AFTER I STARTED GRADUATE SCHOOL in the fall of 1997, my health deteriorated suddenly and rapidly. Although the condition was never medically diagnosed, the issue seemed to be heart related. My heartbeat had become irregular, and I began to feel weak and frequently dizzy. Because even walking across the street was difficult, I started paying to park my car as close as possible to my classes, and taking the elevator up to the second floor.
I have witnessed a multitude of personal and family healings through prayer, so my first response was to pray for myself the way I've learned to pray in Christian Science.
After a couple of months, my boyfriend was so concerned with my decision to pray for healing rather than seek medical treatment that he broke up with me. My dad and stepmother also wanted me to see a doctor. The dizziness and nausea had kept me from eating normal-size servings of food for a while, but after the breakup with my boyfriend, I ate even less. I was very close to his family and felt I was losing a big part of my support network at a difficult time in my life.
