Diana's Weekly Thoughts
This week I have been on the other side of the health service. Mark and I have been together for nearly thirty years but this is the first time I remember us both being ill at the same time, we have both had the ‘flu type illness that is going around. I also developed cellulitis in my leg and foot and knew it would need antibiotics to cure it, however, I could not get and appointment with my doctor. I was told to turn up at 11.30 in the morning and wait on two occasions but I already have my own patients booked by then.
On Friday evening I decided that the only way to get the antibiotics was to go to the Walk-in Centre in Teddington after work. I do not know how the car got me there, nor how I managed to sit in the waiting area for over half an hour before I was called, but the Lord was looking after me.
The nurse who called me for initial assessment was worried that I had misdiagnosed myself and the symptoms I had given the receptionist could indicate a deep vein thrombosis so she moved me forward. Having ascertained that I was correct and that I needed antibiotics she decided that it would be silly to make me wait another hour or so for these to be prescribed so she got them for me then asked if I would mind leaving by the back door so that the people in the waiting room would not know I had queue jumped. I really think if I had had to wait longer I would have passed out.
I arrived home to find Mark had been sent home early as he was so poorly but he realised how bad I felt and managed to make us some soup before we collapsed into bed. I spent the next twenty-four hours lying down as instructed.
At the carol concert rehearsal on Thursday, my swollen leg was noted and Bob M lead prayers for me. I have to say that I have always been sceptical about prayers for healing even after seeing Mark make a miraculous recovery from pneumonia after an anointing a couple of years ago. The Lord helps those who help themselves according to my Mother and I think this is what happened in my case. The prayer was answered in a different way from that which was expected. A Good Samaritan in the Walk-in Centre helped me enormously and the treatment I was given was more successful than I would have expected. I know that antibiotics take forty-eight hours to kick in but the hard red swelling of my leg was improved within twenty-four.
I may not have done all I was hoping to do in this last weekend before Christmas, particularly not visiting my Mother-in-law, who at the age of 89 fell down stairs last week and needed plastic surgery to her injuries (amazingly she did not break a bone) but I should be able to do what is needed for the Carol Service tonight. I have been working on it for weeks and would hate to have missed it. God obviously wants me to be there too.
