Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (147 page)

Zinc, magnesium, B complex.
These supplements have been shown to promote wound healing. The recommended dose is zinc pi colinate, 100 mg; magnesium, 800 mg; and 25 to 50 mg B complex, taken in a good-quality supplement that includes at least 800 mcg of folic acid per day.

Vitamin E.
Postoperatively, apply vitamin E oil (d-alpha-tocopherol) onto the incision daily as soon as the surgical dressing is removed (if your surgeon agrees that there is no contraindication to this). This speeds healing and decreases scarring. Some women prefer aloe vera gel, calendula ointment, or other herbal treatments for this purpose.

Homeopathy.
Take Arnica Montana 30X, three or four pellets twice per day (dissolved under the tongue) on the day before surgery and also as soon before surgery as possible. You can take these just be fore being wheeled into the operating room. Then take them as soon as possible once you get into the recovery room. Your anesthesiologist can help with this, or you can wait until you’re back in your room. Take the same dose daily for a week following surgery. Arnica is very good at preventing ill effects from any kind of physical trauma. Many other homeopathic remedies are available that can be used for specific types of surgery. Consult with a trained practitioner.

Herbs.
The Chinese herb known as yunnan baiyao is excellent for promoting wound healing and enhancing the ability of blood to clot. Many of my patients have used this successfully to speed their recovery from surgery. It results in decreased swelling and bruising. Dose is one tablet four times per day for one week prior to surgery, and continuing one month postoperatively. Start as soon after surgery as you can take things by mouth.

Step Seven: Say a Special Prayer for Surgery

When a friend of mine recently had surgery, clinical psychologist and healer Doris Cohen, Ph.D., helped come up with the following list of things for my friend to pray for (and to ask his friends and family to pray for on his behalf) before the surgery. It worked beautifully.

A skilled anesthesiologist who monitors me perfectly

A body that responds well to the anesthesia

A skilled surgeon whose hands are steady and who is able to easily and quickly ____________ [state what specifically it is the surgeon will be removing, repairing, replacing, or inserting]

That my unique spirit—and only my unique spirit—comes back into my body when the anesthesia wears off

That I wake up easily and quickly after surgery

That my body functions return to normal with no pain

That this surgery allows me to heal on
all
levels—physical, emotional, and spiritual

H
EALING WITH
D
IVINE
L
OVE

Whenever one of my loved ones is undergoing surgery or facing a challenge, I always get together with at least one other person and ask to be a channel for Divine Love. Here’s the prayer (or petition) that I use, based on the work of Robert Fritchie: “With my soul, I surrender my will to Divine Will. I acknowledge ____________ [state the problem here and also the intent for the outcome, such as ‘I acknowledge that my sister is having shoulder surgery today and my intent is that she have a completely healed, functional, and comfortable shoulder as a result of this surgery’]. I ask that any fears or problems be dissolved with Divine Love according to the creator’s will.”