Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Spouses good for each other? Who knew?
From the department of the obvious:
Married women under extreme stress who reach out and hold their husbands’ hands feel immediate relief, neuroscientists have found, in what they say is the first study of how human touch affects the neural response to threats.
Let me tell you, when I had to have a Cesarean with Sadie the worst part was the time that Jay and I were separated while he was getting dressed and I was getting prepped. One of the few things I remember from that day was the physical sensation of calm that came over me and replaced the fear when they let him into the OR and he grabbed my hand. I couldn’t see him; hell, I couldn’t see anything but the drape. But the feeling of his hand in mine at that moment is a memory that has seared so deep I’ll never, never forget it. Just having him there was far, far better than any drug could possibly have been.