AWARENESS DURING ANESTHESIA: My Personal Mission to Help Others
by Jeanette Magdalene, PhD
Published in “ATFT Update”, Issue 15, summer 2010
I’ve worked with a problem known as Awareness During Anesthesia for the last 18 years. Many people don’t know that an estimated 100 people per day, or more, will wake up during their surgery and not be able to speak, move, open their eyes, or do anything to let the doctors know they are awake! This is a frightening experience that happened to me in 1990 during my own surgery.
I woke up before the surgery even began only to find myself buried within my body that no longer worked as I knew it. The surgery began. I felt every cut of the knife, smelled and felt my flesh burning, heard everything everyone was saying and even stepped outside of my body as my heart started to go into arrest. I then viewed everything the doctor was doing to get my heart under control. I even heard the doctor say there was nothing wrong with me! He said, “Misdiagnosis, so never needed the surgery to begin with.”
The real nightmare for me began not only on the table, but after I went home and had to deal with the trauma of awareness. No one knew what I was talking about due to never hearing about it. A Physiotherapist that I went to had told me it had to do with my childhood, and something I buried within myself. No matter how I tried to explain what happened, they would not accept it as truth, until my work in Anesthesia Awareness started coming out.
I was offered a large settlement but I turned it down so I could speak about this problem and help other people to know what I went through so they would not have to suffer in this way. I did my own research and blew one of the most well kept secrets in medicine wide open. As a result hospitals and medical schools are paying attention to what I’ve shared. I’ve written a book on Anesthesia Awareness, have been interviewed on T.V. and in print throughout the world.
Recently, a friend told me about Thought Field Therapy. She invited me to attend a training with her. I jumped up and said “Yes, lets go”! We went and I’m here to tell everyone, TFT blew me away! You see, for about 15 years, I was still dealing with the traumatic aftermath of Anesthesia Awareness along with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I was learning how to live with the traumatic stress, but realized I wasn’t really living…I was only existing.
When I attended Suzanne Connolly’s TFT Algorithm class, she showed me how to put the missing pieces of my life in order and take the sting out of the trauma within the deepest parts of my being. There is not a day that goes by that I do not ask God to bless her and Dr. Callahan for the true gift of TFT. This is not another band-aid over a wound…its a Gift of Life!
I’ve been there and can tell you I’ve tried everything. Only 2 or 3 therapies worked and TFT is a major help to me.
Today I use TFT Algorithms with everyone with whom I work from the very start, and it has made such a change for them and me. I understand that it is, and was hard, for anyone outside of the anesthesia problem to believe what can happen. It’s a true horror story but it was mine, and I believe God gave me this experience because God knew I would do the right thing with it, and I have. Wisdom saves lives. When we don’t understand something, it may be shock of the unknown that could take a life. So from my heart and soul to yours I share with you what I know in hope of helping others.
sono due anni che vivo in e con questo incubo…la mia vita non e’ piu’ vita…c’e’ qualcuno che e’ stato vittima di questo problema ed e’ stato risarcito???
Mi dispiace non sappiamo la risposta a quella domanda, Questa blog fare affari con sollievo di trauma d’emozione.
Speriamo lei a provata la tecnica da il sito sui Internet (TFT Terapia del Campo Mentale) per trauma sollievo per sua sconvolgente esperienza.
Many thanks to Terri Perry for translating.
My son just went through this horrific experiance on August 16th so it is all very fresh, we are very worried about his state of mind. We, the family, are looking for tools to help him through this or maybe we can’t and he needs to talk or interact with those who have. I don’t know if he ready to reach out, as he does not want to talk about it, yet he does talk about it when not prompted. We, me, his family also need help to deal with this, the guilt I feel for not being able to help. He is currently still in the hospital, but with each passing day he seems to fall further into a depression. If anyone has any suggestions on where to go, who to talk to, I would be grateful. He is 26 and was the most confindent young man and he is not himself. Thank you.
I suggest showing your son the post on which you’re commenting, “Awareness During Anesthesia–and TFT’s Help”. The author, Dr. Magdalene, has been working in this specific area for 19 years and talks about the relief she finally felt with Thought Field Therapy. You can try the technique as it’s explained on this blog. If your son would like to work with a TFT practitioner, you can find a practitioner directory at http://http://www.atft.org/member-directory/. Those with the designation “TFT-VT” or “TFT-Adv” can work with your son over the phone. He could actually get help with this while he’s still in the hospital. TFT can also relieve you and the rest of your family from the distress you’re all going through. We wish all of you wellness and peace of mind.