Pancreatitis & Artemisia Capillaris Tea

This past winter, my liver became quite swollen. I had never focused on liver maintenance until this time. I knew Apple's Steve Jobs had a liver transplant years after being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. So, I made a decision to respect the importance of maintaining a healthy liver.

From all I've read it seems not only is there no cure for pancreatic cancer but doctor's merely use us as guinea pigs during our demise down misery lane. After my awful experience in the hospital with Severe Acute Pancreatitis I decided I'd do the best I could to figure out what was wrong with my pancreas, on my own, and live a the happiest life possible without the help of doctors. While I am very pleased with this decision knowing it was the right choice I also understand that diligence in listening to my body and responding with research and action is vital.

When my liver swelled I researched herbs and teas that would decrease inflammation. At the time I was visiting family in NYC so I headed down to Chinatown to see what sort of Chinese medicinals might be available to cure what ailed me.

A very nice young Chinese man told me to drink tea every day. Warm tea. He recommended against prepackaged teas and suggested the use of bulk tea instead. I thanked him for his assistance and began my search for bulk teas. I had no idea what I was looking for but decided to ask around and see what I could find. I found a 16 ounce bag of tea for $5. The lady behind the counter suggested drinking a cup every day. I assumed it was the sort of tea Chinese restaurants served. So, I bought it. Then, I went to Pearl River on Broadway - a large Chinese store with everything that has been there for 40 years.

By this time I had ended my search for tea and decided to look for goodies to help furnish my daughter's apartment since she had recently moved to the city. While rummaging downstairs I worked my way to the very back end of the basement and much to my surprise the wall was filled with medicinals and bulk tea! There was a Chinese medicine doctor on duty who happened to leave for the day before I had a chance to seek his assistance. So left to my own devices, I bought several bags of various teas in hopes that something would be what I was looking for. At a different shop, I purchased a lovely Chinese tea pot set ($18) which my daughter loves and I use regularly during my NYC visits.

Once home, I researched each of the teas for medicinal purposes and marked my findings in the side of each bag with a sharpie. Several of the teas were noted as having anti-inflammatory properties.

My liver was swollen. This meant that it was inflamed. Therefore, the goal was to decrease the inflammation. Some of the teas I purchased were good for the GI tract, liver and kidneys.

Artemisia Capillaris is probably my favorite of the teas although I usually mix at least three together at a time due to the various medicinal benefits of each tea. I know drink my teas regularly. After drinking the tea my liver went back down to normal. I want to say this happened immediately but let's veer on the side of reserve and say that it might have taken as long as a day for my liver to become normal again.

I often feel like I don't have pancreatitis these days. Currently, I am back in NYC. I've been here since the day of the 'hurricane', August 27th. I did not bring my teas with me. I regret it. I think the teas flush my system and keep it healthy and viable. I can feel a difference and unfortunately, don't have the tea on hand to immediately decrease the swelling or flush the system. While this is not a painful experience to me. It is uncomfortable and unnecessary since the teas seem to aid my GI tract in ways it needs.

Artemisia Capillaris is also known as Chinese Wormwood and Yen Chen Hao. I can be purchased online and is relatively inexpensive. The bag I purchased in NYC's Chinatown was $5. Online I've seen it for more... perhaps as $11-16? Nonetheless, I'm still working on my first bag and it lasts a longtime and, for me, it works!

Instructions:

In NYC, I fill the screen full of the tea in the Chinese teapot, then add water. Let sit for a few minutes before drinking.

At home, I do not have a Chinese teapot and therefore boil the herb directly in the water and strain the bulk tea directly into the cup.

Both seem ways of making the tea seem to work fine!

I'd love to hear what is working for you. Information is our friend and will hopefully help us prolong our lives.