Last Monday I underwent bunion removal surgery on both my feet. This was an operation that I had put off for years, dreading the recovery, the pain and the fear of a bad outcome. I was motivated to undertake this procedure by the steady migration of my toes, the pain I felt when I was on my feet too long, the fact that I was limited to 3 pairs of comfortable shoes and the knowledge that things would only get worse as I got older. I had only to look at my mom’s feet to see what the future held in store.

I selected an orthopedic surgeon with a solid reputation, who was practicing in a group that I had personal experience with due to a prior knee surgery. The weeks leading up to the surgery were reminiscent of my pregnancy. It seemed that everyone had some horror story about bunion surgery that they felt compelled to share with me. I didn’t talk to anyone who had a uplifting story to tell, they focused instead on the pain and the long recovery, oh and the fact that there’s a chance the bunions could return. Nice. In the midst of my freak out my friend Susanne called to say she had something to share with me. She lent me Peggy Huddleston’s book “Prepare for surgery heal faster a guide of mind-body techniques.” She lent me her I pod loaded with a 30 minute relaxation audio program. Ideally you should read the book and listen to the CD for a week or so prior to your surgical procedure. I skimmed the book the day before and listened to the guided meditation 4 or 5 times prior to the surgery. I also asked my anesthesiologist to repeat a couple of statements to me before and after the surgery. The first was to be said to me as I was undergoing anesthesia, “Following this operation, you will feel comfortable and you will heal very well.” The second would be told to me towards the end of the surgery, “Your operation has gone very well.” Each statement was to be repeated 5 times. I was more nervous about asking that these statements be read to me than I was about anything else the day of the operation. For his part the anesthesiologist was very open to my request. He volunteered that he normally talked to the patient prior to surgery by asking them to go to a relaxing place in their minds, perhaps a sandy beach and he agreed that these visualizations helped to calm the patient before the procedure. At my post-op appointment, my surgeon told me he had seen the nurse anesthetist whispering something to me before and after the surgery.

The surgery lasted about three hours and after a brief recovery period I hobbled home. During the next few days I took my pain medicine as prescribed but still hit a couple of rough spots. When the pain was at its peak (usually after I had slept through a dose of medicine) I would reach for my headphones and turn to Peggy Huddleston for relief. And it worked. Within 15 minutes of starting the mediation peace would settled over my body and normally I would drift off to sleep. As part of the relaxation exercise I imagined stress and negative energy flowing from my fingertips and I could actually feel my fingers tingle. For those who like me may have tried mediation in the past and gotten discouraged because they had trouble focusing and turning off the subconscious noise, it gets easier. Repetition and recognition made it easier to turn off my mind and drift.

A week and a day after my bunionectomy I can say that I’m healing nicely. Getting stronger and better at hobbling on the outsides of my feet. If you would like to learn more about Peggy Huddleston and the use of mind-body techniques to reduce anxiety before surgery and heal faster with less medication afterwards go to www.healfaster.com