From Saint Paul in his letter to the Philippians,
"Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
My Reiki Master
My sister-in-law, fellow thespian, and dear friend Debbie is a Reiki Master, Reflexologist, and Yoga Instructor http://debbieblauss.abmp.com/home . Over the years I have had lots of 'body work' done. That is what they call it, honest.
Have you ever had a massage? Have you ever had your 'feet done'? Or taken a yoga class? Or discovered the soothing delights of Reiki which in my mind is laying on of hands? Fascinating stuff.
Through the years I have learned a little about chakras and mindfulness, and crystals, and the like. If New Age-y stuff is not for you then perhaps you will never experience any of it.
That's ok, to each his own. I certainly have my doubts about meridians and chakras etc.. On the other hand I think being mindful of your physical body and taking care of yourself is a good thing. I do believe in modern medicine, as the daughter of a nurse I would not resist making an appointment if necessary and God bless Ritalin, asthma medication, and pain pills, all of which have given those I love a chance to focus, breathe, and heal.
But I also believe in prayer and positive thinking and I think as Beings made up not just of physical but also spiritual, intellectual, and emotional, as beings made up of many parts we should not neglect any of them in the pursuit of a meaningful life.
Because I am not the least bit bendy I thought I should take a few yoga classes to get my body more flexible. I was also attracted to the spiritual aspects of it. Now you can attend the most physically exhausting workouts in western yoga and never once think of your soul. But it does make sense to me to include all parts of your life into your yoga practice and when I have time and concentration I have tried to do so.
Reiki is a no brainer for me. You lie down and focus and someone or a few some ones, focus on your health and lay their hands on you. Reflexology was a bit of a stretch for me because, well because other people's feet are sort of icky. EWWWWW who would want to touch feet?
Now the Catholic church is not big on yoga because of the tendency of fanatics to turn it into a worship of the self and body. They also have concerns about Reiki because the Reiki Master calls upon Spirit to work through their hands to help the client. But whose Spirit is called? Is it your Guardian Angel? Or the spirit of your dead mother? Is it Christ Himself or perhaps the Devil?
I have learned all this through conversations with Deb during my body work sessions and research online afterwards. I have spoken with learned Catholics and in the end we all have a conscious and must make our own decisions. Now don't let these spiritual musings of mine dissuade you from trying Reiki or anything. I just think about spiritual stuff during those times. Plenty of people go in, get their work done, pay, and leave satisfied customers, without ever once bringing God into it.
What I wanted to share with you is 2 incidents of note. What ever you believe or think might happen, after body work you feel relaxed and clear thinking. Maybe its because you simply laid down for an hour in mindfulness. Who knows?
A few months ago I was having a different kind of lower back pain than is typical for me. I also began having sciatic pain shoot down my right leg. After typical methods did not relieve it I made an MRI appointment and also went to see Deb to have her 'work on me.' As usual we were chitchatting (I think typical sessions are done in soothing quiet but you know me!) At one point she said, "It is clear something is up with your lower back, left side." Opening my eyes I assured her she was mistaken, the nerve running down my right leg was the problem. She worked a bit longer and said., "Well of course I must be wrong but I think something is off with your left side of your spine." We continued the session and I thought no more about it. Until the results of the MRI showed disc damage and bulging on the LEFT!
I was feeling pain on the right because on the right side, my spinal column's foramina (I think?) -or openings when the nerves run out to the right side of my body- those holes are smaller than the ones running down the left. So although most of the disc debris was to the left, the little bit that went to the right caused more noticeable trouble. But the damage indeed was to the left.
In another incident: Just before my hysterectomy I went to Deb to get work done and help calm my anxiety. As she was working on my feet she said, "Do you have trouble with your colon?" I do not. As she began digging her thumb into an area on the bottom of my left foot I pretty much elevated off the table. "Well I have bone spurs, that's just my bone spur that hurts." Patiently she dug into the right foot but I did not react. Going back to my left she said, "You have bone spurs in both feet, correct? But only the left one hurts, not the right one. Right here is where the sigmoid colon would be represented. I would be curious about what the surgeon says."
When I came too from my surgery the first thing the doctor said was it took twice as long as expected. The second thing he said was that my uterus was attached all long my sigmoid colon and it took him forever to detach it without damaging the colon.
