In mid-May 2008 Barbara Parker suffered injuries in an auto accident. The accident incapacitated her and she was taken to the hospital by ambulance. She was covered in bruises and had tremendous pain in her right leg and hip. After x-rays and examination she was told that she had four broken ribs and a punctured lung. Quick application of Energy Medicine (EM) techniques relieved the pain and her subsequent recovery occurred at a rate her doctors considered remarkable.
Barbara is a 59-year-old certified Herbalist and natural healing consultant who first learned of Energy Medicine in 2004 at a weekend seminar. On the day of the accident, the car she was riding in was hit broadside on the passenger side. Barbara's injuries left her unable to move and in severe pain. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital and had to wait for two hours before being examined. When the doctors had time, she was given a number of tests including x-rays and a CT scan. At the conclusion of the tests, she was informed that she had four broken ribs, numbers 4-7, and that one of the broken ribs had punctured her right lung.
She was then transferred to the Trauma Center at Shands at the University of Florida. She was given an ultrasound test and told that a likely treatment for the punctured lung would include the insertion of a tube.
A broken rib is a common injury commonly caused by trauma to the chest, such as from a fall, motor vehicle accident, or impact during contact sports. The most immediate symptom of a broken rib is pain, especially when taking a deep breath or pressing on the injured area. Generally treatment of broken ribs is directed at controlling the pain until the fracture heals. The healing period is typically one to two months.
A punctured lung (pneumothorax) is diagnosed when air gets between the lungs and the chest wall. Two thin layers of moist tissue (pleurae) normally separate the lung and chest wall -- if air gets into this space (pleural cavity), it will cause the lung tissue to collapse in proportion to the amount of air. This condition can occur for many reasons, such as: an injury that damages the chest wall (e.g., a stab or gunshot wound), a broken rib that punctures the lung, or a surgical procedure that involves the chest wall or lung.
Symptoms include: sudden, sharp chest pain; tightness of the chest; and shortness of breath.
The diagnosis is confirmed by a chest X-ray. Treatment may not be necessary as, occasionally, the air leak seals itself. But treatment may also include intervention such as removing the air from the pleural space with a tube inserted between the ribs and attached to a suction device, or surgery when suction isn't effective.
Barbara began applying Energy Medicine techniques as soon as she got to the hospital. As she lay on the gurney in the hallway, she immediately held the neurovascular points above her eyebrows, for stress. She continued. In her words: "I knew I was having trouble breathing, so I pinched and twisted the Lung meridian. I did figure 8's over myself. I did Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) the best I could for the trauma. I tapped the fear points on the top of my hands. I tried doing the hook-up, but not very well. In the room, I had my husband hold the front neurovascular points, again, plus the one on the top of my head. I had him do the Hook-up, swipe energy down and off, and do figure 8's over me. I did the Temporal Tap for pain, my basic thumps and taps on my upper chest, more EFT, as well as the pinch and twists, for the remaining time I spent in the trauma center, which was 24-hours."
As a result of her EM application, she was able to mitigate the pain to the point of being virtually pain-free, - and she was able to decline the morphine the doctor's assumed she would need for pain. In fact, the doctors were quite certain that she would need pain relieving medication, especially at night, and one even said that she’d feel strong pain whenever it rained for at least the first year.
Barbara practiced pinching and twisting her Lung Alarm Points and other points along the Lung meridian three to four times throughout the day at the trauma center, and her lung condition improved so much during the 24 hours at the trauma center that by the end of that period, her breathing capacity was tested at 100% -- a finding that surprised the doctors
Once she got home, she continued to do her daily routine and, she used several other exercises daily, including the Celtic Weave, Connecting Heaven and Earth, Aura Fluff, and multiple Wayne Cooks.
It’s now been 2 months since the accident. She has continued to manage the pain without recourse to medication, and she healed the punctured lung without a tube. And she does not suffer pain when it rains! Even after just two weeks, the medical team was amazed at how well she was breathing, and progressing. In their words, she was "progressing in leaps and bounds". At the conclusion of her 2-week follow-up appointment, they proclaimed her "fine!" and she was given the green-light to stretch or exercise and that is exactly what she’s doing!
Barbara's view of the whole affair is best expressed in her own words: "When you're strong and healthy, as I usually am, it's hard to realize just how potent Energy Medicine is. I was doing it daily, and had taught it to others. I have never, in my life, been in a position as I was after the accident. I now know the extreme power of Energy Medicine. I am in awe of it, I am grateful for it, and especially for Donna and the open and widespread way she teaches it to others, and I can't wait to spread my story to everyone!"
(Compiled by Jeff Armstrong, July 2008)