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Friday, July 11, 2008

The healing power of humour


When life throws limes at you, don’t make juice. Make jokes. Really. After a short hiatus, Inspire Me Thursday is running again and this week’s theme is healing. For me, this hits home. There is healing power in humour.

Four years ago this month I was very sick. Very. As in, almost dying. My lungs -- as it turned out, both lungs -- were filled with several pulmonary embolisms, including some large ones. Blood clots. Thanks to the skilled nurses and doctors at St. Michael’s Hospital, I’m here to tell the tale. But I attribute part of my healing to the fact that I never lost my sense of humour throughout my ordeal. Yes, I was facing a serious situation to say the least, but heavens -- I wasn’t going to let something like that stop me from being me.

For example, I was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for a day and I was the belle of the ball there. ICU staff are simply not used to patients who are talkative and alert and wisecrackers. “Hey, we get to tell the jokes; we’re the doctors here,” one fun-loving physician doing rounds told me that day. And after I’d been in the hospital for over a week, and was starting to show definite signs of recovery, a young doctor confessed to me. “We just didn’t know what to make of you. Your behaviour. Our tests were showing us you were so sick but you didn’t act it.”

So my advice of the day is this: even when you’re down, try to have a laugh. It will do you good. Like the above photo. I hope it makes you smile. It cracks me up, really it does. Who’s on first? Hu’s on first! I took the photo in Florida back in February at the pre-season opening-day game, Braves vs. Dodgers, at historic Holman Stadium in Dodgertown, otherwise known as Vero Beach. I’m sure every single time Hu makes it to first base throughout his career he will be saddled with the “who’s on first” classic, but you’ve got to admit, it’s a winner. C'mon now. Smile!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMGoodness..did you have leg pain or I guess DVT and din't know it? So scary!

So glad it turned out well and you are here with your good attitude.

laurel said...

I agree whole heartedly that humour is necessary in our lives. Thanks for sharing your story and so glad you were able to recover.

Tammie Lee said...

You are so wise to have humor as your friend and healer!

How wonderful that you are ok now!

firstborn studio said...

i am smiling and sooooo happy that you are here,indeed,to tell the tale!
i subscribe to keeping a sense of humor through the darkest hours,too...it definetely gets you past the mess in tact!

i am sending you this here..just in case you don't get it at your email address(yahoo is finicky,you know)

"hi lennie,
its me again :)

i did not get the email you sent (you mentioned on my blog)...for whatever reason,this has happened with nancy,too...hmmm!?
can you send your address to corey@paperrocks.com and put "forward to denise" in the subject line.
i hope that you get this message!

thanks,
denise"

Susan Williamson said...

Great post! And I completely agree with you. A good laugh and positive thinking is vital to the healing process. (I thought of you while I was watching the Marx Brothers in Night at the Opera tonight).

soulbrush said...

and so say all of us, a giggle a day keeps the doctor away (see my blog for a giggle a day!)
hope you're well now.
here's mine:
http://alwaysforeveryoung.blogspot.com/2008/07/healing.html

jas faulkner said...

Awesome story! I'm glad you shared it!

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