Page 62 - A Micmac Tale: "Magic Flight"

ISSUE : Issue 41

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1986/1/1

Josie and Jim IVIacNeil (What about prayer? Do you know of anyone cured with prayer, without any medicine be? ing used? Did we have a minister, a priest, who was known because his hands...?) Were blest. (Or something like that.) Jim: Well, there's such a thing. You hear about such a thing. For an example, I was turned down--well, really a board of 5 doctors. Josie: Oh God, yes, that's a story! Jim: Well, my own doctor, you know, when he got the X ray--"I'm sorry, Jim," he said, "there's nothing I can do, or noth? ing any other doctor can do." And I came home--that's 4 years or 5 years, roughly around. Josie: My God, that's an interesting story. He went to (three different doctors.) He was in the City Hospital several times, he was in St. Rita's--and this was only about 5 years ago. I was in the office waiting for Jim to come out, when the doctor said, "There's not a thing I can do for you, or any other doctor." He said, "Your kidney is gone. And if the other kidney was good, we could remove the diseased kidney, and that would give you a lease on life." And an5An7ay, he came in the door and he said to me, "Josie, I'm finished." I said, "Don't feel that way, Jim • " "Well, the doctor said, 'I can't do it, no other doctor can do it--they all looked you over. Your kid? neys are gone and they can't remove them." So when he came in the door, he was half smiling, and I said, "You don't seem to take it that bad." I said, "Listen, Jim, I don't care what the doctor said. They're not God." CONTINUED FROM INSIDE FRONT COVER And that went on. That evening he had his supper. He was down and out. Naturally, anybody who has the death sentence over his head is not going to be very cheerful?? So he went to bed, and I rubbed his back with St. Anne's oil. And I said, "Look, Jim, you're going to be all right." So I took St. Anne's oil and I massaged his back that night. And I had St. Jude's med? al. And (Jim) said the prayer to St. Jude every night--and (he) still says them. And every night before he'd sleep, I'd go over his back until the oil disappeared, that the back was as dry as it was when I started. And his back, from X rays, was like a piece of tissue paper, all wrinkled, just like tissue paper. Up the spine was all just like paper, dry and wrinkly. Jim: Yes, I had probably a dozen X rays in the one day. Go from this X ray to the other. < Josie: Anyway, about a week after--I kept this up, I didn't give in. I said, "You're going to be cured, Jim, never mind, you'll be all right." I said, "Keep your chin up. And have your meals the same as ever-- you'll be all right." And 5 days--it wasn't a week, it was 5 days--I noticed some boils on his leg, some of them the size of the old-fashioned 50-cents. And they were right hard and crusty, but they looked angry underneath. Well, his leg got covered with them, from his ankle right up to his hip--one leg--with all these hard blotches. And I said, "My gosh, Jim, what are we going to do?" So you went to the doctor yourself, and ' Nova Scotia Directory of Youth Services As part of the observance in Nova Scotia of 1985 as International Youth Year, the Provincial Government published a 56-page booklet, "Nova Scotia Directory of Youth Services." The principal objective of International Youth Year was the integration of youth concerns and interests with those of other groups in society, and an understanding and appreciation of the contribution young people can, and do, make to society. In support of this objective, the "Nova Scotia Directory of Youth Services" lists some 70 programs and services provided by provincial government departments, agencies and commissions for young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Copies of the Directory are available, free of charge, by writing to Mr. W. Garth, Secretary, International Youth Year Interdepartmental Committee, P.O. Box 578, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 2S9 (902) 424-4138. Department of Education (63)

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