Repertory with Roger, Case #262: Sinus Attack! (S2017)
Apr 29, 2017
Roger and I connected in March and went through 2 cases, S2014 was the first one: The Case of the Restless Child, # 313. Today I’m presenting the second case we talked through that evening, #262, which I am calling ‘Sinus Attack’ for reasons which should be obvious.
A friend helpfully pointed out that giving the case and case number ahead of time would enable the audience to participate by doing the case in advance…which is such a great idea. I have included the text of the case below, but you can find it
(SPOILER: if you access the case through Roger's page, the remedy is included in the write-up)
You can work the case however you like, using Complete Dynamics, but of course any other software as well.
Since this was the 2nd case of the night and we had covered so many great points through the first case, this one went a bit quicker.
As I have done in previous episode, I'm going to list a few bullet points of the main points covered.
But first- the case.
Case:
Homoeopathic Recorder 1934, p. 200. J.L. Kaplowe, Case reports
I. L., age 23 years, had been having sinus trouble for the past seven years; a sub-mucus resection two years ago brought no relief. With each attack there is severe throbbing pain in the region of the right frontal sinus and right eye; occasionally there is a sensation as though the skin over the frontal region is under tension; as the attack wears off, a numb sensation remains in this area. With this pain, he always feels warm in the upper half of his body, especially is there a warm feeling about the right eye. There is usually a yellow nasal discharge; five days before consulting me, the discharge suddenly stopped; the next day a severe attack of pain set in. The throbbing is < stooping, < light, < walking and jars of all kinds, < cold, > warmth. Noises give him the sensation as though the vibration struck him in the right eye. With the pain, it is difficult for him to keep his eyes open; he also feels drowsy. Most of the attacks begin in the morning, increasing as the day wears on, then decreasing as evening approaches. Occasionally the pain lasts all night or late into the night.
On March 10, 1934 xxx 2c. was given during a severe attack. Relief set in an hour afterward. On March 13, the pain returned; this time xxxx 1M. was given. There has been no return of the trouble since. Never in seven years has there been such a long period of freedom from attacks.
Points we covered:
Again, identifying and focusing on the deepest pathology. In this case, nerves vs. mucous membranes.
A distinction about choosing generalities when the pathology is really focused on one particular system. Because this case is localized to the face/sinuses, it's overkill to use rubrics from the overall generalities; choose the general rubrics of the local.
Frontal sinuses means forehead. Another good reminder, as least for me, that my anatomy knowledge is not reliable, and when I’m looking for specific rubrics for parts of the body, I would do well to have my anatomy book nearby to check my assumption
As I was schooled on the sinus rubrics, I was also getting a lesson on the structure of the repertory. I remember having to learn the headings and the flow of the sub rubrics of the repertory but not until this conversation have I had a true appreciation of the structure of a repertory, and not only that, how understand that structure will sharpen one’s repertory skills. There’s a difference I think between knowing where to find things, and understanding how it works.
For example- and this may not be the best metaphor, but it was the first one that came to mind- i can point out a half a dozen or so parts in my car’s engine and vaguey know what a mechanic is talking about when he or she refers to the starter or alternator, but if i knew each part and how and why it fits together as it does- such a bigger field of understanding opens up.
I brought up a couple of usability questions to Roger during the call- one I left in, the other I edited out because I thought in listening to it that it was hard to follow. But I”ll tell you what it is here, so you at least get the information. CD offers a feature that allows you to group symptoms and name them- so you can put all your sinus symptoms together, or your head pain or what have you. My question was about how to create those sx after you’ve picked the rubrics as opposed to before, and you can do that, using arrows on the left hand side, which will move the rubrics up and down and so you can move them to a newly created symptom- I guess kind of like a clipboard. But most important is probably the fact that it doesn’t change your outcome- its simply a usability feature that may appeal to your personal working style.
Though he did point out that you can weight those grouped sx differently, and that would affect your outcome.
Toward the end we talked about how well certain remedies score in the repertorization and Roger gives his recommendation for when to consider differentiating…which would be almost always unless there is huge difference in the percentages of your top remedies. That is something I have never really paid much attention to - the difference in the percentage of my highest remedy vs. my next highest, and I’m curious to see how looking at that influences my remedy differential.
I will be back in May with a regular episode. I’m in the middle of a cool case inventory project with the goal of taking this idea of ‘failure’ and rather than looking at broad, overall places within the homeopathic process where we might fail, I’m trying to figure out, through looking at my own cases were *i* might be failing… and from that information, honing in on the skill that would be essential for me to develop to level up my practice.
In turn, I hope to create a template that YOU can use to inventory your own cases and go through a similar process…. because I am all about learning homeopathy, homeopathically.
Like case analysis, our study of homeopathy must draw from generals *and* paticulars, and those particulars are OUR OWN… and when we do this, we can find a true individualized practice, of homeopathic practice.
Also next month I will be opening up sign ups for my Summer Homeopathic Book Club, which will be a facilitated group reading of Kent’s Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy. You will be able to participate in a private Facebook group OR a bi-weekly web call, to talk with people IN REAL LIFE. IT’s going to be a good time, I am super excited about it.
So take care everyone, be well, and stay observant -