High Priest Gives Mercy !

Flashback to 11 pm Sunday night. I went to bed around 11 and knew my first order of business the next day would be to phone the doctor. Beg and grovel if I had to, to get my July 12th appointment moved up.

I called a couple friends at 8:55 to see if their schedules and energies could accomodate Joel. Ben was going to work, and Sarah and Stephen had made plans for a fun day at the cabin on Broad Creek with their aunt, uncle, and cousins from TX. They were to be in Darlington at 10.

Bonnie agreed to keep Joel, so I called the doctor's office. Mind you, I'm a new patient. Need I say more about that? I called and said, "Do you have ANYTHING before the 12th?" The nice receptionist said, "I've had one cancellation. Can you come at 11:00?"

"Today?" Yes, today!

I scurried to drop Joel off at 9:20, fought traffic snarls because of an accident on Rt 1 that closed the road in both directions. Found my way up to the parking pad (where Rachel and Pat would meet the kids and ferry them to the cabin). But by this time it was 10:40 and not a soul in sight. Didn't even know if we were in the right place. I had the wrong cell phone (a defunct one that looks like my "good"one). I found a pay phone, but couldn't connect w/ my sister's cell up in the deep woods. It's 10:47. Sped back toward Bel Air, praying for dear life the dr's office wouldn't turn me away if I was 10 minutes late. There was no way I could get from Darlington to Bel Air by 11.

Sarah dropped me off, took Stephen home, called Uncle Pat, and made alternate plans to meet them at 4:00. Meanwhile I was at the doctor's office where the gals at the desk never even looked up at the clock. Just had me fill out some simple forms. Within minutes I was meeting Dr. Levy for the first time.

I liked him immediately. He sounded like a New York Jew. That always puts me at ease, for some odd reason. He is not from New York, but from Israel, he said, and then Pikesville (a predominantly Jewish suburb of Baltimore where my dentist lives!) Okay, he had lived a while in New Jersey, he admitted, giving me credit for detecting his accent.

Sure, he could've scolded me for not having had gyn care for five years (a trust issue, I told him, after a horrible experience with my last child's birth). Instead, he said, "We're just glad you're here. Some people go 10 years...."

I had to confess to him that, despite the heavy issue I had complained about, saying it was almost unbearable in Russia, I had NO sign of it fromt the time I woke up that day till the time he saw me. Nuttin. Nada. I said, "I guess it's like going to the mechanic when your car suddenly doesn't make that funny noise anymore." He believed me.

Here's the treatment options, in the event the problems recurs:
1) birth control pills
2) endometrial ablation
3) hysterectomy.

Option 2 is what I'd choose. It "cooks" the lining once and for all, and is 95% effective. I just could never have children again. That's okay, we made that decision after Joel's birth. If anymore are added to us, it'll be thru adoption. I am not attached to my womb anymore nor define my womanhood by it.

He found nothing clinically wrong. No fibroids or cysts. Thyroid is normal. So at this point we wait for the cancer screening tests to come back and follow up with him in about 10 days. I said, "Should I just keep my July 12th appointment? " No, he said, we won't set something up till you've had your other consult (for a separate but equal issue) and the test results from this. "

He discerned my apprehension about cancelling an appt already ont he books. "It's just hard to get appointments, " I said.

To which he responded with New York Jew kindness: "Doan chew warry abowt it. I'll git chew in heeuh if I have to breen gyu in on my lunch howah."

He wrote a mammogram script (oh-so-casually) while I read his business card: Chanan Levy.

"How do you pronounce your first name?'" I asked.
"HuhNON," he said, not looking up.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
This time he looked up, and smiled that seemed to say: Strange question,Lady. But he replied,
"Gives mercy."

Gives mercy! What a Godsend! Reading Hebrew (which is right to left, bottom to top) his name means "High Priest gives mercy!"

(I was sad for him that he didn't say WHO gives mercy, but it was like God confirming for me that I was in His hands,under His care.)

So much better than a colleague's name in the next building: Dr Faill.
I found a silly rhyme pop into my head as I walked out:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
When it comes to doctors,
I choose Jew!

Anyway, I woke this morning at 6 ready to iron for my husband. (That is a miracle on par w/ me wanting to grocery shop.) But Paul didn't need anything ironed.

Then I asked Paul to consider and pray about taking my parents' house guests for a few days starting Sunday , I think. (The guests are at Messiah 07 conference.) My mom had a painful procedure done last night and had been four days without solid food. They are missing the conference, something akin to Celebration , for those of us who know what that's all about. Save up and psych up all year. I want to take the burden of hosting off my parents' shoulders.

ONe couple is from Russia, the other family is from Israel (our friends, the Blums). I am eager to cook fish to their delight , to practice my Russian (the Blums are from Estonia , originally) , to give Joel a playmate (named Yoel. They love being called the Yoel Joel twins!)

ANyway, this morning in my journal I wrote:

[ the line from an old (Gaither?) song:] "He Touched me, and Oh the JOY that floods my soul! "
"Who touched ME?" Jesus said to the crowd when then the woman w/ the bleeding issue touched the hem of his robe. Jesus, we've touched each other! I am left only to leap and weep over Your kindness to me. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, JESUS!