The Forerunner Times

"A life journal by Nathan J. Elias, called under God's grace to be His forerunner and restorer for His glory."

This is a story about how my illness was healed and how my life itself has been changed by the healing of my ilness.

For those of you who have known me personally, you might have known that I have a bad case of allergic cold that I had since I was about 3 years old. This illness was very burdensome for me as everyday I have to take one pill of Actifed to fight the allergic reaction. If I forgot to take it even once, then the next day I will have a runny nose with unstoppable sneezing all day round. For years I have been praying for God to take this illness away from me. This year, my prayers were finally heard and answered, although I needed quite a measure of faith in the process.

On January 30th, 2008, I went to HSC Medical Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to visit a Dr. Kuljit Singh, a very good specialist in the nose-ear-throat field. He was highly recommended by a friend who was healed after he visited the doctor. Little did I know what I would face, as the doctor diagnosed me and concluded that I needed a surgery to heal this illness. After 20 years, the inner parts of my nose have became so swollen that my nasal passage is completely blocked. Because of this, I have a breathing problem, and in turn, the breathing problem led to my weak physical fitness as my oxygen intake is severely decreased. The doctor proposed to operate me the next day, and he promised that by February 1st I can already go home to Indonesia.

I was so scared, because I have a fear of blood and hospital, and once I even promised myself that I’d better die than having to stay in a hospital and having a surgery. But since I’m already in Malaysia, it would be a waste to back down and just go home without being treated. After struggling with myself, I accepted the offer. The night I couldn’t sleep, thinking of what would happen the next day. My mind began to wander, thinking of many trivial things, like “will I experience the feeling like in the movies where I’m being operated but my soul (?) wanders out of my body and I can see my body being operated from above?” or “will I have an experience like many people where they see a light, a door, a surreal, godly, spiritual, etc (?) experience?”.

On the next day, January 31st, I went to HSC once again to have some preliminary pre-surgery check-ups such as blood test, chest X-Ray and ECG. After the check-ups were done, I went to the hospital by taxi and by 12 pm I am already in a room. The surgery was scheduled for 3.30 pm. I was calm at first, but as the hour draws close, my anticipation and anxiety builds up and I quickly became very scared. After I was told to change into the surgery clothes, I lost all my calm and began SMS-ing all my close friends and spiritual leaders to ask for their prayer support. I tried to calm myself once again, but as the clock strikes 3.30 pm and my bed was being moved to the operation room, all I could do was surrender and try my best to put my faith in God and the doctors.

Arriving in the operation room, it was really like what I saw in CSI and other movies. A round room with many machines, many doctors and a big alien-like lights (or “autopsy lights” as I call it) in the middle of the room, above my bed. I was trembling and shaking with fear. The doctors noticed it and tried to calm me down. One female doctor held my hand and told me it would be okay, while the anesthetic surgeonist tried to make a conversation with me.

“Hey, I’m your anesthetic for today. Where are you from?”
“I’m from Surabaya, Indonesia.”
“Oh, nice place” (….haha, bluffing, I thought, so I asked…)
“You’ve ever been there?”
“Well, nope, but I heard there are really nice golf places there.”
“Yup, there are. You play golf?”
“Sure do. Would like to visit there one day. Anyway, first time?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m pretty scared. Will it hurt?”
“Nope. Won’t feel a thing.”
“Alright. I will insert the drip now. You might feel a bit cold.”
(…hmmm, cold? It was more like a bit warm and tingly, I’d say, so…)
“Cold? Hmmm, more like warm. Alcohol warm.”
“Yeah? Felt like drinking some alcohol? I like Vodka, you know.”
“Hmm, well, I’d prefer some Baileys for me.”
“Baileys eh? Yeah, that drink is also nice too.”

I was going to answer that I liked the Caramel Baileys and was going to ask if he liked it too, but before I could say it, the anesthetic kicked in and I fell asleep. I didn’t feel anything and I didn’t remember anything. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Blank. When I woke up, it was around 5 pm and I was back in my room. I felt quite a bit dizzy and unbalanced, with a little pain on my nose — as it was plastered and stuffed with cotton — and also from the drip in my left hand. I couldn’t do or say anything else other than to thank God for caring me and taking me through the ordeal. As I couldn’t breathe very well, coupled with a runny nose, I couldn’t sleep so I end up spending the night playing my PSP. The next morning, the doctor came and undid the package in my nose. I could see some dried blood on the cotton, but not too much. The doctor told me to try inhaling and exhaling, and it felt really nice, like I haven’t been able to breathe like this for so many years, or maybe even my entire life.

February 1st, 2008 was the turning point of my life. My illness was healed, and although I still had to rely on some medications like Nasacort and Telfast until my allergy is completely healed, I felt way better than before, heck, maybe never even felt like this before. Finally I can breathe like a normal person. In the first week, I already felt that my energy level was up and my physical fitness was higher than before. I can handle more workload without quickly becoming tired and my performance on the job becomes better. Now I can manage my time better as I can do more tasks than before, and this way I felt that I’m becoming more effective for God’s purposes.

I remembered one sermon that said “if God felt that your sickness will prevent you from fulfilling His vision, mission and purpose for you, He will surely lift it from you in His own time”. Now the time has come and I’m very thankful for it. I must always remember to use this “newly given life” for Him alone. Thank you God, for hearing my prayers. Thank you Jesus, for this new life. I will be forever grateful and forever I will always be working for your glory, to be on the frontline for your purposes and your mission. It’s all that I can give back to You, even though I know that it’s not enough and that it will never be enough, LORD… as you gave it to me for free, by the blood of your son Jesus Christ.

For those of you who have the same problems with allergic cold and would like to visit the doctor:
Dr. Kuljit Singh
HSC Medical Center
Lot 3.6, Level 3, PNB Darby Park, 10 Jalan Binjai, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60-3-2712 0903. Fax: +60-3-2712-0902
E-mail: kuljits @ pc . jaring . my