From Ward Yud: Notes from a Hospital Bed
Given the various medications I am on, and the need to use my left hand to hold down pieces of cotton stopping blood tests from leaking, etc, please forgive my typos.
It is 3:01 PM and my eyes suddenly pop open right onto the clock. Looming above me is the chief thoracic surgeon who looks like an aging Green Bay Packers’ linebacker about to sack a quarterback — me. Fortunately, I already met him. And I respect and trust him. “This is Dr —,” says the orderly “and he’s going to remove the tube draining blood from your lung.”
And remove it he does. His teeth are bared, he growls. It would be comical if it weren’t so scary but I know he means me no harm. His huge hands reach out and literally tear it out of me. It hurts but I must admit he is skillful and the pain is gone in seconds, before the sting ends he sews me up. The orderly puts on the gauze and for the first time I enjoy in three days the ultimate human luxury — not being tied to some piece of medical equipment by a tube. It Is heaven.
The staff is good, though not all charming. I don’t like talking to doctors; they bring out the pessimism in me, even despair. I remain on a steady line of safety tips and good advice thanks to my mother-in-law, a lung expert who has flown over from New York and keeps giving her calming professional opinion.
I quickly realize two things. First, most of us are years out of date in our medical knowledge and thus don’t realize how much progress has been made. My mother-in-law muses that her own father wrote a book about lung cancer 40 years ago.
And I ask, “There must have been a lot of progress since then?” ”
“Oh no,” she says, “there hasn’t.”
My heart sinks.
“But there’s been incredible progress in the last 5-10 years.”
Be well. G’d Bless you, Barry. Refoua’h Shelema’h.
Baruch Rofeh Cholim
You are an inspiration Barry.
Great to hear from you. Please be well.
May God bless you Barry.
I wish you, רפואה שלמה
Thank you for writing all this.
Our best wishes and our prayers are with you.
You are standing tall. Thank you.
you are more than an inspiration if that is possible. we so value everything you write but this particular column more than any. you articulate so well what everyone should know and feel, but forgets so often. we wish you a complete recovery and long life. thanks so much for all you give.
What a moving story, I am very grateful for your words and your first steps in recovery. May our Creator Bless you and shine upon you.
You make me cry Mr. Rubin. You are a wise man and we need you.
I hope you make a full recovery.
What a beautiful piece. Thank you.
Thank you for allowing us, your loyal readers, to be with you as you travel this difficult road. You may never know us personally. I can only hope you know that there are legions of people reading your words and praying along with you for a full recovery, and that it brings you some strength. Refua shleyma.
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
1Thessalonians 5
Refuah shlema.
Very moving piece, and please get well.
Dear Barry,
I am, like so many others, extremely grateful to you for tirelessly sharing your wisdom and insight with intensity and passion. You are a champion of truth – and this world is in dire need of people of your caliber. Please keep this in mind! Hopefully all of your faithful readers will have the privilege of gaining understanding of history, current events and life’s principles through your writings here and in other places for many many more years to come. Best wishes for Refuah Shlema and G-dspeed.
Mr. Rubin – Refuah Shlaima
Keep writing as much as you can. We all need the clarity you bring to the important issues you discuss. Thank you and may the Almighty give you and your family the strength to carry on and see you through to a full recovery.
Barry, I have never cried reading PJMedia before but I am not ashamed to say your article did indeed bring tears to my eyes. Not because of your medical problems but because of your strength, dignity and courage.
There is not a shred of doubt in me that you will be Sandak for the children that your Bar Mitzvah will father and that you will walk those very children to the Chupah.
You have a lot of writing to do but for now rest easy.
Menachem
Dear Barry,
I’m a Catholic so I don’t know the traditional Hebrew words of hope but I do know that we speak to the same Creator and I ask Him to look kindly on you and to grant you peace and comfort and a reprieve from your illness.
Ummmmmmm…..what’s an “orderly”?
There is no such person in a hospital, unless this was written in the 1950′s.
Was it written in the 1950′s?
רפואה שלמה, החלמה מהירה וחזרה מהירה לשיגרה. המן תודה על הכל
Thank you for expending precious strength to tell us this account. Anglican prayers ascending for your complete recovery.
What a beautiful piece. Thank you so much for sharing this ageless wisdom at such a vulnerable time in your life.