More from Simonton; Imagery and Inner Wisdom

(p.66) "Your imagination has already played an important role in your illness. Reflect back upon your experience in receiving the diagnosis and the ensuing discussion regarding treatment and prognosis. What were your thoughts? What were your feelings? Were you primarily hopeful, imagining recovery? Or were you more fearful, dreading what was to come? The chances are that you experienced a combination of images, positive and negative, healthy and unhealthy. And all affect your body at the cellular level."

I had taken myself to the emergency department at Guelph General Hospital. Mike was at work and difficult to get hold of. I was admitted, some tests were done, a CT scan was taken on my enlarged abdomen, and then the Dr. returned saying "I'm really sorry but our radiologist feels it's cancer." He left, then the nurse came in and gave me a hug and said she was sorry. I said "You mean this is real?" And she said "This is real."
Then I was alone and tried to get through to Mike on my cell to ask him to come to the hospital after work. I didn't want to call my parents because they're older and I didn't want to worry them, and I didn't want to worry my sisters. We were supposed to pick up Mike's sister from the airport, and after Mike came to the hospital and I told him about our new situation Mike called his mom at her cottage to tell her what was happening and to say that he wouldn't be able to pick up his sister because this had just happened and his mother insisted that he had to pick up his sister. Mike ended up having his sister paged in the airport to take a Red Cab here and he never heard a further word until he went home later.
We met with an angel of a doctor who gave us great hope together, then I remained in the hospital and Mike went home.
Hopeful, fearful, dreading....

"These images are related to your beliefs about the nature of your illness and treatment in general, as well as related to your beliefs about what your personal experience and treatment will be. Remember, the beliefs that trouble us the most are often based on our interpretation of facts, not on the facts themselves. You can learn to change your frightening or unhealthy beliefs and replace them with healthy beliefs. This will help you to get well.
[C. M. Maultsby] developed a simple, 5 question test for evaluating the relative health value of any belief.
Ask yourself:

1. Does this belief help me protect my life and health?
2. Does it help me achieve my short- and long- term goals?
3. Does it help me to resolve or avoid my most undesirable conflicts (whether these conflicts
are within myself or with other people)?
4. Does it help me feel the way I want to feel?

And, when appropriate, also ask:

5. Is the belief based on facts?

If you can answer yes to 3 or more of these quesions, then the belief you hold is considered relatively healthy. If there are fewer or no yes answers, it is important you change your belief to a healthier one."

[beliefs create emotions, emotions are an important driving force in the immune system and other healing systems. Healthy images increase your sense of power, well-being, and peace of mind.