We found this witty January 2nd blog entry here.

January 2, 2009 – 7:30 pm

My best friend borrowed some CDs from her mother-in-law to relax her fears about taking a plane ride. She told me about them in passing - and I expressed interest, because she said they were kind of nice. The CDs were ”Guided Imagery” by Belleruth Naparstek.  Each CD deals with different areas where you can supposedly use imagery and your imagination to help you accomplish or conquer. The CDs included guided imagery to help with “General Wellness,” ”Anxiety,” “Stress,” and what I was most interested in,  ”Sleep.”

We got this from Dinah, back in the days when we sold guided imagery on tape:

I am a large, Goddess-like woman, about 5’9” and maybe 285 pounds. I love to eat and so do my adult boys, who are also of generous proportions.  Let me be clear: I like the way I look, and so does my boyfriend.  But I started listening to guided imagery for Weight Loss for my health. I wanted to lose around 50 pounds for my blood pressure and my knees.

I kept one tape in my car so I could listen as I drove around (even though I know you are not supposed to) and one at home by my bed, to listen to before falling asleep. It was definitely having an effect on me, because I wasn’t as hungry. I was mellow. The fried foods that I normally adore were starting to feel greasy and unpleasant on my tongue.  Even though I was not getting on the scale (I think that is a bad idea), I could tell from my clothes that I was losing weight.  I had more energy too.  But that is not what this tale is about.

Dear Belleruth and Health Journeys,

My 5 year old son, a very active little boy, tripped while running around the living room and fell against a coffee table with sharp corners.  He suffered a deep cut on his forehead.  I took him to the E.R. to get him stitched up, and of course he started squirming and protesting the minute he realized what was about to go down.  The more the nurse and I tried to hold him still, the more upset he became.  Things went from bad to worse.

I am 59. I have had a migraine since I was in my mid-twenties (poetic license!). Seventeen years ago I was diagnosed with the prelude to what has now evolved into Lupus. I have had this condition for 5 years - suffering stuff that I wrongly attributed to God knows what - until a major flare-up this year resulted in the diagnosis.
 
This year I have had one flare-up after another. I control one with steroids - get over it - another comes. I have been working with all kinds of techniques/therapies on my own (have a background in psychology) and then I hit the jackpot:  relaxation, emotional protection, visualization.

This note came from a woman who used our Pregnancy and Childbirth imagery to get her labor going again.  We hear a lot about how imagery can modulate the discomfort of labor, but this was the first time we heard about how it could be used to kick-start a lackadaisical labor back into gear again – wow!

Hi Belleruth, I was given a CD to help people through surgery using guided imagery.  When I first listened to it, 3 days before my hysterectomy, I became afraid, visualizing the OR.  Shortly, after that part of the CD, the visualization of your own personal team of well wishers was very powerful. I thought of my dear uncle, now deceased, being part of that group and as the one who nodded and smiled at me before I went under.

We found this lovely note on our website from a very addicted ex-smoker. As an ex-smoker myself, who found it incredibly difficult to quit but finally did, I was especially gratified to read it.  And it speaks well to the point of readiness – most of the time, you need to be ready psychologically and emotionally ready (or scared to death) in order to succeed at this.

Just as the person who wrote in, I have been a chronic fatigue sufferer for eight long and lonely years.  This is not only distressing due to the chronic pain, exhaustion and interference with the ability to function normally on a daily basis.  It is also distressing because people don’t believe there is anything wrong with you and get impatient and angry. For years I had judgmental doctors who hated seeing me in the waiting room because they knew they could not help me and therefore blamed me for being sick, just like you wrote. I was told I was stressed and depressed.  That was definitely true, but this was because of my CFS, not what started it!!!!!!!!!!!! 

This is a typical letter-to-the-editor that shows up in the Martha’s Vineyard newspaper every week.  Usually there are several of these, and it’s always lovely to read them and be reminded that people can really be kind, empathic and anonymous: