My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition Nine
Herpes Nation Newsletter Volume One, Edition Nine
Welcome Home
My Story
Shell shocked to the core . Seventeen years ago I sat in the GUM clinic . In two weeks time I was to be married to the fiance I loved . I believed he loved me . I sat in numb detatchment . This just could not be happening to me . I was planning my dress , flower girls and seating plans for the happiest day of my life . I could barely sit straight as the health advisor told me I had genital herpes and that my risk of cervical cancer was now four times higher than average .
She was a clinical battle axe . Judgemental , disapproving , unsympathetic , disinterested and definitely due for retirement as my world as I knew it crashed around my ears like foam on rocks . I was screaming in my mind but no sound would come out . I was like a TV with the sound turned down and tears that could not come . Had I infected my husband to be or he me ? Could we have children now ? I felt dirty , contagious , leper like and the clinics at that time were not PC with fish tanks tissues and glossy paint like they are now . I was in hell .
Naturally quiet and sensitive by nature this hit me hard . My fiance was supportive and also had tests . As it turned out he was an asymptomatic carrier with no symptoms . I had never had cold sores as a child . I thought I was so smart with birth control – all grown up taking care of my body – no unwanted pregnancy for me – I took the pill . But safe sex in terms of STD’s was not even a thought in my mind or on my radar – I was a clean good living girl . I was a health freak non smoking non drinking vegetarian raised in church .
Again I thought – this just CANT be happening to me . Even though the cracks I didn’t want to see in this marriage were there from the beginning I chose not to see them because who would want me now I was diseased and dirty , one of the untouchables . So marry I did and my husband loved me as best he could and took care of me when I got sick .
I had classic outbreaks , Blisters where it hurts and pain I can only describe as like sitting on a set of steak knives . First episode classic flu like symptoms , swollen glands , fever , aching . I was given acyclovir and slept solid for 3 days . I felt so weak and knocked out I could hardly raise my head to eat or open my mouth for a fork full of food . It was BAD . I felt I must have been very wicked in a past life to deserve this suffering . For the next 10 years I didn’t have to think about herpes too much unless having an outbreak as my husband and I were both infected . We had a beautiful child together in this time . This brought overwhelming moments of fear for me . Would I infect my baby ? Would I have a normal delivery ? By this time hospitals had got a bit more clued up and with the times and I was reassured / well cared for . By this time I had also become a qualified nurse so was armed with the powerful ammunition of professional knowlege as well as my own experience . I was becoming more empowered and less scared .
I split up with my husband after 10 years together and we divorced . Now I was facing new herpes problems . How could I tell a new partner about my condition . While I was becoming more at peace with the virus the stigma was and is still strong . Herpes is not ” cool ” like HIV . There were no celebrities queueing up to promote herpes awareness and support . It was still seen as a grubby seedy dirty disease and not dinner table conversation .
As I could not yet face ” the talk ” I went in to an emotional desert for some time choosing to stay single and concentrate on working and parenting to the point of exhaustion . I yearned for touch , for love , for deep love which is a gift of herpes as I felt I could not put others health at risk and no longer saw any point in superficial shallow flings . For me the price would be too high and I found my self worth , self confidence and inner steel beginning to surface at this point . During a bad outbreak there was not a part of my life unaffected by herpes . How many of you would call in sick to work with a raging herpes outbreak ?!! Sorry can’t work today , can’t sit straight in a chair to counsel patients ! If my son was ill I still had to look after him , cook , clean , work etc . We women are so so strong . I learned how strong I am from herpes among other life experiences . The clinics continued to improve and philosophies round sexual health changed .
Now in the UK generic acyclovir was available ( cheap to prescribe ) , together with famvir and valtrex . More was also becoming known about herbal treatments and remedies and a holistic approach to health keeping the whole body , psyche and spirit in balance and connected . In my herpes journey I have probably tried it all . Trial and error and finding what works for you individually for you are what I recommend . Eventually I did meet someone special . I was still too freaked out to have the talk so wrote my partner to be a letter telling him about my herpes . I cried when he rang me the next day to tell me he had received my letter and that it was ok . He thought no less of me . In fact he thought more of me than before because of my courage and honesty which he respected . Those words were like being wrapped and held in cotton candy or fleece duvet . I was cartwheeling around the room !! Imagine that – a sex / love life after some years and much pain and soul searching in herpes wilderness ! We had a happy and productive relationship for 3 years and then separated amicably as we were moving in different directions and very different people .
But this I do not regret . I have learned to love again . I have learned that the grass can flourish again after devastation and love endures all . And I mean real deep love . Not flash in the pan sex but real deep tender intimacy . The kind of natural comfotable caring sex , exciting sex , sex of many faces and colours but infinitely loving . Herpes helped me find my real self and has peeled away my defences , barriers and judgements one by one until only love is left and only love counts ultimately . It has made me more courageous , more loving , more forgiving , more heart centred , more grounded , more balanced and centred . I have lost the anger . It burned out of me long long ago and now love remains . I will never fall apart again because what I have gained replaced what I never lost – my self , the true god-self in all of us that is love , joy , peace . And this I wish all of you . Blessings and every day a beginning .
Kathy Obie
Another Journey
by Anonymous
My journey with herpes started week 33 of my first pregnancy. I had met my husband a year prior and we had enjoyed a whirlwind courtship, I had moved across the country to be with him, and we were starting a most exciting life – we started a business together and became pregnant. It was thrilling! The pregnancy was progressing fine but was marred by vaginal warts that my midwife could not help me with, but my husband researched alternative creams online and we found one that worked. So when I suddenly came down with a new “wart” (which was a lesion, I didn’t know it) and a high temperature that would not respond to anything, we got scared. I checked into the hospital and listened to my baby’s heartbeat rise along with my temperature.
It took several days, but finally the painful lesions were tested and I found I was a carrier of genital herpes. This felt like a death sentence to me. I was scared, embarrassed, actually mortified. My husband felt the same way but was completely supportive of me. I was prescribed Valtrex and sent home. The Valtrex did work, the fever broke and the lesions slowly disappeared, but my birthing plans dramatically changed and I planned a c-section with a new doctor. Even worse, my insurance company didn’t support Valtrex and I wasn’t told about acyclovir so we were paying a backbreaking $200+ per prescription. It wasn’t until after the birth that we researched and found that acyclovir was covered by my insurance, and requested it from my doctor.
I have never been one to take medications so the thought of a lifelong dependency on acyclovir didn’t sit well, but to be honest, I didn’t have the presence of mind to address this problem. Even with the drug, I had outbreaks every week. Between the stresses on my body with a new baby, and my complete avoidance of my feelings about my herpes, I lived with the medication for a long while.
Finally I researched online and found Christopher Scipio and his book, Making Peace with Herpes. It was wonderful to read that there were alternatives out there. I contacted Christopher and started his program, but it didn’t go as well as I hoped. I had trouble getting enough sleep. I was scared to stop taking the medication. I didn’t trust that my body’s immune system could recover. And, in retrospect, I did try hard but wasn’t able to follow his program as well as I wished. I am not sure if I just wasn’t ready, or I didn’t believe in myself, or what it was… and then I got pregnant again and believed the program wouldn’t work for me until after my new baby.
Things happen if you ask, though. I remember asking God for help and the months of my second pregnancy, I worked with another herbalist who did provide me some relief from the ongoing symptoms. She believed that I could recover enough to have a natural birth, but my husband and I didn’t dare risk the health of our 2nd child so I had another c-section. The herbalist assisted in my recovery from the 2nd c-section so well, I recovered much quicker than from the first one. My 2nd child, also, didn’t have the colic my first child had, I believe due to her prescribing of a probiotic to both my child and myself. I started to believe I could help myself, that my body could heal itself, more than I ever did before. I had other successes, both spiritually and health-wise. My relationship with God and my Spirit improved; I learned EFT; I learned how to meditate.
