DIVI9 CHAT

FIBROSIS

BY RAQUEL WALKER

My client stated that they don’t talk about this part as she reflected on her journey. She was referring to the emotional aspect of surgery. The stress, the pain, the worry. “I thought I studied up on everything I could; I thought I knew what to expect. “Client Z. Reality after surgery is one I have come to observe, from the other side of the table, can only be experienced. These emotional states require patience and support.

EMOTIONAL SIDE EFFECTS OF SURGERY

“There are too many people in the world today who live disappointed rather than risk feeling disappointed.”

ATLAS OF THE HEART

Going into surgery with great expectations is always a great way to begin. Coming out can bring a varying reality, which can only be expressed as a disappointment. Client X said, “it felt like a meat shop .”I expect quality customer service and great products when I enter a typical meat shop. However, you honestly never get the perspective of the meat; I will just leave that there as food for thought and reflection. Disappointment also comes up in other ways, such as “my curves are not where I expected them to be” Client Z or “there wasn’t enough fat for the transfer, so why did they tell me this was possible?” Client H

The headlining quote attempts to express the other side of disappointment that must be highlighted. Some clients begin this journey with a sense of disappointment, and despite the risks, they choose to no longer live in that space; for many, the frustration they begin with is transformed into gratitude for a fresh start. worry is not an emotion; it’s the thinking part of anxiety” Atlas of the Heart.

Many clients experience the effects of a cycle of worry and anxiety. Unfortunately, this often occurs due to feeling disconnected from the one person they believe holds all the answers to their experience in and out of surgery. My first response to troubling questions is to take them back to the advice of their surgeon or provide supporting explanations and examples that provide clarity and understanding. Here is my advice to minimize this emotional state: ask as many questions about your surgeon’s aftercare recommendations as possible upfront. I often state that every surgeon has a slightly different philosophy of the entire process and procedure, which helped you choose them in the first place. Take that advice and add self-awareness and self-trust. Then, honor yourself as the first and primary expert on your body.

“Perfectionism is not self-improvement. Perfectionism is, at its core, about trying to earn approval and acceptance.” Atlas of the Heart

“I am wondering why I did this in the first place; I think maybe it was motivated by x. I loved my body before this, but still, I gained weight just to do this.” My theory is that motivation and level of grounding play a role in how a client processes through and experience their emotions post-op. However, despite their varying levels of pain or discomfort, internally motivated clients often accept the results of their surgery, are more positive in their expressions, and heal well. That is not to say that upbeat, internally motivated clients have not experienced challenges.

NEW SERVICE ALERT!

Since becoming trained in the Graston technique, my first post-op client settled onto the table. I prepare to run through my protocol when I palpate uneven tissue beneath the surface of her skin. I explained that I would be using an instrument to support the realignment of the tissue, and I also had her palpate on both sides of her abdomen just below her ribs. After the application of the instrument to the areas, she was amazed! This technique is an addition to the services that I have been patiently waiting to provide. How do you know all this, she asks? I reply that I strive to ensure that I provide as comfortable of an experience as possible for my clients, which motivates me to seek effective treatments that are also gentle. Gentleness is an essential factor for my services. Clients have been through so much; I believe each individual should be treated with the least amount of adequate pressure required for them as an individual at each stage of healing. Graston instruments allow me to do just that while accelerating the results of my treatment. If you have met the tool affectionately referred to as the “blue tool” during the treatment of scar tissue, you will see much less of it.

A BIT ABOUT GRASTON INSTRUMENTS

“...Stainless steel instruments amplify abnormalities in the texture of the tissue,” says Mike Ploski, P.T., A.T.C., O.C.S., director of strategic planning at Graston Technique. ... “Patients can also feel the same abnormal tissue through the instrument as the clinician, and can feel the quality of the tissue improve.” How the Graston Technique Can Heal Stubborn Scar Tissue | Muscle & Fitness (muscleandfitness.com)

“There are too many people in the world today who live disappointed rather than risk feeling disappointed.” -Atlas of the Heart