Monday, January 28, 2008

The Healing power of ???

What makes you sick?  the list seems endless!  I am reminded of the man in the Bible who has friends bring him to the pool day by day...I've been thinking a lot lately about sickness - as I have struggled with this and continue to do so.The list as I said goes on and on:  politics, the daily musings of murders in the community, the traffic, the gossiping neighbor, and the list of physical ailments...  I read this week of the death of a woman on the Vineyard who lived up Spring Street from Phyllis, Heather, Jennifer and I.  She appeared on the front porch one night with her youngest daughter, both had been crying...

Their son and brother was near death ...and they came, even though they didn't go to Church because they had "heard" about the caring I had shared with Joel Counsel who had died recently.  They had heard that I was the only one who had visited him in the Hospital and that unbeknownst to me, I had driven him from the PO up to town and then dropped him off at his home...When the fire alarm sounded 1/2 hour later it didn't dawn on me...

Joel had gone into his home, poured gasoline all over himself, and burnt to death...He , like Tim, had Aids but by burning to death he didn't become "one of those..."  I went with Judy and Stacy to visit Tim, and prayed with them, and when he died I , like I did with Joel, did his funeral at the graveside...  Some of the well-meaning Baptists and other Christians asked of me "why do you do this? aren't you afraid you will catch it?"  I asked of them a question that is heard too much these days, but understood so little...'WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?"  

I am caught between a rock and a hard place...since having the stroke I have been on what has been called 'life saving medicine."  Each of these medicines that I take 'to keep me living" have side effects which are perilous to my well being.  One Dr told me "you are depressed."  My psychiatrist disagrees...another's answer was to punch into his laptop computer prescriptions for more medicines which add to the problem...the oncologist suggests that I see a gastroenterologist, and then this Dr. and that Dr.  (it goes without saying that each of these will find something wrong in their particular area) 

I wonder...if any or all of the medicine is helpful at all?  except to support a health industry which has run amok.  I mean, what will all the cancer Drs. do if they find a cure for cancer????  Might be they would have to drive a Ford instead of a Lexus...  Don't get me wrong...I think that some medicine IS beneficial, but not much, not all.  I am facing a difficult decision...a biopsy of a growing mass is too risky...yet I am told that no surgeon will operate without the biopsy... I asked the Dr. what do you know that I don't?  when the reply was 'nothing', I decided that I would step back and pause and listen to the Great Physician...either way I will find healing...

1 comment:

Sue said...

I loved your question about the cancer doctors -- what would they all do once a cure for cancer is found? Incredible, really. My mom is (hopefully) finishing up her second fight with breast cancer, and the world of cancer and oncology is really overwhelming. But turning to the Great Physician is, as you said, the true healing in the midst of it all ...

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Thanks for writing and sharing your thoughts.