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My Journey as a Sound Therapist with the RestStation Lounge for Veterans

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1/25/2018

My next session with the RestStation Lounge …

Organ Cleanse and Detox – Liver, Kidneys, Lymph – Duration: 24:18

I thought this might help to clear toxins and assist in drainage of the lymphatic system.  It is cold and flu season and people all around me are sick.  I have a desk job during the day temporarily, and notice that I am getting some leg cramps and restless legs from all the sitting during the day.  I am usually more active.  Normally, I would go for a hike or a walk for about 2 hours.

 

At first I noticed the vibrations were a rolling frequency that felt like it rolled in ovals up/down my lower legs especially.  I know from my work with acupressure and acupuncture points that it was focused on my liver, kidney and spleen points in my lower legs.  I found myself wondering why there?

 

There are larger clusters of lymph glands in your groin, armpits, neck and the front of the chest area.  it didn’t seem to be focusing on the lymph areas (in my mind) but more more on the liver and kidneys.

 

At times the vibrations were strong.  It would start strong in a circular wave pattern and get less strong as the pattern progressed, again mostly focused on my legs/lower legs.

 

I felt different twinges in muscles as they released.  Again, thirsty after this session.  I stayed awake for the whole thing!

 

I drank 20 ounces of water to magnify the frequency waves that I knew were still working in my body.  That’s one of the great things about the Lounge.  Once the vibro-acoustic field is set with a pattern, I only have to listen to the sound (music) again on ear buds to remind my body of the previous vibro-acoustic frequency pattern; and it acts like a reset button.  It brings back that part of the session, even if I am not laying on the Lounge at the time.  This is kind of like an energetic recall patterning.

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My Journey as a Sound Therapist with the RestStation Lounge

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1/11/2018

My next session with the RestStation Lounge was …

Neuralgia and Nerve Inflammation – Duration:  41:56

When this session started, I remember thinking how warm it was making me feel throughout my body.  It’s interesting because the covering on the lounge is vinyl, so oftentimes when you first lay on down, it can be cold depending on the outside temperature.  It quickly warms up though; and I put a blanket over me.  But initially for about 2-3 minutes it feels cool.

 

It was a warmth that was coming from the inside of my body to the outside kind of thing.  I drifted off into the sound.

 

I remember thinking that I didn’t want to fall asleep and wanted to be aware of the shifts happening not only in my body but in my energy field as well.

 

I still have this pain in my right lung.  I’ve had it for over a week now.  It felt like a pulled muscle at first, but with the work I’ve been doing on the Lounge it would have helped that already.  It literally feels like something penetrating through the front of my chest and coming out the backside.  I thought I might have a cracked rib, but couldn’t figure out how that would have happened.  So I figured a muscle strain.  It hurts to breathe.

 

I was hoping my session would resolve this.  It hasn’t happened yet.  I almost called the doctor today as it was worse this morning.

 

I did have a pain in my left foot from being on my feet since 6am until about midnight.  The session really helped this, so that told me that was nerve inflammation and resultant pain.  If I look at the emotional aspects of it … feminine side, caught in the past … I know it has to do with going back to work full-time for someone else.

 

After this session, the pain in my foot was gone as soon as I got up from the Lounge.  That was outstanding!

alternative healthcare, community, endocrine system, energetic medicine, healing sounds, health, shoulder surgery, sound healing, tribe, well-being, wellness

How to support ‘traditional health issues” with sound.

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After my recent post about rotator cuff surgery, I received a question from a reader.  The question was, “Why would I post a traditional article on a common surgical procedure?”

 

Now it’s time to relate it to sound.  So, how did sound and energetic medicine help with traditional surgery and recovery?

 

One of the first things I did was with OM Unison (or two C forks that can be placed on the body).  Because I could not use my right arm, I put one fork in my right hand.  I hit the other fork to get it vibrating and put that on different points on my body.  One point was to support liver function.  The other point was to support the kidneys.  Another point was to support the spleen.

 

These alone helped to remove the effects of anesthesia and medication from the surgery.  Most folks have no idea how deeply anesthesia effects the physical, emotional and energetic bodies.

 

First, you’ll notice you might get cold.  Knowing that might happen is important.  Think about when you wake up from surgery.  They want you to breathe and re-oxygenate the body.  You are cold!  They pile warm blankets on you to help you recover and wake up.

 

When you start to release side effects, it makes sense that you might get cold.  You might get nauseous as well (depending on the surgery).  If that is the case, stop and let things calm down.  Then try again.  Don’t worry that you are hurting anything.  It will pass.  Just be gentle with yourself in the process.

 

To promote healing for rotator cuff specifically, you can use OM unison forks (balancing and calming energy) to start.  I put one in my right hand and the other in my left hand and just held them after I hit them to get them vibrating.

 

As the healing progresses you can use other forks to support your process.  These forks can be placed on other points and meridians that will assist in the healing.  For instance to “open” will help release blocked or stagnant energy in those meridians and organs.  A 6th interval is good for this.

 

As always, pay attention to what and how your body responds.  If you have side effects becoming apparent (nausea, cold, spasming) then adjust as necessary.  By that I mean, move further away from the area that is responding on the body.  Or give yourself more time between vibrating the forks for things to be gentler.

 

To support respiratory function, I put OM unison forks on the LU1 points (located about 3″ above the nipple on the chest/each side).  This will help your breathing to regulate.  That will also help with other side effects.

 

I hope you found this helpful?  If you have any specific questions, please take the time to send a comment and I’ll get back to you quickly.

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 …