thank you, God, may I have another?
This is about my baby brother, J. (He's 18 months younger than I am.) He was diagnosed with rhuematoid arthritis about four years ago. Since then he has been in so much pain it's amazing that he can continue to work at his high-stress medical engineering job every day, much less maintain a home and play with his kids. He has also been on steroids and a very harsh treatment called Remicade. Here are some of the charms of Remicade:
"Autoimmune hepatitis has been diagnosed in some of these cases. Severe hepatic reactions occurred between two weeks to more than a year after initiation of Remicade. Some of these cases were fatal or necessitated liver transplantation."
"New advisory that Remicade may be linked to Lymphoma. The company says the lymphoma incidence rate was six times higher among all patients who took the drug in completed clinical trials."
Lymphoma? We know about lymphoma. We're full up on lymphoma and will pass on any more of it, thanks. The medicines also suppress the immune system, and so he's had rounds of pnuemonia, plueresy, you name it. He has looked extremely unwell lately. He has trouble controling his eating, but probably because it is one of the very few things he can actually enjoy doing. Consequently, he is very overweight, has dangerously high cholesterol, and looks like he's going to have a heart attack at any moment. My mom and I worry ourselves sick over him, as does my SIL. Things this summer have gone from bad to worse. His pain is intolerable, but the treatment for the pain is killing him.
But the real story I wanted to tell is that he went to see the Amish faith healer who my partner, L, went to see (see some past blog entry or other). I think he and my SIL are at the end of their rope and are willing to try anything. We are hearing more and more stories of complete healing happening with this man. Word is spreading rapidly and people are coming from all over the country. People who were "healed" are now bringing their parents, their children. I don't know, God moves in mysterious ways. So they went this past weekend, and I talked to him last night. The healer, Solomon, touched various joints, told him it was genetic, that it was his 18th chromosome that was damaged. Told him he had to eat less, which J has been working on. Gave him four months worth of yucca and calcium, explaining what they would do in his body, and told him he'd be well in 4 months. J asked him if he had to keep taking the herbs. Solomon said, "Nope, four months and you'll be well."
Well. It would be a miracle. Just like for L, I want to believe in a miracle so hard I could explode, because if we don't get a miracle, I don't think my brother is going to be with us for a long life, and that is something I simply can't contemplate. That is not acceptable. He is my brother and he has to be here for as long as I'm here, and that is the way the world is supposed to work from my perspective here at the center of Julie's Universe. Am I over my limit on expecting miracles? Please, just one more.
"Autoimmune hepatitis has been diagnosed in some of these cases. Severe hepatic reactions occurred between two weeks to more than a year after initiation of Remicade. Some of these cases were fatal or necessitated liver transplantation."
"New advisory that Remicade may be linked to Lymphoma. The company says the lymphoma incidence rate was six times higher among all patients who took the drug in completed clinical trials."
Lymphoma? We know about lymphoma. We're full up on lymphoma and will pass on any more of it, thanks. The medicines also suppress the immune system, and so he's had rounds of pnuemonia, plueresy, you name it. He has looked extremely unwell lately. He has trouble controling his eating, but probably because it is one of the very few things he can actually enjoy doing. Consequently, he is very overweight, has dangerously high cholesterol, and looks like he's going to have a heart attack at any moment. My mom and I worry ourselves sick over him, as does my SIL. Things this summer have gone from bad to worse. His pain is intolerable, but the treatment for the pain is killing him.
But the real story I wanted to tell is that he went to see the Amish faith healer who my partner, L, went to see (see some past blog entry or other). I think he and my SIL are at the end of their rope and are willing to try anything. We are hearing more and more stories of complete healing happening with this man. Word is spreading rapidly and people are coming from all over the country. People who were "healed" are now bringing their parents, their children. I don't know, God moves in mysterious ways. So they went this past weekend, and I talked to him last night. The healer, Solomon, touched various joints, told him it was genetic, that it was his 18th chromosome that was damaged. Told him he had to eat less, which J has been working on. Gave him four months worth of yucca and calcium, explaining what they would do in his body, and told him he'd be well in 4 months. J asked him if he had to keep taking the herbs. Solomon said, "Nope, four months and you'll be well."
Well. It would be a miracle. Just like for L, I want to believe in a miracle so hard I could explode, because if we don't get a miracle, I don't think my brother is going to be with us for a long life, and that is something I simply can't contemplate. That is not acceptable. He is my brother and he has to be here for as long as I'm here, and that is the way the world is supposed to work from my perspective here at the center of Julie's Universe. Am I over my limit on expecting miracles? Please, just one more.
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Sending good thoughts your way today and always!