Editorial
New England Journal of Homeopathy
Fall 1994, Vol. 3, No. 4
Time
Amy Rothenberg, ND, DHANP
November 1994
I sit here about to write the editorial, with my small children tucked safely into their bed, snuggled one into the other, three abreast. I think about the impossibility of editing and publishing a journal during the 10pm-1am shift and the frustration of trying to “fit it in.” Yet, at this time of life, I am defined by motherhood. When I see patients (just one day a week), what I wear (mucous smeared sweatshirt and old jeans), what I listen to (Raffi and Free to Be You and Me), what I read (Grandfather Twilight and Little House on the Prairie), what I do for fun with my husband (go to the local diner, stare at the menu, gasp a sigh of relief that we “escaped”), what I cook (macaroni and cheese-again?), who I spend time with (a very nice bunch of moms, all suffering from one degree or another with “milk-brain.”). We all adore our children, put on hold interesting “real” work, outside interests and spontaneous jaunts downtown, or up mountainsides to stay at home, at least part time to do the other “real” work of raising children to be good people.
So, as these articles about women in their later years came to my desk (in a “room of my own”? No way – the kitchen table aclutter with this morning’s cereal bowls and the remains of half eaten apples is a much more creative environment, don’t you think?) I had to take a deep breath and envision life at that time, without the daily, constant unending labor of love it is to keep house and raise a family. And slowly, as I began to read the cases and commentaries, I found myself peering into the future; how appealing it all became. The potential of putting my childbearing capacity to rest, and nurturing other interests, hobbies, passions and whims has a lure of its own.
These feelings are not strictly for women who have had children. For all the women who, by choice or circumstance, do not raise children but instead pour their souls into relationships, careers or other worldly interests, there is also a time to look forward to, fulfilling other aspirations which have been stowed away or yet undreamed during younger years.
As homeopaths, it is our charge to offer women in these middle and older years the best possible health so they can enjoy this phase of life. The cultural biases against older people cause many older women to stop dreaming and striving for whatever might be fulfilling and exhilarating for them. It is my hope that with homeopathy and other natural medicine, older women might reach their middle and later life full of vigor, inspiration and self-acceptance.
I hope you will find the articles within interesting and of use. Dr. Lauri Grossman’s-book review gives a nice flavor of Jay Yasgur’s Dictionary of Homeopathic Medical Terminology. There is a good collection of – menopausal cases as well as a provocative article on Hormone Replacement Therapy by Christine Ciavarella, P.A.-C. Susan Delaney ND offers her reflections on Sulphur women- how they can and do differ from the men. This opens a whole Pandora’s box of ideas regarding gender specific remedies. In our practices, we develop very clear images of the way the two sexes play out certain remedies yet, this is seldom differentiated in our materia medicas.
The prevention and treatment of heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis, was addressed by a number of authors, pooling thoughts, experiences and hypotheses on how to address these very real concerns of older women. Please write to us about your experience so we can continue to paint the homeopathic landscape with everyone’s colors.
Many of these topics-hormone replacement, osteoporosis, the distinction between the sexes as seen in remedies deserve the time and resources of homeopathic research. As we gain strength in numbers of practitioners and patients, we need to always keep on the front burner our professional imperative to do research, both in the lab and clinically, and publish such findings for the rest of the world to see. Homeopathy will continue to prove itself if only put to the test.
On a slightly unrelated note, it was a pleasure to find out that two of our authors in this issue. Jody Shevins N.D. and Lauri Grossman D.C. rekindled their friendship during the production of this issue, having lost touch for nearly twenty years. Homeopathy has a wonderful way of drawing people to each other, old friends and new. It is these interpersonal connections which continue to build the framework of mutual support and strength within the profession.
I would like to thank Susan Delaney, N.D. and my husband, Paul Herscu, N.D. for all their help and support in the production of this issue.
Lastly, I would like to dedicate this issue of the Journal to my mother, Doris Cynthia Jaffe Rothenberg, who never lived to know her older years, but would have reveled in such a time. She always said. “Only the good die young.” How right she was.
In homeopathy,
Amy Rothenberg, ND, DHANP
 |