Photo by Tong Nguyen van on Unsplash

Recovery After Surgery

Scheduled surgery can be unavoidable, even for people with additional health problems and risk factors, like my 3 year old patient Ida, now in recovery after surgery for a double hernia. As a homeopath I’m asked by patients and their families to help with recovery after surgery.   Read Ida's story ...

Scheduled surgery can be unavoidable, even for people with additional health problems and risk factors, like my 3 year old patient Ida, now in recovery after surgery for a double hernia.

Advancements in surgery mean that more can be done with key hole techniques and the strain on small children and frail adults is reduced in a wonderful way. However, Ida has a shunt that empties close to where keyhole surgery would have to be done, so she didn’t have this option.

As a homeopath I’m asked by patients and their families to help with recovery after surgery.    If you’d like homeopathic support with recovery after surgery request referral to my team. Support can be offered worldwide via video call. 

Meanwhile, read Ida’s story below:

Yesterday, I was on call for Ida, after she came out of surgery and over night.
She has additional challenges:

• She was born with an encephalocele (part of her brain formed outside of her skull.)

• She has hydrocephalus (water accumulates in her brain).

• She has a shunt to drain fluid from her brain, which has to be carefully monitored for blockage and/or infection.

• She suffers with epilepsy, which can sometimes be severe.

• She has a tendency to seizures when her temperature rises.

She was joyous each time we video consulted and I’ve witnessed her learning to walk and talk, and even learning to pronounce my name (Not a small fete!) … whilst treating her for whooping cough and fevers, worms and her general health problems.
She is a mini miracle & is hitting mile stones her parents were warned she’d likely never hit. She is continuing to defy all the odds.
Read on to find out how we helped her recovery after surgery.

Homeopathy for Ida’s recovery after surgery

The Recovery After Surgery Kit:

The following are useful points to remember:

• Before surgery

1. Arnica shouldn’t be used before surgery.  It clears bruising because it thins the blood.  During surgery it is best to not have thinned blood.

2. I recommended aconite or rescue remedy for Ida’s family, to help with nerves and fear about the surgery.  (If the patient is fearful both are useful too).

3. We ensured they had a Recovery After Surgery kit.  (Listed below).

• After surgery

1. Arnica can be used to clear bruising faster after surgery … but don’t overdo it.  Use 30c to 200c over the next few days 3 times max during the day.

2. Mag phos is a good pain killer after surgery.  Ida had repeat doses in water in a 200c potency once her epidural wore off.  Be sure you have your homeopath available for close communication and on call for night time queries if you are using homeopathy for pain after surgery.

3. In their kit her parents also had hypericum: good for pain, particularly in damage to nerve rich areas … and very important for speeding up healing.

4. Staphysagria: is for pain after surgery and can be useful for immediate pain relief, but should particularly be kept in mind if the incision scars continue to hurt after healing and if the patient feels invaded by the procedure. [Good for neuralgia after dentistry too.]

5. Calendula: is great insurance against infection and indispensable in healing hot, red inflammation after surgery.  I saw it work miracles in a patient’s knee-replacement recently!  Her swollen knee halved in size and the redness and heat were gone over night.

6. Opium: this is a remedy we have in the kit to deal with the after effects of anaesthesia if there are any.  We’ve not had to use it for Ida so far but will have it in reserve.

The next day she was home.  She had a dose of calpol in the morning, but otherwise her pain relief was managed with mag phos.  She had a dose of both hypericum and calendula 200c that day (spaced 1 hour apart) as insurance against infection and to speed healing.

I saw a picture of her grinning out of a kiddy car in her garden a few days later.  Pretty impressive recovery!

~ Wren