the best of healers is good cheer.
~ Pindus
We don’t realize how valuable our health is until something interferes with it! For the past couple of years, I’ve been on a mission to kick “midlife‘s” ass. I’ve been on a bit of a health binge and thank god I have been! I believe being in better shape helped me recover faster from my recent surgery.
My gallbladder has been giving me fits for a few years, but I decided to go all out with nutrition and natural remedies and attempt to bypass a surgical fix. So, when my 31-year-old daughter had to have her gallbladder out a couple of months ago, I told her adorable 30-something-year-old surgeon that I’ve been fortunate to get my little beast under control using diet and nutrition. He just smiled smugly and stated that many of his patients report some degree of success for a period of time before they end up on his surgical table. Gulp. He then offered me the 2-for-1 family discount. We all chuckled…
Then as if on cue, my gallbladder took the challenge and began a relentless series of attacks. After a week of battle, I surrendered and called the cute surgeon. After all the appropriate diagnostics to validate what we already knew, it was clear the persistent gallbladder and its accumulated pesky stones wanted out. Fortunately, I was not in an acute situation, so I was able to schedule a time well after the then upcoming Mercury Retrograde (because no one needs to schedule surgery during a Mercury Retrograde on purpose!).
I knew there were things I could do to help my body prepare for the surgical invasion before the big event as well as after of course. Now that I’m well on the recovery side of this health crisis, I thought I’d share some of what helped me minimize the trauma. Not everyone has a chance to plan and prepare for surgery, but if you do, the following might be helpful. [NOTE: this is a 4-page post, so please see the page buttons below the share buttons and continue reading!]
18 ways to support post-surgical healing, naturally …
Pre-Op
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Start with a solid diagnosis
Before you come to terms with a surgical solution, make sure you are 100% comfortable with the diagnosis and that you trust your surgeon.
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Acceptance is the key
Once you are clear that you are going to have surgery, make peace with your decision and immediately begin imagining a good outcome. A positive attitude is a great foundation for the best possible outcome.
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Beware of information overload
Be informed, but don’t go nuts googling the surgery and start watching YouTube videos of the surgery. Know when to walk away from too much information. It is easy to terrorize yourself with other people’s horror stories or create a list of all the things that could go wrong to review every night before bedtime. Go back to # 1. here and ask yourself if you trust your diagnosis and your surgeon. If yes, proceed. If not, re-evaluate carefully to see what is real and what is fear.
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Go into pre-operative warrior mode
Knowing that your body is about to be invaded, now is the time to do whatever you can to prepare. Not that you will lose 20 pounds and begin a new exercise regimen, but from where you are, there are always ways to clean up your nutritional act and take extra good care of yourself. Understand what this means for you and maybe do a little research to prepare for the specific to the type of injury or illness and surgery you are having.
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Nutritional support
I truly believe that given even a few days prior to any surgery, we can focus on reducing our recovery time and negative outcomes by making a commitment to treat our bodies with the gentleness we would offer a dear sick friend. Here’s one great post with a ton of information about natural ways to boost our nutrition to support an upcoming surgery.
And for my vegan friends, I recently discovered a wonderful super healthy plant-based mineral broth that is great for before or after surgery.
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Rebecca Forstadt Olkowski
October 4, 2016 at 11:46 am
Great post. So far no surgeries other than tonsils and I hope it stays that way. Arnica is great. I started using it when I sprained my ankle. Hope you’re all healed up now.