Christopher reached out to me when my 2nd child was 6 months old, and I re-started his program. This time, what an amazing difference! I was able to follow his program. I was less judgmental about my lapses. It is not easy for a mother of a toddler and an infant to get up and perform yoga first thing in the morning, in an un-interupted manner, for 20+ minutes! It is not easy to always eat the correct foods when nursing, and craving, and starving, and exhausted. It’s not easy to find time to meditate! But I tried, and when I failed, I got up and tried again, and I depended heavily on the black tea bag therapy when I felt pre-lesions going on. I realize that the first time around, I was in denial. I would feel a pre-lesion and panic – “Oh, maybe it will go away on it’s own, PLEASE” – and not address it quickly and definitively as per Christopher’s program. This time, I didn’t panic… and when I stopped taking acyclovir, I threw myself a party. Only my closest friends knew why I threw myself a party, but who cares!
Genital herpes reaches its tendrils into so many aspects of life, and I feel that slowly, but courageously and with honor, disengaging those tendrils is part of the process. I felt angry towards my husband for a long time. Perhaps he was the one who gave me this curse! (He never got tested, why not?) He didn’t want to be reminded of it. If he saw my medication, he told me to hide it so nobody would see it. He feared that one of the nurses in my doctor’s office, who was an extended family member, would read my chart and find out and tell the family. He asked me to switch doctors for this reason, which I refused to do. It hurt me to be treated like a leper. But one day we had a large argument about it, and he told me – it is so embarrassing for me to think that my family might know about this, he told me. I *do* support you, I just want you to not talk about it to family, and to hide the medication so I don’t have to worry about people seeing it. And suddenly it clicked for me – I’m not the only one here. He has feelings, and fears, and I can honor his feelings and fears too without compromising myself. How hard is it to hide a medication? How hard is it to ask about my doctor’s privacy policies? How hard is it to be more selective about who I have in my support system? I feel that having compassion for the feelings of your partner is very important. Each situation is different, but I am glad I was able to be more compassionate and supportive of mine.
One day, my husband confessed that he had warts “down there” and he was scared he was hurting me with them. He went online and found treatments for them, and he told me he prayed. He started the treatments and a week later happily told me that they were working wonderfully and all the warts were going away. It was the same time that Christopher’s program started really taking effect for me to. I thank God for this; we helped each other heal in our own ways, I believe.
It’s been 3 months now and I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my body. I feel terrific. I keep thanking Christopher for his brave publishing of his program. I can’t tell you how sad it is to fear a sexual encounter. For so long, a part of me would cringe… I expected the immediate outbreak after the act. That fear has gone away and I have completely reclaimed my sexual joy, in a way even deeper than ever before. I am so grateful for my womanhood, my body, my wonderful immune system that with just some help and love, was able to heal me and my family.
I’m a better person because of Christopher Scipio. Not just because I no longer have herpes outbreaks, but because I have faith that my body, and the bodies & souls of my children and family, can be holistically and honorably supported. My oldest child had recurring eczema; instead of continuing prescription medication, I asked Christopher for a recommendation and a herbalist he knows helped us change my child’s diet, provided supplements, and provided an essential oil balm. It isn’t easy to change your life… or a family’s health… but that is what must be done, in my opinion, to maintain the health of a family. I am eternally grateful to Christopher for pointing me down that road.
a letter of love
Dear Herpes
How are you today? I can’t see you but I know you are there…
It’s been a while since you have made an appearance but that doesn’t mean you are gone forever, I know you will always be there, waiting, silently, patiently.
It has taken me nearly 3 years to actually address you like this, and for this I apologise for being so rude and taking so long to communicate! You see, it has been hard for me to come to terms with sharing my body and my mind with you.
I guess I never thought I would be spending my life with you, and my lord, do you have a bad reputation! Plenty of people make jokes about you, and now you are part of me, it feels like those jokes are aimed at me.
I have been holding onto feelings of guilt and shame since you first appeared, but why is this!? I am very much a positive person, and would never judge others because of you.. Yet I have let issues of negativity surround our relationship, with this negativity building into depression.
The main problem lies in acceptance; when you first affected me it was hard to accept and I felt like I was going through it on my own. I should have talked to “Jim”, he told me I could talk to him about it, he had been through it himself and most probably he wanted to connect with me about it. I couldn’t remember our conversation when he told me you were with him as we were drunk, and we went to having unprotected sex, without properly discussing it sober. It must have taken a lot for “Jim” to open up to me, but I always felt that him passing you on to me could have been prevented.
Eventually I accepted that you were part of us both, “Jim” and I, and because I thought we were in love it was all ok. However, our communication was never the best and our relationship disintegrated, I wanted to see the world and felt that “Jim” was holding me back; he wanted me to be the dutiful girlfriend – someone who slotted into his life – not off pursuing silly adventures. Afterwards I went through anger and regret, and poor “Jim” was the one on the receiving end. He must have experienced the rejection he was worried about – however, it wasn’t because of you, herpes, you just made it much clearer that me and “Jim” weren’t right for each other.
Then it was just you and me. I accepted you into my life, but because of my hesitation to open up to another person initially, the thought of sharing our relationship in the future weighed heavily.
I still felt shame and guilt but learned to hide it, and learned to avoid situations where I might get close to another man. It would literally fill me with anxiety if I thought there was a chance of me getting intimate with someone. I craved affection, yet, knew there was a big herpes shaped barrier in the way of any possible intimacy. I couldn’t talk about it with anyone, and felt like I was living a double life.
Eventually I met someone else but I still couldn’t open up about you. I was scared, scared of rejection, of hurting this person, of passing you on and because I was scared I didn’t say anything. Then an almighty feeling of dread emerged as I thought I could have passed you on, and he might not even know. I told him and the relief that brought was only second to the fact he had not contracted you. At the time I said that I would rather be alone forever than go through that again… but of course, that is not true. He didn’t think it was such a big deal that you and I were together, and even though other circumstances meant me and him couldn’t be together, it gave me hope that people – men, would have compassion and understanding if only I had the courage to open up about you.
I don’t want to keep getting into the same situation, the same cycle of fear and shame and guilt, although I’m worried I may be too late. I have again met someone else but have retracted from being honest and upfront about you. I’m not sure where it is going but I know in order to go any further with him I have to first face my relationship with you, and if me and him are to carry on he must know the truth about us.
I want to love you and cherish our relationship and appreciate what you have taught me!
I am young, I am attractive, I am a funny, I am healthy and I need you herpes… to help me work out who is going to love me for me – because you and I are one! Perhaps the barrier is a good thing, it means I can have a relationship on a much deeper level. Perhaps I need to learn to open up before I become intimate with somebody, perhaps it is crucial and it was destiny you and I came together.
For me it is not the physical scars you leave but the emotional connotations and deep connections to reoccurring feelings of rejection and self-doubt.
And I know it is not you that brings those into our relationship; but me.
I am seeking compassion, trust, forgiveness and love… But first I need to find them within myself.
This is the first step in turning our relationship around, my letter to you, facing up to our life together, asking for us to be friends, thanking you for coming into my life. Beginning a path where I can help others build on their relationship with you, and one day, hopefully helping to change your relationship with humanity. It is all about love, so I am taking measures to learn to love you, and hopefully one day,
someone will love us both.
Yours truly
Natalie
Email Christopher Scipio if you would like to be added to the newsletter’s mailing list
- Published in Herpes
My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition Ten
News from the Herpes Nation
Where Healing Lives
Published by Christopher Scipio
Homeopath, Herbalist, and Holistic Viral Specialist
Do You Treat You Body as Well as Your Car?
I drive a seven year old VW Diesel Jetta and I love my car. The car wasn’t cheap so I try to maintain the car well so that it can last another 10-15 years. The oil changes are expensive, usually more than $150 and I just spent almost a thousand dollars changing the timing belt and water pump. But even I don’t spent nearly as much time and money taking care of my car as most of my neighbours. I live in the country so I don’t mind a little road dust on my car- most people’s vehicles around here are immaculate.
I often feel a real sense of disconnect seeing a morbidly obese person stepping out of their pristine $50,000 pick-up truck, or seeing someone chain-smoking in their new BMW. It occours to me that most people would never treat their cars as badly as they treat their own bodies.
In my overactive imagination I see water as being the equivalent of engine coolant. How many people get the 8-10 glasses of non-filtered water they need each day for proper hydration? (Filtered water doesn’t provide proper hydration due to a lack of minerals/electrolytes)
Essential Fatty Acids are like your engine oil. It takes about 51 days in a row of consuming enough EFAs to properly lubricate your body and then if you miss a day after that you need another 51 days in a row again to build back up. How many of us eat enough avocados, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, hemp seeds, olive oil, etc to properly oil our bodies?
