Dialysis Positive Quotes

Human society confers little status on janitors because their position is considered unskilled. The Body [of Christ], however, recognizes that lowly janitor cells are indispensable to overall health. If you doubt that, ask someone who must go in for kidney dialysis three times per week.

Marilyn was twenty-two and more frightened than he had ever seen her, terrified of motherhood and its ironclad accompanying responsibility—but the minute Wendy arrived, the very second he laid her, squalling, on her mother’s chest, Marilyn shifted. She came of age instantaneously and suddenly she was Wendy’s mom; she was in her element and everything clicked. And he stood there, his eyes filled with tears, a brand-new and unexpected panic roiling in his gut. And it had been the same thing three times over—another girl, another girl, another girl—despite mounting responsibility and the steady accumulation of debt and details and obligations and years, simple numerical age. Each time his wife shifted fluidly into the mother of two, then three, then four; into a homeowner, a bookkeeper, a crisis counselor, a chauffeur. Caring for their house and their children while also tending to his aging father—Richard now declining, on dialysis, and in need of at-home nursing care—to their rambunctious dog, to him. She did this, and the structure of his daily life remained relatively unchanged, and yet he was the one fucking things up. He, on this terrible night, had given her one more enormous crisis, a ten-foot wave of malicious ineptitude. And she—his lovely wife—had cried herself to sleep, landing in a contorted position that would have been funny under better circumstances.

Faith: It Does a Body Good A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. —PROVERBS 17:22 We’re all trying to be healthier these days. It’s not an easy task, given our hectic schedules. But I know I feel better when I get to the gym at least a few times a week and steer clear of salty, fatty foods. I also feel better physically, not just emotionally, when I stay close to God and active in my faith. That’s not mere coincidence. There is an actual growing amount of evidence showing that faith is good for us on the spiritual and physical level. For example, one study of liver transplant patients conducted a few years ago found that those who were actively “seeking God” were more likely to survive.25 The researchers interviewed transplant patients and, after two years, found that the patients who had a strong religious connection were three times more likely to survive compared to those with no faith. Similar studies, according to this particular report, have also been done on heart patients, HIV patients, and those on kidney dialysis. Other studies have found that losing faith was bad for a person’s health. A comprehensive report entitled “Health Benefits of Christian Faith” reviewed over 1,200 studies and 400 reviews drawing connections between health and faith. According to this report, published in 2011, faith has a number of positive health benefits including “coping with illness, faster recovery, as well as protection from future illnesses.”26 But why is there such a strong connection from a medical sense? This report indicates that those who believe in God have a deep sense that it is not all about them. The report notes that the mental health benefits for believers include: “well-being, happiness and life satisfaction; hope and optimism; purpose and meaning in life; higher self-esteem; better adaptation to bereavement; greater social support and less loneliness; lower rates of depression and faster recovery from depression; lower rates of suicide and fewer positive attitudes towards suicide; less anxiety; less psychosis and fewer psychotic tendencies; lower rates of alcohol and drug abuse; less delinquency and criminal activity; greater marital stability and satisfaction.”27 It’s also impressive to see certain key beliefs of Christianity such as forgiveness and helping others have a positive impact on a number of different ailments. According to the Mayo Clinic, forgiveness is the gift you give yourself.28 And volunteering has been shown to lower stress levels as well. The more you give to God and to others, the more benefits you get in return. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Pray softly… Lord, I am so grateful for all the many gifts you have given me, including my health. Help me to take good care of myself—body, mind, and spirit—so I can continue to give back in your name.