Skirvin Kirsten - Forgotten skills of backyard herbal healing and family health

Disclaimer

Kirsten Skirvin and Caleb Warnock are not medical doctors. The information in this book is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. This book presents time-honored historic herbal and natural methods. You should research and make your own decisions as to your health. The herbal products and methods identified in this book have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to treat or prevent disease. The information provided here is for educational purposes only, and should not be used to diagnose and treat diseases.

In this book you will find a discussion of conditions these products have been used to aid. We are not claiming that the product will cure any of these diseases or that we created them to cure these diseases. We are merely reporting that people have used the product to aid these conditions. Always seek the advice of your physician whenever making healthcare decisions. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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CHAPTER 1

Kirstens Story

W hen I was young, my dad would spend summers with us in the mountains of California. We hiked, backpacked, and picnicked. He enjoyed pointing out the plants and trees around us, giving their names and their native uses. It was so fascinating to know that everything around me had a name and a purpose. These woodland hikes helped me shape how I saw, and continue to see, this amazing planet.

I continued to love the outdoors, and I worked as a wilderness instructor in the southern Utah desert. I learned which herbs were edible and which were poisonous. During that time, I took a wild edibles class in Idaho at the Rabbit Stick Rendezvous. I expected to go on a long hike to find edible and medicinal plants. To my surprise, the teacher stood next to a small pond and pointed out all the wild edibles and medicinal plants for over an hour, without even moving! Can you imagine? I had been fascinated with plants before the class. Afterward, I was convinced this was my calling. I began studying on my own, with small success, and finally became acquainted with the School of Natural Healing in Springville, Utah, where I earned my Master Herbalist certification in 2005.

After I had begun taking classes in herbal medicine, I adopted triplet girls. That brought our children to five, with the girls in between two boys. I wanted to take them to a bonding ropes course. So, we traveled to Utah and participated in a family ropes course activity. One of the activities was to jump off a high pole while saying something amazing. Well, I had always been frightened of that pole but decided that day to do the jump. I was not wholly committed to my cause, and when I jumped, I held on to the rope behind my head to give me the illusion of stability. I grabbed the wrong rope, and it burned through my hand, leaving it shredded. I immediately applied my homemade comfrey salve. I applied it several times a day and kept my hand wrapped to keep it clean. It was interesting to watch as the comfrey left white matternew cellsall over my hand. Within a week, my hand was completely healed with no scars.

I adopted my youngest at birth. He was nine pounds and five ounces. Though he seemed healthy, he screamed daily from the day he was born. I nursed him with the aid of supplements for a few weeks, but he would vomit after almost every feeding. At one year of age, we took him to a major, reputable medical center, where he was diagnosed with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). They explained that he had to have a fundoplication surgery, which would tie off his esophagus to prevent vomiting, or he could eventually have cancer of the throat. We agreed to the surgery, and they went in and tightened the area between the esophagus and the stomach to prevent regurgitation (GERD). Several days later, he was still trying to throw up. I met with the doctor who informed me that this was now a habit of his, and there was nothing more they could do for him. This was difficult for me to accept. We had just been through major surgery, and my sons poor little body was so tired and sick. We then found a naturopath doctor who, after examining him, stated that he was allergic to milk. She gave us a remedy, we stopped giving him milk, and within twenty-four hours he stopped trying to vomit.

In writing this book, I want you, the reader, to become educated so you can take care of yourself and your family when going to the doctor is not an option. There are many scenarios where this could happen. Use your imagination, and I am sure you could come up with some yourself. We are living in a time when earthquakes, tsunamis, war, and politics have wreaked havoc on our planet. Many have been displaced or have perished in these devastating events. What can we do? We can be prepared. When we are prepared, with herbs stored in case of crises, and the knowledge of how to use them, we are no longer helpless. We become part of the solution.

There are many ways to become acquainted with medicinal herbs, from purchasing them at your local grocer to researching the mysteries of herbs and their uses. In this book, I try to emphasize medicinal herbs you can grow at home or find in your own cupboard or field. Before I moved to Arizona, I lived in a house that had a field across the street. In the field, I could find an abundance of shepherds purse (to stop hemorrhaging), alfalfa (for nutrition), red clover (for the heart), dock (for the lymph system), dandelion (for liver cleansing and health), gum weed (for coughs and colds), and plantain (to draw out poison). That does not include the trees and plants around my area that were planted with purposes too numerous to include here. I now believe I have a responsibility to learn the local flora in my new home in Arizona and how to grow the herbs I am familiar with. When I look around me, I want to be surrounded by natures medicine chest.

I believe there is strength and wisdom in planting, harvesting, and preparing your own medicinal herbs. Dr. John R. Christopher, founder of the School of Natural Healing, stated he wanted to see an herbalist in every home and a master herbalist in every community. I owe much to this great man and the knowledge and inspiration he passed on to those who had a desire to learn.

My thanks also to the many amazing teachers at the school, the friends who listened to my story, my seven amazing children who helped me memorize my herbs on long walks and who have trusted me with their care, and my wonderful husband, Steve. I have taught many groups and individuals the wonder of herbs and their uses. I have seen miracles in the lives of those who have applied these principles. There is a moment in our lives when we begin to trust. As you begin to apply the principles that have been taught in this book, you too will come to trust in yourself and in the strength of the smallest herb.

Kirsten Skirvin
April 2014

CHAPTER 2

Calebs Story

F or most of my life, I was one of those people who thought herbal medicine was ridiculous at best, and dangerous at worst.