Hello,



I am desperately looking for any advice regarding holistic treatments for
stoke victims.



My partner's mother (aged 69) had a stroke in winter 2003, which has caused
memory loss and left her unable to express herself. She needs to be watched
most of the time, in case she does something dangerous (once she nearly
swallowed a few dates with stones in them), inappropriate (like emptying her
bowels on the carpet) or in case she leaves the house and gets lost. She
doesn't seem to remember people's names, can't answer simple questions and
just giggles all the time, or once in a while cries for hours for no reason.


There have been moments, though, when she was able to put a logical sentence
together, address her family by their names and answer questions correctly.
She has had all medical tests done and apparently the only thing that is
wrong is a small clot in the brain.



Her husband, 5 years younger than her, has a knee trouble and his doctor
said he shouldn't be looking after anyone else, but - quite rightly - he
said he wouldn't put his wife in a nursing home, as she would then lose any
chance of recovery.

Sadly, the time has come when my partner's father feels unable to cope with
the burden of caring for someone else and is considering placing his wife in
a home in a couple of weeks (although I don't know how he would manage
financially). The family is all destroyed.



As a young therapist I feel guilty I haven't done anything for her - every
time I asked if I could give her a treatment, her husband suggested I did it
another time. I guess my partner's father does not have much belief in
holistic therapies, although his wife used to see a herbalist before she had
a stroke. Moving in with them is not an option due to my partner's and my
job situation, but I feel I need to do something to prevent her being put in
a home (reflexology and essential oils would be probably the most tolerable
for her). I know I should have done something ages ago, however I wasn't
fully qualified in therapies at the time when she suffered the stroke.



A note on my background in holistic therapies: I am qualified in
Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hopi Ear Candling, Sports Injuries and Remedial
Massage, Swedish, Massage, Kerala Massage, as well as Traditional Chinese
Cupping and Moxibustion. I have read about and am familiar with basic
concepts of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.



Has any of you had any experience or heard about a stroke victim recovering
from a similar state, especially with the help of holistic therapies? Any
advice would be most welcome. Please feel free to email me on
dr_antares21@.... We desperately need help and hope.



Thank you very much in advance.



Paulina



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