ADOPT A SQUADRON UNIT - Care Packages

December 8, 2009 – 12:39 pm

militarySorry, no healing tips today since I want to talk about something near to my heart. I know there are a lot of us wondering what we can do to help or assist our men and women who are serving abroad and this is an opening for any of you who would like to assist some of those who are so far from home.   This request came from my cousin Marlaine Koue, whose family is committed to assisting the troups abroad.  Marlaine has outlined for us her easy guidelines for sending packages.

The US postal service has “flat rate” boxes.  These are great since they allow you to fill up a box at a rate you can afford.  The post office will ask you to fill out a couple of forms and the cost would be between $10 and $14 a box depending on which size you send.

Cards and letters are great since everyone needs a family. If you know of a person, family or group that would like to send anything, please feel free to forward this on.  This Squadron is set to be in Afghanistan until June 2010.

Send Items To:

GySgt Kathryn Denham - To get things delivered you have to send to someone in a unit. Kathryn has agreed to be that person.

HMLA - 367 Scarface

Unit 42065

FPO AP 96427-2065

Put a note in the box “to the men and women of HMLA - 367″

Food (They get 3 meals a day but there is no food available between meals) so they would desperately like:

  • Granola Bars
  • Jerky
  • Nuts
  • Candy - chocolate can be sent until March - afterward melting is an issue
  • Fruit Cups
  • Crackers
  • Mints
  • Chips
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee

Personal Items:

  • Blankets
  • Toiletries (There are 15 women in the squadron that have special needs)
  • Scarves / Sunglasses
  • Liquid Body Soap/Shampoo/Conditioner/Lotion/Razors/Combs
  • Toothpaste (do not send mouthwash)
  • floss/ gum

This is a wonderful opportunity you and your family about giving to those who our serving our country and are in harm’s way. Whether it’s a holiday box or a monthly box, it will be met with a smile and grateful hands and hearts.  And a big “thank you” from Marlaine and I.  Happy Holidays from all of us at Frush Botanicals.

By nadine | Posted in Muscle Aches | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Loss of Balance, Falling and Bruising

July 21, 2009 – 9:05 am
Thursday Night - Not looking good

Thursday Night - Not looking good

For seniors, loss of balance and falling brings terrifying consequences.  When we are babies, it is a normal part of learning to walk, when we are from the ages of children thru adulthood, it rarely happens, but as we age, loss of balance begins to take a serious toll in our lives.

I am of the sandwich generation.  I have 2 girls, 12 and 17, and an 84 year old mother which I care for in the evenings and monitor throughout the day.  My mother has been falling for the past 4 years.  Luckily she is overweight, which cushions her falls and protects her bones.  She has osteoporosis, spinal stenosis, and has broken two ribs during the past year.  After every fall my mother’s caregiver and I aggressively treat her with arnica cream to reduce her inflammation and bruising.  But I have never been able to record the consequences of the fall, and the relief of the cream until last week.

My mother loves her garden and since we are worried that she could fall on the uneven ground, we designed a cement path so that she could safely get around with her walker.  However on Wednesday, some how her bad knee gave way and Mom toppled over, hitting her face on a solar light.  Somehow she was able to pull herself back up, get back in the house and call me.  I came over as soon as possible, saw that she had cut her nose, gave her ice, ibuprofen, and put some Elixer Arnica Sports Rub TM on her face.  Seeing that the bleeding would not stop, I took her to the Urgent care facility where she received 8 stitches.  That night I, along with my other duties, I made sure that Mom got another dab of Elixer.

Monday after the stitches are taken out. Once again, Mom is BEAUTIFUL!

Monday after the stitches are taken out. Once again, Mom is BEAUTIFUL!

Mom’s bruising is scary since she has poor circulation due to congestive heart failure.  As we feared, her left side of her face looked terrible on the second day.  For the next several days Mom would receive Elixer treatments in the morning and night and each day, the bruising inflammation subsided.  By Monday, I almost had my mother’s beautiful face back to normal.  And Mom feels so much better, the stitches were out, and her physician commented on her speedy recovery, “Just like a young kid’s”, he said.

See for yourself and try our free sample offer.

We think that every one should have a jar of Elixer in their medicine supply.

