, the sleepiness was wearing off!! Not much information to say about this one!! Do you possibly have to drink this one in bed so that you can take advantage of the effects as they come on?

Anyway, will keep you posted on our insomnia experimentation…watch this space.

Belize, Medical Related

Busy With Coughs And Colds!

June 18, 2016 Munchkin 1 Comment

Together.Courtyard The business of coughs and colds always fall to the responsibility of the GP and right now, we are having a busy time with it! As I look back at previous years, I have noticed a spike of this type of ailment in June. I think this co-insides with the abrupt change in weather from from dry to rainy season in Belize. On-call, off-duty, on-duty….it’s all the same to a doctor…everywhere we go right now, we are bumping into people with coughs. Just a few days ago, I stepped into a man’s shop and he was lying on his back (on crates) coughing and spluttering. I can’t get away from the call of duty. 😉

I am now armed with a stethoscope and medical paraphernalia as I walk down the streets of Punta Gorda.

Munchkin.Hair.Flowing

We have noticed that some people do start off with a benign cold here…they call it “fresh cold” in Belize. It usually goes away by itself with a bit of rest, good wholesome food and TLC. There are however some people who don’t rest and continue to erratically go through life in the same stressful and deleterious way. These are the ones who get into trouble and the upper respiratory tract infection develops into pneumonia. We end up seeing these people as patients.

Anyway, for all you people who have recently developed the sniffles…STOP. Give your body a rest!! Doctor’s Orders!! And here is an easy drink that you can make at home (3 times daily for the next 7 days) to help reduce the phlegm and cough.

Munchkin.Drinking

Cough And Cold Remedy.

Put the following in a mug:

Juice of one lime

1 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp chili powder (or a quarter piece of fresh habanero, finely chopped)

1/4 tsp of ground dried ginger (or 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped)

Top up with hot water. Allow to steep for 5 minutes and then drink up.

Also, go to sleep early, rest and stop running around!

Belize, Medical Related, Our Products, Soap

Fresh Copal.

March 25, 2016 Munchkin 1 Comment

Munchkin.with.Sword Hope you are having an enlightening Good Friday! Well, it’s hot and we are definitely in the midst of dry season which means it is time to tap copal (Protium copal) for the resin. The most popular use for the copal blocks is as incense. To use, just break off pieces and burn over charcoal. Another use for copal is as a skin treatment for rash, inflammation and itch; copal has been used by the Ancient Maya for centuries as a traditional remedy for skin ailments. It also has natural anti-septic qualities so can be used for minor bacterial and fungal infections. Here are some pictures of fresh copal:

Fresh copal has the smell of rainforests with an uplifting resinous scent.

If you are interested in reading more about the medical properties of copal, click on Copal As Medicine.

Here are some products that we make from copal. We recommend these products for skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, insect bites and as a preventative treatment for skin infections.

If you want to view more of our copal hand-made products please look at The Apothecary. For anyone living in Punta Gorda (Belize!), you can buy our Copal Medicinal Oil and other products at Vance Vernon and Mahong Pharmacy.

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Medical Related, Our Products, Pets

Lime-Sulphur Pet Dip At The Farm Store!

March 14, 2016 Munchkin

Hello Everyone!!! We have the wonderful smell of brimstone pervading through our house since Gnome has made up a fresh batch of Lime-Sulphur Pet Dip for The Farm Store. Ahhh…like the Catholic Gnome that he is he feels spiritually cleansed and renewed with the richly aromatic vapours of sulphur!

The High Velocity Cleansing Power of Sulphur.

So, get your Lime-Sulphur Pet Dip at the Farm Store in Punta Gorda. Guaranteed to work regardless of religion of pet.

Ask Brian at The Farm Store. Use it for the treatment of Mange, Fleas, Ticks and Ringworm. If you can’t remember the cumbersome long name of the product, just ask for “Presidente.” You’ll know why if you look at at our cheap budget packaging.

Everything Handmade in Belize.