Isn't that interesting? I go back to Deb tomorrow for some post surgery body work and I look forward of course to see her. I wonder though about her hands and her skill. I am not saying she is a diagnostician or that body work is magic or anything. But how amazing that someone so attuned to the human body disclosed things that then modern medicine confirmed. Are Healers through the centuries magicians or do they get their powers from Spirits? Or are they trained in the human body and able to pick up small distress signals? It just fascinates me. Thought I would share with you today about my Reiki Master.
Have you ever had a massage? Have you ever had your 'feet done'? Or taken a yoga class? Or discovered the soothing delights of Reiki which in my mind is laying on of hands? Fascinating stuff.
Through the years I have learned a little about chakras and mindfulness, and crystals, and the like. If New Age-y stuff is not for you then perhaps you will never experience any of it.
That's ok, to each his own. I certainly have my doubts about meridians and chakras etc.. On the other hand I think being mindful of your physical body and taking care of yourself is a good thing. I do believe in modern medicine, as the daughter of a nurse I would not resist making an appointment if necessary and God bless Ritalin, asthma medication, and pain pills, all of which have given those I love a chance to focus, breathe, and heal.
But I also believe in prayer and positive thinking and I think as Beings made up not just of physical but also spiritual, intellectual, and emotional, as beings made up of many parts we should not neglect any of them in the pursuit of a meaningful life.
Because I am not the least bit bendy I thought I should take a few yoga classes to get my body more flexible. I was also attracted to the spiritual aspects of it. Now you can attend the most physically exhausting workouts in western yoga and never once think of your soul. But it does make sense to me to include all parts of your life into your yoga practice and when I have time and concentration I have tried to do so.
Reiki is a no brainer for me. You lie down and focus and someone or a few some ones, focus on your health and lay their hands on you. Reflexology was a bit of a stretch for me because, well because other people's feet are sort of icky. EWWWWW who would want to touch feet?
Now the Catholic church is not big on yoga because of the tendency of fanatics to turn it into a worship of the self and body. They also have concerns about Reiki because the Reiki Master calls upon Spirit to work through their hands to help the client. But whose Spirit is called? Is it your Guardian Angel? Or the spirit of your dead mother? Is it Christ Himself or perhaps the Devil?
I have learned all this through conversations with Deb during my body work sessions and research online afterwards. I have spoken with learned Catholics and in the end we all have a conscious and must make our own decisions. Now don't let these spiritual musings of mine dissuade you from trying Reiki or anything. I just think about spiritual stuff during those times. Plenty of people go in, get their work done, pay, and leave satisfied customers, without ever once bringing God into it.
What I wanted to share with you is 2 incidents of note. What ever you believe or think might happen, after body work you feel relaxed and clear thinking. Maybe its because you simply laid down for an hour in mindfulness. Who knows?
A few months ago I was having a different kind of lower back pain than is typical for me. I also began having sciatic pain shoot down my right leg. After typical methods did not relieve it I made an MRI appointment and also went to see Deb to have her 'work on me.' As usual we were chitchatting (I think typical sessions are done in soothing quiet but you know me!) At one point she said, "It is clear something is up with your lower back, left side." Opening my eyes I assured her she was mistaken, the nerve running down my right leg was the problem. She worked a bit longer and said., "Well of course I must be wrong but I think something is off with your left side of your spine." We continued the session and I thought no more about it. Until the results of the MRI showed disc damage and bulging on the LEFT!
I was feeling pain on the right because on the right side, my spinal column's foramina (I think?) -or openings when the nerves run out to the right side of my body- those holes are smaller than the ones running down the left. So although most of the disc debris was to the left, the little bit that went to the right caused more noticeable trouble. But the damage indeed was to the left.
In another incident: Just before my hysterectomy I went to Deb to get work done and help calm my anxiety. As she was working on my feet she said, "Do you have trouble with your colon?" I do not. As she began digging her thumb into an area on the bottom of my left foot I pretty much elevated off the table. "Well I have bone spurs, that's just my bone spur that hurts." Patiently she dug into the right foot but I did not react. Going back to my left she said, "You have bone spurs in both feet, correct? But only the left one hurts, not the right one. Right here is where the sigmoid colon would be represented. I would be curious about what the surgeon says."
