This is a great book about the mind and body, and its lessons can be applied regardless of what is happening with your physical body (surgery or not, pain or not, cure or not). Its lessons can also be applied to emotional suffering (from causes other than physical pain).
It's about facing suffering in a way that diminishes your suffering. It's not about curing yourself of physical problems through your mind or suggesting emotional or mind-based causes of physical problems.
Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Catastrophe- ... 85303122#_
Mind and physical body -- book recommendation
Mind and physical body -- book recommendation
Vulvodynia diagnosed '01; symptom was occassional vulvar itching/rawness after sex.
Autumn '10, localized clitoral and left labial burning after sex
March '11, new left buttock pain, worsened clitoral/left labial pain/burning.
May '11, increased sitting pain.
Summer '11, pain decreased/plateaued to 0-4/5.
Treatment: 75 mg nortriptyline nightly, definitely helps; PT x 4, didn't really help.
Consults with Hibner and Dellon, left me with questions.
Next step: MRI in NYC or VT.
Autumn '10, localized clitoral and left labial burning after sex
March '11, new left buttock pain, worsened clitoral/left labial pain/burning.
May '11, increased sitting pain.
Summer '11, pain decreased/plateaued to 0-4/5.
Treatment: 75 mg nortriptyline nightly, definitely helps; PT x 4, didn't really help.
Consults with Hibner and Dellon, left me with questions.
Next step: MRI in NYC or VT.
Re: Mind and physical body -- book recommendation
It is the classic book on meditation that is adapted to modern life. Many people value very highly the work of Kabat-Zinn. I thought the book has interesting ideas but those ideas are buried in too much verbiage. There are 100s of pages to describe concepts that could be summarized in a booklet.
2002 PN pain started following a fall on a wet marble floor
2004 Headache in the pelvis clinic. Diagnosed with PNE by Drs. Jerome Weiss, Stephen Mann, and Rodney Anderson
2004-2007 PT, Botox, diagnosed with PNE by Dr. Sheldon Jordan
2010 MRN and 3T MRI showing PNE. Diagnosed with PNE by Dr. Aaron Filler. 2 failed PNE surgeries.
2011-2012 Horrific PN pain.
2013 Experimented with various Mind-body modalities
3/2014 Significantly better
11/2014 Cured. No pain whatsoever since
2004 Headache in the pelvis clinic. Diagnosed with PNE by Drs. Jerome Weiss, Stephen Mann, and Rodney Anderson
2004-2007 PT, Botox, diagnosed with PNE by Dr. Sheldon Jordan
2010 MRN and 3T MRI showing PNE. Diagnosed with PNE by Dr. Aaron Filler. 2 failed PNE surgeries.
2011-2012 Horrific PN pain.
2013 Experimented with various Mind-body modalities
3/2014 Significantly better
11/2014 Cured. No pain whatsoever since
Re: Mind and physical body -- book recommendation
I read this book many years ago and also took a six-week course on "mindfulness meditation" for stress and pain reduction. I found both very useful for managing my stress response and my pain and to this day use some of the techniques I learned.
At pp. 188 - 190 of the book there is a fascinating true story about the power of the mind to heal (or not, in this case). An elderly patient with manageable heart disease thought that she had overheard her doctor tell some interns that she was "terminal". The doctor had told the interns that the patient was "TS", which the patient understood meant "terminal situation". In fact, "TS" meant "tricuspid stenosis", a nonfatal heart condition. Nonetheless, the patient had an immediate stress reaction to the doctor's words which eventually killed her. The story demonstrates both the power both of a patient's belief and trust in a doctor, and of the power of a patient's stress response to illness.
The book comes with a set of CDs to guide meditation. Dr. Kabat-Zinn's voice (on the CDs) is incredibly soothing.
At pp. 188 - 190 of the book there is a fascinating true story about the power of the mind to heal (or not, in this case). An elderly patient with manageable heart disease thought that she had overheard her doctor tell some interns that she was "terminal". The doctor had told the interns that the patient was "TS", which the patient understood meant "terminal situation". In fact, "TS" meant "tricuspid stenosis", a nonfatal heart condition. Nonetheless, the patient had an immediate stress reaction to the doctor's words which eventually killed her. The story demonstrates both the power both of a patient's belief and trust in a doctor, and of the power of a patient's stress response to illness.
The book comes with a set of CDs to guide meditation. Dr. Kabat-Zinn's voice (on the CDs) is incredibly soothing.
Athlete until pain started in 2001. Diagnosed with PN in Nov. 2010. Probable cause: 3 difficult labors, 5 pelvic surgeries for endometriosis, and undiagnosed hip injuries. 60% better after 3 rounds of shockwave therapy in Cornwall, Ontario (Dec - Feb/12). 99% better after bilateral hip scopes for FAI and labral tears (April and July/12). Pelvic pain life coach Lorraine Faendrich helped me overcome the mind/body connection to chronic pain: http://www.radiantlifedesign.com
Re: Mind and physical body -- book recommendation
Thanks for the recommendation. I've requested the book from my local library.
Emily B.
Emily B.