Working Mom Blues and The Medicine Woman

The other day, after my husband bought me my bike, he brought it upstairs in the living room to work on. I didn't mind. I'm getting used to having him work on bikes in the living room. It seems to keep him happy while he's watching re-runs of The Beverley Hillbillies, The A Team, or whatever semi-wholesome tape or dvd we can get a hold of. This memory is a particularly fond one because after he put a new tire on it, he put the baby seat on for me. Then Miss Moona wanted to sit in it. Then he decided to give her a ride. Through the dining room, down the hall and back into the living room he peddled her while I watched half amused. A couple of years ago, maybe even a couple of months ago I would have protested loudly. Now I couldn't have cared less. Its funny how our perspectives change. Miss Moona was happy. My husband was happy. I was happy. Can't think of anybody who wasn't happy at the time, so who cares if my husband is riding the baby through the house on my new (used) bicycle?! :-) Its stuff like that that just sticks with me.......
So anyway, I don't usually write about ailments, but i'm undergoing another one of those ironies, so I had to tell about it. Almost a month ago, my daughter went running in the rain. She runs 5-10 miles at a pop. The girl is just incredible. Anyhow, she came home with muddy feet from the holes in her shoes (which I have since thrown away and replaced). When she got home she had a rash across her toes. For the first few days we sprayed her toes with anti fungal spray. Within a week, it had turned into a full blown cellulitis with swollen reddened toes and feet and ankles and pain going up her calves. Scared the crap out of me. I took her into prompt care and she got on keflex. Within days the cellulitis left her feet and legs but her toes remained red and giant bloody blisters formed on the top of each toe. I showed pictures to the Doctors at work who thought it was maybe a staff or strep bacterial infection. They recommended to continue on antibiotics and do foot soaks which I did. On the 7th and last day of antibiotics I took her back again because it was still there. It had been weeks since she could wear shoes, go for a walk or even be out in the sun without an outbreak. Thats when we got a referral to a dermatologist. We drove her to a big city where they put her on stronger antibiotics and steroids. Would you believe new, smaller blisters formed the other day?! Prayers of many, scripture confessions, foot soaks, elevation, antibiotics, steroids..... what else do I do?
So anyhow, I have prayed daily for God to heal this awful malady on my beautiful girl. Today, a possible answer came from an unexpected source. I talked to a very wise co-worker who has spent years studying medicine on many levels. With more confidence than ANYBODY I've talked to, she says continual poultices of ecchnicia and plantain will heal her along with elevation. Now the last time I heard about poultices was from Granny Clampet, but I had to consider that modern medicine with all its remedies has not been successful. Our Mist, also suggested poltices which I poopooed (sorry Mist). Thinking back, thyme healed me last year from an ailment I'd had off and on for years. I felt humbled and dumbfounded. Would simple weeds really help heal those toes? I don't know. Generous Georgia, after detailed instructions, went outside and brought me back in some plantain leaves from the hospital grounds. Then she instructed me to go out and pick the rest that were growing there. Sheepishly I ambled out into the fresh, warm air. I looked all over where she told me to go but I couldn't see any. I even retraced her direction steps no less than five times. I began to panic so I prayed. "Look down" gently came to me and I realized I had tromped through the stuff five times - lol!! I felt really really silly. It occurred to me how ironic it was that I, the nurse, was outside the hospital harvesting free weeds to treat my daughter with when even the best specialists hadn't helped her. A whole hospital of things were available inside but none of them seemed right. Would the weeds growing outside be the key? Generous Georgia seemed pretty convinced they would. So as the cars drove by, I ignored my brain telling me that I was crazy to be doing this, and harvested a big bag of plantain............ Now to keep trusting in God and try this ancient remedy.