Your daily meals are your gas. How many people would put crappy gasoline in their cars that they knew had the potential of damaging their engines?
How would you treat your car if like your body you knew it was the only one you’ll ever own in your lifetime?
Coffee is like an expensive fuel additive shipped in from third world countries. It gives your engine a temporary boost before sending it crashing down. If you were to put this additive in your car it would degrade the steel of your chassis just like coffee leaches calcium from your bones. It would cause your engine to over rev just like coffee over-stimulates your central nervous system causing you to go into a stressful fight or flight mode which damages your adrenal glands and makes you more sensitive to stress. Would you put this in your car? How about drugs and alcohol and tobacco?
Cars are resilient and can handle some neglect and abuse, but it’s likely that you treat your car well and keep it clean because it’s a statement of how you care for the things you value, because your life literally depends on your car’s good performance and because you want your car to last.
You can buy another car anytime but you are stuck with the consequences of the relationship you have had with your own body and you can even pass on those consequences to your children and grandchildren. The new science of epigenomics studies how the environment and daily habits such as over-eating and coffee drinking can damage genes which then negatively impact your future generations.
– christopher scipio, homeopath/herbalist
CAUSES OF RECURRENT HERPES OUTBREAKS
-Immune Dysfunction: The immune system may be the main determinant of susceptibility to herpes infections. Mice lacking both B7-1 and B7-2 when infected intravaginally with HSV-2 developed more severe disease and higher mortality. (B7-1 and B7-2 are molecules that function as stimulators of T-cell activity.) B7-1 and B7-2 are capable of regulating the immune system and profoundly affect human health. Without B7 stimulation, T-cells fail to undergo normal activation in response to HSV-2 infections (Thebeau et al. 2003). Blood lymphocytes (white blood cells, WBC) obtained from patients with VZV and chickenpox, during the acute phase of disease had lower proportions of T-helper (CD-4+) cells and large numbers of T-suppressor (CD-8+) cells, with a low T-helper/T-suppressor ratio. Natural killer (NK) activity was depressed with no concomitant decrease in NK cells. In the late recovery phase, NK activity and levels of T-cell subpopulations were normal with the exception of increased T-helper cells (Cauda et al. 1987). Enhancement of the immune system will improve control of outbreaks of herpes.
-The Sugar Connection: Diets high in sugar promote immune dysfunction and herpes infection. Routine intake of sugar consistently suppresses the immune system. Glucose, fructose, honey, or fruit juices (simple sugars or carbohydrates) significantly reduce the physiological functions of white blood cells (Western Botanicals, 2000; Clark, 2003).
-Physical Stress: Physical trauma to nerve cells (e.g. surgery) can activate herpes viruses ( Clark, 2003). Menstruation, tight clothing, intercourse (without sufficient lubrication), or the stress of illness may contribute to the recurrence of genital herpes (UMHS, 2003). Elite athletes (aggressive exercise) often increases sensitivity to respiratory and herpes simplex infection (Friman et al. 2000). However, a well-planned exercise program typically aids in reducing stress and building immunity. Studies have shown that just 30 minutes of regular exercise (such as walking) significantly boosts immune function (Forces of Nature, 2003a)
-Fatigue: Fatiguing exercise has been associated with an increased susceptibility to infection. Macrophages from fatigued mice are less resistant to infection with HSV-1. Fatigued mice, when exposed to HSV-1, exhibited greater mortality than control mice and evidenced greater resistance to HSV-1 infection (Kohut et al. 1998).
-Emotional Stress: Psychological intervention (relaxation and guided imagery) improves immune function. The immune system works more efficiently when one is “happy” and in a state of well-being. Improvements in immune parameters (using self-hypnosis with and without immune imagery) revealed fewer winter viral infections. Patients with virulent and chronic HSV-2, after six weeks of psychological training, almost halved recurrence rates, improved mood, and reduced levels of clinical depression and anxiety. Immune function was up-regulated as noted by increased NK cell activity in response to HSV-1 (Gruzelier, 2002). Persistent stressors and high levels of anxiety predicted the recurrence of genital herpes, whereas transient mood states, short-term stressors, and life changes did not (Cohen et al. 1999). Physical and psychological stresses in astronauts during space flight revealed decreased virus-specific T-cell immunity and reactivation of EBV (Stowe et al. 2001). Major depression is associated with a decline in VZV-specific cellular immunity (Irwin et al. 1998).
-Other Infections: The common cold is a major precipitating factor for oral herpes. The presence of one or more infections predisposes patients to other infections (Nicolson et al. 2003). Some studies have shown exceptions as HSV-2 infections and the common cold showed no relationship (Dalkvist et al. 1995.)
-Fever: Fever has been shown to induce reactivation of latent HSV-1 (Colgin et al. 2001)
-Ultraviolet Light : Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation can result in HSV-1 reactivation (Loiacono et al. 2003). UV damage to the skin at the site of initial infection was a sufficient stimulus to reactivate latent HSV-1 (Colgin et al. 2001). Using a sunscreen of Factor 25 or higher prior to UV exposure may assist in preventing a herpes outbreak. I f a patient who suffers from recurrent herpes utilizes a tanning booth, it would be prudent to terminate or abbreviate these tanning sessions (Forces of Nature, 2003b).
-Temperature Extremes: Extremes in temperature can prompt a herpes outbreak. Because synthetic fabrics retain heat and moisture, genital sores may heal faster if loose-fitting cotton underclothes are worn and panty hose are avoided (Krishna IVF Clinic, undated; Torres, 2003).
-Nerve Damage: Recurrent VZV occurs in acute, chronic, and recurrent neuropathy (inflammation or degeneration of the peripheral nerves). Subsequent or second attacks of VZV are uncommon in people with normal immune systems (Craig et al. 2003)
-The Essential Fatty Acid Factor: Many herpes patients have imbalances in fat metabolism. Individuals with recurrent herpes infections often consume too many trans -fatty acids that fail to support healthy cell membranes. (See Essential Fatty Acids in the Therapeutic Section).
Coffee, Chocolate and all forms of Caffeine
Nuts and Seeds (Except Hemp and Flax)
Recreational Drug Use
Cigarettes
Friction from sex without an antiviral gel or lube
Re-inoculation from unprotected sex with a partner who also has herpes
Insomnia or less than 7 hours a day of sleep
Artificial Sweeteners
PMS
Special Fall Offers and Discounts from Christopher Scipio, Homeopath/Herbalist
All of these Offers Expire on the 9th of November, 2010, so don’t hesitate to contact me if interested.
1. Safer Sex. If you haven’t tried my antiviral gel for safer sex and would like to, I will include an electronic version of my book “Making Peace with Herpes” for free ( a $21.95 value). I will also waive the mandatory 30 min consultation which is an additional savings of $50. If you have already read the book I will give you an additional antiviral gel for free instead.
2. If you have ordered from me in the past but havent in more than sixty days, I will include a free electronic version of my six part audio programme on holistic herpes management and safer sex for free (a $60 value). This series goes into wonderful empowering detail on how to treat herpes, and how to live and love without shame and without infecting others.
3. If you buy a four month supply of immune formula for herpes or hpv, I will reduce the price of the remedies by $162.00
4. I have brand new low cost herpes remedies for students, the unemployed and low-income persons. This plan is $79.00 per month including postage for qualified persons.
5. If you have never had a phone consultation with me, or haven’t had one in 60 days and have questions about herpes or HPV or any other ailments, need moral support and encouragement, need advice on how to talk to others about your herpes or HPV, or have a partner you’d like me to help educate about herpes or HPV and would like to have a phone consultation with me, for the I am offering my 60 minute phone consultation for $50.00 instead of the usual $90.00.
