The Power Of Prayer

Yesterday afternoon I had a bit of a scare. After I got back from Shul I started packing some books and other items in our apartment into boxes. At one point it felt like I may have pulled, tore or broke a muscle (in the area of my upper left arm). I went to get checked out at the hospital and they decided, while they did not think it was heart related, they should do an EKG to make sure.

When they finished the EKG the technician said, ”I don’t like they way that looks”.

I asked if she meant she did not like the way it printed out, or if she did not like what it said and she told me she did not like what it said and seemed (at least in my mind) to hightail it back to the doctor.

They came to get me for a second EKG a little while later. This time they shaved a little chest hair out of the way because they thought that might help them get an accurate reading (as the thinking was maybe the last one was not accurate). When it finished the technician said something like, “This one looks better”. Still, the look on her face, the fact that the seemed to keep me hooked up to the machine for a longer period of time (like they might me trying to get additional information) and the fact that they announced the bed where they were moving me, before I was even unhooked from the machine (usually it takes a while before they get you to a bed), all had me concerned.

It was over an hour and a half before someone came to see me. During this time I felt every possible symptom one could feel. Once I thought they thought something was wrong, the mind was able to conjure up all sorts of pain.

It is amazing how as I sat there I found myself praying. English prayers, any Hebrew prayers I knew by heart, any prayers I could think of. It made me feel better. So, I got to wondering, is G-d really quicker to help, or does G-D really care more about those people who pray? Did I have a better chance at survival because I was praying? I really do not think so but I do know it helped to calm me down and make me feel better.

As it turned out, it was just a false reading on the EKG and the second one truly was better and showed everything to be fine. Just hearing that calmed me down. The chest X-rays showed no damage and everything looked fine. I was sent home and told to take it easy over the next two to three days, so that is just what I will do.