Chemotherapy

Q - My next door neighbour's little boy of 3 has just been diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. I wondered if there were any essential oils of mine that I could mix and which would be of benefit to him at this time.

A - I am sorry to hear about your friends little boy. It must be terribly upsetting for him, his family & people that care such as yourself. Oils that I have found most helpful in helping to ease the trauma of chemo on mind & body include.

Spearmint Mentha Spicata

I love the cool icy aura of Spearmint and often use it to gently comabat nausea. I see it as a “softer” alternative to Peppermint. Peppermint to me is strong masculine oil whereas spearmint has more of an affinity for the female psyche & is more gentle for children.

Palmarosa Cymbopogon martini

Palmarosa is rich exotic oil which combines fresh citrus tones with a warm comforting floral note It is beneficial for nervous tension and stress related complaints and is helpful where one needs to stimulate the body and beat fatigue whilst calming the mind.

Green Mandarin Citrus Reticulata

This little known oil with its gentle citrus scent and floral tones shares many characteristics with Neroli. I use this fabulously scented oil for clients suffering from exhaustion and those who are mentally and emotionally at a “low point”. It is gentle enough to use on children and is superb oil for convalescents. It is a gently cheering oil which is ideal to “lift the spirits” especially when one is facing challenges either work related or perhaps hospital treatment or similar.

May Chang Litsea Cubeba

May Chang known as an “Oil of Tranquility” is recognized for its powerful effect in terms of promoting physical relaxation and mental calm. Historically the oil from this exotic plant has been blended with almond oil and used to perfume the body prior to meditation or prayer in order to impart a sense of strength, calm and mental clarity. I particularly like this oil because its warm almost musky lemongrassy scent is so wonderful to work with. It complements most of the middle notes (herbs and flowers) and works particularly well with Sandalwood or cedar wood.

suggestion

Blend with Tea tree and use in a burner in the home to strenghten the immune system & promote calm. 1 drop of tea tree to every two drops of May Chang. Use Cedar wood , Lavender and May Chang in equal proportions in a base of almond oil for a massage prior to an important event or challenge.

I also tend to think in terms of synergies: A synergy is the technical term for a blend of essential oils. The key point is that the synergy ie the blend is believed to have an energy of its own & an effectiveness that surpasses the effects of the oils if they were to be used individually. There is a spiritual element to the use of synergies which for believers can have a profoundly positive effect. Whether you support the spiritual theories or whether you prefer a clinical approach (like myself) is to some extent irrelevant. The point is that a blend will almost always work better than an individual oil.

A good synergy which I often use to treat individuals who have cancer is frankincense, geranium & green Mandarin. Frankincense slows down the breathing, counteracts panic attacks & induces a calm meditive state. Geranium balances the emotions & adds a delightfully relaxing floral scent whilst green mandarin adds a gentle uplifting edge to beat the overwhelming fatigue that often accompanies illness.

There are many other synergies some well established & some that you literally arrive unexpectedly at when you are really in tune with your client & treating them as a whole and with someone so young their family.

Another of my favourites is Chamomile, Bergamot, Sandalwood with a touch of May Chang & of course some tea–tree. The tea-tree strengthens immune systems compromised by chemo or the stress of being a carer.

You may also find my Courage Balm a helpful gift for the parents as it contains chamomile, Jasmine & May Chang & has an amethyst suspended in it. I recently lectured to the nursing staff at the local hospice & they were very keen. Also the lip balm with tea tree & propolis if the chemo makes his lips dry & cracked.

Hope this helps

Julie