If you would like to take advantage of any of these offers email me at [email protected]
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist/Holistic Viral Specialist
The Truth about HSV-1 and HSV-2
Exerpts from an Article by The American Social Health Association
“…When many people first tell someone they have genital herpes, they start by comparing the infection to oral herpes, or cold sores. How apt is the comparison? In spite of scientific facts, the social stigma and emotional attitudes surrounding genital herpes can make it hard to compare it objectively with an oral infection that most people casually accept. Following the unspoken assumptions of our society, many people still believe there is a “good” herpes virus-HSV- 1, the usual cause of cold sores-and a “bad” herpes virus-HSV-2, the usual cause of genital herpes.
…Under a microscope, HSV- 1 and 2 are virtually identical, sharing approximately 50% of their DNA. Both types infect the body’s mucosal surfaces, usually the mouth or genitals, and then establish latency in the nervous system. For both types, at least two-thirds of infected people have no symptoms, or symptoms too mild to notice. However, both types can recur and spread even when no symptoms are present.
The primary difference between the two viral types is in where they typically establish latency in the body- their “site of preference.” HSV-1 usually establishes latency in the trigeminal ganglion, a collection of nerve cells near the ear. From there, it tends to recur on the lower lip or face. HSV-2 usually sets up residence in the sacral ganglion at the base of the spine. From there, it recurs in the genital area .
Even this difference is not absolute either type can reside in either or both parts of the body and infect oral and/or genital areas. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of this, which contributes both to the spread of type 1 and to the misperception that the two types are fundamentally different.
“People don’t understand that you can have type 1 genitally or orally, that the two types are essentially the same virus,’ says Marshall Clover, manager of the National Herpes Hotline.” One type is associated with stigma, the other is “‘just a cold sore”- our society has a euphemism for it so we don’t even have to acknowledge that it’s herpes.”
The common myth is that HSV-1 causes a mild infection that is occasionally bothersome, but never dangerous. The reality? HSV-1 is usually mild, especially when it infects the lips, face, or genitals. However, in some cases type 1 can recur spontaneously in the eye, causing ocular herpes, a potentially serious infection which can lead to blindness. In very rare cases HSV- 1 can spread spontaneously to the brain, causing herpes encephalitis, a dangerous infection that can lead to death. HSV-1 is also the usual cause of herpes whitlow, an infection on the finger, and “wrestler’s herpes,” (herpes gladiatorum) a herpes infection on the chest or face.
The range and potential severity of HSV-1 infections lead some experts to view the virus as more risky than usually perceived. “This is heresy, but I think type 1 is a more significant infection than type 2,” says Spotswood Spruance, MD, an oral HSV specialist at the University of Utah. “Type 1, and the morbidity associated with it, are underestimated.”
By comparison, HSV-2 is widely believed to be a painful, dangerous infection that affects only people with very active sex lives. The reality? Some 22% of adult Americans from all backgrounds, income levels, and ethnic groups have HSV-2. Like HSV-1, type 2 is usually mild-so mild that two- thirds of infected people don’t even know they have it. Type 2 rarely causes complications or spreads to other parts of the body. It is the most common cause of neonatal herpes, a rare but dangerous infection in newborns; however, type 1 causes up to one-third of neonatal infections.
The two types do behave somewhat differently depending on whether they are residing in their site of preference-the mouth and face for HSV-1, and the genital area for HSV-2. But both types are quite common, and under most circumstances neither is a major health threat. That’s one reason medical professionals tend to dismiss HSV -2 despite the emotional trauma a diagnosis can cause for a patient.
While HSV can be a frustrating and painful condition for some people, in general the virus is less a medical problem than a social problem. For most of us, genital herpes is no more dangerous than a cold sore.
…How Easily Spread?
As a number of readers have attested over the years, many people with genital herpes are at least as concerned about transmission-the likelihood of spreading the virus to a partner-as about their own health. On the other hand, few people with oral herpes, share this concern. Is this because one type is more contagious than the other?
The short answer is no. Both viral types are easily transmitted to their site of preference, and can also be spread to other sites. Both are most contagious during active outbreaks, but are often spread through viral shedding when there are no recognizable symptoms. According to Spruance, people with recurrent oral HSV-1 shed virus in their saliva about 5% of the time even when they show no symptoms. In the first year of infection, people with genital HSV-2 shed virus from the genital area about 6-10% of days when they show no symptoms, and less often over time. (Both of these figures reflect shedding as detected by viral culture.)
…On a practical level, this means oral HSV-1 is often the most easily acquired herpes infection. Usually the first herpes simplex virus that people encounter, oral HSV-1, is typically spread simply by the kind of social kiss that a relative gives a child. Because children have no prior infection with any HSV type, they have no immune defense against the virus.
…Scientists can tell us all day that the main difference between the two viral types is simply their site of preference-whether they typically occur above the waist or below. But the unspoken attitudes of our society send a different message. That’s just the problem, social attitudes whisper. Below the waist is bad.
“People think of oral herpes as the “good” herpes and genital herpes as the “bad” kind,” says Glover of the National Herpes Hotline. “It’s partly that they don’t understand the similarities between HSV-1 and 2. But it’s also that good and bad is how our culture views sex and our bodies…”
Email Christopher Scipio if you would like to be added to the newsletter’s mailing list
- Published in Herpes
My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition Eleven
A Herpes Free New Year!
This year my fondest wish for you is to have a year where herpes is a non-factor in your life. A year in which you spend no more time worrying about herpes than you would worrying about how many different children have played the role of Annie in Little Orphan Annie on Broadway.
It’s it largely up to you. If you are willing to make peace with the herpes virus and take a fearless personal inventory of your life you will be able to identify the habits and lifestyle choices that are triggering your outbreaks.
You have the power to make progressive changes without being dependent on a prescription drug. No matter what your past history is with herpes you can change your situation now.
What a person can do is almost unlimited, what most people choose to do is largely disappointing.
Choose to control your herpes infection instead of having your lifelong herpes infection control you.
To celebrate this great new year I am offering a free gift to all readers of this newsletter. Email me at hsvclinic at aim.com to ask for your gift.
Happy New Year
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
“My experience with Mr Scipio’s herbal protocol was a learning experience and journey. It has helped to make me a healthier and ultimately happier person. It is a change in lifestyle and thinking. By following the process set forth by Mr. Scipio and learning to listen to the needs of my body I was able to overcome frequent and bad outbreaks. This is a protocol developed only for those who are willing to accept learning curves. However, with time, attention, mental relaxation techniques and the assistance of Mr. Scipio I am now able to enjoy life outbreak free and understand how to control this condition and not allow it to control me either physically or mentally.
Thank you for your help Mr. Scipio!”
-Anonymous
How Not to Get a Cold or Flu This Season
Dress for success. A warm scarf may be your best ally in not getting a cold. And ladies, no matter how sexy you are, you may wish to reconsider plunging exposed necklines at this time of year. Button up your coats. Dress in layers and eschew those low riding pants and jeans.
Act immediately. Usually the first sign of a cold or flu is a sore throat followed by fatigue. As soon as you feel even the hint of this coming drop everything you are doing and get out of the cold and into your bed. Rest is key, even if it means taking a day or two off from work and your duties as a parent. If you don’t slow down you will probably get sick.
An ounce of prevention… Carry around those dried ginger cubes you find in health food stores. Reed’s brand has organic ginger cubes. Suck on them and eat them whenever the weather or chilly or you feel your throat getting sore or itchy. I have avoided dozens of colds this way.
Silence is golden. If you feel your throat getting sore or itchy, stop talking. Save your voice.
Hydrate yourself. Drink lots of water and teas containing vitamin c during the winter like rose hips or hibiscus. My favourite is a combination of rose hips, hibiscus and ginger.
If you feel yourself sliding down into sickness drink plenty of ginger and green onion tea (use the white bulb part of organic green onions)..
Make sure you carry around the homeopathic remedy gelsenium sempervirens 30c, and take 2 pellets every 1-2 hours if you start feeling ill.
Wash your hands as often as feasible.
Definately consider getting my Milena Cold and Flu formula. It’s the best formula I have ever created and I have never gotten a cold or flu while taking it as a preventative.
Announcing A New Price Structure
There will be an increase in prices and a new price structure as of January 14th. If you are currently ordering monthly protocol remedies from me and have ordered a refill in the past 60 days, you will be locked into the old price for the duration of your treatment as long as you order refills at least every 60 days (or every 120 days if you were ordering 4 month blocks). If you have ordered remedies in the past and are thinking of ordering again in the future if you ask for a refill before January 14th you will also be locked into the old price as long as you order refills at least every 60 days (or every 120 days if you were ordering 4 month blocks).
