Show How one : tin iS i DECEMBER 2000 I MET A panent named Barbara Wilson: Barbara was 67 a retired histo-- r ry teacher active in her church and the leader of its Sundayr school classesHer husband had died suddenly in his 40s and a lump in her left breast that was shown to be cancer She had V s-- fiW was found to be growing in herbonCs and liver V ' It was atvninallv frigid January day in New England As I reviewed the results of ' Barbara was seated m the waiting room wearing a heavy the biopsy and scans there was woolen sweater flankedby twowomen—— : 'il—'ho sign of tiis r from bier church She was tail and slim'- or fear r tress oh::’I ’I v - with angular features and serious blue her face! continued “1 believe we should and active life working at the church traveling en-- I V ' ' ' ? 5 treat the tumor aggressively—'’ eyies I asked whether she wanted her joying your family That’s the goal" “So do I" Barbara interjected! “I want I pausedAt this point many patients asked fo more friends to sit in on our discussion' "Do I need bodyguards?” Barbara to make it plain that I wish to live as long deudlsBarbara didn't')’-- ' v as possible so long as diere is quality to “It’s important to understand that stricdy speaking asked with a laugh “I suspect what I V-! is ifwe no ' remission there for breast achieve cure even am going to hear will unnerve them mylife’V :' The in ' Barbara badjuinpedooe step ahead of 'cancer once it has metastasized Treatment is palliative”' more than me1'a series by ' In my office her' eyes lingered on me Bul l still needed' to make sure she unknow” Barbara said Her expression remained plant of me 'some Whiit derstood “aggressive treatment” pastel drawing of a rainbow below the most meant in terms of side effects and risks' things don’t go well” I added rainbow were verses from Genesis in' 1 renowned When Idescribed them she affurned that “Doctor let tire give you this” Barbara dug into a which God promises Noah that after: iV--- ' physicians canvas tote bag and handed me a sheaf of papers Onie a she understood the Flood life on earth will never again scenario” 1 'was a' notarized healdt-car- e be threatened with extinction: “Let’s look at the bat-cas- e proxy The other was an " directive stating explicitly thatshoiuM the? Barbara said “despite said “The treatment causes the cancer to regress and : ‘God has kepi his promise : "what some men have done” She sat down across from quality of her life deteriorate significantly no excessive you enter into remission Hopefully yours will be a very ‘ V c live can remission that full me her hands folded in her lap measures were to be taken a time terig way you During Tfr : j Meditations : - cnHealing - third ji j '! I 'worlds i : ' pack i pscureri ai uws wam iaoBaams ' |