Hi, my name is Jo. I’d like to share an experience that I had at the Palo Alto Mission.
On January 14, 2008 I was at work moving some metal columns. One of the columns shifted and fell. I pulled my hand back, but not fast enough, it was caught. Fortunately only one of the fingers on my right hand was partly amputated. On January 22 I was in surgery for a finger/hand reconstruction. When I came out of recovery it was about 5:30 PM. I was still pretty still doped up and also had a nerve block done on my right arm. I felt no pain, and wasn’t supposed to feel anything till the block wore off at about two AM. This block was pretty interesting because not only could I not feel my arm, I couldn’t move it either. Please keep that in mind.
Of course I couldn’t be left alone after coming out of recovery, so my friend who was going to take care of me for a day or two took me with her down to the Palo Alto Mission, where she and I both studied. The plan was simple: I was going to “veg” on the couch, while she was on course. If anything happened I could summon someone. As I sat there I recalled and explained as best as I could what the surgeon had done to me to reconstruct my finger. Course I was bandaged up past my elbow, so I couldn’t show anybody. I recall people saying it was amazing what could be done in surgery to correct an injury like mine. Yes, it’s true there are some amazing things surgeons can do. But read on and let me tell you how the body is even more amazing.
Robin, who is on staff, asked me if I wanted to have a touch assist. I had been told about assists. The procedure had been explained, but I’d never had one. The process is simple. To my way of thinking maybe a little too simple to do any good, but I agreed to the assist. I sat in a chair and closed my eyes, while Robin asked me to feel her finger. Then she would touch me with her finger on my foot, I would say ok when I felt her touch me, then she would repeat the command to feel her finger. Again after the command she touched my other foot and I acknowledged the touch. Again and again she repeated the command and touched me. My head, my knees, my shoulders, my feet, my elbows, and finally she moved to my back. As Robin worked this process down my back she touched one side then the other. When she touched the left side I acknowledged her touch, but when she touched my right side I made involuntary movements. It was like when the doctor hits your knee cap with the little rubber hammer when he checks reflex, you can’t help it, and you automatically kick. Every time Robin touched my right side, which was the injured hand side, I jumped. Robin asked me if it tickled, but it didn’t, it didn’t hurt either. It just made me jump, but the left side didn’t do that. After about 15 minutes, we were done and I went back out to the couch. It was about 8:30 PM, six hours before the block was supposed to wear off.
At 8:43 my thumb twitched, and I could move my fingers (the ones not wrapped up). Then I could feel my fingers, within five minutes, my whole arm and hand was fully live. I was in great pain, because I had taken no medication to counter the pain, because this wasn’t supposed to happen till 2AM. Needless to say, I was taken home quickly and I took my medication.
Truly the amazing thing is that my body realized that it was out of communication with itself, or at least something wasn’t operating normally, and it realized it needed to be corrected, and it did it. I thought through this simple procedure of a touch assist my body was put back in contact with itself, found the circuits that weren’t in contact and did a reconnection. Absolutely amazing!
Thanks to all those that worked with me, and provided assists, this is one skeptic who has had her eyes opened.
Thanks again.
J.B. finished The Way to Happiness Course - El curso del Camino a la Felicidad. Here is his success story in English and Spanish:
