Some great health sites

A diversion from the norm: Ever since I got real sick a month or so back, I have really been studying up on healing stuff I can find in my backyard. I live in rural Missouri so almost anything can be found with a few feet of my porch steps. I do not want to be sick like that again and I also want to get off my dependence on prescription and over counter drugs. Not only do I have bipolar and hate the  medical system, but I also have "brittle" asthma, and chronic pain. Besides these chronic conditions I have some minor ailments. Because my allergies-asthma are my most deadly condition, I am concentrating on it first. Above are 3 Pinterest pins I pinned to my health board.

1. The first picture,  my focus is the 2nd from bottom "weed" Usnea. it is supposed to be all over U. S. , but I have had trouble finding information on my area about it being found here. I have seen it before, but maybe it was in northwest where I have also lived. Not even the extension office knew anything concerning it. I have read how to make tinctures with this and others following and it is online to order, but I would rather do it myself since it is expensive.
2. Stinging Nettles:  They are all over and as I am able will do them, I will. Cover plants with alcohol or vinegar for several weeks, then stain liquid through cheese cloth. Toss the plant parts and use dropper They have a lot of properties for many conditions-as does usnea. I would love to have the book.
3. Butter bur-I am sure I have seen this plant on outings, but my husband did find this one in capsules at a health food store. It is really helping the allergies-It seems, though I am not ready to jump into not taking my asthma medicines....YET?    I hope to find this plant also since the store price was steep. 

For safety, I would recommend you check with your Dr. before trying your own medicinals. 
Check out my health board on Pinterest: 28 pins and growing. Health on Pinterest

Bipolar blast- sickness part 2

I never made it to Dr, but using a myriad of things I am doing better. I am really glad to have gotten over this stuff( it seems) without The Dr.

Well  back to what happens to me when sick with bipolar.
Going back almost 20 years until I first experienced a time being sick when I thought my experience was a normal one for anyone with a yearly influenza bout. I am so thankful it has been many years since I had influenza. I am talking the high temp. , cannot do nothing but lay in bed, with burning ague with upset stomach, headache and lung pain. Not mere stomach-what people call flu- which is not really flu. This is the flu where you can barely walk to bathroom and so grabbed in hand by dizziness, you feel like you will fall down.True influenza like the kind that killed so many in early 1900's.
This time I had it- I remember laying in front of the bedroom door in carpeted hallway, hoping for strength to get the rest of way to bathroom;. I started having dark shapes before my eyes and seeing hallucinations as I lay in excruciating pain heap. I thought this would be normal for everyone since bad sickness with high tempo can bring hallucinations to some people. I had read of that. At that time I did not know the bipolar I had beneath the surface. Every time I became really ill, I have these. I did not have them bad with my last bout but slightly. Being sick is extreme scarey with bipolar. in my situation anyway, I am not sure if other bipolar get this as well. I do not know if those that I read so long ago with high temperature and hallucinations had any mental issues either. Some were missionaries and I think many in this field would lean towards more of the mind set or temperament such as mine. Just my thoughts on it.

A big problem is with me is also my extremely dangerous and  deadly asthma. Because of my asthma I can more easily become sick in a harder manner. My lungs easily go to bronchitis and there may be someone out there like me-perhaps several-with "brittle" asthma. (Only 5% of asthmatics have this deadly form.)

Steroids: When I had pneumonia and lung troubles I could not get over because of the Hamas. I have been put on Prednisone. This is a great medicine to get rid of the asthma and any infection. but as many know with sport steroids and medical Prednisone is no different. Dangerous drug for long term. One time on it when I was 19 I gained 10 pounds in a short time from side effects. I hate the cravings you get. I was on it and gobbled 3 hot dogs and a pile of macaroni and cheese when I took it for the Pneumonia.
Where does this lead me with bipolar? The Prednisone also effects hallucination factor. I had to take it fro my lungs a year ago and I had really bad hallucinations. It seem to get worse every time I take it. I put trust in God and his promise of a sound mind, but the thought of having to take the stuff is total "fear factor."

Since I live out in the forest (hardwoods -Ozark Mtns.) - now that I am feeling better and have spent sick time studying the subject- I am checking into wild herbs and plants to make tinctures for lung strengthening. I am checking in with extension and horticulture stuff in the area, am hoping to get some natural help with my asthma so I will not have these bouts. Will let all know what I discover. I like studying that subject, just another thing takes time.

So this is the extra horror for sickness with bipolar for me anyway.

bibpolar blast and sickness

Have been away from here for several days since I have been pretty sick.What was a viral cold turned into bacterial infection in ears and lungs which I have done everything in my power to get rid of. I did not recognize it coming. Not only do I have Bipolar, I also have chronic asthma and chronic pain which has not been determined the cause of.
3 weeks ago, I had extra bad pain on the side of my hips above my normal body chronic ache. I had not had this hip pain for a long time and because of my chronic pain took it to be just the regular chronic pain worsening( though I had read an article in Reader's digest about a cold in the hip and way back when I had a lot of colds the cold would start with excruciating hip pain.) I had drawn by trial and error that the hip pain was related to being sick somehow and was excited to see this article in reader's digest. I really believed it was the cold manifesting in my hip as article stated.
I mentioned this to a DR. some time back and he had "answers" you know what I mean? Maybe not all Dr's are this way, but the ones I have dealt with do not like to hear something from a patient that does not go along with the pedigree they have. I am just "crazy woman." That is the feeling I get and with my extreme sensitivity via bipolar, I am right about what I am actually hearing come through  a lot in this category.
Well my hip hurt and they are trying to figure out if I have arthritis after so many years because of lack of insurance-which is another story. I- at first felt like the hip must prove I am going into far worse arthritis. I thought fleetingly about how the pain used to come when I was sick, but I did not think I was at all sick.
I had other sick signs. I was very depressed -normal with extreme dark pole of bipolar, but this depression was an unusually bad and different form, but I just thought It was normal bipolar.
I also started clogging up in my eyes, nose. I began sneezing like I was wanting to win the sneeze prize in Guinness World record book. I attributed all the prior things to my allergies since I struggle so much with being hit with 2nd hand smoke and animal dander I cannot always catch  and control anyplace I go. Not even in my own house. It is dragged in with the "dirt."
I went on a week like this. A couple days I conked out and took long naps-which is very unlike me. I thought it was the medicine I take for the bipolar since it can cause me to be tired sometimes, but I was so extra fatigued-more than the usual. I still did not recognize I was sick though.
A week and a 1/2 into it feeling terrible I woke up to a sore throat. Blam-hit upside head. This is not allergies and my asthma, nor is it bipolar, though I think the bipolar depression was  worsened extremely  by the sickness. It was not my medication and the far worse pain was being sick.
This is my introduction. I will try by tomorrow or at least Friday How horrifying bipolar can be when you are sick for me anyway. this would probabnly be the worst part if bipolar and the only blast it might give is splintering pain of a bomb blast of trepidation.

To be continued:  Part 2............