By MAGGIE GIBSON A FENLAND pensioner is doing the rounds of TV interviews after undergoing an hour long operation using self-hypnosis. She claims pain is all in the mind. She allowed her operation to be filmed and on Friday is due to appear on ITV s Good

By MAGGIE GIBSON

A FENLAND pensioner is doing the rounds of TV interviews after undergoing an hour long operation using self-hypnosis. She claims pain is all in the mind.

She allowed her operation to be filmed and on Friday is due to appear on ITV's Good Morning programme with Fern Brittain and Phillip Schofield

Bernadine Coady, 67, said: "It is all a state of mind and self hypnosis is nothing special, and while the operation was uncomfortable I was not in pain."

She had the operation on her knee at the private orthopaedics and spine specialist Hospital in Peterborough, on Monday. Eighteen years ago Mrs Coady studied for a diploma at the British School of Hypnosis. It is the third time she has had surgery without anaesthetic or pain killers.

A few hours later she was back at her Doddington Road, Wimblington, bungalow recovering from the operation, an arthroscopy, which involves drilling and inserting a camera to look for causes of pain.

Her mind preparation began as soon as she left the doctor's surgery after being told an operation on her knee would be necessary.

"Immediately I left the surgery I started to picture two blocks of ice either side of my knee numbing any pain," she said today.

Mrs Coady's first two operations were for foot problems and she knew the latest procedure would be more invasive.

Originally from Belize, Mrs Coady moved to Britain more than 40 years ago to train as a nurse.

She said: "The surgeon knew I was capable of doing it but as a surgeon no doubt he was feeling a little apprehensive. It is all a state of mind and you have to embed the positive things into your mind. I try to be positive in everything I do.

"The surgeon talked me through the whole procedure and all I felt was some tugging and pulling in the same way you feel a tooth being taken out after having a local anaesthetic. At one stage he told me I was tensing up and asked me to relax a bit so I just imagined that ice was being poured over me."

A spokesman for the hospital where her surgeon was Ahmed Shair, said: "It's the third time she has been operated on by Mr Shair. She has known Mr Shair for a long time and she came with the express wish that she wanted to be operated on using self hypnosis.

"Mrs Coady is the only patient we've operated on in this way. If anyone else wanted to come along and have the procedure we would look at it on an individual basis."

Mrs Coady said there are lots of benefits to undergoing surgery without anaesthetic. She said: "Afterwards there is no feeling sick or grogginess and you can come out the same day. Healing time is also quicker.