I do not believe I ever experienced a well day in my life until I was healed through Christian Science. I have had almost every disease that flesh is heir to, and at times was confined to my bed for weeks. The one ailment from which I suffered most, however, was what the doctors called gastric catarrh of the stomach and bowels. There were periods of weeks that I could take no food except in liquid form, and never more than two or three spoonfuls at one time. I would have the most violent attacks of vomiting, and the pains in the stomach were so terrible that my only relief would be a hypodermic injection of morphine. I suffered constantly from nervous headaches, melancholia, and sleeplessness. Finally my physician told me there was no hope for me, as my digestive organs were paralyzed and I would slowly starve to death. I had wasted away until I weighed only ninety pounds. In the mean time I had tried almost every known remedy, including electricity, massage, baths, and change of climate, but to no purpose.
About six years ago a friend of mine loaned me Mrs. Eddy's work, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," telling me I might find some relief in that. I read the book through and took it back to her saying, "I do not want that, for I have no faith in God. I have prayed to Him for years and never received any benefit." But I added, "I do believe mind has a great deal to do with it." I then began to study different human theories, and in this way I struggled on for three years more. I did get better and I now know it was the reading of this book, Science and Health, that did it. There were, however, only a few things I dared to eat, and there was no apparent action of the digestive organs, as I always had to take medicine to digest the food. I still had those terrible headaches and attacks of vomiting.
About three years ago I attended a lecture on so-called "mental science," and the lady who was talking said if she should get sick she thought she would send for a doctor, but she added that it is our business not to get sick. This did not satisfy me at all, for I had tried doctors all my life and had not been cured. I came out of the room and was walking along meditating on what I had heard, when suddenly I looked up, and there was a sign, "Christian Science Reading Rooms." I stood there for a few moments and these thoughts came to me, "I know they do not believe in doctors, and they say they have some marvelous cures. I think I will go in and buy that book and read it again." I did so, but did not look at it until my husband went out for the evening. When he came home late at night I was still reading, and the thought that was uppermost was, "God is Mind." I had at last found the truth and I was healed. I have never thought of taking medicine since that night, and I then knew I could eat any food I desired and it would not hurt me.
