Jim’s MSA Blog

Making the Tea

August 1st, 2007

The 20th floor smelled like cooked cabbage for the entire first week we were here. We blamed it on the Irish boys next door but they said it was the Hungarians, and then we suspected it might be a plumbing problem. After all, a plunger was on the required gear list we received from the hospital (no joke).

I waited until after 8 pm, past the dinner rush, to brew the medicinal tea. I had just gotten the instructions by email from Greg…this was going to be no ordinary pot of tea.

At lunch today Lua brought us a beautiful clay pot for brewing the tea. Unfortunately the convection hot plate only works with metal pans so I used the clay pot for soaking the herbs.

The herb formulas come in folded brown paper packets, and each packet contains about two cups of herbs, roots, bark, and other botanicals. I was praying that there was no una de gato or valerian in there or I’d be banished from the 20th floor! There’s another small folded packet that contains turtle shell. The turtle shell needs to boil longer than the other botanicals, so I put them in 5 cups of water and got the water boiling while the other herbs were soaking in the clay pot.

Then in come the Italians to cook their dinner. So as they’re whipping up their pasta with red sauce and cannellini beans on THEIR burner, I’m simmering turtle shells on mine. “Chinese medicine” I say, trying to explain. “Ah, yes,” they answer and I can hear the pity in their voices.

Two hours later the tea is ready: Four cups of deep brown liquid that surprisingly does not smell that bad at all. This is a two day supply for Jim.

Since starting the tea yesterday Jim has taken no pain meds and one problem he has struggled with for the past few months seems to be under control. This is strong medicine.

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