Last week's speaker was , Mary Jo Conti, who is a Certified Consulting Hypnotist.

Mary Jo presented the seminar ”Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster",  a program originated by Peggy Huddleston of Lexington, Massachusetts.

Mary Jo consults in the Integrative Medicine Department at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. She also teaches classes at their locations in Avon, Glastonbury, Hartford and Manchester, and has a private hypnosis practice in West Hartford. She specializes in Pain Management, Smoking Cessation, Stress Management, Weight Loss, Mind-Body techniques "to improve your Golf Game", and helping people “Prepare for Surgery.”

The seminar presented to the Rotary Club of Avon-Canton emphasized  minimizing postoperative pain, postoperative complications, pre and postoperative anxiety and the potential for achieving a faster recovery through the "Five Steps to Prepare for Surgery" program. These steps include:

1. Intentional preoperative relaxation techniques, as explained on the available Relaxation CD.

2. "Visualizing recovery" by turning worries into healing imagery. This is accomplished by: stating aloud how comfortable you feel upon anesthetic recovery, imagining doing activities you love to do once you're back home, and imagining what you'll be doing once you are completely recovered.

3. Surrounding yourself with the love of family and friends to feel calmer before surgery.

4. Using "healing statements" spoken by caregivers during surgery that statistics have shown reduce the need for pain relief medication by 23 - 50%. It is important to ask caregivers in advance, for example your anesthesiologist, to request they collaborate with you by speaking the healing statements while you are anesthetized.

5. Reading the book or CD: "Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster" in advance of your procedure.

The program was well received by our Rotarians.