I was in terrible pain when we arrived in Valence to spend several days with our dear friends. My guardian angels, the DonCoeurs, rescued me from a Pyrenees storm 20 years ago. I was alone on the Camino de Santiago when a violent tempest arrived, leaving me exposed on a cliff top, shivering and terrified. Marie and Jean-Paul spotted me through dense fog and icy rain then led me back to St. Jean Pied-de-Porte where my husband and son awaited me.
Since then we’ve reunited in Vermont, Valence and Cannes over the years. This trip was special with lots of catching up and their son’s marriage soon coming up.
When they saw me struggle out of the car they said in unison, “il faut aller voir Notre chiropracteur, Luc-de-Visscher!”
They called their sage healer who offered to see me that very afternoon. Riding upright in the car was anguish. I hobbled slowly across the cobblestones leaning on my four wheel walker then inched up the stairs to the medical office, above in the mansion where the DonCoeurs used to live.
We stayed with them there several years ago and felt like royalty—a king and queen. Napoleon danced in their grand living room as a student in military school. The walls were covered in Toile de Jouy linen printed with 18th C. designs. The furnishings and décor were exquisite. But the elegant historic home was too much of a burden to maintain. They sold it and moved to a spacious downtown apartment with views of mountains to the east and west.
Luc-de-Visscher welcomed us into his period treatment rooms where patients come from all over France and even from Switzerland. For three of four days we were in Valence, he gently surveyed and treated my condition. First, he untwisted nerves from my spine and realigned my mid and lower back. He unblocked my left ankle and heel, then straightened my pelvis out—the crux of the problem which had caused me the all-consuming suffering.
I was exhausted but the pain had disappeared 24 hours after the last session. I haven’t since needed my strong pain medication. He since m back is still inflamed, ice and the Voltaren pill will help. He called my condition a “false sciatica” since it derived from an off-balance pelvis. He told me rest and walk a little, avoid stress, stop caffeine, and gently massage my back and leg. It’s hard to believe my three weeks of suffering could be cured in just three sessions with The Spine Whisperer of Valence. I am forever grateful to him for alleviating the overwhelming pain and to my guardian angels, the DonCoeurs, for saving me from another dire situation.
We have returned to Anne and Sebastian’s guest house near Marseille. I’m exploring the garden, walking with my hiking sticks and not needing to use the walker. Since my legs are wobbly and weak and my balance is off-kilter, I need to take care to not fall, but I can walk, sit, and stand without any pain. It’s a miracle.
The plants in the garden are for cooking but also have medicinal benefits. The lavender bloomed a few months ago but several purple petals remain on dry sprigs. Its tea helps relaxation, sleep, muscle spasms, inflammation, mood, skin, chronic pain and mood. All these years I’ve enjoyed it for its scent but had no idea of its many benefits.
The mystery plant I’ve identified is Santolina or wild chamomile which has properties that fight microbes, bacteria, viruses, inflammation, oxidative stress and digestive problems. When it’s in bloom, the flowers are yellow but later dry out and turn brown.
Marie and Jean-Paul DonCoeur introduced me to thyme tea in Valence. That gave me the idea of investigating these plants in the garden near Marseille. The thyme is flourishing in huge healthy shrubs. It’s fragrant, savory, and known to boost immunity. It helps mood, alleviates cough, high blood pressure, acne, bacterial and yeast infections, and possibly helps with cancer.
When a friendly dog Mocha comes to visit he chomps on the almonds scattered on the ground. We’ve relished the dried figs still clinging to the fig trees in the yard. It’s incredible how many cures this little garden holds. What an enjoyable place to harvest, relax, dine, write and paint in, sipping herbal tea or wine in the brilliant sun. It makes for the perfect lazy day, free from pain, and enjoying the essence of Provence.
I wonder what our Vermont yard and woods hold that I am completely unaware of.
Marguerite Jill Dye is an artist and writer who divides her time between Killington and Bradenton, Florida where she exhibits her art in The Spa at the Woods and The Island Crêperie which was in the path of Hurricane Helene. She loves to hear from her readers at jilldyestudio@aol.com. Her column is online with updates from France until the end of October.
