"Visualization: the new name for "traditional hypnosis".

Twenty-three years of diabetes had left me in pretty rough condition. Actually, it was probably the Twinkles, the drinking and the general disregard for my disease that did the damage. Either way, both my eyes had already undergone lots of laser surgery (to seal hemorrhaging blood vessels) and a vitrectomy (to remove the vitreous jelly from the eye-cloudy from the hemorrhaging) to restore my eyesight. A little over a year go, though, I started waking up nauseous most mornings. I was wheezing a lot and having difficulty breathing. The nephrologists told me that my kidneys were failing. As poisons and excess fluids collected in my system, I was drowning in my own toxic wastes.

Hemodialysis relieved the symptoms almost immediately and nearly a year of treatment came and went with very few complications. Three times a week for three hours at a time, they'd take my blood and filter it externally. There are people (some of whom became fast friends) who live much of their lives on dialysis, but the schedule sure puts a dent in one's social and personal life, and job. Luckily, I was a perfect candidate for a kidney transplant. My sister and my father both qualified as possible donors and after seemingly endless tests and tissue cross-matching my old man and I set a surgery date for Valentine's Day.

As February approached though, I found myself growing increasingly apprehensive. What if I rejected the kidney? The body's immune system attacks transplanted organs the same way it might fight an infection. Or suppose the immune suppression drugs work too well and I end up in the hospital every time I catch a cold? What about the side effects of the drugs? How about if it hurts?

My Dad picked up on my fears when we talked on the phone and began to have his own doubts. After all, why go through the trouble of yanking a perfectly good kidney out if the intended recipient is having second thoughts? My sister got wind of this and connected me with a hypnotherapist, Dr. Laurence Skolnik. I was skeptical but realized that I had to do something about my attitude, so I made an appointment.

His office had none of the new age trappings I had feared. The Dr.'s attitude also put me very much at ease: very straightforward, but warm, engaging and concerned. We talked at length and he intuited many fears I hadn't identified. He also did a few exercises to test my suggestibility. One test sort of unveiled the whole concept of hypnotherapy for me. I clasped my hands and interlaced my fingers, then extended my index fingers so that they were about an inch apart. As I concentrated on my fingertips, Dr. Skolnik told me he was putting them in an invisible vise. Try as I might to resist the pressure as he tightened this vise (he informed me), I would find it impossible. I watched as my fingers slowly came together and touched.

In fact, it would not have taken a herculean effort to resist. I could have broken the spell at any moment but I had decided to accept the suggestions.

Hypnosis works by reprogramming or realigning the subconscious bur only with the approval of the conscious, active mind. Hence, one is always in control, even when in a deep hypnotic condition. The only suggestions that get programmed in are the ones you want.

The actual therapeutic hypnosis is only slightly more complex. As I reclined, Dr. Skolnik gave me a series of suggestions. As he promised, I became more relaxed than I had ever been before. This state of relaxation opens the subconscious to suggestions. I received several during that initial session, most of them aimed toward assuaging my panic and convincing me to accept the outcome of the operation no matter what. The Doe brought me back to an alert state of mind. I left the office completely refreshed but not completely convinced. I spent more time that evening analyzing the therapy than looking forward to my operation.

Each optimistic phrase reinforced the others. .. The miracle transformation took place the following morning. I called my sister to relate my experience with Dr. Skolnik and heard myself saying and meaning very positive things about my upcoming (no longer "impending' as in "doom") transplant. Each optimistic phrase reinforced the others, and I consciously went along for this cheery prognostic ride. Pretty soon I was believing not only the results of the hypnosis but also in the inevitable success of my operation. Even I recognized the complete turnaround I had undergone overnight.

Dr. Skolnik taped that first treatment so I could reinforce my new mode of thought. I'd listen to the tape at bedtime and an additional suggestion he put on the tape even helped me sleep better. At a later session, he had me visualize the entire surgical procedure--all in positive terms. I never mentioned "pain" but rather "minimizing the discomfort" I can't say with certainty that everything occurred as I envisioned but I know it helped me to have such an upbeat scenario in my head.

One aspect of my scenario did play itself out neatly. A common precaution before this surgery is to have some blood on hand, earmarked for the recipient. Kidney disease often causes anemia, so I was not able to donate my own blood. (These so-called autologous transfusions are the safest for a number of reasons. Several of my friends and family donated for me so I was not worried about contaminated blood. However, the more different antibodies there are present, the more likely the immune system will respond by attacking the transplanted organ. In any case, transfusions, though often necessary, can pose problems.) One of the suggestions I got was to limit the amount of bleeding that would take place during the operation. When I regained consciousness after the surgery, I was pleased to find out that I had bled very little and required no blood.

The surgery was a success and the kidney functioned immediately (In many cases, it takes a while for the transplanted organ to open up.) However, even my blood chemistries started returning to normal, I became very sick. The doctors weren't sure what caused my stomach cramps or how to get rid of them. Dr. Skolnik came to the hospital and, during a lull in the din in Intensive Care, he helped me relax. The same visualization techniques we had employed throughout my treatments allowed me to control the pain--minimizing the discomfort, that is.

I was no longer writhing in a hospital bed; I was basking in tropical sun on a white sand beach. I could smell the salt air, feel the cool breeze, even hear the seabirds calling overhead. Mostly, though, I no longer felt the pain. Amazingly, my blood pressure and pulse (which had both remained extremely high since the operation) came way down. For a while, I was in a blissful hypnotic state and we had numbers to prove it. A passing nurse snapped me back to reality with a blood pressure reading but even after Dr. Skolnik left, I used his methods and felt much better.

I left the hospital a little over a week after the operation. I went back to work two weeks after that (I free-lance, so I was able to schedule short, easy projects). And then my world collapsed. My creatinine level increased (a sign of possible rejection) and I had to return to the hospital. I thought I put a pretty good face on it all but my family and friends convinced me that my new positive attitude was deteriorating And truthfully, even after the doctors controlled the fluctuations, I was terrified of losing the kidney.

Although I felt fine, I began to think of myself as an invalid, poised to keel over at any moment. The maintenance routine for the kidney overwhelmed me even though it's really pretty simple. I was beleaguered only by my own apprehensions. When I went for the wake-up call to see Dr. Skolnik, he gave me what I needed That one additional session taught me to appreciate the good health I was enjoying rather than anticipating what might go wrong. He pointed out that fears can cripple as effectively as disease, so get off my butt and be healthy, by inference. He didn't limit the suggestion to the kidney, so by extension, I have started accept life's vicissitudes more easily.

By the way, my father is doing very well. A single kidney works well enough to keep blood clean and other systems functioning at full efficiency. Three and a half months have passed since the transplant and I'm fine, too. Any acute rejections usually occur within three months. I plan to return to Dr. Skolnik soon to attack my laziness--I promised this article to him long ago. Now that I'm healthy, I've got work to do.

To read an article about Lawrence L. Skolnick, PhD go to Mind Over Mouth in Articles of Interest on www.infinityinst.com