Healing and Hope: Angie's Hypnosis Story

In 2012, my life began a series of medical challenges that I never could have anticipated.

It started with a right hip arthroscopy to fix a labral tear, and that created a snowball of problems over the next decade, which included many more major surgeries: a right hip periacetabular osteotomy, a subtotal colectomy, a total pelvic floor reconstruction, an ileostomy placed, and more.

I also had three beautiful children during this time span. The joy of motherhood was often overshadowed by relentless pain and complications.

After my pelvic floor reconstruction in 2019, I developed severe lower back pain that felt like labor contractions - constant and unrelenting. My surgeon warned me to watch for lower back pain as it could indicate a reaction to the mesh used in my surgery. When the pain began just a week after the operation, I expressed my concerns, but they were dismissed.

Months turned into years of managing this debilitating pain with a cocktail of medications alongside physical therapy and various injections. Yet nothing brought lasting relief. The pain wasn’t just physical. It seeped into every aspect of my life - my ability to work, my relationships, my mental health, and even my sense of self.

In January 2021, I hit rock bottom. A massive gastrointestinal bleed hospitalized me, amplifying my already unbearable back pain. I pleaded with specialists to remove the mesh, convinced it was the root cause of my agony, but my concerns were repeatedly brushed aside. The constant pain, coupled with the lack of answers, left me feeling trapped. At one point, I felt like I had no options left. The pain was so overwhelming that my thoughts turned dark, and I seriously considered ending my life.

Living in chronic pain profoundly affects the brain. It’s like a fog that clouds every thought and decision, often distorting reality and making even the smallest tasks feel impossible. The persistent stress depletes your emotional reserves, leaving you feeling hopeless and disconnected. I now understand how chronic pain rewires the brain, amplifying negative emotions and making suicidal thoughts feel like the only way to escape.

Amid this darkness, I sought help wherever I could find it. Luckily, I have good friends and family. I had a friend who set me up an appointment and promptly told me that if I didn’t take myself, she would drag me there! Not entirely sure what to expect but desperate for relief, I went to the appointment. What I experienced in that session was nothing short of life-changing. For the first time in years, I felt a sense of calm and control returning to my life.

The hypnosis didn’t just help me manage my pain; it helped me reconnect with my inner strength and resilience. That single session sparked a light within me. It reminded me that while I couldn’t always control the pain or my medical circumstances, I could control how I responded to them. It planted a seed of curiosity about hypnosis - how could something so simple and natural have such a profound impact?

As I began exploring hypnosis, I realized it wasn’t just a tool for me to heal; it was a calling. I decided to become a certified clinical hypnotist so I could help others who felt as lost and overwhelmed as I once did. My journey through years of physical pain and emotional despair gave me a deep understanding of what it feels like to be dismissed, misunderstood, and out of options.

Today, I’m proud to use hypnosis to empower others - whether they’re battling physical pain, emotional challenges, or life transitions. My experiences have taught me that even in the darkest times, there is always a path forward. Sometimes, it just takes someone to help you see it.