There have

been a few times in the past when I had no choice but to

ask for pain medication following surgical procedures.

But this time I had a choice and I chose to try to avoid

the post-operative narcotics that are always mixed

blessings with whatever degree of pain relief they offer.

For two weeks prior to my

recent surgery I listened to the pre-op tapes. I can

still hear the silken voice instructing me to "go

limp" as it talked me through various relaxation

techniques. The memory alone promotes relaxation even

now.

I had a wonderful

anesthesiologist at Piedmont Hospital who was quite well

informed regarding relaxation and music therapy for pre-,

intra- and post-op patients. He personally saw to it that

my headphones were in place and properly adjusted during

surgery.

Now, there is no way this

cynic, (yes, I am as cynical as they come in some areas

of my life) would agree to listen to tapes instructing me

regarding anything while I am unconscious, unless I had

listened beforehand to be sure the suggestions I was

being given were acceptable.

They were acceptable. A bit

questionable maybe, but definitely worth a try.

Certainly they were

soothing, but could they really diminish my need for pain

medicine?

Guess what? My hospital

records verify that I never once asked for anything

stronger than Tylenol for pain.

I will admit that I would

have accepted anything that I thought might relieve the

gas pain I had for several days following surgery, but I

knew traditional pain medication would only aggravate

that problem so I asked for no Demerol and Phenergan or

morphine or anything. To my delight I found I did not

need those drugs.

Ever the doubting Thomasina

I always will wonder if the relaxation/music tapes made

the difference. Or was it the prayers of several faithful

intercessors (many of whom have prayed for me in times

past when pain ruled the day)? Since there is only one of

me and it was not possible for two of me to opt for both

the tapes and the drugs for the same surgical procedures,

I am left with but one conclusion. Let the cynic in me

think what she will, if I ever have surgery again you can

be assured the tapes will be playing.

I am planning to interview

my anesthesiologist for a Citizen article in the near

future. I understand he has produced some tapes of his

own and I may actually do the same. Assuredly I have no

complaints about the set of tapes I obtained from the

Monroe Institute, but given the opportunity I will record

some that I think might be even more appropriate for me

personally, just in case the need ever again arises.

I had been reading about

the new research, which has found that relaxation and

music, separately or together, significantly reduce

patients' pain following major abdominal surgery. One

such study, published in the May issue of

"Pain," found that these methods in combination

with pain medication reduce pain more than pain

medication alone.

The findings have important

implications for the 23 million people who undergo

surgery and experience post-operative pain annually in

the United States. Pain can hamper recovery by

heightening the body's response to the stress of surgery

and increasing tissue breakdown, coagulation and fluid

retention. Pain also interferes with appetite and sleep

and can lead to complications that prolong

hospitalization.

I've also been exploring a

number of other creative healing concepts. Most of us

already know that modern medicine does not heal. At best

it only aids the body's own genius for healing itself. I

suspect our creator endowed our bodies and minds with far

more abilities than we, even in this late 20th century,

have even begun to tap.

I am happy to be on the

road to recovery and I thank you for your prayers in

recent weeks. Know without a doubt that if I were forced

to choose between any recorded tape and the prayers of a

man or woman who walks with God, the prayers would

assuredly be my first choice. This time around I was

blessed to have the benefit of both and I strongly

recommend the combination for anyone facing major

surgery. Watch The Sunday Citizen in coming months for

more information on creative pain control methods. I look

forward to delving deeper into this new area of medicine,

or the lack thereof.

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