Sensational

This one is about .... WORDS!

What a surprise!

How to protect yourself from negativity. When I was feeling sick and headachey on the plane (in June), I asked the flight attendant for some ibuprophen. She said they didn’t have any and I better get ready for a rocky ride! I know her intentions were good (just like the phlebotomist [see Big Poke]), She said she wanted to warn me, so I could prepare myself. Then the captain came on and said the seat belt light would be on for a while because we were entering an area where there often is turbulence. That’s when it struck me! The urge to regurgitate? No! The idea that even though the flight attendant and the captain had had turbulent experiences in this area before, they were not aware of any turbulence at the current time. It was just a warning, just a possiblility. I concentrated on a smooth ride. I focused on feeling better. I stopped breathing deeply, as that made my nausea worse. This was a long flight, 8 or 10 hours. Fortunately my expectations won out over the flight staff’s. The ride was mostly smoothe.

I guess it’s difficult to know how and when to tell someone to prepare for the worst. In our litigious society, we have to inform people that they may get burned if they spill boiling hot coffee on themselves, or we are being irresponsible. But can “Be careful with that!” work? Or “I’m going to insert the instrument now?” Rather than “You’re going to feel a big poke.” Or worse yet, "Don’t worry, I’ve only given one person a hematoma!” Someone at my seminar told me that one. She was lucky enough to experience the second hematoma after her phlebotomist's warning!

Words! Be careful with them! They can enlighten or burden someone. What purpose do you want to serve? Remember tact and diplomacy. What about “some people experience some discomfort, but most feel only a slight sensation of pressure…”

Sensation is a sensssational word. So much better than "pain." And did you know that the AMA approved hypnosis in 1958 and will work with a hypnotist in the surgery room (if someone is allergic to chemical anesthesia)? Dentists work with hypnotists, also, and you can always bring a CD player or IPOD with you and play a hypnosis recording when you are in the dentist's chair. I've done it! Most dentists like it when the client is relaxed.