When I came too from my surgery the first thing the doctor said was it took twice as long as expected. The second thing he said was that my uterus was attached all long my sigmoid colon and it took him forever to detach it without damaging the colon.
Isn't that interesting? I go back to Deb tomorrow for some post surgery body work and I look forward of course to see her. I wonder though about her hands and her skill. I am not saying she is a diagnostician or that body work is magic or anything. But how amazing that someone so attuned to the human body disclosed things that then modern medicine confirmed. Are Healers through the centuries magicians or do they get their powers from Spirits? Or are they trained in the human body and able to pick up small distress signals? It just fascinates me. Thought I would share with you today about my Reiki Master.
Saturday, December 01, 2012
My maybe famous robotic hysterectomy
When I came to, after my hysterectomy, my first thought was 'God Bless anti-nausea medication'. This thought may seem flippant, but having vomited my way to consciousness in the 80s and 90s after surgical procedures, I cannot fully convey the sense of relief to become conscious to a wave of warm pain but not retching.
My second sensation (after awareness of pain) was joy as I realized that although I hurt, I did not have a scar running the length of my abdomen. I had been spared a full abdominal surgery and instead had undergone a robotic hysterectomy.
This meant a quicker recovery and fewer restrictions. Most importantly for me it meant I could sleep in my own bed and make the slow but doable journey up and down my stairs to the bathroom. Stairs are verboten after abdominal surgery.
But I had already spent 7 years not sleeping in my own bed with my husband when I worked nights, and vowed not to miss another night if I could help it. My recovery during my spinal surgery was wet with tears those first few agonizing nights when the only somewhat comfortable spot was a reclining lawn chair but I was desperate for my bed. Poor Don would push the chair as close to his side of the bed as possible and try to hold my hand in the dark but I wept in misery.
Perhaps this is silly to you. Maybe you have an amazing leather recliner (I do not) that you love to sleep in. Or maybe you have a spacious king side bed and want the sensation of sleeping alone. But in spite of often becoming Don's body pillow, or having to wrestle covers that he steals (he claims I throw them at him?) I would prefer sleeping next to my husband thank you very much.
So I came to full consciousness smiling away ( still medicated?) I was quite shocked to discover, first from my g.y.n. and then a short time later by the surgeon himself, that the surgery took fully twice as long as expected.
Also due to complications it was always iffy whether or not I would end up with a full abdominal surgery anyway. It turns out that 'adhesions' or scar tissues are very common if there have been previous surgeries. Since this was my 7th abdominal surgery they expected adhesions. What they did not expect that my uterus would be adhered to both my bladder AND my colon.
In the end, part of my uterus was left behind still attached to my poor abused bladder. The upshot of that? I am a woman with a hysterectomy who still may have monthly periods. Let that sink in a moment ladies!
However, as my g.y.n. offered, when she and the surgeon were kibitzing mid -procedure; up until now I have never had a bladder problem, removing the uterus fully would more than likely cause one, for an uncertain length of time.
I took this all in and tried to absorb. No mention of cancer or tumors or inoperable. No catheter or colostomy bags to come home with, I was indeed truly lucky. My surgeon was feeling pretty ebullient as well. It had proven a challenging surgery but a successful one, and he was not immodest about his skills in bringing it all about.
It turns out Mary Richardson the news reporter from Channel 5 Boston, was shadowing him for an interview and after getting my permission he dragged her into the recovery room to talk to me. The chutzpah of that still makes me laugh! I guess it never occurred to him to ask my husband's permission, Don was patiently waiting down the hall.
No matter, Mary Richardson was pulled over to my bedside and she had the class to be a bit embarrassed. But far be it from me to miss an opportunity to be onstage, even if I was strapped to a gurney bed. I obligingly praised the surgeon and the benefits of robotic hysterectomy, all of which I meant sincerely.
She marveled at how great I looked just out of the operating room and I decided that she was also sincere. One must take their compliments where one can. Now she did not have a reporter's notebook in hand nor did she have a camera crew at her side. So I am not certain my uterus will achieve fame.
But I kinda feel like it deserves it. When the surgeon marveled at how HUGE it was (almost with distaste) I took it as my due. That uterus housed 4 children to full term, one of whom was over 11 pounds! It also cradled my two children who were miscarried.
