The Cold Sheet treatment is like a 30-day fast in a half-hour– Dr. Richard Schulze
I did not enjoy slathering the thick layer of petroleum jelly over my vulva. It was a compromise I was willing to take to assure the safety of my womanly bits. I wasn’t about to risk torching my coochie in the inferno awaiting me.
The potent smell of cayenne, ginger and dry mustard evaporated from the steamy bath- tinging my nostrils with exotic spice. I watched my hand turn instantly pink under the spout of fiery water. The temperature was set beyond the edge of my limit- that was where it needed to be for the Cold Sheet Treatment.
In contrast- the ghostly white sheet, silently froze in the rubbermaid filled with ice. It was placed in the shower stall next to the bathtub for a quick hydrotherapeutic transition.
Around the corner, hanging from a hook high up on the wall, dangled two swollen enema bags. Bag Number One was filled to the brim with cool Catnip Tea for the preliminary flushing. Catnip has a relaxing effect- to dislodge retained fecal matter from the intestinal wall. How the same herb has the opposite, stimulating effect on cats remains a mystery to me. I aimed to have a clean shute to shoot up the napalm concoction in Bag Number Two.
Bag Number Two… 10 cloves of crushed garlic, a cup of apple cider vinegar, plus a cup of distilled water. Apple cider has antiviral properties and aids in clearing mucus from the body. Garlic is a powerful antimicrobial/antiparasitic agent with claims to fame for killing cancer cells. The quickest and most absorbable way into my system was up the bottom end. Looking at the clumpy brew, it occured to me -too late- that I should have filtered out the garlic pulp… but hey, when in Rome…
Al gathered all the necessary equipment and ingredients while I prepared mentally for my supreme detox. He carefully waterproofed the bed in preparation for the pyretic, wet, burrito I was to become. His unwavering commitment to support me- even as I was about to artificially generate a high fever, was sentiment of invincible love.
There was an assembly line for the garlic paste treatment next to the prepared bed. Olive oil, garlic paste made of 1 part garlic and 1 part vaseline, 2 strips of cotton big enough to cover the soles my feet, 2 inch gauze, and woolen socks to keep the garlic wrap on my feet. The pungent smell of copious amounts of crushed garlic infiltrated our domain.
It was through a serendipitous meeting with an old friend that I learned of the Incurables Program- based on the work of the late Dr. John R. Christopher and his student, Dr. Richard Schulze. What she shared with me was intriguing and after some digging, I found the program compiled in Sam Biser’s ” Save Your Life Manual”. I printed all 438 pages of the PDF version and dove right in.
The purpose of the cold sheet treatment is to induce a fever to accelerate the body’s immune response. It’s vitally important to hydrate while the internal body temperature is pushed up to 103 degrees in the sweltering bath. Severe dehydration with a high internal temperature can lead to a seizure. That’s why Dr. Christopher recommends drinking 4L of yarrow tea- a diaphoretic which prompts sweating while maintaining hydration..
The body naturally raises its temperature as a way to rid itself of toxins. When excess undesirable materials like mucus, heavy metals, poisons, and toxic waste accumulates, an efficient way for the body to unload is with a fever. That’s why when we are sick, the peak of our healing usually comes with a fever.
Cancer cells are anaerobic cells that thrive in oxygen lacking environments. Sustained heat up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit can damage, even kill these rogue cells. The extreme temperature variance in the Cold Sheet Treatment forces oxygenated, purified, blood to flush through the system. At a 104 degree fever, white blood cells move 64 times faster to accelerate healing.
I saw white and inhaled a gasp before a scream leapt out of my throat. My body seized as the electrifying burn shot up my insides. The garlic pulp dragged out the excruciating process by partially blocking the nozzle at the end of the tubing. My fingers and knees involuntarily dug into the slate floor, while I shrieked to counteract the sizzling. I was meant to hold it in for as long as possible once the bag was empty. That was about 15 seconds for me… If I ever want to extract information from an unwilling villain, all I’d need is an enema bag and some potent garlic.
Al was armed with Cayenne pepper to spoon into my mouth if I got close to fainting. It was slow going getting into the tub. I thought of the live clams that Mama used to drop into boiling water for our miso soups… how they must have suffered… The only way to endure the heat was through vocalizing the sensations felt in my body. Mournful, long minor tones escaped my mouth like a lifeline out into the cosmos.
I felt like a pressure cooker ready to implode- the surge of blood throbbing in my brain, gave me double vision. I still had half the yarrow tea to drink, which meant I needed to stay in. In my delirium, I landed outside myself in the presence of friends and family who had passed over. They cheered me on and delivered me to a mysterious, cozy, environment.
The walls were made of earthen clay, painted in a warm mustard color. I knelt on the terracotta tiles of what looked to be the kitchen floor. The low, curved ceiling almost touched my head when I stood up to walk into the other room. I saw her crouched, back body covered with long, bushy, raven hair- she was preparing something… Medicinal herbs hung from the ceiling. I never saw her face but I knew she was my Medicine Woman.
“Al, help!” There was still some tea left but I responded to the urgency to get out. He braced me under my armpits as I feebly stepped out of the tub- dizzy and inbetween worlds. Knowing the program, he instantly wrapped me up in the frigid sheet. It felt absolutely divine! I could almost hear the sheet sizzling against my fevering body.
I leaned my weight into my man as he laid me down on the bed. Using Olive Oil, he thoroughly massaged my feet before slathering 1/2 inch of garlic paste on the prepared strips of cotton. The strips were placed on the soles of my feet- bandaged with gauze to hold it in place. Once my feet were wrapped up, he secured the swaddle with wool socks. He pinned my feet in my wet cocoon, then covered me up with a wool blanket. The album I listened to when I gave birth, was set to play on repeat. I spiralled into an altered sleep- traversing time and space.
LESSON: I AM THE MEDICINE WOMAN.
LESSONS FROM MY LUMP 