Love is a potent medicine

The clock struck 9:00 PM while Liz was working on her homework on the second floor and heard the garage door open. She felt relieved because that night, she felt alone. Dad and her older sister, Alice, were in New Jersey visiting universities. Alice was to decide which one to attend the next year. Mom was helping Grandma take care of Grandpa who had suffered a stroke last year. “Mom is finally home.” she said to herself, without paying too much attention. She knew that Mom would come upstairs, say Hello, and give her a big hug.

 It was thirty minutes later, and Liz had not seen her Mom come upstairs to give her a hug.  She began to worry.  She came downstairs and found her mom’s purse, but could not find her.  “Mom, mom.” She yelled as hard as she could but there was no answer.  She searched every room and found nothing.  But as soon as she opened the garage door, she was shocked. Her Mom had collapsed on the floor and was unconscious.

Young (she was only 12 years old), panicked and frightened, Liz called her family’s best friend, Trudy.

Trudy wasted no time in calling 911, and an ambulance came immediately to take her Mom, Betty to the hospital. She had suffered a massive stroke and was treated in the Intensive Care Center of the hospital. Trudy also immediately call Betty’s husband, Jim, in New Jersey.  Jim and his daughter flew home on the first flight the next day
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There was a tremendous fluid accumulation in her skull that the doctors immediately performed dangerous brain surgery to drain the fluid to release the pressure on the brain.  The  stroke was so severe that the doctor was not very optimistic that she would live, or if she lived, how well she would recover her speech and motor abilities. 

When word of the tragedy went out, Betty and Jim’s church mobilized. A meal train was set up to take care of the family’s needs for daily meals. The Deacons in the church took turns  visiting her to give the family necessary support. More importantly, her husband, Jim, stayed by her bedside as long as the hospital allowed.

Jim worked for a corporation near town. Knowing that his retirement could come immediately, he took on-line classes from a seminary school and earned a certificate for lay ministry pastor.  He is a devoted Christian and very generous in offering help for other suffering church members, not knowing that this time the person he would offer care to, was his wife.

The doctors induced a coma in his wife during the first week in the Intensive Care Unit. The doctor told Jim that because the time duration between the onset of the stroke and the time for medical intervention is so critical, the hope for surviving the trauma let alone the recovery is very small.

“Doc, my wife will live.” Jim said, “She is too young to die.  She loves her daughters.  The daughters need their Mom. She is in the youth ministry of the church. The youths in the church need her.  God has work for her.”

“We will do our best.” The doctors said.

Betty was under “induced coma” for 1 week.  That week was probably the longest week for the family.  After a week, the doctors gradually reduced the anesthesia medication.  Betty’s eyes responded to the light, and her toes could move under stimuli.

The good news spread like a wild fire.  Her friends cheered, because they knew Betty would not die.

After two weeks, the anesthesia medication was stopped. One day, Alice, Liz and Jim were with Betty.  Liz stood by the left-hand-side of the bed while Alice was standing on the right hand side of the bed. Jim asked his wife, “Where is Liz?” Betty using her left hand pointed in Liz’s direction. “Where is Alice?” Again, Betty used her left hand to point in Alice’s direction. In both questions, Betty’s answers were 100% correct. This implied that Betty retained cognitive function after the stroke.  Another cheer for her friends and family! 

A few days later, one of the church friends visited her. She asked her friend to give her coffee by drawing pictures on a piece of paper.  Because life-support systems were still covering her nose and mouth, she could not communicate with friends by talking.  However, she could draw and spell words on piece of paper even the words were often not spelled correctly and pictures were not drawn in correct proportion.

After 1 month, the life support systems were stopped.  Betty could breathe on her own, she also recovered her swallow function.

During the first month, Jim kissed her forehead to say good night before he went home to retire.  On the night when life support systems were removed, Jim was concerned with her swollen mouth and nose.  So, he kissed her on the forehead.  Betty used her left hand and grabbed Jim’s finger and brought his finger to her lips, saying to Jim (although she still could not talk) that kissing on the forehead didn’t count.  She wanted Jim to kiss her on the lips.

After 2 months in the intensive care unit, Betty was finally released to the regular hospital care unit. Betty basically recovered her speech and her cognitive function.  Her left-hand was unaffected by the stroke (Fortunately, she is a lefty lady.) Her right hand and her right leg needed more physical therapy to improve.  Betty and Jim celebrated their wedding anniversary In the hospital by ordering Chinese take-out food. Together, they watched a movie in the hospital; the same movie they watched when they first dated 25 years ago. 

Betty was finally released from the hospital in May, 2013, approximately 4 months under hospital professional care. The day she was released, her neighbors tied green ribbons to welcome her home.

The doctors told Jim that Betty’s recovery was remarkable and was beyond expectation from any rational reasoning. Certainly, a miracle was worked in her recovery after her traumatic  stroke.
 
Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-respected physician and professor at the Institute of Integrated Medicine at Arizona State University said that each one of us has his or her innate potential for self-healing.  However, when barriers of healing are present, the patient loses his or her innate potential to heal.  Medication intervention can do one part.  However, one cannot ignore the other important part of healing:  love, hope, and faith.  They are potent medicine.

P.S.  This is a true healing story.  However, I have changed names and places to protect the identity of the individuals.  The story may be 100% factual truth, but I have tried my best.  Besides, for a story teller, factual truth is less important than emotional sincerity.  I do believe that love is a potent medicine that can heal.