If you have never ordered remedies before and wish to if you order before the 14th of January you can also be locked into the old rate.
The current price for the Immune Formula if you buy it monthly is $140, the new price will be $180 as of January 14th. If you buy a four month supply the new cost will be $560 (a savings of $160, plus you save an additional $42 on postage, a total savings of $202 over purchasing monthly). If you buy a six month supply the new cost will be $756 (a savings of $324, plus you save an additional $56 on postage, a total savings of $380 over buying purchasing monthly).
The price of my book will increase from $21.95 to $35.95 (which is the original 2006 price)
The price of my e-book will increase from $19.95 to $29.95 (which is the original 2006 price)
The price structure for the antiviral gel has already changed from $24.95 for 60 ml (2 oz) to $40.00 for 120 ml (4 oz)- which is actually a price decrease.
To purchase my book, self-hypnosis CDs or herpes formulas or to schedule a consultation, email me at [email protected] or click on the links below.
How Not to Get Depressed This Winter
Change Your Lighting. Switch the light bulbs in your home to Full Spectrum Compact Flourescents with a colour temperature of 5100 Kelvin or higher. This is the closest artificial lighting to the sun’s rays and will help combat seasonal depression along with reducing your lighting bill by as much as 67%.
Vary Your Routine. Lack of stimulation, lack of variety and lack of challenge all contribute to depression. Don’t allow yourself to stay in a rut. Try new foods, go to new places, reach out and try to make new friends, move the furniture around in your house, change the colour of your walls. Examine every habit you have and try to shake things up.
Reach Out for Community. Isolation is a slow death. No matter who you are and what you are into there is a community out there either in the real world or on the internet ready to embrace you. You need to feel connected to others and others will benefit by being in your circle.
Have More Sex. I hope the benefits of physically and emotionally fulfilling sex are obvious. So why aren’t you getting more? Perhaps your rules are limiting your opportunities. If this is the case, it’s time to re-examine the priority you have placed on sex. loosen your restrictions, make it easier and not harder for yourself to get more sex. You do not have to be in love with someone or in a relationship to have sex. I am no promoter of meaningless sex, but I know from personal experience that it is possible to have abundant, healthy, uplifting sex in your life if you choose to.
Humidify. Drink lots of unfiltered spring water and teas like siberian ginseng, rhodiola and tulsi. Take a good fish oil supplement and make sure you have a humidifier in your bedroom if you have electric heat in your house.
Find Meaning in Who You Are and What You Do. If your daily life isn’t full of joy and meaning, you will get depressed, it’s only a matter of time. Some try to self-medicate themselves from this morass by doing reactional drugs or drinking too much. There is ultimately no escape from your internal judge. You know in the depths of your soul whether the life you live and the things you do have enough meaning. If meaning is lacking in your life, strip away all the dead wood and see what persists at your core. Who are you? What do you wish your life to be about? What dreams still remain unfufilled? How would you like to impact the world around you?
You can ask me for my Winter Depression/Seasonal Affected Disorder formula to help elevate your mood and give you healthy non-stimulant energy during the winter season. Don’t be shy, help is only an email away.
Tell your Story
by Anonymous
There’s a beautiful print by Roy Henry Vickers, a famous native artist, at the bottom it reads: “Storytelling is the Ointment of the Healer”. This quote speaks to the social aspects of healing. Using storytelling as a healing tool is not only found in native traditions. It can be seen in the role of the modern-day therapist, or in the everyday act of relating a difficult event to a trusted friend. In short, storytelling is an essential part of being human.
However, the stigma and shame of having herpes often causes those with the condition to rob themselves of telling their story, speaking their pain to the world. We are left feeling more alone, more isolated from our family, friends and community at exactly the moment when we need most their support and to progress on the path of healing.
Perhaps, my story, or rather how I finally came around to telling my story, can help you. When I had my first outbreak, I was working on a fishing boat in an isolated part of the Queen Charlotte Islands. I knew something was wrong and eventually had to ask the captain to call a floatplane to pick me up to visit the hospital in Prince Rupert, at a large expense and disruption to those on the boat. However, out of shame and fear, I lied about my symptoms to everyone around me.
That started a long road of deceit and internalizing my story. This continued for many years. I came into the habit of only telling my partners when intoxicated, a regretful symptom of my fear of rejection and lack of my own comfort with having herpes. Or, worse still, I would put people at risk by not revealing what I felt was my darkest secret. Either way, I was left to further internalize my suffering. This only worsened my stress, paranoia and outbreaks. I was diseased mentally and physically, and very much in a wilderness mostly of my own creation.
But, change did come. Four years after the float place landed and after breaking up with the woman from whom I contracted herpes, I suffered from my worst period of outbreaks: nearly four months of constant sores, prodromes and pain. Finally, in a fit of pure desperation, I broke down the walls of shame and told my family. This was the beginning of using storytelling as a powerful tool for my healing.
My family did not reject me as I had imagined; shattering their picture of the perfect son. Instead, they loved and supported me more than ever.. One of the things I realized was that by not telling them, I had robbed them of the opportunity to help me; to guide and hold me when in need, just as they would if I had any other problem. I had denied them (and myself) their chance to be a shoulder to lean against and, yes, cry on.
Only a month later, my mother was driving me to see Christopher Scipio in Vancouver. And, for all of you have had such an experience, you know that getting his support and adopting a holistic approach can be a life-changing experience. It was for me. But, I probably would have never have made it to see him, if not for speaking out when I did.
Mostly recently, I joined a herpes support group, some five years after my first outbreak. While talking about living with herpes to strangers is a personal decision, I would strongly encourage those who are so inclined, but still apprehensive, to do so. I left my first meeting with a new sense of community. It put faces and stories to the statistics of how many people are going through the same thing: lawyers, doctors, senior citizens, construction workers, single mothers and fathers, and university students.
Of course, you must choose to whom and when to tell your story on your own terms. But, do not let fear stop you.
As a final note, I do not want to give a false impression that suddenly everything was perfect for me. I have my struggles with this condition. Yet, what has changed is that I have a network of love, support and community to lift me up on my bad days. I chose to stop feeling isolated and so I hope will you. This is because not speaking out robs you from harnessing storytelling – the ointment of the healer – to live a more balanced, honest and happy life.
Three More Holistic Herpes Recipes from Cassa Wood
Asian Salmon
1/3 cup of Maple syrup
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
2 tbsp of Hoisin sauce
2 tbsp peeled and sliced ginger
Dried red pepper flakes
3-5 gloves of chopped garlic
Juice of 1or 2 fresh limes
2-4 Wild Salmon fillets
Place the sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, lime juice, red pepper flakes, garlic in a saucepan, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sauce forms a glaze.
Preheat the broiler.
Place the salmon fillets on a broiler pan and cover with the 1/3 of the sauce. Let sit for 15 minutes. Broil them until cooked through, about 8 minutes, and again baste more of the asian mixture. Remove the salmon from the heat and baste once more with the sauce before serving. Great by itself or served with basmati rice!
I will also cut it into small pieces and snack on it throughout the day.
Bok Bok Mushrooms
Bok choy and shiitake mushrooms are a natural combination for a quick stir-fry because….
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 or 2 bok choy heads, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of sea salt
2-3 tbsp of hemp seeds (optional to sprinkle overtop)
IF you have a Wok, great! This is the time to use it. If not just use a fry pan. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, about 30-60 seconds. Add bok choy and mushrooms. Cook and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring often, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in oyster sauce, sesame oil and salt. Serve hot with hemp seeds sprinkled overtop.
