Sickness....and Herbal Meds

So this is getting kind of old, us being constantly sick for the last month or more, but now Ruby has been sick again since Tuesday running a fever that wants to climb up well past 104 and doesn't like to come down. I learned some new (to me) fever managing tricks at my herb class last Sunday and have used them with some success on her this week.

We started with a lovely fever reducing tea made with Catnip, Lemon Balm, Lavender, and a pinch of Spearmint for taste. Ruby seemed to dig on it and so I also made it into popcycles to suck on. I also decanted the Thyme tincture that I had made in December and strained it into a pretty amber bottle. I've been dosing her with that and happily she LOVES the taste of it! (I tinctured it in apple cider vinegar!)

Lastly I tried using a compress of cool water and apple cider vinegar on her feet, which pulls the fever out. It worked well! We didn't go for the Motrin at all that night. The next day with the fever climbing past 104.5 and not coming down with these measures, I went for the big guns and dosed with Motrin. Took her to the pediatrician today thinking she had strep, they did a culture and it looked negative, but they are sending it out to the lab so we should know for sure by Sunday. It's been a long week, just tucked in at home, which is fine by me as I love being home, especially in the winter when I just want to hibernate, but Chris has been gone on a business trip to Arizona all week so I'm eager to see him tonight and have some adult conversation.

I made some herbal medicines with Gryphon this past week too. Arnica in olive oil which will be used to make "bump creme" for bumps and bruises and muscle strain, and Calendula in olive oil which will also make a nice skin salve for skin irritations.. Here are a few pics...and my cute little bottle of thyme tincture, and some Vitex (Chaste tree berry) and Hawthorn berry tinctures which are still extracting.

Hopefully we can move past this sickness stuff and onto more fun things soon!