Jenny had severe mouth sores from radiation and chemotherapy given prior to her bone marrow transplantation for Ewing's Sarcoma. She was well-practiced in using Imagery and relaxation through the four years of her treatment, but the mouth sores were particularly distressing as she couldn't swallow or talk.
The Imagery we used grew out of her love for colour. I invited her to go through the tents of a festival to find the one with the paints. There in the far corner was the table with the thick healing paints, in the full range of colours. Jenny dipped her paint brush into the colour of her choice and began painting the mouthsores carefully and thoroughly. She knew where they were on her gums and down her throat. She concentrated and took the time she needed to paint each one. She chose a sky-blue paint for its cooling and healing properties. She did this a number of times on her own during the day and found that following these Imagery sessions, her throat and mouth did not ache and sting as much. She reported being pleased that she had something other than the mouthwash to ease the pain.
Imagery is an under-utilized therapeutic tool in hospitals. Negative side-effects are rare and positive outcome is highly likely, particularly as the process gives the child or adolescent an increasing sense of self-control in a situation that doesn't usually offer many opportunities for feelings of competence or control.
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