Home Remedies
6 Minute Read.
As I sit here at my computer, in the space I call the Upper Room in our house, also known as my office, I’m listening to the rainfall as it pelters our metal roof. The reason I call my office the Upper Room is because it is a second-story room and can only be accessed by a small metal, winding staircase, barely wide enough for someone of my stature to climb. The room is affixed with a set of windows that allows the natural light to pour in, almost like a sky light. It’s filled with many book shelves, a large desk and a day bed, for when my eyes grow tired. Situated just to the right of my desk is a petite, dwarf-sized door with small colored glass panes that opens to a little balcony, that I wouldn’t dare trust my weight on, yet it provides a great view of the main living quarters downstairs. On the wall, counterclockwise to my desk, at about 9 o’clock, hangs a beautiful, pastel painting of the Last Supper. Jesus and his closest disciples all gathered together in the Upper Room to celebrate Passover. This painting, however, is one that displays a more historically accurate depiction of the Last Supper, as the disciples are all gathered around in a seated position on the floor, leaning in and breaking bread with the Messiah. Off to the left, Judas is seen exiting the room. For years, I’ve always wanted a painting of the Last Supper somewhere in my home. Rose surprised me with this one, just this past Christmas 2022. Thus, I call this space the “Upper Room.”
The story I recall on this rainy, chilly Saturday is a memory from September 15, 2021. Romeo is just 6 months old and it is the beginning of the winter months and change of clima (climate) here in Guatemala. Poor Romeo had come down with a fever following a routine visit to the local health clinic to receive his vaccines. This was his first severe fever that I can recall but a normal side effect of the vaccines. As first time parents, Rose and I were unsettled with his change in disposition. We tried giving him an oral solution of acetametophin, that was provided by the health clinic, to help bring down his temperature, but of course he spat it up. Nothing seemed to help.
It was a Wednesday, one of the days that our neighbor comes to clean the house. Julia is her name. A young, indigenous woman that has been friend’s with Rose’s family since Rose was a young girl. In fact, there are pictures of Julia taking care of Rocio (Rose) and her siblings when they were just toddlers. Since Rose and I’s move to Guatemala in 2020, we have since hired Julia to help out around the house 3-4 days a week. Julia has known Romeo since the day he was born and grown particularly fond of him. This isn’t unusual though, as most Pokomchi women love and adore children and see them as a real blessing from the Lord. Rose got her up to speed on our trials and errors of trying to lower his fever. Julia sprang into action and immediately suggested a few homeopathic, tried-and-true Mayan remedies. She went to the local market in town and bought a bundle of herbs known as El Monte in Spanish, which means The Mountain. El Monte is a mixture of different herbs and leaves found throughout this region known for having medicinal properties. Julia also stopped by one of the tiendas (stores) to purchase a small bottle of liquid called Agua Florida, which translates to Florida Water. Agua Florida was originally created a liquid that was frequently used for shamanic, ritual practices. Although still used for this purpose, it has a lot of other purposes and can be used as a carrier liquid for other medicinal preparations. The base ingredient is alcohol with the addition of dissolved essential oils. Historically, lavender was the main fragrance but Agua Florida now contains bergamot, neroli, lemon, cloves, cinnamon, rose and orange flower.
Julia plucked some of the leaves from stems of the bundle of herbs and plants, folded them together and placed them on a hand towel. She soaked the herbs in Agua Florida, folded over the cloth and tied it around Romeo’s little head. The herb-filled cloth was cool to the touch and had a nice fragrance to it. Romeo didn't seem to mind it and after a short period of time, his fever began to break! Periodically, Julia’s daughter would pull the cloth off and replace the old herbs with fresh ones, douse them with the fragrant fluid and reapply it to Romeo’s head. Little by little, his fever dissipated and his feeble countenance improved.
Rose and I learned and continue to see, that the sometimes the old ways are better. After all, our preference is to only use modern medicine when absolutely necessary, especially with our child. I was also so impressed with Julia’s confidence and the way she worked with the herbs. Rose and I have had countless experiences where Julia or someone else has let us in on an old Pokomchi secret and I look forward to sharing some of those secrets with you as the years pass by. I really appreciate when they share with us these cultural gems, because there is a level of trust involved. It shows me that a level of trust and acceptance has taken root and that my acceptance into the culture, the community and their families is well on its way. It also provides a glimpse into the culture that many people are never afforded. The way they perceive illness and how they treat it is very different from our Western view and that is such a neat thing to encounter. I’ll be honest, it has made me a more well-rounded clinician and has allowed me to be successful in my adaptation and transition into Guatemalan culture. My clinic is thriving because of the trust I have obtained by giving the power and influence back to the people instead of trying to impose my own ideas and styles on them.
I don’t begin to pretend to know everything about the culture. In fact, every day I learn something new. There are days I want to revert back to what is comfortable and familiar because that is easy. But living cross-culturally isn’t easy. It’s gritty! The key to success is putting your pride aside and allowing yourself to become like a child again. Be willing to ask lots of questions and make lots of mistakes. Don’t try to impose your culture on another. Be a participant observer by taking time to just be all eyes and ears. The process is difficult but the the payout is priceless!