Aloe Vera- time keeper of memories

It can be applied and ingested to treat/remedy many ailments. I've used it time and time again not just on myself but on my pets too.

On myself, I've used it for dry skin, rash, as hair gel/conditioner (natural is always so much better) and as face moisturiser. On my pets I've used it for any cuts and grazes they may have picked up, to help hair regrowth on bald patches and cancer. Yes...cancer.

My lovely dwarf hamster passed away from cancer in 2005. She was the most amazing little ball of fur you can imagine. She was so smart and so loving. She slept on the bed with me and I never locked her cage...she went in and out as she liked. Now before anyone starts judging me for letting a small animal run around loose...let me assure you I always took care that she was safe from harm.

My little hammy had cancer. She was about a year plus when she was diagnosed. A little lump had appeared on her thigh. It was barely there at first but I noticed it because she was always with me and I could feel it when I gave her warm baths. I knew what it was instantly because I had read before that rodents were prone to it and when I brought her to the vet, there wasn't much that the vet wanted to say. She just kept trying to console me that it was a small animal and surgery wasn't going to do her much good. She gave my hammy some medication and told me it would be okay.

The medication didn't work, and my baby hated it. She was a good girl and I kid you not that I didn't have to force feed her the medicine through a syringe (no needles of course!). I merely had to add some milk to it and she would obediently lap it up. The lump grew and it grew alarmingly fast. Words cannot express how heavy my heart felt and how much tears I cried to see it each day, yet my little baby stayed so strong...even until the end.

They say desperate times can make the greatest discoveries. I kept looking for 'solutions', then I chanced upon aloe vera. The very green plant that I had growing in my garden! I had read how it  was rich in antioxidants and that antioxidants were good in battling cancer. As long as it wouldn't make her any sicker, I placed my faith in Mother Nature and gave it a chance.

Every morning I would apologise to the aloe plant, explain to her that she was going to help my baby feel better before taking a leaf from her. (Yes, you may think I'm out of my mind for talking to the plant, but if it's alive then I'm going to respect it- that's all I'm going to say) I would then remove the green part of it leaving only the jelly like part. Then I would cut it into little cubes, and feed it to my baby hamster. Good or bad at that point I really don't know if it worked, but I do know she loved it. It was almost like a treat to her. She loved it even more if it were chilled! I even mashed some up to apply to her lump.

To my amazement and gratefulness, the aloe actually worked! The lump shrunk! It didn't go away but it shrunk! I kept feeding her this until the end. She lived to be about 3 1/2 years old. In hamster years, that's very old because the average lifespan is about 2 years max.

My baby had cancer and she lived longer than the average hamster. She was so brave and so strong. She fought till the end. Never was there a day where would let it bring her down. She was active, running and greeting the entire family!

Aloe didn't cure her, but it slowed down the process and it gave us more time to build more memories. God, I love her so much and not a day goes by that I don't cry when I think about her. Aloe Vera gel did what the medication couldn't do. Old Mother Nature didn't just give me aloe vera or a chance at healing...she gave me the time with my precious baby that cancer wanted to ravish from me and that is the real priceless miracle.

PS: I do not guarantee that aloe vera will work for everyone, but for all the purposes I mentioned above, I have personally felt its miracle wonders.