Can pain be overcome with singing?
Today a man named Drayton L of British Columbia listened to one of my songs recordings on Singsnap, an online Karaoke site. To pay him back for his kindness, I listened to one of his recordings and then two more. He sings very well.
I learned that he once made his living singing. Wouldn’t that be fun to do?
He’d been stopped by a serious surgery and said that singing helped him.
Well, I wrote him and asked if he’d like to contribute to this site and tell his experience with singing since the surgery.
Here is his reply:
“Certainly Jay
Singing is probably one of the most potent and best medicines for whatever ails you. Twice, singing has brought back from the edge of a precipice.
The trouble started with a major operation on my spine. I was becoming a quadriplegic, and required a massive operation to repair my vertebrates C3-C7. There was a major screw up to the operation that took away my ability to eat and drink orally for two and a half years. I was fed through a tube in my stomach. What’s worse though is that it robbed me of my voice. I was a working singer at that time, working my way up that proverbial very long ladder to success. I had to go to a speech therapist to learn how to talk again, and then, to be able to sing. I’m still working at getting my voice back, but I think that ship has sailed, so I am happy with what I was allowed to have back.
Ever since that operation, I have had three subsequent operations and numbers four and five are being scheduled. I live with pain on a constant basis, and use morphine to try to get some relief. But it’s really not that bad, as I do have a secret weapon, and that is singing!
Why, you ask? Because when I sing, I leave my body and immerse myself into the song, and for a few minutes there is no pain. Only music. I have in fact been able to reduce the amount of morphine used when singing.
Singing improves my spirits, which improves my outlook, and the first step to positive results is a positive mind. All I can tell you is that it has sure helped me.
Cheers,
Drayton”
Now some science advocates will say that this is not evidence. Well, their science can’t feel what Drayton feels. To me his witness will hold up in any honest court.
I thanked him for sharing and hope that his experience will help others.
Well, until next time, keep singing.
Jay