Saturday 5 November 2011

Proof of a brain!

Tomorrows sermon is on the subject of being prepared  for being prepared, during the pre advent month. .. I had let my mind play with this for a little while and I suddenly remembered a time  when I had been prepared to be prepared, but I was in hospital.
My daughter was born very quickly and I went into clinical shock afterwards..
I recovered fairly quickly and just enjoyed the new baby until a doctor realised that I had no reflex in one eye..In sunlight I had odd eyes.They moved fast. Within the week I was in the Manchester hospital that deals with brain tumours!
Tests, more tests and finally the moment when I was to have no breakfast they were going to have a look to see what was happening!  I was not a happy woman!
Lying back and trying to think of England I coped with all the visitors coming in and out....they were preparing me.
Finally there was a large influx of young doctors, all wielding opthalmoscopes. All peering into my eyes eagerly.
The consultant arrived at the same time......"It could be worse dear" he said happily. "There are much worse places they could be looking in."
That made us all laugh.
It was all good in the end..... .they found evidence that I had a brain....and indeed that I was unique . It was likely a small stroke  that had caused the problem...but no one else had ever presented such symptoms!
Looking back I marvel and am aware of much praying going on around me in the lead up to surgery.
I still have no reflex in the eye... and  the only thing effect is  that I do wear sunglasses most of the time.
So my experience of being prepared was a positive one....and I hope for the same for us all in this lead up to Advent.

2 comments:

Ray Barnes said...

Wow, if you regard that as lucky I'd be fascinated to discover what you'd call unlucky.
Your being prepared thing is to do with your very positive attitude - a truly wonderful gift.
My approach alas, is to expect the worst, but hope for the best.
My family have always regarded me as a pessimist, I say I'm an optimist with my eyes open.

UKViewer said...

Fantastic story, and an experience we might have shared. About 30 years ago, I was having Kidney problems and an Xray seemed to show that one was so small that it had shrunk and stopped functioning. Quite worrying, admitted to hospital and tested in every way possible, and seemingly being told that I had Kidney Disease. Than, a smarter than average renal consultant diagnosed that in fact it was a congenital defect, that I had been born that way, and the symptoms I was displaying was due to the amount of distance running I was doing and I wasn't properly re-hydrating for the essential salts and fluids that you lose through sweat.

An unusual case, but I'm glad that the consultant didn't just take the instant diagnosis and reach for the knife.