Goza's Wanderings and Wonderings: Sick Day(s) & Experimental Herbs

Location: Mounds State Park; Anderson, Indian (about 40 minutes east of Indianapolis)

I received the results of my Lifeline Screening tests that I had run while I was camped near Bowling Green, Kentucky a couple of weeks ago. The results say my carotid arteries are clear and I don't have an Aortic Aneurysm or Afib. However, I do have a mild case of Peripheral Arterial Disease in my left foot. I have been noticing, what I was calling, and it may still be, a touch of nephropathy. Again, this is just a mild case and it can wait until I get back to my regular GP in Louisiana sometime in the fall of the year. But, I figure between now and then, I can take advantage of the situation. I started taking some cayenne pepper capsules a couple of months ago to help my blood pressure, blood sugars and blood circulation. It seemed to have a positive effect, so doing a little more research, I found that it may also help with nephropathy. Since I have a baseline test value with Lifeline and I'll probably get my GP to run the same test when I get back to Louisiana that allows me the opportunity to doctor myself, herbally, to see if I can improve the test numbers. I will be a test case and control subject all in one. Yeah, yeah, it sounds a little like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or even Frankenstein, but a herb ain't going to kill me, is it?

The ~~medical~~ engineering plan was to apply a poultice to the bottom of my left foot and go to bed. I hadn't got the castor oil yet so I used some olive oil. I put some on a few sheets of super strong, but absorbent paper towels then sprinkled some cayenne pepper on the oil. Put that scientifically controlled concoction on the bottom of my foot, wrapped it in plastic cling wrap and put a sock over it. I woke up the next morning, which was moving day, with a tingle in my throat. I figured that was from the cayenne pepper, since it was similar to what I felt when I drank some cayenne mixed with water. I thought, wow, that is powerful to go from my foot to my throat. Thinking my throat would clear up in a few hours, I started the hitching process and moved about 100 mile to the campground I'm at now. I woke up the next morning with my throat hurting even more and now I had a very mild fever. This was feeling like my normal case of bronchitis that I get about every 18 months. My energy level bottomed out and I slept most of the day and through the second night. By day 3, I was feeling much better and by today, I was all good except for feeling a little puny from not eating anything and zero exercise for 2 days. I unintentionally lost 6 pounds. I had to go into town to pick up some real medication prescriptions I had dropped off at Walmart on my way to the campground on moving day. I walked around some and felt much better. By tomorrow, moving day again, I should be all well.

Now, the question is, was I really sick, probably due to picking up a germ or two at the Creation Museum due to the large number of people in a confined space OR was it due to the cayenne/olive oil poultice? Hmmmm, inquiring minds want to know. Could it have been a strange coincidence or maybe even a sign telling me not to doctor myself. I don't believe the second part since I've always doctored myself by adjust medicines and adding other things. I'm thinking I was really sick and will continue doing the poultice on my foot, but I'm not 100% sure yet. I'll think on it some more while driving to the new campground tomorrow. If I redo the poultice, I'll make sure I have at least 3 days of recovery in case it hits me again.

The sickness ended any exploration that I had planned for this stop. There are several old Indian mounds here in the park that I was looking forward to see and pondering on. Oh well, everything happens for a reason, so I guess that means I'll be coming back sometime in the future. I do have some pictures from Day 1 and today.