How to distingush a quality program WAS: EO and pregnancy.

[Guest guest]

Marcia,

 

Hope by now you are getting that eye seen to. I had exactly the same 2 years ago

in one eye. Got away with a detachment by the skin of my teeth but left with big

clumps of junk floating around which still drive me nuts. Then exactly a year

later the same in the other eye. Was told by the hospital that at the slightest

sign of the same problems to get myself straight to the hospital. So really

hoping you are OK. I hate old age!!

 

Martin

 

ATFE , " Marcia Elston " <Marcia wrote:

>

> Hi Robert,

>

> How easily things are misconstrued on the internet where self deprecation

> can easily seem opinion directed at someone else. Likewise, I meant no

> disrespect for you in my remarks, also probably self deprecating because I

> often feel guilty for not participating and helping more with progressive

> changes. Just burned out from battles past. So all is well and I have

> sheathed my sword. :-) Never had it out in the first place, sorry if it

> appeared so.

>

> LOL, I've just made an appointment with an eye specialist because I may have

> a detached retina . . . All the symptoms starting with on/off blurred vision

> about a week ago, now the light flashes and a huge 'C' shaped floater

> appeared yesterday and today. Damn. I am a real wimp when it comes to

> surgery. I know I don't have the actual diagnosis yet, but I know my body

> well enough to know this is something that will have to be dealt with. LOL

> because sychronistically I really could become one of the blind leading (or

> being led by) the blind.

>

> Sick sense of humor, yes, I know.

>

> Be Well,

> Marcia Elston, Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence

> http://www.wingedseed.com

> http://www.wingedseed.blogspot.com

> http://www.aromaconnection.org

> " We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. " - Winston

> Churchill

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> ATFE [ATFE ] On Behalf Of

> tisserand

> Thursday, January 21, 2010 6:07 PM

> ATFE

> How to distingush a quality program WAS: Re: EO and

> pregnancy.

>

>

>

>

> Hi Marcia,

>

> My remark about grumpy know-it-alls was directed at myself. I certainly

> can't imagine why you thought it was meant specifically for you, and I

> fervently hope that this is not about to become bloody! It is my impression

> that there is some poor quality aromatherapy education and some good quality

> education, but I don't know enough about individual schools to usefully

> comment. I do see a worrying amount of misinformation circulating, with some

> of it presumably originating from schools, and some of it definitely from

> purveyors of essential oils. And, I do think open discussion on many of

> these issues, as happens on this forum, is extremely healthy.

>

> But anyway, I was talking loosely about the " evidence base " for

> aromatherapy, which is something I consider myself well informed on, and not

> " aroma-politics " . But basically yes, you're right, I have not made great

> efforts to familiarize myself with the politics of aromatherapy. I am very

> involved with the AIA, I know nothing at all about ARC, and NAHA doesn't

> seem to be doing much these days, as far as I can tell. But I agree, let's

> not examine this, I didn't think I was, I don't especially want to, and I'm

> not at all sure how I got here. Must be my karma for saying that the blind

> were leading the blind. Fair enough. But I didn't mean you - I have great

> respect for your knowledge. Your not blind. Not even close.

>

> Robert

>

> ATFE <ATFE%40> , " Marcia

> Elston " <Marcia@> wrote:

> >

> > Although I admitted to being a crotchety curmudgeon, it is always my

> > intention to bring positive encouragement and I certainly did not intend

> for

> > my comments to mean that I infer all educators don't know anything. It is

> > far more complicated than that simplistic analogy. My frustration has been

> > with the lack of leadership in the general aromatherapy community here in

> > the U.S. which is so fragmented that meaningful, progressive, accepted

> > standards for education or practice have not developed in the 20 years

> since

> > aromatherapy has been introduced here, and it appears turf wars have

> > superceded the general cooperation necessary for real purpose throughout

> > that history. I'm not sure, Robert, how well you are informed since moving

> > here with regard to aroma-politics in the U.S. and I suspect you have

> pretty

> > much avoided them at all costs. One certainly can't blame you, if so, and

> > from what I've heard, aroma-politics haven't been so great across the

> pond,

> > either. And, I'm not sure that this forum is exactly the place to examine

> > and evaluate the situation, let alone begin a comprehensive resolution.

> The

> > observations in your last paragraph, however, are, while extremely

> > discouraging if this is to remain the status-quo, a glaring confirmation

> of

> > my frustration. And, as seen by Trish's response, I'm not alone. Many

> > people have shared their concerns over the years, and are soured to the

> > point of not participating in any of the organized efforts. People on

> > internet lists like AFTE grapple with their desire for factual direction,

> > and while those of us more knowledgeable can offer tidbits here and there,

> > what is generally needed is an organized, systematic, well respected group

> > effort to elevate aromatherapy as a needed and respected profession as

> well

> > as to support the individual layperson to safely use essential oils in

> > self-care. What we have now are three separate organizations (NAHA, AIA,

> > ARC) who appear to be at cross or dual purposes, and myriad educational

> > institutions, all teaching their own brand or style (some islands unto

> > themselves not connected to any organized efforts), many not approved or

> > designated by any of the three institutions. Leaving aromatherapy itself

> to

> > the winds when it comes to possible (more likely probable) legislation for

> > either the practice or the substance (essential oils) because there is no

> > coherent voice from within the emerging practice to establish credible

> > authority. The same has happened within the natural perfume community,

> even

> > smaller than that of aromatherapy, with factions splintered and at odds

> with

> > one another.

