Post #1

3/26/2020

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My friends — I am well into the third week of quarantine with a positive coronavirus diagnosis. (Several of us CBS colleague took a hit.) There is much that we will learn about this wiley opponent in the coming months and I hope to be sharing more as we go. For now, I wanted to pass on one of the home therapies which has made a difference in my recovery.

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Many of the good quality essential oils (I like NOW brand EUCALYPTUS, available at Whole Foods) are natural anti-virals. Eucalyptus is an anti-viral, an anti-bacterial, an anti-fungal, a decongestant AND an anti-inflammatory. You may want to keep a couple bottles handy in your Medicine cabinet especially in the winter months. You can sprinkle a few dashes of Eucalyptus oil in a pot of water, bring it to a simmer, stand over or pull up a stool and let the steam soothe and open your sinuses as it kills off the virus. You can also sprinkle some in your bath water. Or apply some to your chest during a shower. It’s a strong oil, the essence of the plant. So avoid direct contact of undiluted oil to face and eyes as it may cause irritation.

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Shop on Amazon

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Now Foods : These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.

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Post #2

3/27/2020

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A New Yorker article states that a person with the virus can shed it or pass it on for up to 37 days.  [See 12/2020 CDC website update at bottom.]  All this is to say that you might think you’re done with this virus once you start feeling more human, but likely you’re not done. The folks in the ER that treated me, said I needed to be symptom free for 3 days before I could consider myself no longer contagious.

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And we can’t forget about that tell-tale symptom of coronavirus: a-NOS-mia (a little humor here) aka loss of smell. You can have only that symptom and nothing else – no shortness of breath or fever, etc. That symptom alone is enough to make it possible to pass on the virus.

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I haven’t been able to smell a thing for 2 weeks.

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When I put my nose over my morning espresso (usually one of my favorite moments of the day) I get nothing but a sensation of heat. It’s unnerving.  I deal with a good amount of numbness due to treatment for Lymphoma over 20 years ago, and not being able to smell is akin to dealing with an inactive or numb limb. Or not being able to experience depth perception due to only one working eye.  I have the sense that we navigate in part by our sense of smell, the way animals use radar.  Of all the symptoms of this virus, this is the easiest to manage as it isn’t painful like so many of the others. But it’s important to monitor it for your contagion factor.

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It was my experience that symptoms lasted in general, much longer than with a cold or flu. And if we’re not vigilant in keeping up on our therapies and healing regimens (more on that later) a symptom that you might have thought was gone for good, can return. I had that happen with the coronavirus with several symptoms such as congestion, shortness of breath, and body aches.

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I keep thinking of what Jeffrey C. Yuen, the Dean of our Acupuncture Program at the Swedish Institute said about any life-threatening illness: it’s a full time job. You need to change over your day and your life so that every aspect of it is devoted to healing the problem at hand. There’s a way to do this so that it’s not depressing to you and others.  You can be vigilant about your wellness without being precious.  Rather, your healing and the priority you make it can be a shining example to all. Chances are others you know are challenged with their own health challenges or maybe even this virus.

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So bottom line: it ain’t over till it’s over. Thankfully for many of us, the world has slowed down enough to allow this vital healing to happen. Having the time to heal can be one of the silver linings of this pandemic.

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CDC website update as of 12/20/20:   Available data indicate that persons with mild to moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset. Persons with more severe to critical illness or severe immunocompromise likely remain infectious no longer than 20 days after symptom onset.  Recovered persons can continue to shed detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in upper respiratory specimens for up to 3 months after illness onset, albeit at concentrations considerably lower than during illness, in ranges where replication-competent virus has not been reliably recovered and infectiousness is unlikely.

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Post #3

3/28/2020

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One friend asked me if at any point I felt like I was fighting for my life? I definitely had moments where I wondered how I was going to make it through. And some of us afflicted with this virus have come face to face with mortality.

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Something I learned from having had a cancer dx is this: I question if the fighting metaphor when it comes to illness is apt. I think a more helpful way to think of our answer to illness is as work. Hard work. As in, “there’s a lot to clean up here and I’m on the case!” Everyone understands hard work where it’s all hands on deck. Certainly our bodies do. Look at the hard work necessary in birth, not just for the mother but the child, too.

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Fighting, for me, is too abstract. There’s that element of fear implied as in “will I make it?” You don’t need that. It’s a dramatic distraction suitable for operas! For illness, I question if we can spare the time and resources when there’s work to be done.

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Throughout the first 2 weeks, when the virus felt the strongest, I was in what I’d call a healing state. While I was aware of the difference between the nights and the days, there was a sense of timelessness. My progress couldn’t be measured in days like a normal respiratory illness, but rather in weeks. So keep that in mind as you weather through this, or advise anyone who is. Don’t be surprised if time feels as if it has slowed down. And this situation of quarantine and sheltering-in–place where the world seems to have come to a grinding halt – the sick may need it to heal. We all may need it to pray.

