Prayer in US, yet banned in the UK

We watched a thrilling TV program tonight on Dr Ben Carson, one of the US leading paediatric neurosurgeons. He is a devout Christian who has led the world in seeing "miraculous" recoveries of patients for whom other doctors had given up hope.

He states he prays before each surgery, and asks his patient to do the same as their homework and contribution to the team. The results speak for themselves, this guy is world renowned, and even gets onto TV in the UK....

Yet what of our NHS? Will they learn from such leaders? It seems we are determined to suppress any formal mention of God. Recently a nurse has been suspended just for offering to pray for an elderly patient. The patient was not even offended! Yet the nurse was suspended.

From the BBC:

Community nurse Caroline Petrie says she asked an elderly woman patient during a home visit if she wanted her to say a prayer for her. Mrs Petrie follows the Baptist faith.

The patient, believed to be in her 70s, refused and Mrs Petrie insists that she left the matter alone.

The woman wasn't offended but was concerned that someone else might be". As a result of this Mrs Petrie was suspended, without pay, on 17 December 2008 and will find out the outcome of her disciplinary meeting next week. You can sign a petition on her behalf here.

It could be excusable of we had proof that our NHS treatment beat Dr Ben Carson's, but it doesn't. It seem so sad that our NHS take such a line, something that has only come in over the least 30 - 40 years. A London hospital in the 1970s used to start each day with prayers on the wards, and Jan regularly prayed with her patients. What we have lost...

1 year anniversary - all clear

Jan had her first year anniversary checkup 2 days ago, thankfully all clear. Jan saw the consultant surgeon, who merely felt her breast, and was unconcerned so no mammogram was taken.

As neither he nor she could not feel the original cancer, it only showed on mammogram and then ultrasound this is not too re-assuring, but a mammogram is scheduled for 6 months time.

The nest day I reflected on how we relied on a clear outcome, and how devastating a recurrence of cancer would be. We have just booked two foreign holidays for the next 3 months without any cancellation insurance. Any re-arranging to fit around hospital visits would be so depressing. So we thank God for this good news.

Jan continues with a slight skin rash, attributed to the long since abandoned Tamoxifen, and pain in her shoulder, attributed to Arimidex. But so far she lives with that to reduce the risk of recurrence.