A Leg on the Brink of Amputation
Jan Scholtes worked in the Physiotherapy Department of a hospital in Holland. “Hans” (fictitious name) was an outpatient who long suffered from severely impaired blood circulation in his legs. Hans’ surgeon referred him to the department, after undergoing five bypass operations in a futile attempt to correct the situation. However, he was experiencing continuous excruciating pain in his left leg. At a loss for any other solution, his surgeon advised him to have his left leg amputated.
Not ready to agree to an amputation, Hans was sent to the Physiotherapy Department for training to conceivably stimulate re-vascularization. However, the several months of training were unsuccessful. He still had to leave his bed four times each night because of unbearable pain. At that time, his leg felt “cold and stiff like a clump.” Walking on crutches, he could hardly put any weight on his foot at all.
While working with Hans, Jan found the most helpful thing was to allow Hans to talk about his situation. In theory, if he talked long enough he would eventually make up his mind to have the needed amputation.
Enter EFT Tapping
Then, the situation changed sharply because Jan recently learned about EFT Tapping. Interestingly, he had received a newsletter from Gary Craig with a practitioner’s account of using EFT for blood clumping; a condition called Rouleaux.
When Jan read how EFT could affect the blood, he immediately thought of Hans. He decided to try EFT with him. He didn’t expect it to be easy to do since Hans was a simple car mechanic. Initially, Hans did react with some resistance when Jan proposed he do this strange thing he’d never heard of before. Nonetheless, because he’d been working well with Jan, Hans decided, “Anything you want to do is OK. So long as I get out of the pain. So, what do you want me to do?”
After a short explanation which Hans couldn’t really comprehend, they started tapping. Despite Hans’ lack of understanding of what was involved, he trusted Jan and said, “Let’s start and see what happens.”
They started by using words such as the following:
“Even though my leg is painful and cold as ice…”
“Even though my blood vessels don’t transport enough oxygen to my left foot, I ask my remaining blood to do its best and bring oxygen to my left foot.”
“Even though my remaining blood vessels are in a bad condition, I want them to repair and bring life to my left foot, etc.”
A Reversal of Symptoms Begins
Directly following his first treatment, Hans felt less stiffness in his left foot. This was enough to give him confidence in the technique. Jan then explained to him what he could do for homework. He kept it simple for Hans. He created a set-up sentence. “Even though my blood circulation is in a very bad condition, I deeply and completely accept myself. And, I ask my blood to help me to get as much blood in my left leg as possible.”
Two days later he returned. He had been doing his homework regularly and reported that he felt even more change in his left foot. There were less cramps, and the stiffness had begun to change. In addition, he reported that he’d been doing EFT in secret in his bedroom. Because, he said, he didn’t want his wife to think he also had a circulation problem in his brain!
Continued Improvement
After several weeks of EFT, Hans could bear more weight and stand longer on his foot. He was also sleeping the whole night through. After he did his fitness training, cramps in his leg would typically begin, so he used EFT. In a minute or two, the cramps would disappear and he could continue his exercise. This made it possible for him to do more intensive physical training than before which in turn built up the condition of his muscles which was very poor. His left leg was like a thin stick because it had hardly been used for years.
With the use of EFT and the intensified exercise as the result of the changes in his legs, his condition began to improve, slowly but surely.
EFT Tapping Averted the Leg Amputation
Eventually, Hans hardly used any pain medication and was only taking 25% of the amount of the medicine that was designed to prevent coagulation of his blood. As long as he sat down to rest once in a while, he was able to work in his garden. He only used his crutches when he walked long distances. He told Jan that he could play some football by “shooting the ball to another person.” (His friends started letting him join in a portion of their games). Hans also slept the whole night through without any pain and his foot felt “nice and warm” all day.
Measurements of his circulation showed definite improvement, and his surgeon, who saw him several times a year, was astonished and no longer recommended amputation. Jan had not told the surgeon that he was using EFT with Hans though because “he was a ‘real man of science” and Jan was afraid he might disapprove.
As Jan continued to work with Hans, from time to time they changed the setup phrase for his EFT. Some of the phrases they used are:
“Even though my blood circulation still is not as good as I want, I forgive myself for everything that I may have contributed to bringing about this situation.” Or,
“Even though my handicapped blood circulation still is not 100%, I ask my blood cells to transport as much oxygen as they can.”
The outcome in terms of full rehabilitation of such badly damaged tissues is obviously uncertain; Hans’ left leg was what Jan referred to as a “scar field” after so many operations. Nevertheless, Jan reported that Hans’ muscles continued to become stronger, and neither he nor Jan were giving up on future improvements. Persistence is the word, and clearly they both had it!
EFT Noteworthy Observations
Aside from my admiration at the way Jan handled that treatment, I would like to point out the interesting use of the word “ask” in the EFT affirmation (the last portion of the EFT set-up phrase.) The word “ask” expresses an unusual respect for the processes of the body, for its own agenda. I think it’s a lovely variation of a positive affirmation such as that used in the EFT Choices method, and I have experimented with its usefulness for physical symptoms. Intuitively, I think it is a wording that contains much wisdom.
Also noteworthy is how Jan directed Hans to be precise and super-clear when referring to the bodily condition he wanted to have corrected, as well as to the new state he wanted to bring about. This is something which Jan was undoubtedly trained to do as a physiotherapist, but it is also the path which the practitioner followed when she successful directed her blood. Specificity it is apparently the “name of the game” here, and accounts such as this attest to its great effectiveness and potential.
EFT Master, Patricia Carrington, Ph.D.
