| Stella (not her real name) came to see me in | | | | up in a knot and leaking some liquid goo that was |
| September 2008 because she had osteoarthritis in | | | | just lying there. |
| her right knee, swelling due to a Baker's cyst (a | | | | Even if the cavern looks very red. |
| benign swelling found behind the knee joint); and she | | | | Even if the pipe is tied up in a knot |
| had quite a bit of pain. Her family doctor told her all | | | | Even if the pipe is dripping liquid goo |
| that the only thing that could be done was to take | | | | Even if this liquid goo is just lying there |
| analgesics for the pain, and ice on the knee. She | | | | Then I asked what emotion she felt as she looked |
| could also have a steroid shot in the knee. | | | | around. She said she felt she was choking, and there |
| Stella was taking the analgesics, and her stomach | | | | was sadness. |
| was feeling terrible. She wanted to know if she could | | | | We tapped for the choking and the sadness, and |
| get relief with EFT. I told her we could work on the | | | | what came up was a memory of her dad saying |
| emotional components of her pain and arthritis and | | | | goodbye to her and telling her that he and her mom |
| that it might or might not be a one minute miracle. | | | | were getting a divorce, and she had never cried and |
| We've been having sessions once a week since mid | | | | kept it all in. Stella had been 7 at the time, she didn't |
| September 2008 (we're in mid-November), her pain | | | | have anyone to talk to and felt she had to be brave. |
| was at a 9 and her leg was quite swollen from the | | | | We tapped on: |
| knee down to her ankle when we started. Some of | | | | Even if Daddy is saying goodbye, I was such a good |
| the phrases we have tapped on include: | | | | girl. |
| Even if I have this burning pain in my right knee | | | | Even if I was so sad, and confused and lonely |
| Even if I was dismayed to hear I had develop | | | | Even if I didn't want Daddy to leave |
| osteoarthritis | | | | Even if Daddy looks so sad |
| Even if I have osteoarthritis | | | | He's holding his hat in his hands |
| Even if the doctor smiled as she gave me the | | | | Even if I was brave, I now choose to express my |
| diagnosis | | | | sadness. |
| Even if the doctor told me this will never be cured | | | | Even if I was choked up, I can now express how I |
| Even if the doctor doesn't want to be bothered by | | | | feel |
| my symptoms | | | | Stella was connecting for the first time to all the |
| Even if my knee is sore when I wake up in the | | | | feelings she had buried about the experience, and |
| morning | | | | expressing them as we did round after round. |
| Even if I can't sit crossed legged anymore | | | | Even if I am so incredibly sad |
| We were not getting much relief, when she | | | | Even if I feel so hurt |
| mentioned that when she called her mother, to share | | | | Even if I feel so lonely |
| what the doctor had said, her mother was ecstatic! | | | | Even if I feel that I did something to cause this |
| Even if my mother was happy that I developed | | | | After this session, the pain went down to 0, and the |
| osteoarthritis | | | | swelling was reduced by 80%. Also, she said that the |
| Even if I can hear the glee in her voice | | | | inside of her knee now looked pink and shiny. There |
| Even if I'm scared I'm going to end up as crippled by | | | | was a lot less goo on the floor, and the pipe looked |
| arthritis as she is | | | | straight and normal. |
| Even if I swore I wouldn't be like her, and now I | | | | We have continued working on that event, and |
| have her disease | | | | included her relationship with her mother during her |
| We also tapped on her "worst" mother memory. At | | | | parents divorce. Stella can now go up and down the |
| the end of the session, Stella's pain had gone down | | | | stairs without pain, and she can sit cross legged for |
| to a 6, and her leg was still swollen. | | | | short periods. She still has some swelling on her knee; |
| By now, I was intrigued on why we were making so | | | | the Baker's cyst has not completely disappeared, |
| little progress. The next session, I invited Stella to | | | | there has been a huge improvement and we're still |
| close her eyes and imagine she was going inside her | | | | tapping! |
| knee. She drank an "invisible shrinking potion" (she's a | | | | As of January, 2009, her swelling and pain have |
| Harry Potter fan) and went into the knee | | | | completely disappeared. She can kneel once more |
| accompanied by Professor Dumbledore as backup | | | | and sit cross-legged! She has been tapping every day |
| support. She described the inside of her knee as a | | | | and doing sessions once a week! |
| cavern that was very red, with a pipe that was tied | | | | |