See that iceberg sitting out there? Unless you have an ice-cutter ship, it is not going to be smooth sailing.
Such is the way 'Intraoperative Reiki' is viewed by most people. From the Reiki Community, it is 'informed consent, informed consent, informed consent.' From the conventional medicine community, it is 'Evidence-based medicine, evidence-based medicine, evidence-based medicine.' The work that I do is controversial, at worst, and pioneering, at best. It depends on how you look at it.
On 'my side of the street', I get a good feel for my patient in Pre-Op Holding. Nine times out of ten they are anxious, and say, 'I don't want to remember anything'. They also wish 'not to have any pain'. The surprising one, which is very important to most people who have experienced this unpleasant side-effect of anesthesia is, 'I don't care if I hurt just don't make me throw up. I don't want to throw up.'
Informed consent is given at the bedside prior to a patient undergoing anesthetic. They consent to my services to tailor an anesthesia plan that is right for them. This means I pick the type of anesthesia, I select the airway device (LMA or ETT), all drugs that are useful for their health status going through this surgery, all monitoring that is indicated to keep them safe, and any warming devices or other 'adjuncts' to use for their comfort and safety. If Reiki is Energy Medicine, then isn't it a 'tool' in my 'repertoire' to use to achieve their goal of a safe and successful surgery outcome?
There are no side effects. There is no risk. Just like you get a 'contact high' when someone near you is 'lighting up', so it is with anyone who is in my presence. My aura generates a lot of Light to begin with. So whether I actively apply Reiki to you or not, by your coming to my O.R. and working with me, you are going to get a 'dose' of 'healing', no matter what.
Fifty percent of the time, my surgeons are so fast that this is all of the Reiki that my patients get; I have too many tasks to complete and there is not enough time for Reiki in their surgery and anesthetic.
For the others, in the long, boring cases where others are known to surf the internet and sell stocks and shop on Ebay during the 'maintenance phase' of anesthesia, I take some time to give more direct 'Energy Medicine, Reiki' to my patient.
Would you like to know what happens? The patients suck it in. Their aura is often so imbalanced from the burden of disease, it is like water soaking into a sponge. They take what they need and I make it available to them. I do not 'force it in'. I do not 'foist my beliefs' on them. I only do what I am trained to do, and in my case, I have an extra 'tool' in my 'cart' for making people feel better after surgery.
What do people say about me when they are awake? Thank you. And they give me a big smile, and a sigh of relief. There is a twinkle of Light in their eye that was not there before surgery.
The driving force behind alternative medicine, complimentary medicine, and integrative medicine, in cancer patients is that these concentrate on 'Life' while traditional and conventional medicine is perceived as focusing on 'death'.
The long and short of it, is I 'bless' my patients. Many of my colleagues read the bible and pray for their patients one way or another during surgery. Is this wrong to do what your heart center is saying to do to relieve suffering? And to make the best of a horrible situation?
This is 'my side of the street': how I look at Intraoperative Reiki. It is used in the exact same manner as The Healing Touch, an energy medicine that is used by nurses in the hospital. Do they need 'informed consent' for this? Not at all. It is included as an 'extra' with the conventional care that is the treatment for each patient.
My dearest Pamela Miles, thank you for bringing up this important topic in a personal communication to me. I thank you for your foresight and your concern for 'keeping me out of the fray'. I understand completely 'your side of the street' and I support you fully in your decision not to post a comment on your post. It is your right to do as you wish with your page. It is my hope that one day, like the man who discovered h. pylori, everyone will appreciate what I do from my heart for my fellow men. (he was ridiculed by 'medicine' for many years following his discovery.) The need is so great! There is great suffering I see before me. My eyes and heart never forget the courage of those I have the chance to assist through their procedures.
Namaste,
Reiki Doc