By nadine | Posted in Accidents - Home, Free Sample Offer | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Banning of Tylenol (Acetaminophen), Percocet, and Vicodin

July 8, 2009 – 3:50 pm

arnica-montana_13944214Incredibly, the FDA is considering proposing limits on Tylenol, an “in everyone’s medicine cabinet” drug which if used improperly, causes liver failure.  Granted, the after effects are serious, but this also opens our personal medicine cabinet to a host of new limitations, such as Motrin and Advil (ibuprofen), that can cause peptic ulcers and bleeding, in addition to liver or kidney damage.  There is Aleve (naproxen) which can increase risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke.  Also there is risk of serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning.  These “remedies” have always been dangerous, but there have been times which we have had to use them.

I worry about the consequences of the limits.  I know myself, if I have badly sprained a muscle, have a headache or a high temperature, I will take a pill.  I’m not going to a doctor.  Like many American, my husband and I are self-employed, pay for health insurance, but with a $5000 deductible, can’t afford to go see a physician every time we get a minor injury or have a cold.  It cost us $150 for a visit, in which the insurance pays little or nothing.  So we will just have to stockpile our over-the-counter medications.

It also means that physicians can no longer prescribe Vicodin and Percocet which also contains acetaminophen.  Let me try to understand this - is the government telling us that Oxycontin (often called synthetic morphine and highly addictive) along with codeine (also habit-forming), is safer to use than the acetaminophen?  Huh, I guess it is better to have more drug addicts in this world.  We all know that as Americans we are way too stupid to be educated on the use of acetaminophen.

Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t like any of these drugs and am very careful using them for me and my family.  I created Elixer Arnica Sports Rub TM because my eldest daughter had a serious sports injury and a delicate stomach.  The last thing I wanted to see was her popping Motrin to reduce her shoulder inflammation and pain.  But I do recognize the need for these non-steroid, anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medicines in our homes.  I just hope that the FDA sees the light.

So, since the government clamp is coming down on all of us, I have a proposition for you.  We are now offering a free sample of Elixer per US household; so that you can see what a wonderful job it does combating muscle and joint pain.  Just fill out the on-line form and you should be receiving a packet in the mail in a week or two.

By nadine | Posted in Free Sample Offer, Muscle Aches, Nsaids | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Liver Damage and Acetaminophen

July 1, 2009 – 4:32 pm

pillsOn Tuesday, a federal advisory panel voted to recommend a ban on Percocet and Vicodin because of their effect on liver.  Percocet is Oxycodon plus acetaminophen, an opiate plus an analgesic/antipyretic (pain reliever/fever reducer), which means that it is addictive and additionally can cause liver damage.  Oxycontin is the time-release version of Oxycodon, often called synthetic morphine.

Vicodin is a mixture of hydrocodone, a synthetic mixture of the opiate codeine and paracetamol, which is also called acetaminophen.  At its lowest prescribed level, Vicodin contains 500 mg paracetamol and 5 mg hydrocodone.  More than 42,000 people are hospitalize and 400 people die yearly from overdoses of acetaminophen.  When people are using a combination of Percocet or Vicodin along with acetaminophen, the results can be devastating.

These drugs are powerful as healing agents, but have destructive side effects.  Several times I have had to use them, along with members of my family, but now we are much more careful.  So for my daily pains, I stay away from acetaminophen and ibuprofen, and rely on arnica, especially in a cream form, such as Elixer Arnica Sports Rub TM.  Fast pain relief without the worry of damaging my liver.

Right now we are offering free samples.  Sorry that you’ll have to call us at 831-465-1928, but in several days we will have an on-line form.  Just remember, there are other alternatives to handle muscle pain, and using arnica is a much safer path to take.

By nadine | Posted in Muscle Aches | Comments (0)

Free Test Run of Pain Management Cream

June 30, 2009 – 9:51 am

Good news comes in small packages.4-oz-jar

Our business has been growing through grass roots marketing efforts.  People come into the various stores that stock our products, pick up a sample, use it at home, and then become devoted customers.  However, when dealing with researching and purchasing on the internet, this cycle is broken.  After all, how can you believe the hype that we write?

Due to our belief that Elixer Arnica Sports Rub TM is the best arnica and natural pain management cream on the market, we’ve decided to let you be the judge.  We will offer a free sample of our cream.  All you need to do is to fill out the online form - which should be up no later than next week.  It’s just a fill-in of your name, address and email.  This offer is as good as supplies last.

We are sure that after using Elixer, you too, will become committed to its wonderful healing properties.  Plus as a cream by itself, it hydrates dry skin and has a very slight and pleasant smell.

Of course, the usual rules apply; one free sample per address.  We are a small company and are trying to keep our offer under control.

