Post Surgery Playlists Instead Of Painkillers

My troublesome and unnecessary uterus is finally gone! The surgeon also took the fallopian tubes as that's where ovarian cancer starts, so it's always good to remove them if the opportunity is there. My ovaries are still there and I look forward to my usual hormonal balance returning after three months of chemically induced menopause.

Part of being emotionally prepared for this hysterectomy was being grateful for it and looking forward to life after it. Hurray! No more crippling anemia, so bad that not even returning to a meat diet helped. No more violent expulsions of blood and golf ball-sized clots that thankfully, occurred mostly at home, except for those two embarrassing times in my boss' office. No more pain! Pain so intense you wanted to vomit. Every month, those two days, having to call in sick. Done! Finito! Since I never wanted kids, nor is motherhood right for me, I had no need to put up with a malfunctioning womb any longer.  The only two things that scared me the most was my post-surgery body and rumors of a hysterectomy belly bulge, a fear which some research and finding recommended exercises alleviated. The second fear was how to get through two months of sick leave. I'm a restless, person who does not do well having to sit or lay still or be bored.

Sick leave is only fun when you are just healthy enough to move around and do fun stuff. Which is why, like any Virgo control-freak, I drew up a post-surgery survival strategy for being genuinely hold up in bed, recovering from two back to back surgeries and not going insane. It was a strategy that involved among other things, an elaborate set of playlists of carefully selected music and movies designed to be my Healing Soundtrack. It’s a good thing I did as I underestimated just how debilitating it would be. Diversion from the pain and the general lameness of the situation was crucial as dwelling on it really takes you into a depression. Actually, my strategy to stay in as good a mood as much as possible was so successful that I did not have to utilize nearly as much of the opioid and anti-inflammatory painkillers prescribed to me. I have an entire box of it unopened. Now I'm wondering why did the doctor prescribe so much! There are constant reports on the opioid crisis in the USA being caused by doctors being far too cavalier about prescribing highly addictive painkillers. I wonder if these addictions start because of not being prepared for the emotional pain and effort involved in healing and self-medicating for it. Anyway, my paranoia about taking the full course of opioids was also another reason for my Healing Soundtrack.

Leaving in good spirits!

It started right after surgery, in the hospital, in fact. I began hearing the Flaming Lips “Do You Realize” while still in my anesthesia haze (my partner Nick was playing it for me, much to the confusion and bemusement of our doctor and the nurses as she later related it to me). I remember fully awakening from the first surgery to the sounds of “Empire Ants” by the Gorillaz featuring Little Dragon playing from the headphones in my ears. After I was released from the hospital, awaiting me at home, were all my pre-selected feel-good music and favorite films that I have not seen in years. I'm going to share my Healing Soundtrack with you. This is not so you copy it exactly as making your own will be a personal exercise. But who knows, you may find some new stuff in mine or remember some songs you have not heard in a while. This is also not an exhaustive list of everything I listened to or watched but just the stuff I really enjoyed or was really beneficial.

Some Of My Favorite Music Herb Alpert- Rise Spyro Gyra- Morning Dance Massive Attack- Mezzanine, Protection Thievery Corporation- Richest Man In Babylon, Saudade, Temple of I & I Radiohead- (Live From The Basement) In Rainbows, Hail To The Thief Gorillaz- Gorillaz, Demon Days, Humanz I was fortunate to find a Youtube upload as well of their live concert in Cologne which was just boss!

Angelique Kidjo- Greatest Hits Ravi Shankar- Greatest Hits Mungal Patassar- Assorted Hits. David Rudder- Greatest Hits

Kes (KTB)- Fallin, People, Incredible, Lion, Voice- Far From Finished Machel Montano- Assorted Songs but Leave Me Alone with Calypso Rose especially DJ Private Ryan Soca Mixes Fleetwood Mac- The Chain Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication, By The Way, Stadium Arcadium and The Getaway Some Of My Favorite Video Channels It's Okay To Be Smart Kurzgesagt Trini Trent Wisecrack

Jubilee I've not even gotten to the writings, films, documentaries, and cartoons I gobbled up. I don't think I can, although I am doing a write up on one of them, which sparked some creative revelations for me. It was quite something just allowing so much positive media into my space. Wow. I really do recommend it. You don't have to buy into every aspect of holistic healing to know it is rational to believe that your mood plays a role in recovery. So, if you are going under the knife or are ailing, I say, surround yourself with glorious, energetic, joyful, pleasurable experiences as best you can. Unlike painkillers, it is a habit you can continue after you've healed.