Dear Denise,

This is an issue that has been floating around for awhile, as you noted.
 There are many things that are used in medicine, allopathic or otherwise
that have not been specifically "approved" for that use.  For example, hot
wet towels wrapped in plastic have not been specifically approved for use as
hot moist compresses, yet they are all the time, including in the hospital.
 OUr fear of liability -- an incapacitating phobia, fueled by attorneys that
(rightly) don't want us sued for anything -- is hampering our ability to be
truly helpful, and driving health care costs beyond the bounds of reason.  If
you give adequate, and perhaps written instructions, on the use of a home
made product, then I say, go for it.  Now, I'm not a lawyer, and maybe one of
these days I'll be sued, but by gum, I can be sued if someone slips on my
sidewalk.  For that matter, knowing the judicial system, I could be sued if a
would be burgalar/rapist got hurt trying to burgle/rape me!  However, saying
all that, I don't want you to sue me for giving you permission to use a
syringe to pull out inverted nipples, so forget I ever said anything.  I will
continue to do it -- each one of us knows what sorts of liability risks we
can live with and still live with ourselves, and we have to function on that
plane.  And, it may be different for every one of us.  You need to choose
what you can do, while I choose what I can do.

Did that make sense?  I'm functioning on very little sleep.  I guess I didn't
train my children to sleep through the night appropriately.  At 2:15am the 11
year old needed his inhaler which was downstairs in the kitchen.  At 3:30am
the 21 year old called from college, crying because she was having severe
left flank pain, and what did I think it was and what should she do about it?
 At 4:15 am she called again to tell me that just after she woke the resident
assistant to go to the ER, the pain went away.  At 5:00am the 17 year old got
up and took a shower.  At 5:15 am I figured my night was over and I got up.

Oh well.

Jan B.  (Wheaton, IL)