Maybe its size has something to do with having all those foster children and needing to be in the schools today. Maybe it has something to do with small children and animals having an affinity for my company, and I for theirs. Who knows?
Anyway its been 2 and a half weeks since my big operation. I go back to the doctors next week and then back to work the following, with a few restrictions. Mostly I find I run out of energy and I move about gingerly. But I have been very lucky all in all. I shall have to keep an eye out in case my wonderful uterus gets a shout out from Mary Richardson.
My second sensation (after awareness of pain) was joy as I realized that although I hurt, I did not have a scar running the length of my abdomen. I had been spared a full abdominal surgery and instead had undergone a robotic hysterectomy.
This meant a quicker recovery and fewer restrictions. Most importantly for me it meant I could sleep in my own bed and make the slow but doable journey up and down my stairs to the bathroom. Stairs are verboten after abdominal surgery.
But I had already spent 7 years not sleeping in my own bed with my husband when I worked nights, and vowed not to miss another night if I could help it. My recovery during my spinal surgery was wet with tears those first few agonizing nights when the only somewhat comfortable spot was a reclining lawn chair but I was desperate for my bed. Poor Don would push the chair as close to his side of the bed as possible and try to hold my hand in the dark but I wept in misery.
Perhaps this is silly to you. Maybe you have an amazing leather recliner (I do not) that you love to sleep in. Or maybe you have a spacious king side bed and want the sensation of sleeping alone. But in spite of often becoming Don's body pillow, or having to wrestle covers that he steals (he claims I throw them at him?) I would prefer sleeping next to my husband thank you very much.
So I came to full consciousness smiling away ( still medicated?) I was quite shocked to discover, first from my g.y.n. and then a short time later by the surgeon himself, that the surgery took fully twice as long as expected.
Also due to complications it was always iffy whether or not I would end up with a full abdominal surgery anyway. It turns out that 'adhesions' or scar tissues are very common if there have been previous surgeries. Since this was my 7th abdominal surgery they expected adhesions. What they did not expect that my uterus would be adhered to both my bladder AND my colon.
In the end, part of my uterus was left behind still attached to my poor abused bladder. The upshot of that? I am a woman with a hysterectomy who still may have monthly periods. Let that sink in a moment ladies!
However, as my g.y.n. offered, when she and the surgeon were kibitzing mid -procedure; up until now I have never had a bladder problem, removing the uterus fully would more than likely cause one, for an uncertain length of time.
I took this all in and tried to absorb. No mention of cancer or tumors or inoperable. No catheter or colostomy bags to come home with, I was indeed truly lucky. My surgeon was feeling pretty ebullient as well. It had proven a challenging surgery but a successful one, and he was not immodest about his skills in bringing it all about.
It turns out Mary Richardson the news reporter from Channel 5 Boston, was shadowing him for an interview and after getting my permission he dragged her into the recovery room to talk to me. The chutzpah of that still makes me laugh! I guess it never occurred to him to ask my husband's permission, Don was patiently waiting down the hall.
No matter, Mary Richardson was pulled over to my bedside and she had the class to be a bit embarrassed. But far be it from me to miss an opportunity to be onstage, even if I was strapped to a gurney bed. I obligingly praised the surgeon and the benefits of robotic hysterectomy, all of which I meant sincerely.
She marveled at how great I looked just out of the operating room and I decided that she was also sincere. One must take their compliments where one can. Now she did not have a reporter's notebook in hand nor did she have a camera crew at her side. So I am not certain my uterus will achieve fame.
But I kinda feel like it deserves it. When the surgeon marveled at how HUGE it was (almost with distaste) I took it as my due. That uterus housed 4 children to full term, one of whom was over 11 pounds! It also cradled my two children who were miscarried.
Maybe its size has something to do with having all those foster children and needing to be in the schools today. Maybe it has something to do with small children and animals having an affinity for my company, and I for theirs. Who knows?
Anyway its been 2 and a half weeks since my big operation. I go back to the doctors next week and then back to work the following, with a few restrictions. Mostly I find I run out of energy and I move about gingerly. But I have been very lucky all in all. I shall have to keep an eye out in case my wonderful uterus gets a shout out from Mary Richardson.
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