Monthly Archives: November 2016

community, happiness, health, shoulder surgery, tribe, well-being, wellness

Twelve Tips to Make Rotator Cuff Surgery Easier – Before, During and After

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Before

 

  • Practice using your non-dominant hand for more things:  such as brushing your teeth, opening doors, brushing your hair.  You get the picture.  The more things you can start doing with your other hand the better off you will be after your surgery. 

 

  • If you’re a woman, get a sports bra, a front hook bra or plan on not wearing a bra for a couple of months. The bottom line is you just can’t reach behind you to hook the bra.  Also, the straps land right on your shoulder and it is too painful.  If you are large busted, it can be a real problem.

 

  • Get your support team together. Who is going to help you?  Who is going to take you to the hospital for surgery?  Who is getting your prescriptions filled?  Who is taking you to your follow up appointments?  Who is going to drive you around?  Who is going to do your food shopping?  Who is going to clean your house, take care of your dogs, laundry, etc?

 

  • Make sure you have pull on pants and slip on shoes. You need both hands to tie bows, pull up zippers, button buttons. 

During

 

  • The day of your surgery: have someone take you to the hospital and stay with you (advocate).  The doctor will talk to you afterwards and you won’t remember any of it because of the drugs.  Your advocate will take notes and make sure to tell you what the doctor says after you are lucid again.  Plan on someone staying with you (or you staying with them) for the first week.  You will be on some serious pain medication.  It’s a good idea to have your advocate give you your medication as prescribed for the first 48 hours and to keep a log of it.  I was given Oxycodone and OxyContin simultaneously for pain.  If you are like me and don’t take drugs, then you’ll be pretty much out of it and not cognizant enough to track what you took and when.

 

  • When you wake up after your surgery, you will be in a hospital gown with an immobilizing sling on your arm. It has a big pillow part that leans against your waist/side and keeps your arm at an angle slightly away from your body.  The sling wraps around your waist, neck and back and can be fit to your body.  Make sure your advocate helps you to adjust all of that after the first 48 hours to make sure it fits you correctly.  You won’t care the first few days.

 

  • You’ll need a coat or jacket that you can wear without putting your arm in the sleeve. I borrowed a cape from my advocate.  That way it could just go over my shoulders and sling and keep me warm from the wheelchair into the car.  You’ll probably sleep in and out of things until you get home and right into bed.  Plan on sleeping most of that day and the next.

 

After 

 

  • You will basically be sleeping sitting up! If you have a recliner, GREAT!  That is where you’ll be sleeping and spending most of your time. However, know that it is hard to get out of a recliner with one arm/shoulder.  If you don’t have one (like me) then you can do a few things:
    • Get one of those big sitting up pillows for your bed with the armrests.
    • Use large yoga pillows. I had two huge meditation pillows and they went on my bed with 6 others to basically make me sit up while sleeping.  If you lay down, it might feel okay for about 5 minutes and then it will start throbbing.  If you put pressure on your shoulder or arm once, you won’t do it again!

 

  • The first 48 hours you need a caretaker. You need someone to cook for you and make sure you are drinking lots of water and fluids.  They need to check your temperature and help you to stay on top of the pain.  DON’T let it get away from you!!  Take your prescribed medications. Your caretaker will be available to hang out with you when you are awake.

 

  • After the first 48 hours, you’re going to want to bathe. They won’t let you before this.  There is no way you can do this alone.  My dearest friend and advocate got in the shower behind me and washed my hair because there was no way I could do it.  She helped me with my balance and washed my back.  The good thing is you can take off the sling to shower.  The bad thing is you are in a LOT of pain and can’t use that arm at all.  It throws off your balance.  Everything takes twice as long to do and is exhausting.  I think I slept for 4 hours after my shower! 

 

  • Don’t be discouraged by this. If you have ever had surgery, it is all normal for the first few days to be like this and the first week to be rough.  It gets better after that.  You can expect to feel more like yourself by the 3rd or 4th day as you aren’t taking the combined heavy duty medications anymore.  You should be down to one prescription by the later part of the first week.

 

  • By the end of the first week you’ll be feeling better, except for not having the use of the surgical arm. You might even think you can drive.  I suggest you don’t do it.  Your reflexes are slower.  You are still on medication.  All you need is to grab the wheel the wrong way and you will hurt yourself.  Your doctor will probably tell you not to drive.  They are correct.  Don’t expect to drive until you have been released from wearing the sling by your doctor.

 

WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THE SLING?

