Tag: health

Posted in health

Uh-oh. Am I going to die?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s still dark as the big dog and I round the corner. Something on this sign catches my attention, so we double back to grab a photo. (I’ve learned to take a photo of anything that grabs my attention.)

I wondered about the dark black time at the bottom. Re-used an old sign? Changed their mind about the start time? Whatever.

But what about that little sticker up top?

A California warning about “cancer and reproductive harm.”

That sounds serious. Was I taking a chance by getting close enough to take a photo or read the warning sticker? Did the people who wrote the address and time touch a dangerous substance? Would your air be contaminated if you had this sign in your house? Was this warning sticker only for someone who might take a bite of this sign?

It’s California proposition 65. Harmful chemicals may have been used in the production and printing of this sign. The list is 900 chemicals long. And one must be exposed to them daily over a span of seventy years.

Whew. I’m safe for the moment. Only one minute for one day for me so far. Come on, big girl, just keep walking.

Posted in Life

Life in the fast lane

Posted on by William Douthwaite

My semi-annual doctor’s appointment is the fast lane. From leaving my house to returning home: fifteen minutes.

I arrived five minutes before my appointment. Gave my name, they said, “You’re all set.” I sat in the empty waiting room for forty-five seconds before a friendly voice said, “William?”

I followed her into the first exam room. Stepped on the scale for my weight. Sensor on my finger captured my heart rate and O2 while she too my temperature. My blood pressure was good. In any pain today? Nope. Okay, the doc will be in soon. That took all of two minutes.

Sixty seconds later, a knock at the door. “Hey, thanks for coming in!” “Hi, doc, good to see you!”

His opening line is always, “So tell me everything.”

I could only reply that I had nothing to share. Feeling good. No issues I was aware of.

He did a quick run through of my bloodwork. Everything looks good.

I brought him up to date on all my recent vaccines: pneumonia, shingles, flu.

“Hey, I’ll see you in six months.”

He hands me a copy of my bloodtest results and an appointment card, and is out the door. I am back to my car in less than ten minutes.

Too fast? Too efficient? Maybe. I’m grateful that I’m healthy, and don’t have a lot of issues to deal with right now. Short doctor visits affirm that this is a great time to be alive.

Posted in pastor

A hospital visit

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

It’s been a few years since I made a hospital visit. Our pastor is on vacation and since I’m filling in for him for a few weeks, I got the call about a member being admitted from the emergency room.

I’d been to this hospital many times. It was familiar, but different. The automatic entry didn’t open as I approached, a sign pointing me to the other front entrance. Stanchions guided me past a security guard and through a metal detector. That was new. A receptionist found the room number for me, took my picture, and printed out my photo visitor ID tag for the day. This was a new procedure for this location.

I made my way to the elevators. One thing that hadn’t changed was waiting for an elevator. All four working elevators were up at the top floors of the hospital. The stairs were right there behind me, so I took them to the third floor.

I had a great visit. The patient gave me the usual, “You didn’t have to come all the way down here.” I’m thinking, “Of course I did. That’s what pastors do. That’s what the church does. “I was sick and you visited me” (Matthew 25:36).

Our conversation was punctuated by a tech drawing blood and a nurse checking in. I didn’t stay long, knowing that when you’re not feeling well, a short visit is always better. After a prayer I was on my way.

I’m always fascinated with all the activity in a hospital. I marvel at the choreographed flow of doctors, nurses, techs, and other caregivers. I’m in awe of the medical technology. I’m fascinated by the healing process and all that goes into it.

I learn something new about diseases, medications, treatments, and wellness every time I visit someone. I appreciate the opportunity to continue my education!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Ew. That looks like mold.

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nancy Hughes on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Leviticus 14.

As soon as the water receded, they moved in. Volunteers from all over the country showed up and started mucking out homes that had been under three feet of hurricane storm surge water. Once the sheetrock gets wet, the mold will begin to grow in a humid Florida climate.

If you’re not familiar, “mucking” means ripping out any and all the walls that have been underwater. If you don’t do that, the mold will grow. It will grow behind the walls. It will grow quickly. It will contaminate the air in your home. Before you know it, you’re sneezing, coughing, and sniffing from the black mold growing in your home.

In the bible, it’s the priest’s job to deal with the mold in your home.

“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a spot of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession, then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, ‘Something like a spot of leprosy has become visible to me in the house.’ The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the spot, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to look at the house” (Leviticus 14:34-36).

I’ve sat in homes that made me sneeze, sniffle, and cough. Maybe it was the cat. Maybe it was the garbage. It could have been the dirty carpet. Mold? Maybe. Maybe it was something else. All I know is that it wasn’t healthy.

God cares about your physical and spiritual health. And sometimes that means you need to clean up whatever is making you sneeze, sniffle, or cough.

Our church had to deal with some roof leaks. A member stopped attending worship, claiming that some of the carpet had gotten wet and moldy. We analyzed the air, replaced the carpet, and fixed the roof. That member never came back to church. Even though the pastor (the priest) said it was all good. Go figure.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Are you going to eat that?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Leviticus 11.

At least once a month, lunch at the fraternity featured, “BLT – down all the way!” as Randy would mimic his favorite New York deli. I have to admit that we Gentiles made sure our Jewish brothers witnessed how much we enjoyed bacon as they settled for other leftovers.

I’m not saying they were devout. I only ever saw them go to synagogue on Yom Kippur. They didn’t eat pizza for the first three days of Passover week before they caved. None of my Jewish friends could explain the story of Hanukkah in December. But they drew the line at bacon and rare roast beef. I know, that’s not blood in rare roast beef, but that’s what they claimed they were avoiding. I would imagine they grew up in homes where those foods were avoided. (We Christians weren’t especially devout at college, either.)

Leviticus 11 is filled with dietary laws. Pork was unclean and off-limits for Israel. Swimming fish were fine, but shellfish was prohibited. It was OK to east locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers. What about lizards? Nope. No roadkill, either.

I find it interesting that holiness, at least in this context, was determined by your choice of food and contact with a dead animal. In hindsight, we know that may of these rules were for health reasons. They distanced God’s people from the pagan culture around them, who didn’t have as many regulations.

I read with interest those restaurants shut down by the health department. Sometimes, I’ll think, “Didn’t we eat there just last week?” I try not to think about that.

As New Testament believers, no foods are off limits (Acts 10). But I still try to distance myself from artificial sweeteners, chemicals, and processed food, along with too much fast food. I feel better, and feel better taking care of a body the bible calls a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).