How can survivors of infant surgery and/or invasive medical procedures performed without anesthesia begin to move away from a lifetime of re-enacting symptoms of trauma and move toward a lifetime of experiencing health, fulfillment, and joy? How can we get our pain, anger, and confusion out so that we can feel peace, clarity, and compassion?… Continue Reading
Are You Afraid of Your Body?
In my last post, I presented Dr. Louis Tinnin’s questionnaire, which helps people determine whether a medical procedure or surgery they experienced in infancy affects them today. As a survivor of infant surgery, here’s my layperson’s questionnaire. The intent is similar to Dr. Tinnin’s. If you’ve had an invasive medical procedure and/or a surgery as… Continue Reading
"The Bellow of a Resected Colon" by Roey Shmool
Wendy here. I’m so happy to introduce Roey to the readers of myincision. What follows is his brief biography and his autobiographical piece, “The Bellow of a Resected Colon.” Please direct your Comments to Roey. I hope he hears from you. ********************** My name is Roey Shmool. I was born with Hirschsprung’s disease and had 7 surgeries… Continue Reading
Depression begone!
I promised you a positive self-portrait. Here it is! As I wrote about in “Angry at 24” two blog posts ago, at age 26, my therapist Lee helped me acknowledge my anger and, perhaps most importantly, my grief. She helped me to give myself permission to cry over the early operation and all the sadness… Continue Reading
Angry at 24
Here’s a self-portrait that I made when I was twenty-four-years old. At the time, I was working on my slim sense of self with a therapist; I was quite depressed off and on. Unfortunately, I never trusted her enough to show her my drawings. In this picture, what I notice most is my anger. My mouth… Continue Reading
Of Daggers and Diaphragms
Of Daggers Many of my afternoon 1A students want to know more about my exploits as a greaser gang member when I was a young teen. I’ve included a memoir excerpt and posted it above under Pages/Memoir/First Waters – Chapter 2 after the *********, hoping that it communicates the flavor of the life that I… Continue Reading
Images of Healing Art Show: 2 Pastel Drawings
Two of my pastel pieces will be on view at the Images of Healing Art Show in Placerville, California at the Upstairs Art Gallery on Main Street, starting Sept. 18 through Mid-October. Since most of you won’t be able to come, here they are: Title: Self Hatred Media: Pastels One reason I do art is… Continue Reading
A New Beginning
I made this water color painting of my night table 6/26/78, thirty-two years ago today. I was just beginning to emerge from the deepest darkness–a depressive state that I would never again experience. The chart taped to the wall represents one of my early therapy sessions with Lee, who led me out of this chaos… Continue Reading