You all know why I started this website - to help people with problems.  So far, for the past ten years I have helped people with repairing things like engines, dishwashers, lawn mowers, and air conditioners to name just a few.  However this, my 10th anniversary starts a new era on my website, that of helping you to fix . . . you.  Any of you who know me personally know I am a frustrated make-believe doctor and have spent 15 years of my life practicing as an Emergency Medical Technician, again wanting to help people in need.   I have recently had some personal experiences in my family where I needed the care of a doctor and a hospital.  This experience can be both frightening and overwhelming.  I searched for information everywhere and found it one day in March on a PBS special called "The New Medicine"  That was the beginning of a flow of information which I found invaluable in preparation for a loved one's stay in the hospital and major surgery.

One of the things I discovered is something we all have always known, that the mind is a powerful tool if used properly, in healing and in developing a sense of well-being.  It is not intuitively obvious, however, how to train your brain to play a role in the healing process and in making your body relax and feel rested and calm, especially when facing so ominous a prospect as undergoing major surgery for a life threatening condition.

We all know how we can sit quietly in a room and imagine being in a peaceful and calming setting such as by the ocean shore, listening to the rhythmic pattern of waves washing up on warm beach sand, or to imagine hearing the babbling of a brook high up in the mountains where all you can hear is the sound of nature's creatures.  In my researching, triggered by the PBS program, The New Medicine, I learned about integrating the mind, the body and the soul through various methods based on the images I just mentioned.  I found that the generic term which modern medicine now uses to describe that phenomenon is "guided imagery" a process which uses peaceful music, and a soft and caring voice to guide you through the process of imagining the scenes I just described.  One of the leaders in this field is Diane Tusek, a Registered Nurse, who has started a company which produces audio CDs to guide you through the processes of relaxing and visualizing calming, serene scenes, which relax your mind and body and can put you to sleep without the assistance of drugs, just the drugs of your mind and imagination. 

Diane is a kind and caring person who wants to help people like me who are in distress and who need help coping with the stressful situations we face when surgery is contemplated or planned.   I contacted her after I found her website www.guidedimageryinc.com and ordered a CD specifically designed for pre-hospital mind training.  I received it and we have been playing it for two days now, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful imagery which Diane guides us through as we prepare our minds and our souls and our bodies for the upcoming surgery which my wife is facing.

Take a look at Diane's website and while you are looking, enjoy the sounds of her voice as she introduces herself to you.  Just click below to listen and click on her website link to visit her and learn all about guided imagery as I did.

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UPDATE

The surgery is over.  It was successful and my wife is on the mend now.  Thanks to the wonderful CD tracks provided by Diane Tusek's Pre-Procedure CDs, she went into surgery with a positive attitude.  I had pre-arranged for her to be able to listen to the calming and relaxing tracks on a small MP3 player onto which I transferred Diane's soothing and reassuring audio tracks.  She spent all of 26 hours in the hospital after surgery and amazed the nurses who took care of her.  They all asked the same question - "What is that she is is listening to with those headphones?"  I told them and they all wanted to know more.  I know you will want to know more.  I have provided a few minutes of Diane's voice here so that you can experience the soothing sounds which she can provide to you if you or a loved one is preparing for surgery, going to the dentist, or any other procedure which frightens you and which can be helped through the relaxation audio tracks from Diane Tusek.

Diane's Introduction

Portions of Diane's Ocean scene imagery

 

 

Diane has asked me to include some more sound bytes from her CD's.  Here is a list of her CD's with links to clips from each of them:

 

 

 

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