Hands On

According to the Guinness Book of Records the Bible is the best selling book of all time with over 1 billion copies sold.  Pretty solid sales for a book written by shepherds most people have never read.  Stephen King would be appalled if you purchased The Shining, but never read it.  For those unread, healthcare is mentioned throughout the Bible especially in the New Testament where Christ heals people everywhere in the Holy Land.  The key component of Christ’s healing, however, is He always touches the sick to heal them.  Whether leprosy, hemorrhages, or blindness, healing occurred with touching.  This therapy, however,  has departed modern medicine with its digital sterile process, telemedicine, and Purell.  Regardless of what the CDC says we need to touch people more to heal and be healed.

Over the years the physicians who have treated me fall into two categories; touchers or non- touchers.  The touchers have been seasoned practitioners who know that diagnosis and healing comes with listening to your heart, taking your pulse, pressing your abdomen, etc. to supplement the electronic diagnosis.  They’ll also shake your hand when greeting you or pat you on the back when leaving; it’s comforting. Trust me, you can have a perfect lab score, but still be carrying around a basketball sized tumor.  The second set of doctors have been academic physicians that look at you like a science experiment (which you are).  If they poke you with one finger it’s probably a mistake, they don’t want to touch you; whatever you got might be catchy.

Touching also applies to relationships,  especially in business.  Although there are important boundaries for touching at work; putting your arm around someone comes in handy.  Years ago I had a really crummy budget presentation at Phymatrix.  My boss, Frank Tidikis (tough nut, Marine Corp, Vietnam vet, etc) took me aside down the hallway, put his arm around me and said, “That really sucked; we’ll have a repeat tomorrow.”  No screaming,  no public embarrassment.  I got to live another day.  Years later when I was the boss, Alan Tyra had a challenging budget presentation about his competitor hospital in Natchez, MS.  At the break, I put my arm around him, and said in a low Hannibal Lector voice, “Alan, when you got your competitor under water, don’t let him up until the bubbles stop.”  My arm around him was comforting, but he knew my quiet words were serious.

COVID has put a crimp on touching and healing in all sectors of life; work, church, schools, friendships, etc.  The distance has negatively impacted people’s mental health more so than the virus itself.  One of Diane’s greatest attributes as a 4th grade teacher was she hugged all of her kids as both a comforter and motivator.  These “kids” are now in their mid 40’s, but they still reach out to her and tell her the positive impact she had on their lives.  That wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t hugged them regularly unlike school today.  Keep that in mind next time someone is feeling down; don’t be afraid to give them a hug; it is one of the strongest treatments ever known to man.  Slainte!