Greetings and Prayers for Healing and Everything You Need
in These Challenging Times.


I hope you are all safe and making your way through the disaster from the storms that affected Western North Carolina and the region.
 
I would have written sooner but there have been so many challenges: a 5-foot diameter oak tree crashing through the roof of our home and a locust tree smashing the roof of a car, no stable internet for me or the office for weeks…
 
So widespread and intense the damage and destruction. It is still incomprehensible weeks later. My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost their lives, the lives of family members, homes, farms, businesses….

So grateful we are for the helpful response of neighbors, family, friends, rescue people local and from afar. We had mitigation folks come up from SW Louisiana to protect our home from further damage and to dry it out. We had church teams from Charlotte cut trees and limbs to help people get out of their homes and through roadways. They also filled everyone’s gas cans so we could run chain saws and generators to keep food safe… Electrical teams from Quebec, Canada restored power lines; national guard dropped supplies to friends on mountain tops via those big green, double-rotor Chinook helicopters. We all shared every resource from generator power, food, and satellite internet; people helped disabled neighbors, rescuing strangers in the forest or in rushing water…


Profound how we all came together for the good of all. That feels GOOD!

Even with decimation all around, hearts are warmer, and people feel more connected.
 
With all that: A few health messages in the apocalypse:
 
Water: Most of us in Asheville still do not have clean water to drink or use in our homes.
For now, it is flush (the toilet) but do not brush (your teeth) or drink the water. The water from the main North Fork Reservoir is still heavy with particulate matter (that is why it looks gray in the toilet bowl). The city is not able to use its normal filtration system because of this. It is not clear to me if the pipes and filtration system would otherwise be working, but for now the water is not being filtered. The city is using higher levels of chlorine to keep the microbial/bacterial levels down and adding aluminum to the water to precipitate out the mud and particulates.

Of note, secondary sources tell me there is a marked increase in gastrointestinal issues and infections showing up at the Mission Hospital emergency department which is very likely related to the water situation. One of my patients was hospitalized with a Giardia (single cell parasite) infection from contaminated water. Be careful.
 
It is also important to know that aluminum can be toxic to the brain and nervous system and to our bones. The city makes it sound as though some aluminum is OK (even if it’s above recommended limits), but I do not know the safe levels in water for human consumption. Since we know, and I have seen in my medical practice, aluminum poisoning can cause cognitive dysfunction and osteoporosis, I would be very careful and not drink the city water even if it is boiled.

I recommend using clean spring/filtered bottled water for all cooking, drinking, and tooth brushing. Better safe than sorry.
 
I have seen osteoporosis and cognitive problems from consuming aluminum-containing antacids which were sold in drug stores and the same issues when people were exposed in industrial/work situations. I have even had a physician colleague who had osteoporosis from aluminum poisoning as a result of making sculptures with his bare hands from heated up aluminum cans as a teenager.


Shock: big shocks to our systems with the intensity of this calamity stretching so far and wide. It is important to acknowledge that. Also to take a break and let our systems recalibrate. I know I had to go day after day even on Sundays for 6 weeks to keep up on the critical and important things. Good to take a break and recalibrate. Get the help you need with whatever is before you and get some self care too. That can be in community, ceremony, ritual, being outside, getting a massage whatever you need. Also important to receive from others: friends, family, neighbors, services and what is being gifted from caring hearts from far and wide. Homeopathic Aconite can be helpful for this too. 1M potency if you can get it or 200C or 30C. You can put 5 pellets under the tongue away from food and drink or put 5 pellets in a glass of water and stir with a metal spoon. Take a sip of the water once a day for 7 days. This can be especially helpful to help recalibrate from the shock. You can get this online at Fullscripts or elsewhere and maybe at the local co-op. 

Grief: It is normal to feel a great sense of loss / grief / being overwhelmed in this situation. Many lives have been lost. Family, friends, homes, businesses, farms, livelihoods, health, dreams are all important to us. It hurts when we lose these precious things. As feelings come up, it is important to feel them so we can process them and let them move through. This can feel painful but is a normal process of healing that is necessary for long term well-being.


Remember they are called emotions because the natural process is for them to move through us. Grief and sadness may be uncomfortable or painful but experiencing and honoring our feelings leads to transformation and growth. Ignoring or denying grief and other feelings or emotions can lead to deeper illnesses down the road. As a holistic physician and minister, I know it is worth taking care of ourselves and our feelings as they come up. It can be more costly in the long term to not take care of the business at hand. 


Support: Share what is going on with you with trusted family and friends and seek counseling from a trained professional if needed. Homeopathic Ignatia 30C (or higher potency if you have it e.g. 200C) can also be helpful. You can put 5 pellets under the tongue away from food and drink or put 5 pellets in a glass of water and stir with a metal spoon. Take a sip of the water once a day for 7 days. This can help move the grief and transform it. You can get this online at Fullscripts or elsewhere and maybe at the local co-op. 


Rebuilding: We will do this together.


Peace and Healing to you in this challenging time. 


MH