Indexing Title: JGGuerra’s Medical Anecdotal Report (05-11)

Title: “Miracles happen”

Date of Medical Observation: July, 2005

Narration:

            It was around three in the morning when I was suddenly awakened by a phone call coming from my neighbor. She was crying out loud over the other line relating to me that his husband was in severe abdominal pain. Duty bound, I immediately got up in my bed and rushed to their place.

            When I arrived, I was welcomed with a hug.  As I approached the patient, I saw a wasted man, jaundice, complaining of right upper quadrant abdominal pain. The patient is a 55 male, chronic alcoholic drinker of many years. History revealed that one month prior to the last attack, the patient consulted a private hospital because of intermittent right upper quadrant pain, jaundice and generalized body weakness. His abdominal CT scan showed solitary mass on the liver suspicious for hepatoma. Patient underwent CT guided biopsy of the mass which revealed hepatocellular cancer. The rest of the metastatic work up were unremarkable.

            The patient was advised and eventually scheduled for operation. However, the patient opted to go home to seek second opinion here in Manila.

            At that time, I gave the patient temporary pain reliever to alleviate his complaint. On the following morning, I advised the family to consult  a hepatobiliary specialist for which they agreed. They immediately consulted a private hospital and another battery of work ups were done.  After two days or so, the same initial findings were obtained. The family broke down in tears when they heard that their love one was truly suffering from a dreaded hepatic cancer.

            On the following morning, I was informed that the patient opted not to be treated.

            Days, weeks and months gone by and I have no idea what happened to him. Until one early morning, I was greeted by a familiar face who happens to be his wife. She was very delighted to inform me that their patient fully recovered from his illness. She even showed me the repeat CT scan results which revealed no traces of cancer. A miracle, perhaps…

            I even asked the family if the patient undergone any form of treatment-chemotherapy, radiation or herbal medicines or whatever. The answer was a big NO. Instead what they claimed was they went to a catholic priest faith healer, who hardly prayed over his husband.

Insights: Discovery, Stimulus, Reinforcements / (Physical, Psychosocial, Ethical)

            As they say miracles happen. In an era of accurate medical science, very selected few believe in miracles, especially in our field. A completely ill cancer patient recovering from his disease was really and truly a miracle, a divine intervention.

            When one is desperate, false hope for cure is welcome, no matter what the means are. In dealing with such patients, the best way is to respect and understand their beliefs. In the event that miracles happen, divine providence sets in. The questions of how, why, and what remain to be unanswered. Maybe only God knows why.

            When one places precious value on his or her life, even the concept of impending death can not compromise one’s desire to live-whatever the odds are. This desire to live compels one to find a cure, unwilling to accept anything but a cure. When all “man made” cure has been tried and was deemed as utter failures, we still have a last thread of hope that clings to our most inner being-our soul. This thread eventually leads to one’s sense of humility. We humble ourselves to the fact that we accept our being human,  and when we posses enough faith, no odds can ever be overwhelming.

            As healers, we are guided by evidence based clinical diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Seldom we encounter miracles, and when they do happen, we sometimes either laugh on it or frankly showed disbelief. Whatever the explanations, we’ll never know…