There is a lady (Maria) who just had surgery by Dr. Alksne and has wonderful
news. I told her that you would give her a few minutes towards the end of the
meeting to tell her story.
Dear Friends,
We want your words and perspective for a new book focused on TN/face pain patient thoughts through
poetry. No one knows your long journey better than you.
Working Title: Patient Poems
Length: Creative choice. This might even be one line.
Poem Focus: Creative choice, within the world of being a TN/face pain patient.
Poem Style: Creative choice.
Due: September 15, 2006 to
suzannegrenell@cox.net Send with your poem: your name, city, state and / or country.
RECAP OF THE AUG. 5, 2006 MEETING
by Don Jeffries
Ann Dansel, PhD Psychologist
Can hypnosis help with TN pain?
Ph. 760-745-6640
It always annoys me when you go to the doctor or the hospital and they ask you what is
your pain on a scale of 1 to 10? I think of headache, back ache, TN. There is nothing in
the hospital on a scale of one to ten that compares to TN.
I was working on a lady who had MS and part of the symptoms of MS is the same as TN
which can affect any nerve. It affects the myelin sheath on any nerve.
The actual pain of most things with a value up to ten, you don’t add them together, you
multiply them by ten. 10 2 (power of 2). Some of the pain factors we can control. You
could be 1/10 as angry as you are, you divide it by ten. If your anxiety is1/10 you would
divide it by 100. Just as you would make list of all of the factors that affects how you feel.
Then another list of all of the good things in your life. ( I have a spouse who cares for me)
Then you divide each one of the factors by ten or a 100.
I had a patient with MS, which is not unlike TN. It works on the nerves with related pain like
TN I suggested hypnosis after we got the pain threshold figured down. She finally could go
to the dentist and get her teeth cleaned and some other things taken care.
I was wondering if anyone would like to experience hypnosis right now? Anyone who is
having pain right now?
Q. What kind of pain are you in now? Is it intermittent, or steady?
A. It is a steady pain.
I did not hypnotize her, she already knew what to do, she put herself in the state she was
in. Each of us has the ability to do this. It is a matter of practice. Just like some of us
meditate. This state of hypnosis/meditating puts the body in a totally relaxed state. These
state will not do away with the pain, it gives you a means of coping with the pain, possibly
lessening the pain for a while.
You may have noticed that I just gave her suggestions. I did not tell her that the pain
would go away. Just suggestions on how t lesson the pain by thinking of something else.
(When my wife had TN, we would go to Texas to visit her sister who lived on a beautiful
lake surrounded by very nice homes. When her pain got really bad, she would visualize
walking around the lake with her sister.) Anything to take her mind off the pain.
Q. They say you will not do anything while under hypnosis that you would not normally do?
A. That is technically true. However, the suggestion can be made in such a way, that you
do not think you are doing anything wrong. ie. A person comes up to you and says that is
my house over there and I am too old to crawl through that window. Would you go in
through that window and open the door for me? Under hypnosis people lose their critical
judgement. They will do things if it sounds logical.
Q. People who have been drinking are they easier to hypnotize?
A. No, I believe they are harder to hypnotize.
Q. How many of you know about endorphin’s?
A. These are natural pain killers. There are a number of ways to make then happen.
Laughter, physical exercise, mental processes. Norman Cousins the author, has written
that ten minutes of physical laughter, would give him two hours of being pain free.
Q. Will hot peppers: jalapenos, jabaneros (really hot) stimulate the endorphin’s in your
body
A. The Caspian in the peppers will help to alleviate the pain. Caspian is what makes the
peppers hot. You can get the cream at most any local drug store.
Q. I guess I should have an MRI!
A. Yes, but it is a special THIN CUT MRI. A regular MRI will not show what you need to
know. Any MRI operator can do this thin cut, they need to reconfigure the machine for this
special cut!
Q. I can’t tell my doctor what to do!
A. Yes you can. It is your responsibility to tell your doctor what you need done. Especially
when getting your MRI.
(The article following this commentary will be about getting better care from your doctor.)
Get Better Care From Your Doctor
Mahmet C, Oz, MD New York Presbyterian Medical Center
Bottom Line Health Sept. 2006
1. Wasting time during the exam. Most patients can provide the doctor with all pertinent
information in about 90 seconds If they are organized and ready.