> >

> > Since a good part of my professional life has been spent working within

> > NGO's and the nonprofit sector, I am well aware that solid cooperative

> work

> > can be done to elevate organizations (with research, standards and ideas)

> > into go-to authorities. This is the root of my frustration; I know it is

> > possible.

> >

> > Certainly Bob Harris's database and journal are valuable tools for the

> > individual professional or layperson, however, this doesn't solve the

> > overbearing problem of the continuation of poor educational practices out

> > here in the marketplace and therefore the perpetuation of misinformation.

> >

> > I don't mean to appear pompous or grumpy, but I do admit to being

> > frustrated.

> >

> > Be Well,

> > Marcia Elston, Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence

> > http://www.wingedseed.com <http://www.wingedseed.com>

> > http://www.wingedseed.blogspot.com <http://www.wingedseed.blogspot.com>

> > http://www.aromaconnection.org <http://www.aromaconnection.org>

> > " We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. " -

> Winston

> > Churchill

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ATFE <ATFE%40>

> [ATFE <ATFE%40> ] On Behalf Of

> > tisserand@

> > Thursday, January 21, 2010 12:30 PM

> > ATFE <ATFE%40>

> > How to distingush a quality program WAS: Re: EO and

> > pregnancy.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Tina, Susan,

> >

> > I agree there is a distinct lack of " evidence base " in many of the claims

> > made for essential oils. With some claims that are made, the evidence base

> > turns out to be in vivo animal testing, and sometimes for a constituent,

> not

> > the whole oil. (Some of the information that comes out of France falls

> into

> > this category - look at the references in l'Aromatherapie Exactement.)

> There

> > are French, and other European medical practitioners that use essential

> oils

> > in their clinics and hospitals, and there are some in Asia too. Some

> > clinical information is published only in Mandarin, and a few good

> articles

> > have been published in French.

> >

> > The International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy and the International

> > Journal of Essential Oil Therapy publish some good reviews of the

> > literature, and attempt to link this with clinical practice, with the kind

> > of global perspective I am talking about.

> >

> > But, there is no large cache of hard clinical data on essential oils. It

> > does not exist. Not only are trials few and sparse, but this reflects the

> > very small number of people that practice clinical aromatherapy. There

> have

> > been a number of small-scale trials, some of which found an effect beyond

> > placebo, and some of which didn't. There have even been a few larger-scale

> > trials, though some of this information concerns oral administration,

> which

> > raises another issue - what kind of an aromatherapist do you want to be?

> >

> > In the end, the aroma-massage therapist has to make the best of things in

> a

> > world where the blind often lead the blind, where books are written

> copying

> > information from other books, and where ageing, pompous, and sometimes

> > grumpy know-it-alls tell them repeatedly that they don't know anything. So

> > naturally, they fall back on what they have been taught, and what they

> have

> > read. And actually, I am very encouraged by the way things are now

> shifting,

> > with integrative medicine, often including aromatherapy, being more and

> more

> > widely embraced because doctors are recognizing that their patients can

> > benefit. A few dots do need connecting though, so that practitioners have

> > their eyes open, and not closed.

> >

> > Robert

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Martin,

 

Thanks for your concern. Just got back from the clinic. I'm not one to

wait around when I know it's serious. First, I did jump to the conclusion

that the retina had detached, which was somewhat logical because the process

for that is what is happening. . . . not detached as of today. Good news,

but still not out of the woods completely. The vitreous body (gel) has

shrunk and is pulling on the retina. However, it has already detached from

the back of the eye (where the optic nerve is), so pulling on the retina is

lessened which means it is less likely to actually detach. No promises, but

maybe the worst is over. Nothing we can do at this point but wait and 99%

of cases the worst will happen within 30 days. I still have my huge pac-man

floater chomping around in there, but the lightning bolt flashing has

subsided. Sounds pretty much like what you went through, Martin. There is

no treatment for this condition, only surgery if and when retina detaches

and we play the waiting game now. If nothing further happens, I just have

to live with the floaters, but I'm told you get used to them. I was blown

away by the sophistication of examination equipment. Within 1 hour of

arriving I was looking at all kinds of images of my eyes and could see

exactly what was going on.

 

So, I'm in good hands and life as usual goes on, don't even have to wear a

patch or take extraordinary precautions.

 

I'm not sure I hate old age . . . but it does have its challenges. Also

found out I am just beginning to get cataracts. :-)

 

Marcia

 

_____

 

ATFE [ATFE ] On Behalf Of Martin

Friday, January 22, 2010 12:30 PM

ATFE

How to distingush a quality program WAS: Re: EO and

pregnancy.

 

 

 

 

Marcia,

 

Hope by now you are getting that eye seen to. I had exactly the same 2 years

ago in one eye. Got away with a detachment by the skin of my teeth but left

with big clumps of junk floating around which still drive me nuts. Then

exactly a year later the same in the other eye. Was told by the hospital

that at the slightest sign of the same problems to get myself straight to

the hospital. So really hoping you are OK. I hate old age!!

 

Martin

 

ATFE (AT) (DOT) <ATFE%40> com, " Marcia

Elston " <Marcia wrote: