Supplements: do’s & don’ts

Obviously a lot will depend on the type of illness or injury and the type of surgery you are having, but it is important to check with your surgeon or a good medical source to make sure whatever you are doing is safe. Here’s a great post by a surgeon that offers some solid and practical advice for vitamins and supplements before surgery. 

Homeopathy ~ a surprising amount of surgeons  actually recommend Arnica for pre- and post-operative healing (many plastic surgeons, presumably because it reduces swelling and tissue trauma). And here’s a great post with more specifics on various homeopathic remedies for general and specific types of surgeries. 

Build up your blood 

Not all, but many surgeries do tax our blood supply. In any case, it is a good idea to strengthen your blood for optimal healing. Here’s an excellent post with some ways to help build stronger blood. 

Stay calm & reduce stress

Of course this is a perennial good idea, but seriously, our immune systems thrive without stress and now is the time to keep our immune system happy! So, do what you can to remove stress immediately, and give yourself space after the surgery. Don’t be a martyr. Remember to ask friends and loved ones for help! If you don’t already have a meditation practice, try it. Maybe try a good guided meditation. There are certainly ones geared for health and healing. Here’s a guided meditation I created that is free and might help.

Here’s one I wish I had thought of before! Prepare music or a guided meditation to listen to during surgery if your surgeon allows it. Our fabulous Green Diva Herbalist, Brigitte Mars says, “People can be very susceptible to suggestion during surgery, even though they aren’t aware,” Mars says. “Doctors saying things like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t look good,’ can be harmful to the patient.” 

Talk to surgical team before you go under

If you are anxious or have concerns no matter how silly they may seem, make sure to talk to the pre-operative staff and let them know. I have an especially hard time with anesthesia, so I made sure to let the anesthesiologist know about my concerns and he took some extra measures to help reduce my dizziness and nausea upon waking up. In fact, he stayed with me through both stages of recovery until he was sure I was ok.