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 March 31, 2021

Tallulah and Corona Carina Lopez, M.H.

My mother’s favorite doll was Tallulah. Tallulah was a hand sized baby plastic doll with moving eyelids. I was absolutely terrorized by my mother's little doll because it reminded me of a similar doll on a Twilight Zone episode and I was even more weirded out that my mother found such comfort with her doll.

After all I thought, adults aren’t supposed to play with toys?
My mother certainly did not abide by this rule.

Not understanding my mother's need for comfort in Tallulah, I would make fun of her.  She of course would laugh and seize this moment as an opportunity to begin our daily puppet show mesmerizing me back into a fantastic world of bravery, cowardice, love and friendship, of course laced with teaching opportunities hidden within.

Memories I will never forget.

During Corona 2020’s start, I was 38 years old, nursing my newborn baby and coming back to the alternative healing practice that belonged to my husband and I; when suddenly, we had to work only virtually.

Just as suddenly, my in-laws, who came from Greece to help us with our newborn, both caught the Corona virus and desperately needed our help. They had been caregiving for us and now supportive roles were dramatically reversed.

During this early season of Corona in NYC, it was more precarious than ever. The hospitals were saturated. No visitors were allowed. Ventilators in NYC hospitals were not necessarily guaranteeing survival. Heartbreakingly, chances of survival in the elderly and people suffering from chronic illnesses were tragically low. 

My in-laws were non-English speaking elderly both with complicated metabolic issues who did not feel they could confidently exert their rights in the hospital. To be honest, their biggest fear was to go to a congested hospital and perhaps, even with the best of hospital care, likely die alone as was sadly the case for many during this time. Suffice it to say it was hard times in NYC. Bearing all this in mind, my in-laws chose to not go to the hospital and asked for our support instead.

So, with our baby, who was being fed the finest of healing and immune boosting foods (my breast milk) at our side, my husband and I respected their wishes and stood forth to assist in their care.

This soon became one of the scariest trials of my life. My father-in-law had drifted in and out of consciousness three times, my mother-in-law was coughing blood. I remember cleaning my baby’s reusable diapers in the bathroom, blasting the music loudly to hide my sobs and fear inside of me.

We fought with the tools we knew best, that being homeopathy, herbalism, acupuncture, naturopathy and of course, the constant support and troubleshooting with our colleagues.

Some healing pearls:

1. Vigorous Acupuncture at Kidney one, the point between the balls of the feet, helped revive my father-in-law when needed.
2. Homeopathic Phosphorus 30c was incredible at putting the bright bleeding cough to a halt.
3. IV Vitamin C was a major antiviral and restorative. (Thank you to the brave physician that came to our house to give treatments to my in-laws)
4. Homeopathic Phosphoric Acid 30c was incredible at restoring my father-in-law from absolute apathetic exhaustion to full vitality.
5. Herbal teas like osha, boneset and marshmallow were crucial
6. Onion poultices on the chest and back for the dry cough
7. Healing broths with garlic, herbs and seaweed, Irish moss being our favorite as it is antiviral

Two long weeks using so many different alternative medicine allies is medicatrix naturae, the ancient medical principle referring to the innate ability of the body to heal itself shone brightly.

They survived and restored their vis (vital energetic force)

This difficult rite of passage brought us knowledge to better help people suffering from Corona. We decided to help people who had been refused entrance into the hospital, during a time when the hospitals were not taking in any more patients unless it was life or death.

One hand feeds the other.

Still, the journey weighed on us and since we were online anyway my family and I decided it was best for us to move from NYC to Pelion, Greece to further recover from our trauma.

Pelion is a mountainous area looking over the Aegean Sea. Rest and healing from disease in the mountains was a commonality in the 1800’s.

Rest, high altitude, fresh air, and nutrition in the mountains was used in the treatment of tuberculosis in places called sanitariums. The philosophy was that a restful mountain life would boost patients' immune system, in order to fence in pockets of pulmonary TB infection.

This, of course, was before antibiotics and the discovery of streptomycin by Albert Schatz, the principal antibiotic used for tuberculosis which halted the use. Sadly, now in 2020, we deal with drug resistant strains of Tuberculosis, so perhaps we need to revitalize the sanitariums.

Nonetheless, we needed our own version of a sanitarium. So, to Pelion we left, gaining added rest, fresh air, and nutrition!!!

This is the very basis of naturopathic medicine. 

Still, I found myself really needing something to hold onto. Some extra comfort and support to help heal from so much trauma.

I made a silk doll and purchased a weighted baby doll stuffed with millet and lavender right before we left for Greece. The feeling of ease of hugging, touching and smelling my dolls soft natural fibers brought me peace. That peace allowed me to better understand my mothers need for Tallulah, who sadly burned in a fire a few years ago to my mother’s devastation.

My mother went through a very messy divorce with my father as a young mother, and also incurred much trauma from her childhood. Her Tallulah gave her a child-like essence of love, empathy and encouragement.

Trauma is complicated. But, fresh clean air, nature, holding your loved ones, and perhaps something that brings you comfort, whether it be a blanky or your favorite doll, can ease the weight of so much.

These things may seem simple but they are life changing. 

“No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.
Take heaven.
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.
Take Peace.
The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet, within our reach, is joy.
Take joy.
And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away.” (3)

Although usually meant for Christmas, perhaps we can use it now. 

Sending you all blessings, love and peace during these times.
Dr. Carina Lopez and Sakis Stamou at Vitalist Healing Traditions 

P.S. If you would like to make a doll here are a few YouTube videos I found helpful
1.Waldorf doll
https://youtu.be/3tYswgzp3us
2. Silk doll
https://youtu.be/FnRPss3kdI8
3.Fairy Doll
https://youtu.be/HDwuzkZE4pQ

Dr. Carina Lopez is a bilingual Spanish/English licensed naturopathic doctor, master homeopath, licensed acupuncturist, master herbalist, iridologist and biosyntonist. Using a supportive environment, Dr. Lopez assists with a spectrum of issues using the body’s own healing potential and natural, safe, effective treatments. On her time off she enjoys wildcrafting herbs with her soulmate Sakis Stamou, cooking healing meals, sailing, meditating, reading, knitting, dancing, writing and playing with her baby boy in the mountains of Greece.
 

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