 

Usually about one week after your surgery, you will start physical therapy.  Don’t let them tell you it doesn’t hurt.  It hurts like hell.  They want to check range of motion and to make sure your shoulder doesn’t freeze up.  Take your medication before you go!!  If you don’t, you’ll get muscle spasms that will inhibit your therapy.  I did.

 

OKAY, HOW LONG?

 

By now, you might be wondering how long before you get your arm back?  Or will you get your arm back?  I think if you have a good surgeon and depending on what was wrong with your shoulder in the first place, you can get your full range and strength (or close to it) back.  It WILL take time.  At the very least 6-9 months after your surgery; and up to 12-18 months in some cases.

 

I loved to play golf, fly fishing, swimming, sailing, canoeing.  You need your dominant arm for all those things and that overhead swing motion.  That’s the hardest for me.  I’m getting a membership to get in the pool.  I think that will help a lot to get that range of motion back.  Your insurance won’t give you physical therapy or massage for the whole time.  This is how you can continue your recovery.

 

Do yourself a favor…be your best and strongest cheerleader!!  Make a commitment to your recovery and full healing and you will!!

 

I took an online class while I was laid up.  It helped to keep my mind occupied.  Find something you are interested in and plan to do it while you aren’t able to do much else.  If you can find something you are interested in, it will help with depression. 

 

The sooner you can stop taking medication, the better off you will be in spirit.  As soon as you can stop taking narcotics and change to an anti-inflammatory or Ibuprofen the better off you will be.  Doctors don’t talk about the side effects of narcotics.  They do affect you much more than you think, energetically, emotionally and physically.  It takes a while to work out of your system too.  When you add the effects of anesthesia in on top of that, it makes a big difference. 

 

If you do energy work with someone, it can help to release some of these side effects.  If you want to know more about how that can work, please contact me.  That is something I can help you with the work I do.

 

This post, comments and/or suggestions are based on my personal experience over this past year.  I hope you found it helpful in some way.

 

If you have any questions or comments, please leave me a post and I’ll get back to you. 

community, happiness, health, shoulder surgery, well-being, wellness

Rotator Cuff Surgery – What They Don’t Tell You!!

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I was talking to a friend the other day who was told she had to have rotator cuff surgery.  Some folks say, “Don’t do it” and others say, “Go for it”.  She asked me what do I say?  She knows I had it done this past year.

 

I say, “Are you in pain?  Is it affecting your quality of life?  Can you still do the things that make you happy without pain?”  If you say yes to pain, quality of life being affected and not being able to do things you love, then I believe it is worth doing.  No matter how old you are. 

 

The reason for my response is because of the quality of your life.  If you can’t do things you love and could easily do before, the question then becomes are you going to limit yourself for the rest of your life?  Are you going to deny yourself those things that give you pleasure? 

 

It is NOT easy.  I’ll tell you that up front.  Doctors or someone else might tell you it is.  NO, it is not.  Realistically, depending on the severity of the damage in your shoulder and your age, you can PLAN on not having the use of that arm at all for 6-8 weeks.  After that, you will have minimal range of motion and no strength for 4-6 months.  These factors depend on what the surgeon did and your age.  Why?  Because it will affect how quickly you recover. 

 

I’m not trying to worry you; but I wish someone had honestly told me what to expect.  I might not have gotten as depressed over the length of my recovery time if they had.  I might have had more patience with the time it was taking to get my strength back.  I might have had more patience with myself and the inability to do things I could do easily beforehand.  I might have been better prepared for the pain.

 

So what can I tell you that will help?  This too will pass! 

 

You are about to learn how to receive…how to receive help from friends and family; how to receive some ‘downtime’ and R&R; how to receive the blessings of something to occupy your mind while your body is recuperating; how to learn patience with yourself and others.

 

PLAN AHEAD

 

If this is your dominant hand/arm, as it was in my case, you need to plan ahead.  If it is your other arm/shoulder, it is easier but some of these tips are still applicable for you. 

 

Okay, what can you do?              

See the next post …

 

energetic medicine, healing sounds, sound healing

Personal Energy Field Clearing – Violet Flame Mantra

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Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all doing well?

I previously promised a recording of the Violet Flame mantra in a meditation to Clear Your Personal Energy Field space.

I have attached that link here on my website, FB and on YouTube.

https://clyp.it/user/zlocgo0j

Please feel free to download and share with your tribe, family, friends, community.

