About twelve years ago a growth attended with considerable pain appeared in my right breast. I at once called in our family physician, and, after treating me for six months, he advised an operation, as neither the pain nor the abnormal growth had been checked. The operation was performed and apparently was quite successful, for I had no further trouble for the next three years, but at the end of that time the pain began again and continued to grow worse, causing me a great deal of suffering. I was again attended by the same physician, who advised another operation, and when I would not consent to this, he prescribed the X-ray treatment. This I took for a year with considerable success, for I experienced little pain or trouble until September, 1907, when it began again in worse form than ever. The same treatment was tried for the third time, but it failed to give me any relief, although continued for six months. Every material device having failed, my husband prevailed on me to try Christian Science, as we both dreaded another operation.
About this time (January, 1909) my husband was sent to Mobile, Ala., and I accompanied him. On our arrival I was suffering intensely, and a day or two later I called on a Christian Science practitioner who had been mentioned to me by a friend, and began to take treatment, though with little or no faith in it. The practitioner told me that sincerity on the part of the patient was necessary, and I felt that I could be truly honest in following directions as well as I understood them. I now see that this attitude greatly helped me, and I started in with the sincere intention of doing my part.
I took off my heavy ground glasses the first day, although an oculist had cautioned me to wear them in the street as well as when sewing or reading. My eyes had given me trouble for some time, and their use was always followed by severe headaches. I could really see better without the glasses than with them, but I had used them regularly for twelve years because I dreaded the pain and tired feeling in the head. That night I read Christian Science literature for several hours, and no ill effect came from the use of the eyes except a slight sense of fatigue; and when I awoke, that was gone. From that time my eyes improved rapidly, and the next day I found to my joy that I could use my right arm with little inconvenience, for the pain in the breast had entirely disappeared. To shorten my story, I will say that my improvement was rapid, and I believe the demonstration of good health was effected in a week or less, but because of a lingering fear I requested another week's treatment. At the end of that time the practitioner advised me to discontinue. More than a year has passed, and I have felt no further need of treatment. It is needless to say that I feel profound gratitude to God, for my healing in Christian Science, and to our Leader, whose life had fitted her to discover it and who has so wisely presented it to the world. Besides reading Science and Health while taking treatment, I read also Sibyl Wilbur's "Life of Mary Baker Eddy."
