In 1979, journalist Normal Cousins wrote a book called the Anatomy of an Illness. In this book, Cousins discusses his chronic disease and how a positive mental attitute, typified by laughter, enabled him to overcome the disease without drugs. He has subsequently written additional books on this subject. I am a firm believer in the role a positive mental attitude plays in over coming disease. This is a concept that the medicine profession knows nothing about.
As many of you know, I have been very sick for the last 5 weeks.
http://grouppekurosawa.com/blog/2009/04/dr-steves-not-so-excellent-medical
I have a great physician and HMO, Kaiser, and they put through a battery of tests that almost exhausted me. I had CAT scans, chest xrays, full torso sonograms, and more blood tests that you can imagine. I couldn't sleep, eat, think, or function as a human being. I also coughed all the time. Although I didn't have pneumonia, my lungs were not clear so I was given a dose of a new antibiotic. The antibiotic seemed to work. So I went grocery shopping at Safeway assuming the worst was over. Big mistake. After 30 minutes, I had to sit down with my head in my hands. I was exhausted. I had to have a little 18 year old check out girl take my groceries out to my car and load them into the trunk. I simply didn't have the energy.
When I arrived home, I didn't have the energy to get out of the car. My legs were so weak that I couldn't stand. I am a type 2 diabetic who takes diuretic medicines. So I have to pee about 5 times a day. To add insult to injury, I ended up peeing all over myself while I sat in my car with my legs out. I began to cry because I couldn't stand this illness any longer. If GOD had appeared and asked me if he should take me away, I would have agreed without hesitation. My wonderful neighbors, who watch over me like a mother hen, realized that something was wrong. They walked across the street, got me and my groceries out of the car and helped me into the house. I wanted to die of humiliation.
Why was I so sick? I am never sick. I used to joke that I could walk into a TB ward and not get sick. I have always had a positive mental attitude. And then it hit me. Just prior to my illness, my beloved friend Anna, Dr. Patricia Codron, died of breast cancer after a 20 year struggle. We loved one another, but we were definitely the odd couple. We argued all the time. When the cancer entered her bones, the end was a forgone conclusion. We said our goodbyes and she died a week later. Her sister called me with the news. She said Anna died in her sleep. I was so grateful that she died without pain. Two days later her husband told me the real truth. Anna suffered terrible bone pain for at least 8 hours before she died. I collapsed emotionally and cried for three days. As I wrote in the following essay, Anna was the bravest woman that I have ever known in my life. The stress I experienced over her death completely destroyed my immune system. I became sick a few days later.
http://grouppekurosawa.com/blog/2009/03/anna-patron-saint-of-women-with-breastWhen I began to get better, I assumed that it was due to the antibiotics. But the blood cultures taken earlier showed no evidence of a blood borne bacterial infection. I may have had a systemic fungal infection that would not be affected by antibiotics. If you have a compromized immune system, bread mold can kill you. So why was I getting better? Perhaps the infection just ran its course. Anything is possible. And then I had an insight into what was really going on.
While I was still sick, I found a video on YOUTUBE that made me laugh hysterically. Its a dance team of a 40 year old and his 12 year old son. Since they are of Greek heritage, he calls himself Stavros Flately, the true Lord of the Dance. When the music begins they both enter the stage stripped to the waste wearing blond wigs. All 4000 people in the audience went nuts. I laughed until I cried. I watched that video at least 25 times the first day laughing all the way. The next day I began to get better. The laughter allowed me to overcome the stress that had overwhelmed my immune system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gHvATmUsSgIts difficult to find humor in our present economic climate, but we have to try.
Stay tuned...
Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest
http://www.grouppekurosawa.com
