When you undergo surgery, you need to prepare your mind and body for a positive procedure and speedy recovery. Here are some tips.
A month before surgery:
- Take a daily anti-oxidant capsule which will help boost your immune system.
- Certain foods will help your body prepare for surgery, especially those rich in L-arginine, an amino acid. This stimulates the thymus gland, which in turn stores the infection-fighting T-lymphocytes or T-cells until they are needed to ward off disease. Levels of L-arginine drop during times of stress but you can increase them by eating more poultry and fish.
- Avoid garlic as this thins the blood which could affect blood clotting.
- Be gentle with yourself during this time. Give yourself comfort and nurturance. Do things that relax you.
- Have your home cleaned (by someone else!) so that when you return from surgery you are not looking at a mess or tempted to clean up.
- Consider doing a pre-surgery ritual, for example where all your supporters give you affirmations of healing, caring and love (you could record these affirmations and listen to them when in hospital).
- The following can interfere with medications administered during and after your surgery: vitamin E, dairy and iron. When antibiotics are administered, oranges, pineapple and grapefruit can inhibit uptake of some drugs.
- Support your liver by taking milk thistle, but stop taking the week before surgery.
- Set up a phone tree prior to your surgery. Choose one person to call after surgery and have them report to the rest of your friends/family.
- Use the Bach Rescue Remedy to help manage fear. Fill a dropper bottle with water and add a few drops of the remedy. Then you can moisten your lips with it, even though you are not allowed anything to drink prior to surgery.
- Unless you are very familiar with the hospital, try to arrange a visit prior to the operation. Go to the nurse’s station and talk with them.
Following surgery:
- For post-operative sickness, take the homeopathic remedy nux vomica 30c.
- Another useful homeopathic remedy after surgery is hypericum 30c which aids pain relief and nerve damage.
- Have a Reiki practitioner, acupuncturist or other healer in the hospital room following surgery to work with your energy field.
- Use the homeopathic remedy Arnica 30c for wound healing.
- Three days after surgery, continue taking milk thistle to cleanse the liver of toxins.
- Take up the offers of your friends and family members to help.
- Use an eye mask to help reduce hospital light glare.
- Drink 2 litres of water a day to flush toxins out of your body.
- Take the Bach Flower olive to help get your energy back.
- Soothe the lining of the gut which will be disturbed by antibiotics by drinking Aloe Vera juice.
- Use the regenerating properties of rosehip for scar tissue, applying to the wound once it has healed.
Good nutrition, flushing out your system and taking time to rest are your best healing tools.