Research shows that a doctor will interrupt the patient on average after 23 seconds and
only 2% of the patients will get a chance to finish their opening statement.
Write down you symptom or complaint ahead of time. Limit your list to three main points,
keep the sentences short. Hand a copy of the list to your doctor when they come into the
examining room.
2. Get a second opinion! Only about 20% of patients actually seek out a second opinion.
(Afraid of offending their doctor)? One study found that 33% of second opinions resulted
in a significant change in treatment. Most health insurers are required by law to pay for
second opinions.
When to seek a second opinion:
a. If your doctor recommends any kind of surgery
b. If you have a condition that’s uncommon or that is outside your doctors main expertise.
c. If a treatment doesn’t seem to be working!
Use the internet to look up scientific papers that have been written about your health
problem. Doctors who write for medical journals are usually among the best of the
experts. Even if the doctors are not based in your area, they can provide second opinions
by phone if your doctor send reports, test results, X-rays, etc.
3. Not educating yourself on your condition. Patients who do their research have basic
knowledge that allows them to use their appointment time much more productively.
When conducting research, internet sites with headings that end with edu. (Educational
institutions) .gov (government agencies) these are among the most reliable. Ie www.
pubmed.gov
Check to make sure the information is up to date. Rely on web sites that don’t include
advertising. Don’t trust information that suggests only one treatment plan.
If you don’t have a computer or the time, consider using a fee based medical research
service. Health Resource Inc. 800-949-0090.
4. Not understanding how to take your medicine. Only half of all medications taken are
taken correctly. In addition, medication errors especially in not identifying dangerous drug
interactions are among the most preventable mistakes.
Go to the same pharmacy every time if at all possible. Make sure your pharmacy uses
cross checking software and medications cross checking technology.
Ask your doctor to write exact notes on your prescription bottle (etc) when to take, how to
take it, and interaction with other drugs. Make sure you know the dosage.
Inquire about age-related side effects. More than 20% of older patients were given
prescriptions for dugs that could cause serious side effects in people aged 65 and older.
Return to Home Page
news. I told her that you would give her a few minutes towards the end of the
meeting to tell her story.
Dear Friends,
We want your words and perspective for a new book focused on TN/face pain patient thoughts through
poetry. No one knows your long journey better than you.
Working Title: Patient Poems
Length: Creative choice. This might even be one line.
Poem Focus: Creative choice, within the world of being a TN/face pain patient.
Poem Style: Creative choice.
Due: September 15, 2006 to
suzannegrenell@cox.net Send with your poem: your name, city, state and / or country.
RECAP OF THE AUG. 5, 2006 MEETING
by Don Jeffries
Ann Dansel, PhD Psychologist
Can hypnosis help with TN pain?
Ph. 760-745-6640
It always annoys me when you go to the doctor or the hospital and they ask you what is
your pain on a scale of 1 to 10? I think of headache, back ache, TN. There is nothing in
the hospital on a scale of one to ten that compares to TN.
I was working on a lady who had MS and part of the symptoms of MS is the same as TN
which can affect any nerve. It affects the myelin sheath on any nerve.
The actual pain of most things with a value up to ten, you don’t add them together, you
multiply them by ten. 10 2 (power of 2). Some of the pain factors we can control. You
could be 1/10 as angry as you are, you divide it by ten. If your anxiety is1/10 you would
divide it by 100. Just as you would make list of all of the factors that affects how you feel.
Then another list of all of the good things in your life. ( I have a spouse who cares for me)
Then you divide each one of the factors by ten or a 100.
I had a patient with MS, which is not unlike TN. It works on the nerves with related pain like
TN I suggested hypnosis after we got the pain threshold figured down. She finally could go
to the dentist and get her teeth cleaned and some other things taken care.
I was wondering if anyone would like to experience hypnosis right now? Anyone who is
having pain right now?
Q. What kind of pain are you in now? Is it intermittent, or steady?
A. It is a steady pain.
I did not hypnotize her, she already knew what to do, she put herself in the state she was
in. Each of us has the ability to do this. It is a matter of practice. Just like some of us
meditate. This state of hypnosis/meditating puts the body in a totally relaxed state. These
state will not do away with the pain, it gives you a means of coping with the pain, possibly
lessening the pain for a while.