I would ask that you leave a comment on my website, FB, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

There is so much going on in our world right now and in our cosmos that is supporting challenges to our personal energies.  I think you will find this meditation helpful in maintaining a clear personal energy field.

This meditation allows me to clear my field and come back to center/source.

I’m hoping you will find it useful.

 

 

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November Astrology – Supermoon, Meteor Showers, Oh MY

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Things to note …

Mars visibility close to the moon (early in the month).  You can see better in early morning sky.

On November 11th, you can see the Taurid Meteor Shower.  The meteors appear to come from the constellation of Taurus (northeast of Orion).  Again, better seen in a place with the least amount of light pollution.

 

November’s full moon is a SUPERMOON! on November 14th at 6:15 am EST.  It will be the closest to the Earth in the last 69 years.  When it rises about 5 pm is when it will look so HUGE!  It won’t be this close to Earth again until November 2034.  Weather permitting, definitely worth letting your eyes travel towards the heavens for a peak.

The second meteor shower of the month on November 16th, The Leonid meteor shower gives you a chance to see up to 15 shooting stars an hour.

I suggest getting out of the city into someplace with less light pollution and make a wish!!

 

So what does all this mean to you?

We’ll see some extremely high tides and extremely low tides if you live near the ocean.

La Luna governs your emotions.  With the power of this moon, you might notice feelings that you have not been wanting to look at in the past put in an appearance.  Many, many people are smothered in the feeling realm right now.

Full moons are about things coming to completion and releasing, getting ready for the next cycle.  NOW is the time to let go of the stuff that doesn’t serve you anymore.

This full moon is in Taurus.  Taurus means grounded, earthy and manifestation to me.  It’s about self-worth and what you value and manifest in your life.  I look at it as an opportunity to really practice being grounded in the midst of turmoil.  To stay serene and calm in the face of adversity.  Practice, practice, practice and notice what comes up for you in the meantime.

Consider this …

Do I treat myself respectfully?

Do I allow others to take advantage of my kindness?

Do I listen to my inner voice about what’s ‘good’ for me?

Is my outer world an accurate reflection of my inner world?

Who in my life is not an accurate reflection of the way I want to be treated by others?

Allow those parts that you don’t really want to look at to be there without judging them as good or bad.  Love them anyway.

Now that you can see the Shadow, or those things that have been hidden away for some time…love them anyway.

Each of these cosmic events have an energetic cycle and frequency.  They are all overlapping with some meteor showers and comets flying through …  sound like FUN!  I’m laughing as I write this.

The biggest message I want to share with you is to be grounded, work on balancing your emotions and be kind to yourself in the process.

The new moon towards the end of the month will be in the energy of Jupiter – an expansion into JOY!!

We will be ready for it.

Blessings to all,  Nasiri

As always, I look forward to hearing from you, reading your comments and having you share my blog with your friends.

Keep an eye out for my free audio presentation of “Clearing Your Personal Space using the Violet Flame Mantra” which will be posted soon.

 

 

 

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State of Affairs

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WOW!!

Look at what is going on in the United States!  My phone has been ringing off the hook with people calling for clarification and guidance about what is happening emotionally and energetically right now.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, fearful or just plain angry … you are NOT alone.  There are thousands, hundreds of thousands of other people who feel the same way.

Last night I watched the news in Denver as thousands took to the streets protesting over the results of the presidential election this week.  I heard about what’s happening in Oregon and other places around the country.  They protested on the Highway and temporarily shut it down.

Now I rarely watch the news, but energetically I was compelled to tune in and see if I could offer some vibrational support.  I would encourage you to do the same.  If you don’t often watch the news (like me), now would be a good time to do it.

I think of my TV as a ‘sending tool’ and create an energetic space of light and love.  If you attended Healing Sounds at any time over the last 20 years, you have a little globe of the earth (like me).  I put it on the coffee table in front of me and lit a candle, placed a crystal there, and set my intention to send light, love and healing to the state I live in, the United States, and the greater world.

I intentionally ‘send’ good vibrations to the media in the hopes that they will actually provide some kind of factual reporting in the near future.

I send ‘good vibrations’ to the people who are so angry and have been incited and encouraged to act out on that anger publically.

I send ‘good vibrations’ to those who are at home and depressed and worried about the current state of affairs and what is looming on the horizon when the next President of the USA takes office.

I surround the state I live in with love and light and emanate those ‘good vibrations’ out into the rest of the country.

I surround the USA with love and light and those ‘good vibrations’ for peace, courage in the face of adversity, and harmony and love for and with all beings.

I send those ‘good vibrations’ and loving thoughts out to the rest of the world who are experiencing their own drama in politics (England and others) and have uncertainty and fear around the state of affairs in the USA.

This will help you not feel so helpless at this time.  It will empower you to feel like you are doing something to assist and provide the kind of support you want to see for women, diversity, different races, cultures and people that make up the American public.

I encourage you to take the time to check in emotionally, physically, spiritually and energetically with your Self (inner or Higher) at this time.

If you have unresolved feelings, then give yourself permission to resolve them (or not) into a place of calmness and peace.

“Bring all your energy into present time.  Don’t go ahead into the future too far.  Today is good.  Don’t focus on the past.  Today is good.  In this present moment, you are safe.  Bring all your energy into this present moment.  Let go of anything pulling you out of this place of safety and peace.  As you release lower vibrational feelings of fear, anger and frustration, consciously bring in the energy of peace and serenity and trust into the present moment.”

I would light some sage, clear the space, and chant the “Violet Flame Mantra”.

When I feel complete, I bring all my energy back into my personal space.  I express gratitude for the blessing.  I blow out the candle.

I shut off the TV and put a beautiful cloth over it until I want to watch sports, a good movie, or use it as a transmitter again …

Blessings!  I hope you find this helpful.  Please feel free to comment and or reach out to me.

Nasiri

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Times are A Changing …

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The Presidential Election

I have a few simple questions?

When has it become okay in the United States of America to incite violence between different races and nationalities?

When did it become okay to openly degrade women and to presume to take away their hard-won rights to make decisions regarding their own bodies?

When did it become okay to openly mock diversity and cultural differences?

In what world is it okay to mock an individual with special needs or physical impairments?

When did the United States of America become a laughing stock in the global perspective for CHOOSING the current candidates as the ‘cream of the crop’ to be considered to take the highest office in our country?

Do you really feel an affinity with this election and candidates?  What do we do about it?

You’ll notice I didn’t get into specifics about either one.  I’ve just asked some questions that I can’t believe have not been asked before now.

I have to admit I’m embarrassed by our Presidential Candidates.  Recently when traveling internationally, I realized how much of a joke other people think the USA is right now.  They laugh and say, “Really?  This is your country’s idea of a Presidential Candidate?”

Where is dignity?  Where is compassion?  Where are Wisdom and Intelligence?

This is the first election I’ve seen where it is okay to swear on television, during debates and in public appearances.  Where has CLASS and MUTUAL RESPECT gone?

If you are like me, you are making sure you vote and praying for the best to happen for our country.

It’s been hard for me as I would not ‘choose’ either presidential candidate.  The dilemma is I don’t want to throw away my vote either.  That could be more detrimental than not voting at all.  I’ve sat in reflection and considered the volatility of each candidate.  I’ve looked at the mudslinging and accusations that are everywhere, and from whence they came.

 

I invite you to consider the following before you vote:

  • Your vote CAN make a difference.
  • If you don’t vote, you are saying you don’t care.
  • Who do you feel is the most stable, wise and compassionate leader for our nation?
  • Vote accordingly!

Good luck and thanks for reading and/or commenting on this post.

 

 

 

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Times are a Changing…

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I’m writing this post today to reflect on the ‘times’.  I’m hoping my comments have some relevance for you and maybe even stimulates a conversation or response.

Weather

First up, the weather is finally starting to change.  Have you noticed the crispness in the air?  Maybe the falling leaves have caught your attention?  They’ve certainly caught mine as my yard is buried.  I’ve already cleaned them off twice, and I’ve got to do it again.

I have a longing for warm days; the sun shining so hotly that sunscreen is in high demand.  Being someone who loves the sun, sea and surf, as the weather turns colder and the winds get stronger, I start looking for a cave to hide in.

Daylight Savings Time is a BIG deal for me.  Fall Back!  That is the message of this time.  Retreat.  Step away from the television!  Step away from the Election!  Football is taking over the world for a couple of months.

I loved living in Arizona where such archaic rituals are no longer inflicted on the public.  The time changes were initiated for farmers initially and then for commerce.  What if we allowed our natural body cycles to determine when we got up and when we went to bed?  What if we naturally followed the light (sunrise and sunset) and earth cycles?

I’m so grateful the warm weather hung on for as long as it did.  We were spoiled with an extended Indian Summer this year in Colorado.  Were you?  Yes, we need the moisture.  Can we have that in rain vs. snow?

For all those folks who ski … I know you are making faces at me right now :O