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To my surprise, prayer has come easily at this time. When you are really sick, you have to take the hard work to the cellular level. Whether you call it an inner journey, a meditation or a visualization, this is a time to direct the healing process. While I was dealing with fever and feeling overcome with illness in my lungs, sinuses, and nasal passages, I found myself silently addressing the virus itself, “What is your nature?” You may not get an answer right away, but it will come.  Let your body study the virus. That’s how it will come up with the response required to overcome it. The “invisible enemy ” metaphor can be overwhelming because it implies that it’s unknown. But you can know it. You can know it in a deep way where there are no words to define it. You can know it enough to heal.

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Post #4

3/29/2020

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In the last few days, I’ve felt well enough to delve into my Chinese Medical texts to see how I might be able to treat myself. To be honest, throughout the worst of this illness, I just didn’t have it in me. [In the spring of 2020, no acupuncturists were treating patients.  That didn’t happen until July.]  I was however able to successfully treat a raging sore throat that I worried might be serious. It went away immediately. But that was all the energy I had to devote to giving myself acupuncture treatments. Too busy making antibodies, I guess.

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But I kept thinking how sad that a Licensed Acupuncturist can’t lend herself a helping hand when she can’t see an acupuncturist.

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But today, I had the focus to open my texts and contemplate the Lung Channel which we say “opens to the nose” through its connection to the Large Intestine Channel. I studied the point next to the side of the nose YING XIANG aka LI20 – WELCOME FRAGRANCE. It treats loss of sense of smell.

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People often ask me the reason I got a Master of Science in Acupuncture at mid-life. There are too many to list but the poetry of the point names pulled me in. Not just the poetry, but the science. To have a medicine with point names that tell you exactly what they do (plus a whole lot more beyond the name itself), this intrigued me.  

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Google led me to this case study from 2010 with a point combination to restore the sense of smell. I’m including it below for the acupuncturists amongst us who are curious.

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I also included SHUI GOU (DU26 – NOSE HUMAN CENTER) located just under the nose on the philtrum. It’s able to treat “the inability to distinguish the fragrant from the foul.” That’s different from loss of sense of smell but I wanted to include it.   As I wrote previously, without the sense of smell, I have been unable to connect to the things I know. To “grok” them. Indeed, there’s a certain loss of humanity, if you will, without the sense of smell which helps us differentiate and make decisions. The world can be a dangerous place without it. AND it’s a tell-tale symptom of the Coronavirus. This symptom alone, meaning no other observable symptoms, can mean you are contagious.

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EUREKA! I am thrilled to report we have contact!  First, I was able to smell the handsoap as I prepared to make dinner, then the toasted sesame oil warming on the stove.  I knew when to turn down the flame before it started to burn and add in the grass-fed meat at just the right moment.  And when dinner was ready, the fragrance was never as welcome!

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Another reason I wanted to study Chinese Medicine: it works. I wish I could have treated myself sooner, but alas, I accept that I needed to direct my attention inwardly at the beginning in order to think straight about acupuncture. We get the job done however we can.

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Once I test negative, perhaps I can treat you (for lack of sense of smell and/or whatever ails you). Have Corona immunity; will travel! That should be any day now; I can smell it.

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2021 Update: for those of you who are comfortable performing acupressure on yourself, I encourage you to try the treatment in the case study with essential oils. Eucalyptus seems like a good option. Put some eucalyptus oil on your finger tip (diluted with coconut oil because the face is sensitive) and press in firmly until you feel the connection and something starts to shift.

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Diagrams of Acupuncture points are from “A Manual of Acupuncture” by Peter Deadman.

Post #5

3/30/2020

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For the first weeks of the virus, the only thing I wanted was this light, hydrating, easy to digest soup. Later on, I wanted other foods but it’s still my favorite go-to option during convalescence. I’m brewing up a new pot now and am sharing the recipe with you on the fly. Everyone has their own favorite recipe but here are my ingredients and why. (*Deep thanks to my 60 Minutes colleagues Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson and Michael Karzis for delivering groceries to my door when I was in quarantine.) 

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INGREDIENTS

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♦ Bone in chicken thighs: dark meat is more moist than white. And the bone adds that much more moisture and minerals. With the fevers you may have experienced, and the decongestants you may have taken to treat the sinuses (*special thanks to Larry Johnson, Mimi Quillin, and Emily J. Orlando for delivering OTC items when my neighborhood stores were sold out) you need to restore the moisture. White meat just doesn’t cut it.

♦ Zucchini: when they’re as large as the one in this picture, 1 is plenty.  Smaller zucchinis are sweeter and less tough.  Also moisturizing.

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♦ Turnips: an excellent moisturizing root vegetable.  Smaller is better.

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♦ Fresh grated ginger (about the size of your thumb) to tonify the body: you can purchase a Japanese grater like this online.  A standard cheese grater is not so good and ginger is too fibrous for a garlic press.  You can also use it to make homemade ginger tea.

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♦ Cauliflower: an amazing vegetable that’s getting new appreciation every day. Cut in thin slices. When it cooks down, it makes a natural thickener and it’s a great rice alternative that keeps the soup light. You may not have the stomach for heavier, starchier foods, and you don’t need to tax your system when it’s busy at work with the virus clean up.

