Old business, new prayer

Old business

I started this blog last Friday. Then I got as sick as I’ve ever been! I have never spent 6 entire days laying down feeling like I didn’t want to talk to anyone, get on the internet, watch TV, eat, or anything that would remind me that I couldn’t breathe, sleep or even think straight.

It started as a “tickle” in my throat on Friday afternoon. I thought it was harmless and would go away as quickly as it came on. I made plans to work in Stockton on Saturday morning, and play nine holes of golf in the afternoon. I didn’t wake up until 9AM on Saturday, however (after my boss called me –uh oh!), and I told him it was probably too late to get anything done and I was feeling really tired, so I would take the rest of the weekend off. He said I deserved it, so there I was.

Marilyn has been doing some required schooling in Merced for re-certification in some new imaging techniques, so she was out town. So instead of going golfing that afternoon as I had planned, I was really tired and decided to lie back down. I slept until late that evening. No lunch, no dinner, no TV, no computer. The problem was, I couldn’t sleep all night then. I spent all night simply thinking of how miserable I was starting to feel. I could hardly wait for 7 AM when I would get up and get ready for Mass and the theater in San Francisco with Marilyn and Sarah.

Marilyn, Sarah and I had tickets to see Wicked in San Francisco on Sunday for Sarah’s birthday. But when 7AM actually did arrive, I didn’t feel like going to Mass, the theater, or anywhere else. Marilyn asked Alicia if she wanted to take my place at the theater, but she just wanted to stay home with Lorenzo and Lily and see if I would need anything. God Bless her. So Marilyn was able to get her sister Vickie to go with them. Again, I lay down all day with no lunch, no dinner, no TV, no computer (other than to check my mail from work and on AOL—just in case Mom was trying to reach me.) I finished answering the mail (took all of 10 minutes) then called my boss to tell him I was really having a lot of trouble breathing and a cough had started so I wouldn’t be in on Monday. He said to take all the time I needed—a premonition? Then it was back to sleep again! I don’t even remember Marilyn and Sarah coming home!

Monday morning found me unable to take a deep breath. I left a note on the kitchen drain board for Alicia to read when she woke up to please call and make an appointment for me with the doctor. I listed my symptoms—there were 10!!! Anyone who knows me well knows I HATE going to doctors, so I knew this was serious.

When I got to the doctor, she confirmed that I had a pretty good case of bronchitis and prescribed an inhaler, a couple of antibiotics, and some painkillers for my headache, which had really become unbearable. I could hardly wait to be able to breathe and not have this damned headache anymore.

It took 24 hours for the medicines to do their thing, but once they did, it was a pretty rapid recovery, although I still today (Saturday) have some residual coughing and an earache.

There were only two good things that came out of this illness. I lost 14 pounds! I don’t recommend this method to anyone, but hey, at least I can wear some of my older pants now. The other good that came out of it was I had a chance to think of some really thought-provoking blogs for this week. I will begin with the one I was going to write before I got sick. Thanks to all of you for your prayers this last week.

New business

It is related in the annals of Clairvaux that St. Bernard asked Our Lord which was His greatest unrecorded suffering and Our Lord answered, “I had on My Shoulder, while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grievous Wound, which was more painful than the others and which is not recorded by men. Honor this Wound with thy devotion and I will grant thee whatsoever thou dost ask through Its virtue and merit. And in regard to all those who shall venerate this Wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins and will no longer remember their mortal sins.

The Prayer

O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I a miserable sinner salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Your Shoulder on which You bore Your heavy Cross, which so tore Your Flesh and laid bare Your Bones as to inflict on You an anguish greater than any other Wound of Your Most Blessed Body. I adore You, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify You and give You thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching You by that exceeding pain and by the crushing burden of Your heavy Cross to me merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of the Cross. Amen.