A reader recently commented on one of my posts, stating that they had been a ‘radical relier‘ on Christian Science for much of their life until they left Christian Science, and related a painful dental story. The last sentence of their comment really resonated strongly with me, and my own experience now as a former Christian Scientist.
” . . . I still hesitate to contact for medical help and the longer I hesitate, the more my imagination runs away with me!”
When I read that last line, I saw myself, and probably a large majority of former Christian Scientists. Many of us will wait a lot longer to seek medical attention than others would, and I’m certain me and my friend here are not the only ones who consequently end up letting our imaginations run away with us.
For example, for the past few years, I’ve started to feel noticeably lethargic, unable to sustain a lot of physical activity, and just generally not feeling 100% good. I lost interest in cycling, hiking, running, and other demanding physical activities I used to partake in with some regularity. I felt shortness of breath, occasional dizziness, and fatigue seemingly randomly. I began to think I had some terrible and potentially life-changing condition like diabetes, and/or perhaps heart disease. I have a cousin who has diabetes, and I was told one of my grandfathers may have had it. On the heart disease front, that is what killed my father. So, I had reasonable basis to think maybe I had one or both of these conditions. I was scared of the potential answer.
Earlier this year, I finally got connected with a regular doctor, and had a complete physical with blood work, and a check up with a heart specialist and an allergy specialist, when I mentioned the concerns I had. The blood work came back completely normal (no diabetes), and the heart check-up also came back good. What I do have is asthma, induced somewhat by allergies (I’ve been told to find my cat a new home), which accounts for pretty much most of what I was experiencing symptom and lifestyle-wise. Now that it’s getting under control, I’m getting back on track with physical activity, and losing some weight that I’ve gained. While not something to be scoffed at, the asthma is far less life changing that the other possibilities could have been. I can live a normal life, it isn’t severe, and it’s able to be controlled with medication.
More recently, I had my regular dental check-up, and when they asked the usual, “are there any concerns you have with your teeth?” question, I mentioned that one of my teeth that had recently been crowned occasionally felt “funny” as I put it. Not alarmingly painful, just occasionally odd sensations. During the course of the exam, they discovered that I had an abscess. I’m on antibiotics now to get the abscess under control, and I’ll soon be experiencing the pleasures of a root canal. My hygienist wondered why I hadn’t called, and I said that it didn’t seem serious to me–I wasn’t in excruciating pain or anything, and I knew I had the check-up coming soon, so I figured it could just wait. She said something that will probably stick with me for the rest of my life: “we’d rather you call it in and be dealing with something minor, than for it to end up becoming something serious.”
So, my advice to all former Christian Scientists, well for everyone for that matter is that if you think you do have something that needs attention from the doctor or dentist, or whatever, call. Get it checked out. Better that it just be something minor and they just take care of it or give you advice on managing it until it clears up, than it be something more serious, and something that becomes a serious danger to your health if it goes untreated.
Emerging Gently 
When you found out you had asthma and you got it under control, were you able to keep your cat?
I still have her, but the advisory to find her a new home still stands. I know it would be better for me (physically) if I did find her a new home, as I notice an improvement if I spend even just a few days visiting someone who doesn’t have a cat, but emotionally I’m just not at the place where I can let her go. The asthma isn’t severe.
Hello, I just found your blog and am particularly intrigued and helped by it already. Regarding your cat though, I would like to point out that it is normal to make cost benefit decisions in cases like this, where you might decide to suffer a little health wise, in order to gain companionship, and/or in the best interest of your cat’s life and happiness. I hope what I said makes sense, and wish you and your cat the very, very best.
Thank you! Believe me, what you said makes perfect sense, and it’s exactly the thought process I have been going through. Bottom line, my life isn’t in danger with the cat in my home, although I have little doubt my health would be better, so I weigh all considerations. I keep my mind open to the possibility of letting her go to a new home, but her well-being is of equal or greater importance to me as is my health. Each time she looks at me with her trusting feline eyes, I know I should do no less for her. I made a commitment when I adopted her to be her caretaker for life, and to ensure her proper care and well-being–that includes choosing carefully if I need to find her a new home. What I’ve had to do is make sure I don’t hold on to her for selfish reasons, and if it’s better for her to be in another home, I need to be willing. She can also be a blessing to someone else who needs her love and companionship too. It’s taken me a long time to get to that point…to be open to possibly letting her move to a new home. But, they will have to spoil her as much or more than I do…lol…
I was born into CS as was my mother. In recent years I’ve had some health issues which require me to take medication. If I didn’t do this, I would be risking my health and possibly my life.
At this point in my life I guess I’m CS light (I don’t know what a secular CS believes, so I can’t say that I’m a secular CS). I have been very conflicted and I haven’t really be able to talk to anyone about it who understand. I’ve only discussed this with one person a good friend who wasn’t a CS and she didn’t really understand what I was talking about.
One of the worst things that you can say to a CS is that there aren’t a good one or they are a bad CS. If the person saying this isn’t a CS one would usually say that they don’t understand. If it’s someone in the faith who says this, it has more of an impact. Usually this will not be to you’re face.
For a long time I’ve felt like I’ve lived a lie even though I haven’t lied to anyone. I’ve never told anyone who is a CS my issues. No one has asked me either.
In so many ways, I or some other ex-Christian Scientists I’ve come to know, could relate to your story very well. I will say that in my opinion, there’s no such thing as a “secular Christian Scientist”. You’re definitely what I’d call “CS lite”. I will say that you will likely not find someone who isn’t CS who will truly understand what you’re dealing with. None of my current friends understand the true depth of what I’ve been through–there’s no way they could. Christian Science so uniquely screws with your mind that only another former Christian Scientist could ever truly understand.
In my opinion, by seeking the necessary treatment for whatever is ailing you, you are truly being honest with yourself, and living your life honestly. There is nothing more honest or right than the desire to survive and live life comfortably and completely. Keep going. You’re doing the right thing!