So tell your family ands friends.  Don’t let them suffer in pain.  Have them, along with yourself, give Elixer a test run.

By nadine | Posted in Free Sample Offer | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Accidents in the Home

June 23, 2009 – 11:22 am
My daughter and her best friend with broken wrists from Snowboarding!

My daughter and her best friend with broken wrists from Snowboarding!

They say that most accidents happen in the home, and the most dangerous place is the bathroom.  Many of us try to insure against accidents, such as putting mats down in the bath tubs, rubber-lined rugs on the tile, no electric appliances need the bathing area, etc. However, every once in a while, all of our precautions are useless.

Yesterday, I couldn’t think of a thing to write about pain management or arnica.  All the testimonials seem to disappear from my brain.  So I decided to take a shower and see if my head would see a vision of a story.  While in the shower, I cursed my kids for not putting the bath mat on the tub floor, and racked my brain for an idea.

“Hey, Mommy, can you drive me to the pool?” shouted my daughter through the bathroom door.  “No problem, let me get dried off”, I answered.

While getting out of the tub, I realized that I had taken most of the towels away for the Monday morning wash.  No problem, as I walked dripping wet to the opposite end of the no-slide tiled floor.  I reached for the towel on the wall behind the door, and my feet slid out from under me.  Wham, I hit my ulna (big lower arm bone) with my full weight.  The bump and the excruciating pain started IMMEDIATELY.

Swiftly, while not trying to frighten my daughter with banshee screams, I rushed and got an ice pack.  Just before wrapping the lower arm in the pack, I quickly rubbed on some Elixer Arnica Sports Rub TM, and swallowed an ibuprofen pill.

It took well over an hour for the pain to become a low-level throb, but with the fast action, my injury is minimal - it’s now a bump being treated with Elixer.

Next time, I’ve got to find an easier way to get a story for the blog.

By nadine | Posted in Accidents - Home | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Boot Camp and Pain Management

June 16, 2009 – 8:44 am

officers-runningWhen the kids graduate from high school in the early summer, it seems that many of them decide that they need direction in their lives and enlist in the arm services.  I know of several kids that are awaiting their 18th birthday to sign up to the Navy and Air Force. We are all proud of them for taking this huge step, but also worried at the possibility of being shipped out to foreign ports, and placed in harm’s way.  Also as parents and friends we worry about the kids making it through boot camp safely without physical injury.  Pain management is key for sore muscles and joints.

Last week my husband dropped off my daughter at the Naval Academy to enroll in a 5 day camp that consists of boot camp in the morning and classes in the afternoon, such as International Politics, Economics and Oceanography.  The purpose of the camp is for her to find out if she would like to apply to the US Naval Academy in her senior year and become a naval lawyer.

Of course I worry about possible injuries at the boot camp.  Mind you, my daughter is a competitive swimmer and is totally at home in the water, but on land, quite a different story.  In fact, her swim team dubbed her the “graceful swan” for her series of mishaps on land.

So as a good mom, before she left, I reviewed with her how to give oneself a deep muscle massage to break the lactic acid muscle buildup, and threw in her suitcase a large jar of Elixer Arnica Sports Rub TM.  With any boot camp, whether it is for the military, or just at your neighbor gym, muscle injuries easily occur.  Just remember to ice, soak in a tub, give yourself a deep massage, and use an arnica gel or cream to reduce the inflammation.  Hot pad and if it is really bad, Motrin can also be used to assist in the recovery.

Well, I hope in two days to get her back, happy and healthy.  And with Elixer, I know that she doesn’t need to suffer through the pains of boot camp.

Have a great summer and stay healthy too.

By nadine | Posted in Muscle Aches, Sports Injuries | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Athletes and Pain Management

June 9, 2009 – 7:06 pm

golfer“Oh, my God.  I could sit in the hot tub forever.  I am so sore”.  How often do we hear that around athletes, whether they be of world class caliber, or a dedicated local team member?

‘Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.’ So goes a well-known but anonymous quote. For many athletes, pain is a normal everyday experience and success is often achieved in spite of pain.

Pain is synonymous with sport. Endurance athletes relish the challenge of ‘pushing through pain’ while boxers expect to fight on regardless of a jarring blow to the chin. Adulation is reserved not just for the star quarterback, but anyone who can play through pain and contribute to the team. Winners and heroes overcome pain. Losers don’t.