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♦ Umeboshi plum: the secret ingredient. This is the pink paste you see in sushi, a picked sour plum which aids digestion. I used 1 in my pot.

Simmer for 30 minutes or more. You want the ingredients to be soft and full of fluid, even close to mushy. The chicken should be stringy, falling off the bone. That’ll make less work for your digestive system and renders the nutrients more accessible. Garnish with your favorite rock salt.

Post #6

4/4/2020

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We think our group at 60 Minutes became infected with the virus on March 4, so it’s about 1 month since I’ve been dancing with the coronavirus.  I’m beginning to think of the parade of symptoms like characters in a play. Some have thankfully come and gone while others have remained on stage or returned as major players. If respiratory issues is the star, then fatigue is the award winning supporting actor.  For many, fatigue is the persistent player that lingers.

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We know that if one is experiencing significant shortness of breath with this virus, it’s time to call 911.  I did and I’m grateful that on the prompting of colleagues, I was taken to St. Luke’s Mt. Sinai hospital where they administered a nebulizer treatment for about 2 hours. It was effective enough and the ER staff told me that I’d be safer at home. (*Special thanks to my CBS colleagues Dr. Jon LaPook, Claudia Weinstein and Nieves Zuberbuhler for their calm but insistent phone calls guiding me to take the necessary action when I couldn’t counsel myself.)

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But there’s a lesser, related symptom — breathlessness and fatigue — that I’ve been experiencing in the recovery phase.

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I noticed on several occasions this week, while lying in bed or sitting, that my breathing was shallow. I wasn’t able to take in a full deep breath. In Chinese Medicine (CM) the sensation of Qi arriving (essential in the breathing function) is likened to “a fish biting on the end of a hook.”  Well, this fish wasn’t biting. It felt as if my breathing wasn’t anchored.

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CM talks about the vital connection between the Kidneys and the Lungs. If the Kidneys can’t anchor the breathing in the lungs, then the breathing will be shallow. I’ll keep the textbook quote brief here but I think you may find this helpful in understanding the complexity of fatigue. Or feel free to skip to the next paragraph! “If the Kidneys are weak and their function of reception of Qi is impaired, the Kidneys will fail to hold Qi down and Qi will flow back up to the chest. This obstructs the Lungs descending function and causes breathlessness (more on inhalation), cough, and asthma.” [“The Foundations of Chinese Medicine”, Giovanni Macciocia]

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You may be surprised to learn that western medicine has the same understanding of the lung-kidney connection. The diaphragm, known as the breathing muscle, regulates the lungs. It’s lowest attachment is the lumbar vertebrae — in other words, at the level of the kidneys. 

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Watch: Muscles of respiration (inspiratory muscles)

From Muscles in Motion.

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In this illustration from the Cleveland Clinic, you can see the proximity of the lungs to the kidneys.  The adrenal glands sit atop the kidneys like a triangular hat.  In Chinese Medicine, the kidney organ/Kidney Channel and the adrenal glands function as one unit and are referred to under the umbrella term of “kidney.”

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When the Kidneys which have to do with stamina become exhausted, they can’t do their job of anchoring the lungs and the breathing.  And of course, having the coronavirus itself exhausts the Kidneys. Those first two weeks, I didn’t sleep more than a couple hours here and there due to upper and lower respiratory issues. For many days, I couldn’t sleep while lying horizontal. On top of lack of sleep, my whole frame was exhausted from the Herculean effort of pushing out the virus pathogen.

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So that fatigue you feel when you’re “better, but not well” is not only significant, it may be extreme. This is no ordinary tiredness. It’s what’s referred to as Yang Collapse. You may not feel you have the Qi or the energy to literally lift a finger, or to talk on the phone. Even walking across the room may be an effort. That requires a baseline of lung power that you may not have regained yet. You will. You may have a burst of energy one day and think you’ve vanquished COVID-19’s sorry ass only to find that the next day, you crash.  This happened to me a lot.  And if you’re a person who’s used to being active, you may feel somehow incompetent, a liar even because you were sure you were done  it feels like you’re back at the beginning. To add insult to injury you may have well–meaning friends who check in and ask “so, are you better yet?”  The extreme fatigue you are experiencing may seem like an inconvenience to your friends and family.

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I’d like to recommend you put aside that thinking. This is – as I wrote of in Post # 3- where the fighting metaphor doesn’t serve you. Fighting fatigue serves to exhaust you further. And you’ve already been through the wringer — a very apt description of the muscle aches that I experienced with this illness. (More on muscle aches in a future entry.)

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So in terms of recovery, it takes what it takes. You can’t hurry love, as the song goes.  Same thing with healing.

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Getting back to idea of Qi arriving — just today, when I take in a breath, I’ve been able to feel that little fish biting the end of the hook. It’s a full anchored breath thanks to the restoration of the Lung-Kidney connection. It’s probably why I was able to write a new entry today. I’m not sure how long that Qi fish will stay or if he will wiggle off the hook. But so far, so good.

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Post #8

4/25/2020

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