Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster: A Guide Of Mind-Body Techniques

by Peggy Huddleston

Mind-Body techniques that will help a patient: feel calmer before surgery, recover faster, have less pain after surgery, strengthen the immune system, use less pain medication, and save money on medical bills.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

253 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! And it WORKS! I'm not new to surgery (I've had 6 previously), and I had major surgery last week, and I have had almost no pain! The only thing I've had is some arnica, nothing else. As it so happens, when I asked my surgeon if he would say positive healing statements to me during surgery, he told me he already does that! But, I know it works because my recovery from this surgery is completely different and easy compared to all the ones I've had before. I'm so grateful I came across this book.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book to prepare for surgery with the meditation cd companion. I had the BEST experience due to the suggestions in this book. If you'd like details, please ask. I highly recommend this to everyone!

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Peggy thinks. Affirmations are key to living a happy, healthy, positive life, so her recommendations in preparation for surgery will be easy for me. Feeling relaxed about going into surgery is key. No need to jack up my respiration and/or heart rate, right?

I feel a bit shy about asking the surgeon or anesthesiologist about saying my affirmations 5 times as I go under and 5 times as I come out of it, but I'm going to work up the courage to ask - I think.

Six friends have agreed to be my support team and will meditate, pray or chant for a half hour before my surgery, visualizing me wrapped in a soft, fluffy, green blanket with nothing but positive thoughts about the surgery experience and recovery. I can't wait to see how this works out. I'm determined to heal quickly and for comfortable, stable walking from that point forward.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Huddleston's suggestion to have your anesthetist and surgeon speak suggestions about healing and pain control to you while your going under might sound a little woo-woo, she actually presents good documentation for the practice's efficacy in the form of multiple studies in addition to the usual miraculous anecdotes. Her relaxation exercises would be useful in a variety of contexts. She includes annexes on vitamin supplementation for better healing and how to prepare children for surgery.

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In May of 2016 and in October of 2016 I had total hip replacement first one this book was given as a class at Kaiser. My surgeon highly recommended I take the class she was so right. So in October for hip #2 I took the class again because I loved the woman who taught it but also the book is amazing. I came home the night of both my surgeries and my recovery was painless and everyone said quick. I can't recommend this book enough. If you are going in for any surgery you must read it.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a brief guide to using CD that comes with book. Barely scratches the surface when it comes to learning about mind body medicine. Felt like it was worded with filler to appear book length by including “chapter summary” when it was so brief it did not need summarizing. Definitely left you wanting to read something more in depth than what was provided.

[P Wilder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not recommended. While the concept is a good one and Peggy is purported to have "discovered" it, there are much better relaxation mediations for preparing for surgery out there... many of them for free. Customer service was dismissive and unhelpful. The main goal in selling this product seems to be building a money-making career.

[Josephine Altzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I'm preparing for surgery.
Yes, I'd like to heal faster.
The book was good, although there's no real way to _test out_ how well the techniques in there aid me in my recovery.

Here's hoping.

[Jordana Jaffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

definitely a great read to ground yourself and keep you calm pre surgery. would read again need be!

[David Elizardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was very helpful, especially for establishing a mindset moving into surgery.

[Jonah]

My therapist recommended this🤞

[Fstdb · Rating 4 out of 5]

techniques very useful. Book not written well.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from a friend to help me prepare for an upcoming major surgery. It's a surgery I was looking forward to having since it would relieve so many problems I'dbeen dealing with for years. I wouldn't say I was particularly nervous about the surgery but this book helped so much. It made me realize I was nervous and it gave me things to do to help me relax.

I ended up buying the companion tape/cd that she refers to in the book. It just seemed like the best way to put what she suggests into practice. It's now available as an mp3 file emailed to you. Also emailed to me was an interview with the author about the five steps she discusses in the book that I actually shared with my family. They seemed really receptive to it and what I asked for before going onto surgery.

The day of surgery, I asked my anesthesiologist and the surgeon to read my healing statements and they were both more than willing to do so. In fact, my surgeon asked if she could keep them to recommend to her other patients. I felt very relaxed going into the OR and even about them putting an epidural in my back. I was very grateful that I was able to listen to my ipod during surgery. I remember them putting the earbuds in and listening to the first sentence of the companion mp3 and that was it. I had put an additional four hours of calming, meditative music to listen to after the mp3 track in a playlist and I'm glad I did because I woke up to the calming music but it also played the entire time I was in the recovery room. When the anesthesiologist came to check on me three hours after surgery, he was kind enough to restart my playlist. After surgery, I felt calm (I know I had some good drugs going through my system) and I was talkative the whole afternoon.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is having surgery. It may seem a bit new-agey for some people but you might be surprised how helpful it will be.

[John Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half of the book was summaries of the chapter before, if you can call an almost complete duplication of the chapter a summary. Half the book was essentially an ad for the author’s relaxation CD. “You should listen to the CD twice a day.” “Tell your doctors that you’ll be listening to the CD during surgery.” “Share the CD with the people who will be with you in the hospital so their anxiety won’t transfer itself to you.” “Schedule regular times during the day to listen to the CD.” Etc. A third of the book was the results of clinical studies showing that positive messages, touching, prayer, and even concentrated long-distance messages of love improved healing time and lessened pain (which were at least interesting). Leaving only a quarter to a third for actual instructions, recommendations and guidance. The margins are large, the intra-paragraph spacing is large, the inter-paragraph spacing is large. I felt I’d been suckered into paying $15 for a 200-page book that ought to have been a twenty-page pamphlet that came free with the CD. There are a couple of suggestions I think I’ll try, but I’d say this is not worth the money. Find it in your library instead.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cd was quite helpful in terms of relaxing before my surgery. The book was less helpful to me as it was the same as the instructional part of the cd. I was not comfortable in taking all the recommended steps, such as having the surgeon saying healing statements to me during the surgery. Regardless, I felt calmer right before and all through recovery. The nurse commented on how my listening to the cd was quite positive and I did not feel the need to use excessive medication. I felt mentally and emotionslly prepared which is such a wonderful thing before an operation.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with practical suggestions and advice that truly work! Recently had a surgery. The book, along with the relaxation tape, which I bought separately, worked wonders in minimizing my pain and speeding up my recovery. I was totally surprised by how I did not feel any nervousness even the minutes before the operation. Highly recommended to anyone who is preparing for a surgery.

[Leiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful suggestions and specific suggestions for affirmation, questions to ask your doctor and arrangements to make before surgery to emerge more healthfully and happily; I am very goad I found this.

[Leanna]

It's a good book with some practical information about preparing for surgery. It comes with a soundtrack, and a lot of exercises have you use the soundtrack for relaxation. I borrowed the book without the soundtrack, so it is not helpful as helpful as it could be to me if I had the soundtrack.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

There some good stuff in here but also, frankly, a lot of fluff. The author definitely knows her stuff, but she's explaining down and tends to overstate her point with a lot of repetition.

I didn't read every word but I skimmed the whole thing and read a couple of sections in more depth.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a little "new age" and I probably wouldn't do everything the author suggested (like asking the surgeon to repeat healing phrases), but I loved the accompanying CD. The CD puts the listener into a very relaxed state. It is very similar to Yoga Nidra.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess we'll see how good this book is after my surgery on Monday.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonder path to vibrational shift for healing. So clear easy to read and follow and do....

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was great and made me much calmer going into surgery.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book to read before my scheduled surgery. It was helpful because it gave me specific statements to give to my anesthesiologist to request participation in my healing.