You may have noticed that I just gave her suggestions. I did not tell her that the pain
would go away. Just suggestions on how t lesson the pain by thinking of something else.
(When my wife had TN, we would go to Texas to visit her sister who lived on a beautiful
lake surrounded by very nice homes. When her pain got really bad, she would visualize
walking around the lake with her sister.) Anything to take her mind off the pain.
Q. They say you will not do anything while under hypnosis that you would not normally do?
A. That is technically true. However, the suggestion can be made in such a way, that you
do not think you are doing anything wrong. ie. A person comes up to you and says that is
my house over there and I am too old to crawl through that window. Would you go in
through that window and open the door for me? Under hypnosis people lose their critical
judgement. They will do things if it sounds logical.
Q. People who have been drinking are they easier to hypnotize?
A. No, I believe they are harder to hypnotize.
Q. How many of you know about endorphin’s?
A. These are natural pain killers. There are a number of ways to make then happen.
Laughter, physical exercise, mental processes. Norman Cousins the author, has written
that ten minutes of physical laughter, would give him two hours of being pain free.
Q. Will hot peppers: jalapenos, jabaneros (really hot) stimulate the endorphin’s in your
body
A. The Caspian in the peppers will help to alleviate the pain. Caspian is what makes the
peppers hot. You can get the cream at most any local drug store.
Q. I guess I should have an MRI!
A. Yes, but it is a special THIN CUT MRI. A regular MRI will not show what you need to
know. Any MRI operator can do this thin cut, they need to reconfigure the machine for this
special cut!
Q. I can’t tell my doctor what to do!
A. Yes you can. It is your responsibility to tell your doctor what you need done. Especially
when getting your MRI.
(The article following this commentary will be about getting better care from your doctor.)
Get Better Care From Your Doctor
Mahmet C, Oz, MD New York Presbyterian Medical Center
Bottom Line Health Sept. 2006
1. Wasting time during the exam. Most patients can provide the doctor with all pertinent
information in about 90 seconds If they are organized and ready.
Research shows that a doctor will interrupt the patient on average after 23 seconds and
only 2% of the patients will get a chance to finish their opening statement.
Write down you symptom or complaint ahead of time. Limit your list to three main points,
keep the sentences short. Hand a copy of the list to your doctor when they come into the
examining room.
2. Get a second opinion! Only about 20% of patients actually seek out a second opinion.
(Afraid of offending their doctor)? One study found that 33% of second opinions resulted
in a significant change in treatment. Most health insurers are required by law to pay for
second opinions.
When to seek a second opinion:
a. If your doctor recommends any kind of surgery
b. If you have a condition that’s uncommon or that is outside your doctors main expertise.
c. If a treatment doesn’t seem to be working!
Use the internet to look up scientific papers that have been written about your health
problem. Doctors who write for medical journals are usually among the best of the
experts. Even if the doctors are not based in your area, they can provide second opinions
by phone if your doctor send reports, test results, X-rays, etc.
3. Not educating yourself on your condition. Patients who do their research have basic
knowledge that allows them to use their appointment time much more productively.
When conducting research, internet sites with headings that end with edu. (Educational
institutions) .gov (government agencies) these are among the most reliable. Ie www.
pubmed.gov
Check to make sure the information is up to date. Rely on web sites that don’t include
advertising. Don’t trust information that suggests only one treatment plan.
If you don’t have a computer or the time, consider using a fee based medical research
service. Health Resource Inc. 800-949-0090.
4. Not understanding how to take your medicine. Only half of all medications taken are
taken correctly. In addition, medication errors especially in not identifying dangerous drug
interactions are among the most preventable mistakes.
Go to the same pharmacy every time if at all possible. Make sure your pharmacy uses
cross checking software and medications cross checking technology.
Ask your doctor to write exact notes on your prescription bottle (etc) when to take, how to
take it, and interaction with other drugs. Make sure you know the dosage.
Inquire about age-related side effects. More than 20% of older patients were given
prescriptions for dugs that could cause serious side effects in people aged 65 and older.
Return to Home Page
Recap of the August Meeting
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