Baby Chick Spinach
1 bunch or bag of baby spinach
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 tbsp of thyme
1 tbsp of oregano
2 tbsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of paprika
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of chicken or veggie broth
Bring a soup pot to medium heat, adding the oil, garlic, onions and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add in the spices and chickpeas after about 5 minutes, stirring and slightly smashing the chickpeas. Don’t let it dry out, adding more oil or broth if necessary. Then add the spinach in allowing it to wilt. Stir in raisins and broth and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Email Christopher Scipio if you would like to be added to the newsletter’s mailing list
- Published in Herpes
My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition Twelve
ews from the Herpes Nation
Where Healing Lives
Published by Christopher Scipio
Homeopath, Herbalist, and Holistic Viral Specialist
A Story from One of My Patients
I am a 44-year-old woman, short and slight, and I have genital herpes. But herpes does not define me. I am not my condition. It is just one minor nuisance, annoyance. It wasn’t always that way. I was diagnosed when my 13-year-old daughter was 5 months old. It was a horrible outbreak, the worst my doctor had ever seen. I was married. The doctor assumed my husband had cheated on me. That is not the case. Although he never told me, I knew my husband had had it all along. I was simply in denial. I remained married for six more years. My herpes is the main reason I didn’t divorce sooner, and almost didn’t divorce at all. After all, who would want me? Damaged goods? I believed that for many years. For six years following my divorce, I rarely dated and when I did, I didn’t go on more than one date with the same guy. I just didn’t want to have a conversation. I didn’t want it to get to that point.
Then I decided I was tired of being alone. I wanted a positive male role model in my life for my girls to see. I wanted them to see me happy in a relationship. So I started dating. I dated a few guys before meeting a really good one. My entire attitude changed after reading several books on herpes, including Christopher’s. He tells you not to “ghettoize” yourself, not to limit yourself to dating within the herpes pool. Why? Because you are not your herpes. You are so much more than that. So I did some online dating and I did it on mainstream sites, not sites for people with herpes. And that’s where I met my special someone. After almost a month of going out on dates with him, I decided it was time to have a talk. Christopher, in his book, talks about Her Peace, meaning the condition gives women inner peace because you are forced to take it slow, to get to know the man you’re dating. When you tell him, if he really cares about you, he won’t care that you have herpes. And that is what happened in my situation.
Now I want to talk about my health. I have to admit that I am healthier than your average person. I am vegan (have been for three years), and I eat a mostly whole foods, plant-based diet—as opposed to a diet full of processed foods. I eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables. I avoid coffee, chocolate, yerba mate, green tea, black tea, caffeine, alcohol, nuts, raisins, etc.—to follow Christopher’s recommendations. I took his lists of foods to avoid and to eat and I veganized them. I take all of his recommended supplements, available at any vitamin shop, and I put avocado and hemp seeds in my green smoothies, which I have usually five days a week. And I do yoga, though I need to do it more often. My blood pressure and cholesterol are on the low side. Stress does bring on outbreaks, but I only get a few a year, and they last three days tops.
I am happier than I have ever been, and that includes life before herpes.
Quick Herpes Facts:
1. Liquid remedies are far superior to capsules or tablets. You body is mostly water, plants are mostly water, the planet is mostly water- herbal medicine should be liquid for the most effectiveness. Liquid remedies are easier for your body to absorb because they do not need to be broken down by your digestive system. Liquid remedies also have a much larger surface area to deliver the active ingredients. Your body will only usually digest 20% of a tablet and 30% of a capsule but will absorb 98% of a liquid remedy. Liquid remedies may taste bad but they are more effective and are what your body wants and needs.
2.Condoms only offer a 30% protection from herpes. “Researchers combined data from six different studies of HSV-2 incidence and condom use, including 5,384 people in total, to provide a more definitive answer. All study participants were free of HSV-2 infection when the studies began. During follow-up, which averaged just over a year, 415 contracted genital herpes.
People who reported always using condoms were 30 percent less likely to contract the infection than people who didn’t use condoms, Martin and her team found, while the risk of becoming infected rose steadily with the number of unprotected sex acts.
Condoms are only partly protective, the researcher noted, because HSV-2 can spread by skin-to-skin contact, which could occur in areas not covered by the condom. Also, she pointed out, even when people with genital herpes don’t have a visible outbreak of infection, they may be able to infect others with the virus.”
The above studies only confirm what we in the holistic herpes community have known for decades and that is condoms are not a complete safer-sex solution for herpes. If you are sexually active I encourage you to use my antiviral gel as part of your safer-sex toolkit- even if your partner also has herpes. The best way to use the gel is to apply a small amount to the inside of your vagina nightly or if you are male to apply to anywhere on your skin you have had sores nightly in both cases every night whether you are having sex or not and to also use the gel during sex as a lube on your genitals and also everywhere you have previously had sores. You can also use the gel on your mouth and anus to protect those areas as well. http://www.antiviralgel.com
Herbal Medicine for Every Day of Your Life
One of the biggest myths about herbal medicine is that you only need it when you are sick. Herbal medicine is plant-based medicine. Plants are and have always been part of our everyday lives. Hopefully your diet is at least 80% plants, you house is probably largely made of wood and furnished in wood. Your baseball bat and tennis racquet are made from plants. The condom you may or may not be using is made from plants. You wash your body and maintain your beauty with plants, and even you car runs on plant fossil fuel.
Sadly some people abuse plants- some are addicted to coffee and cigarettes, some drink too much alcohol, some smoke marijuana. I am personally against the abuse of plants in anyway as it ultimately is self-abuse, and herbs can benefit us in so many ways so why not make positive use of them?
Herbal medicine can help you body cope with stress better.
Herbal medicine can help women balance their hormones, which can ease symptoms of P.M.S. – help prevent cramping, excessive bleeding, endometriosis, uterine, cervical and breast cancers, and can reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis, miscarriage, birth defects and early menopause.
Herbs can effectively treat insomnia without dangerous side effects and drug-dependency.
Herbs can help prevent and treat sports injuries and improve your performance and endurance.
Plant medicine can be very effective in treating anxiety and panic disorder.
Plants can help you cleanse and detox your body and help protect you from radiation poisoning.
Herbal medicine can help your vision.
Herbs can help increase your mental alertness and acuity and can prevent and treat short-term memory loss.
Herbs can enhance your sexual experiences.
Plant medicine can help enhance your skin and beauty.
Plants offer us exquisite sensual experiences through their physical beauty, fragrances and flavours.
Herbal medicine can help you through all the stages of pregnancy and nursing.
Herbs can help you with al aspects of aging to give you maximum quality of life in your later years.
Herbs can help you enhance your religious practices and meditations.
Herbs can help you prevent radiation poisoning, heavy metal poisoning and other negative effects of pollution.
Herbal medicine is for every day and every aspect of your life. If there’s something in your life that you are struggling with or need to see improved that you think herbs might help you with please ask for a phone consultation with me and let’s discuss it.
I Want to Speak with You.
I got herpes in 1990 when I was 25 years old. The physical symptoms were never the worst part of the experience for me. The true ordeal was that I was alone in my herpes. I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. I didn’t get any moral support, or advice, or good information or encouragement. I suffered for nine years like this feeling ashamed and isolated.
I wish there was someone like me back then for me to speak with. It would have spared me a lot of needless guilt and anger. I would have stopped me from trying useless and risky gimmick treatments.
What I do best as a holistic healer is advise my patients. When people come to me they often not only need information and advice, they also need a lot of emotional support and encouragement. Sometimes that means I’m a shoulder to cry on, sometimes it means I have to give them a kick in the butt. Mostly it means being there for them, reminding them that there’s absolutely no need for shame, that herpes is easy to control naturally, that safer sex does exist and they need not infect anyone and that not only can they live the same lives as they did before- but their lives can be even better than it was before herpes. Having herpes isn’t or should it be any kind of big deal.
I love helping my patients embrace a healthier diet and yoga. I love helping them develop a more positive and optimistic attitude about their herpes experience. I love helping people cope better with stress and improve their sleep. I love hearing about their great progress and improvement. I love helping them learn how to tell their future lovers about their herpes without shame or fear. I love helping people with herpes rebuild and enjoy their full sexuality.
If you are in any way struggling with herpes- whether it be the physical symptoms or on the mental and emotional level, please do book a consultation with me by emailing me at Christopher.scipio at gmail.com. If you’ve had a consultation before and haven’t had one recently it’s likely time for a follow-up. To encourage you all to reach out to me if you purchase a consultation by the 20th of April 2011, I will give you a 30min consultation for $20 (regular price is $50) or a 60 min consultation for $45 (regular price is $90). This offer applies to anyone who hasn’t had a consultation in the past two months.
And it doesn’t have to be about herpes. You can book a phone consultation with me for any health issue or any ways that herbs may help improve your life. Call me.
Email Christopher Scipio if you would like to be added to the newsletter’s mailing list
- Published in Herpes
My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition Thirteen
News from the Herpes Nation The Big Shift I’ve been resisting switching to powdered remedies for a long time- more than two years, because switching from my liquid remedies to powdered remedies meant more work and more expense for me, I was also not convinced that they would be as effective. So I skeptically tested powdered remedies on many patients and was more than a little surprised to find out that they seem to be even more effective than the liquid remedies. There were still other obstacles. Powdered remedies require 3-4 times as much herbs as do liquid remedies so I had to make sure that I could have a reliable and sustainable supply chain. Powdered remedies are nothing new. Herbal draughts have been used for thousands of years in African, Chinese and Amazonian traditional medicine. They are versatile and can drunk like a tea, or added to water or oil or cream to be used topically, snorted as a snuff, burned like incense, bathed in, etc. My new powdered remedies are meant to made into a tea and made into a paste for use on sores. After getting the herbs, I wash the herbs, dry the herbs, grind the herbs in my Vitamix professional blender, and then custom blend the herbs for each patient’s specific needs, then bottle the herbs. What finally convinced me to make the big shift is that I have several patients who are currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq in difficult conditions. They asked me to make remedies for them that didn’t require being in a fridge and could withstand high heat without spoiling. The powdered remedies were perfect for the situation. I have also had patients who were traveling who also asked for powdered remedies. My powdered remedies are alcohol free so they adhere to the stricter standards being enforced by the U.S. Postal Service and many airlines for hazardous goods and they do not conflict with people who cannot have alcohol for health, addiction or religious reasons. They are half the weight and so are easier to carry around. There’s no issue with the herbs settling at the bottom of the bottle. And they can last at least twice the time as liquid remedies without spoiling. From now on and for the foreseeable future powdered remedies will be what I will be making for almost all of my Herpes and HPV patients. Please do continue to give me your feedback and critique of the remedies, because of your feedback I am able to continue improving the effectiveness and ease of use of the medicine and that’s the whole point. If you have never tried my immune formula or haven’t purchased any in the past 90 days and want some, I want you to experience my herbal draughts and will refund you back 50% of the cost of your first month of remedies if you order by August 7th. (There are other major discounts available if you buy a four or six month package of remedies). Christopher Scipio Herbalist/Holistic Viral Specialist TODAY, In My Journey My correspondences to Christopher Scipio are always positive and, thankfully, I have always been able to report to Christopher that I am outbreak-free. Therefore, sometime ago, Christopher had suggested to me to share some of my experiences and a few details of my health regimen, since perhaps it might be helpful to others as well. I have finally gotten around to doing so, and I hope that it will be helpful to many of you in some way. I am a very busy, single, working-mom. When Christopher suggested to me that I write something, I was excited and more than a bit intimidated. I was mostly intimidated by the idea that I am still trying to navigate my way through all of this, by trial and error, and that I am not an expert, indeed. My greatest obstacle, to date, is that I am still single. I have not had sex since finding out of my STI status, over three years ago. And the only person that I have been able to tell is my mom. Nope, I am not an expert at all! With that said……. I am HSV1 and HSV2 positive, and I have HPV. I just very recently added curcumin, green tea extract, coriolus versicolor and cardamom seeds to my health regimen, in hopes of ridding my body of HPV in the next six to twelve months. I read on the internet that HPV could clear up on its own, within two years, unless it is a resistant strain of the virus. Resistant strains of HPV are linked to oral and cervical cancers. My goal is just to be left with my herpes and to prevent developing oral and/or cervical cancers, of course. Since I have practiced abstinence for the past three years, I can be certain that I do not have a new HPV infection. I am awaiting results of my most recent pap smear, and I am planning to have an oral cancer screening very soon. Though I do a lot of research on the internet, I strongly suggest to everyone: please consult with Christopher Scipio before beginning any new natural remedy. Abstinence serves several purposes for me. The practice has allowed me time to: accept myself again, to love myself again, an opportunity to feel ‘normal’ again, time to strengthen my immune system, and the time to regain confidence in myself. I have decided against casual sexual relationships. To me, a committed relationship is more ideal for the level of maturity, openness and honesty which is required in a sexual relationship, today. Unfortunately, I have not found one yet. This is TODAY in my journey. I hope the following details may prove helpful to you or simply guide you and inspire you on your journey to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual peace and health. My regimen has evolved, somewhat, over the past three years. Though Christopher Scipio’s book, his natural medicines and his personal guidance have been and continue to be a true lifeline and saving grace for me. May God Bless Christopher and his life’s work, and may God Bless you too. My Personal Health Remedies for: Another Patient’s Journey My sister was raised Christian Science. Through her influence from a young age I had been exposed to the notion that your emotional state can affect your health. I found out I had herpes on the same day that I found out I was pregnant. This news came to me after weeks of anxiety about my whimsical sexual activity in the months prior. I was certain I would catch something if I didn’t start to excercize more caution about who I slept with and how. The news that I had herpes made me almost relieved because I had been feeling so strange over the previous month I didn’t know what was wrong and I was just happy to find out what was happening in my body. For the last 5 years I have been living with a very mild case of type one herpes. With only two outbreaks including the first, you could say my experience of herpes is almost like your average cold. Nonetheless no matter how mild a case I have been lucky to have, this has not saved me numerous anxious visits to multiple different doctors deathly afraid I am having a nonexistent outbreak and will unintentionally spread it to my eye or something. The truth is, no matter how mild or severe, I think we can agree that herpes tends to affect our emotions and psyche as much if not more than our physical bodies. At least in my case this is true and understanding this has clued me into the subtle ways I can tell what tends to trigger my herpes the most. For me, stress in my romantic life almost always heightens my awareness of the herpes in my body. It makes sense since it is a sexually transmitted virus and most matters of the heart interact with our sexuality. Stress of the intimate type, anxiety over a new lover, a past lover, a lover’s past lover, coupled with sugar, alcohol and lack of sleep plus stress in my financial life will almost certainly lead to an outbreak. All these are the triggers that when present I have become aware that I am more sensitive to general dietary triggers. I was spending the weekend away with my boyfriend. I worked crazy 8 hour days before going to be able to leave for a 4 day weekend. When I arrived at our getaway destination, I was exhausted and run down. We were kind of roughing it so we would eat quick and easy snacks, almonds and dates. After three nights of shitty sleep with my lover, we spent the day in a little town where I had to go take a nap on a bench by the water I was so tired. I noticed whenever I ate almonds, I would have a headache. I stopped eating almonds. I got as much sleep as possible. I stayed away from sugar, alcohol and bread. After about 5 days of consistent 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night I started to feel strong again. This is the basic protocol when I feel weak with my herpes and is the short-term fix. In the long-term area, anything I can do to minimize my stress levels especially in the love arena goes a long way for me with herpes. Each time I settle deeper into a healthy routine of yoga or reasonable, predictable and encouraging work, the thought of herpes seems to move farther away out of my everyday thoughts to every week then every month, then once every 6 months, then year. No question this virus that lives in the nervous system thrives on emotional distress about it even. I try to pay attention to what makes me stress about my herpes and unpack that as deeply as possible. The virus really is a warning signal to me that I am not living in balance. I try to strive for balance and letting go of the virus in my mind becomes a by product of inner peace. Email Christopher Scipio if you would like to be added to the newsletter’s mailing list Christopher Scipio’s Natural Herpes Treatment Protocol Christopher Scipio is the most experienced practitioner in the natural treatment of herpes and HPV. Read Christopher’s Book “Making Peace with Herpes” and listen to the optional Hypnosis CDs to maximize the effectiveness of the book. Purchase Christopher’s Natural Herpes Formulas custom-formulated for you. |
- Published in Herpes
My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition Fourteen
News from the Herpes Nation
Where Healing Lives
Published by Christopher Scipio
Homeopath, Herbalist, and Holistic Viral Specialist
Congraulations to You All!
