A curious tale

A couple of weeks ago I felt very stressed and anxious. I had all sorts of pain and physical symptoms as a result. I was worried about a friend due to have surgery for breast cancer. She is in her 70's and although she is in good health otherwise, I was very concerned. She, on the other hand, took it all in her stride. I was worried about the hospital performing the operation and sending her home on the same day. This happens with the NHS. She was even warned she might be sent home the same day or at least the day after. She was also told this operation might not be her last. They wouldn't know for a few weeks if she would need further surgery.

The surgery was performed under a general anaesthetic. The 1 1/2 hour procedure took 4 hours and there was a slight complication. She also had radiotherapy. I saw her that night at the hospital. They decided to keep her in. She was a bit groggy but otherwise okay. The nurse offered her an OTC paid reliever. She said she would save it for later as she wasn't feeling any pain.

The next morning she was discharged. I had arranged to stay with her for a few nights. I arrived at her home in the afternoon and relieved another friend. I expected her to be in bed. Was she heck. She was up, fully dressed and chatting away, as she does. She was in no pain and had not taken a single painkiller all day. She told me the other women on the ward were having a similar procedure. She said they were worried and anxious about how they would cope at home since they were being checked out on the same day of the operation. One woman apparently was clutching her husband's hand and wouldn't let him go, she was that terrified. These women were all in a great deal of pain, unlike my friend.

I was absolutely exhausted by all the worrying I had been doing. My friend wanted me to stay up late that night and watch DVDs with her! The next morning My friend continued to be free of any pain. She had some discomfort but nothing that sent her flying to the medicine cabinet. The box of painkillers remained unopened. My friend thought it curious that she felt no pain and kept asking me if she was just weird. I talk to her about mind body stuff on occasion. We are both migraine sufferers so she does have pain sometimes. I told her that because she wasn't fearing pain or at all anxious about anything, she had evaded the pain that all those other women were suffering.

What do you make of all this?

P.S. My friend had her post op appointment this week and apart from radiotherapy, she won't be needing any further surgical procedures in the foreseeable future.

 

Hi, yb44 and Jan. I've been looking at some past postings and read yours.
It take a lot of courage but not fearing surgery or worrying more may be needed is
mind self-control we learn from TMS techniques. You're both learning them and I've
learned many of them and am still learning. How are things going now for you both?
I'm doing fine. No back pain. Learning more every day from our TMS community of friends.

 

Funny you should resurrect this post now. I am not doing so good, Walt and neither is my friend mentioned above. I have no doubt there is a connection. I know about and accept TMS principles in my conscious existence but I think it is a case of 'talk to the hand cuz the unconscious ain't listening.'