It can be healing, but you're right about it being painful, too. He had an appendectomy and had a feeding tube down his throat until they sliced open his throat, so I am guessing it needs to be as gentle as possible and, that may be the case for a long while, from Karen has told me. I think he's miserable and, of course, rarin' to go...with no fuel. Who'd ever think of that about Spaw?:-)