More than 80 per cent of my patients are now reporting that they have not had an outbreak in 6 months or longer. This is the highest success rate ever in the seven-year history of my current protocol. Part of this success is due to the transition to the powdered remedies, but a lot of the success is based on the increased willingness of my patients to embrace yoga and the recommended diet and a positive and persistent attitude.
For many the results were not immediate but persistence paid off with long-term results. If you are still struggling to get symptoms under control I recommend that you use the boil method instead of the instant method to prepare your remedies and I also suggest you contact me to adjust the frequency and dosage of your immune draught and to also make sure you are using the antiviral gel daily. Almost all of the people who are using the antiviral gel daily are reporting no herpes or HPV symptoms.
Christopher Scipio-Herbalist/Holistic Viral Specialist
Here is a reminder on how to prepare the immune draught:
Preferred Method:
Add powder to1/2 to 1 cup of water on low heat with cover on, boil for 20 minutes, and drink entire decoction herbs and all
Alternative Method:
Add 1/2 cup of hot water to powder in a cup, cover cup and allow to cool down, then drink the entire tea.
Honey can be added but it’s best to drink either straight. Best to have on an empty stomach, or at least 30 minutes before a meal.
You can make big batches of the formula and carry it to work or drink over multiple days if you store it in the fridge.
If you need help clearing the taste from your mouth try using pickled ginger or dried ginger.
Since so many of you are doing so well with your herpes, it gives me the opportunity to start speaking with you about Holistic health in general and there is nothing more important to your health than your diet, so here are some of my thoughts on food:
I had a sad experience today. Was in a dollar store buying envelopes when I saw a family buying their groceries. The cashier said lots of families buy their groceries there. There was nothing remotely healthy in sight.
Somehow the message isn’t getting through. Eating badly is self-abuse. We don’t allow people to ride motorcycles without helmets, we restrict and tax cigarettes and alcohol, but we don’t even tax junk foods as a disincentive. I also think we should restrict the advertising of junk foods especially targeted to children. In the future I’d like to start an NGO to help poor people buy organic foods and/or lobby the government to start subsidizing organic food and heavily taxing junk food.
My 16 Commandments for Food Repentance:
1. Don”t buy bread, buy a bread machine and make your own.
2. Never ever ever ever drink coffee.
3. Don’t buy tea in teabags, go for the real deal instead, dried loose organic herbs. Tulsi tea is probably the best tea anyone can drink.
4. Get a slow cooker and make lots of soups and stews and other slow-cooked meals. Slow food- not fast food.
5. Don’t drink filtered water. Demineralized water doesn’t properly hydrate you, so throw away those Brita filters.
6. Get a juicer and juice lots of veggies and fruit. A simple one is carrot, beets, ginger and apple but there are so many possibilities!
7. Eat hemp seeds everyday, and if you are really going for it, have some spiraling everyday as well.
8. Cut way down on your sodium intake.
9. Cut down on animal fat and eliminate red meat from your diet except for buffalo.
10. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Aloe Vera juice.
11. Never BBQ or burn your food!
12. Always cook on the lowest heat possible.
13. 80 percent of your food should be wet, limit dry foods like bread, pasta etc. Think water, water. Water- from fruit, veggies, juices, smoothies, soups and stews. Wet and slow is the way to go.
14. Reduce your caloric intake. Eat less, especially at night and reduce calorie rich foods like breads, baked goods, pastas, chips etc and replace with low calorie foods like salads and soups. Caloric intake is the single biggest factor in determining how long you will live.
15. Fast at least half a day each week.
16. Never microwave.
If you have any questions or comments on my commandments or anything else please do email me at hsvclinic at aol.com
Apparently worldwide cancer rates are up 20 percent and it’s estimated that. 2.8 million cases a year are caused by poor diet and lack of exercise and are entirely preventable. So lets all please do some food repentance and encourage others to change their ways as well. Whether we like it or not we all end up paying the medical bills of people with preventable diseases and it’s also the cause of too much unneeded suffering.
Special Fall Offers and Discounts from Christopher Scipio, Homeopath/Herbalist
All of these Offers Expire on the 24th of Spetember, 2011, so don’t hesitate to contact me if interested.
1. Safer Sex. If you haven’t tried my antiviral gel for safer sex and would like to, I will include an electronic version of my book “Making Peace with Herpes” for free ( a $21.95 value). I will also waive the mandatory 30 min consultation which is an additional savings of $50. If you have already read the book I will give you an additional antiviral gel for free instead.
2. $20 dollars off the price of my Insomnia formula.
3. $20 dollars off the price of The Milena Cold and Flu Formula.
4. $20 dollars of my Calming Formula for Stress and Anxiety.
5. If you have never had a phone consultation with me, or haven’t had one in 60 days and have questions about herpes or HPV or any other ailments, need moral support and encouragement, need advice on how to talk to others about your herpes or HPV, or have a partner you’d like me to help educate about herpes or HPV and would like to have a phone consultation with me, for the I am offering my 60 minute phone consultation for $50.00 instead of the usual $90.00.
If you would like to take advantage of any of these offers email me at [email protected]
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist/Holistic Viral Specialist
Ten years ago I was in NYC during the world trade center bombing. In some ways I think I am still traumatized and it definitely changed my life. It effectively ended my career as a full time film director and made me a full time healer. It also made me abandon big cities to live in a small town. I am happy about who I am today but I also feel deeply for those who are still suffering. The world will never be the same.
Morning Energizers by Cassa Wood
The morning is a great time to re-energize and start the day right. While sleeping the body has gone into a dormant system and in order to turn it onto metabolizing you need to eat something. Plus, you need energy for your day.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The Morning Muffin
Make the batter the night before and then you simply pop them into the oven for 10-15 minutes and you get fresh muffins to start your day.
3 Carrots grated
2 apples Chopped into small pieces
Flour
Bran
Sugar
Eggs
Egg in a Hole
Fun and easy to make, great for kids.
1-2 slices of Rye bread or whole wheat.
1-2 Eggs
1-2 tsp of Organic butter
Egg in a hole is very simple and can be quite fun for kids.
Add a 1-2 tsp of butter to a fry pan on medium heat. Rip a circle out of the centre of each bread slice and place into the fry pan. You might have to do one at a time if they don’t fit. Then crack an egg into each bread circle. Cook for 1-2 minutes and the flip it to the other side. Cook until eggs are done well enough for you.
Oatmeal Pancakes
3 eggs
1/3 cup of oat bran
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp of organic butter
2 tbsp of ghee butter ( or regular butter)
1/3 cup of organic maple syrup
Whisk eggs, then add the oat bran and cinnamon.
Heat a fry pan on medium heat, melt the ghee butter
Adding cottage cheese to crepes or pancakes?
Adding Hemp seeds to Yogurt and flax?
Scrambled Eggs with Enoki Mushrooms and Garlic
2- 3 eggs (for two people I use 3 eggs)
Handful of Enoki mushrooms
5-6 cloves of Garlic
1/4 Onion chopped
1-2 slices of Flax seed bread (optional)
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
Heat the oil in a fry pan on med high. Add the onions and garlic and let sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble, and then throw into the pan. Add the chopped Enoki mushrooms on top and let cook for a minute or two. Then use a spatula and flip the eggs over. You can start to scramble the mixture as it cooks to however you like your eggs done. I prefer well, so I wait until it is slightly browned. Dish onto a plate with a little tomato slice and toast and you are ready to go.
I discovered this while working at a health resort in Asia, Miso soup can be a healthy and warming way to start your day.
Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
There is no crust on this dish so it is easier on the calories
Fresh bag or frozen spinach (approximately 4 cups)
1 cup or 1 pkg of Enoki Mushrooms chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of onions chopped
6 eggs
1 tbsp of olive oil
3/4 cup of feta cheese
1/2 cup of Sun-dried Tomatoes (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a frying pan, heat the oil on medium, then add the onions and garlic. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the mushrooms, letting them sauté together for another 4-5 minutes. Then add the spinach cooking for 2-3 minutes until it is soft.
In a bowl, mix the egg, spinach mixture and cheese together and pour into a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm.
Email Christopher Scipio if you would like to be added to the newsletter’s mailing list
- Published in Herpes