Even kids follow this example.  When breaking her elbow in a freak swimming accident, my daughter went back to the pool after a week’s rest, and started swimming again.  Pain is a part of her life, and the areas of pain will increase as the athlete ages.

The price of pain can be high. Pain both demands attention and creates fear. It can restrict the ability to concentrate on performance and take away the opportunity to compete. Pain can even end sporting careers. The relationship between pain and sport is filled with challenges for sportsmen and women as well as those who support them.

It seems the trick is to minimize the suffering.  Hot, tubs, cold packs, massage, and ibuprofen, are part of arsenal used by athletes and their trainer.  And so is arnica montana, a botanical used to reduce muscle inflammation.

“You know, that cream you gave me?” said Gillian, one of my sisters-in-law.  That Elixer stuff works, I could cover my whole body in it”.  Gillian, is a dedicated team soccer player in a league for women over 40.  Soccer has been her life since she was nine years old.  “You think you could sell me a really large bottle of it with a pump?  I feel so much better using it after our workouts”

Can’t think of a nicer compliment for Elixer Arnica Sports RubTM.

By nadine | Posted in Muscle Aches, Repetitive Stress, Sports Injuries | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Successful Aging and Pain Management

May 28, 2009 – 11:27 pm

happy-senior-asiansAging takes us all for surprise.  Each one of us ages differently, we can’t reverse aging, but can try to slow it down, and we try to develop successful aging therapy so that we can enjoy our golden years.  However when we see our aging parents, we really begin to appreciate the complexity of the aging problem.

My mother, an incredibly social and independent woman, has been aging rapidly.  Soon after she turned 80, speech and balance seem to get steadily worse.  Falling seemed to be a consistent activity, and words would escape her.  Her doctors and I agree that she is probably having tiny strokes in her brain, which causes her to no end, immense frustration and depression.  Her social life is now non-existent, she can no longer play bridge, and her handwriting ability is disintegrating.

However what concerns me the most are her aches and pains.  Often after she has fallen, we can’t see if she is seriously hurt, since fractures can take up to 12 days to be recognized on an x-ray.  Then there are the pains from unknown causes, such as a heel pain that she had recently.  It was so severe that for four days she rested her foot and did little walking. The worst has been the broken ribs, which has happened twice.  It takes a month for her ribs to heal, and the first two weeks are always the hardest, since coughing and laughing are exceedingly painful.  The good news is that Elixer Arnica Sports RubTM helps alleviate the pain and especially the bruising

The best advice I can give anyone with aging parents, is to keep them as safe and as comfortable as possible.  When ever my mother has pain, I always try to give her a massage with Elixer, and I also have her caregivers to do the same.  Touch is very important for seniors, and massage is a wonderful way for you to say “I love you”. For my mother’s depression, we try to keep her as active as possible, by having dinner with us every night, and dragging her to all of our kids’events along with the normally prescribed physical therapies.  We are still very happy that she can be a part of our lives.

By nadine | Posted in Muscle Aches | Comments (0)

Muscle Cramping and Pain

May 20, 2009 – 10:42 am

bike-race3Have you ever been doing a small menial task and a muscle cramp takes over a part of your body?  Or are you too afraid to even stretch out your body first thing in the morning in fear of muscle cramps and the ensuing pain?

It happens to all of us.  I can remember the first time clearly.  About eight years ago I was wiping dishes and all of a sudden, my index finger cramped.  I always thought that exercise caused cramping, but my finger cramped without any reason.

Eventually, I educated myself about the aging process and cramping. The best advice was to take potassium pills, and the cramping did go away.  However did I really need that high amount of potassium and what would it do to my body over time?  Numerous physicians told me that getting potassium from natural resources such as potatoes, bananas or tomatoes is impossible since those foods would have to be eaten huge amounts to attain the lowest level of MDR (minimum daily requirements).  Being deaf to their ears, I found out that when I eat 2 bananas a day, I no longer have cramping problems.

If you do have a cramp, treatment is very simple.  Just fully extend the cramped muscle until the cramp is relieved. A light massage Elixer Arnica Sports RubTM around the afflicted area helps relieve the pain and any lactic buildup. And while physically exerting yourself, keep up your potassium levels by eating potassium rich foods. You can keep bananas, oranges, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and peaches handy incase of a sudden muscle cramp. These will replenish the body’s potassium supply.

Well, it’s time to eat another banana….and stay healthy.

By nadine | Posted in Muscle Aches | Tagged , | Comments (0)
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