For the past 6 weeks I have spent time on the in-patient hospital ward team. Our program has a pretty rigorous in-patient experience as we cover both ICU and general medical patients simultaneously. This has allowed a diverse clinical experience with a wide range of medical acuity on any given night. The first 4 weeks consisted of 'day' work, followed by two weeks of night float. My 13 hour days have been painfully long and tedious, and yet I am learning more than I ever have before. It's great to have an 80 hour/week limit with 16 hours max for intern shifts. It is hard to imagine working beyond our current 80 hours, but maybe the coffee was just a bit stronger in the 'old days' of residency.
Two weeks ago, I was able to attend a faith and healing conference in my current city of Lancaster, PA. 8000+ people came to hear prominent Christian leaders on the forefront of supernatural healing. While I have had numerous experience in the past with charismatic groups, this conference did not define itself by any one denomination. It brought together many different backgrounds, with the goal of encouraging more openness to God's powerful kingdom confronting the forces of darkness. I saw many miraculous healings and the testimonies of recipients. I began to wonder, what is the role of the supernatural in my work as a doctor? It seems there is a false division between natural and supernatural healing, as both come from God as sustainer and creator of both the seen and unseen. I pray for grace to seek out more of God's power to heal within both realms.
With these thoughts in mind, I recently had a conversation with a patient who has been in the ICU an average of 2-3 times per month with diabetic ketoacidosis. Though in her mid 20s, she has already accrued well over a million dollars of medical bills due to both poor compliance with her insulin regimen as well as a progressively worsening physiology. In just 6 weeks I have admitted and discharged her at least 3 times (maybe even 4). In talking with her last night, it became clear that she is absolutely miserable: severe, chronic abdominal pain; depression; isolation; misery. From a modern medical standpoint, I have no answers nor solutions for her problem. The only thing I had to offer was to reach out my hand and pray for God to powerfully heal her. I remember Luke 5:17, And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. I have full faith she will be healed and would know God's shalom one day.
