Our office nurse asked me to see her because she was feeling ill. She could not get an appointment to see her own doctor, so I agreed to see her as a patient. When I examined her, she had a painful palpable mass in her right upper abdomen. Her skin had a yellow tinge. Lab work indicated elevated liver enzymes.
I sent her for an ultrasound, which confirmed a large mass. I quickly got her into a surgeon who did a biopsy and confirmed a rare pancreatic cancer, which presented as a large mass involving her liver. Since we are located in a rural area, she was sent to a larger hospital for further testing and treatment.
The prognosis wasn’t good. She accepted her condition and only prayed she would live long enough to finish the afghan she was working on for her grandchildren. The only thing she asked for were prayers, and our small community made up of varied faiths gave her just that.
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When the patient was tested again two weeks later, we were amazed that all signs of her cancer had resolved! It is now 10 years later and she continues to be an inspiration to our community and our firm belief in the goodness of prayer.
Tell us about your most memorable patient by December 15, 2010, and you’ll be eligible to win an Apple iPad!
