CHAPTER FIVE

Suzie plopped down on the gray sofa amid several empty wooden chairs in the small waiting area. The slight breeze from the air conditioner ruffled the dieffenbachia beside her.

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).The words on a rectangular sign over the door leading to Dr. Granger’s examining rooms spoke to her.

God could cure her mysterious illness. She hadn’t doubted it a day since the malady had blown into her life like an evil wind. Why hadn’t He? Here she was, yet again, in a physician’s office. Oddly though, calm washed over her, soothing the ragged nerves that usually plagued her on doctor visits.

A young woman appeared behind the tall, white receptionist counter. “Hi, I’m Courtney. I was in the back and didn’t hear you come in.” She gazed at her appointment book and her long, black hair fell around her face. Pushing it back, she looked up. “Our biofeedback specialist will see you today. After we have the results from your scan, we’ll make an appointment for you with Dr. Granger. You had a consultation with him and filled out your forms on…” She gazed at a paper on her desk. “I see. It’s been a while.”

“I arrived as soon as I could, but I had to train a replacement for my job in North Carolina then find a place to live in Destin.”

“You must be exhausted. Dr. Granger will help you. People travel from all over the United States and several foreign countries to see him. It’s worth the wait.” Compassion shone in Courtney’s brown eyes.

A trim woman in a blue uniform, who looked fortyish, opened the door to the lobby. “Hi Suzie, I’m Margaret. I’m ready for you.”

She escorted Suzie to a quiet office with soft lighting and a mahogany desk and touched a bronze-colored box. “This is a biofeedback machine. It’s connected to the computer.”

Suzie yearned for good health. Dr. Granger had mentioned the scan when she met with him several months ago. Yet, an eerie sensation snaked up her spine at being attached to a mechanism she’d never seen before. Could it make her worse?

Margaret held up two wires with self-adhering tabs. “I’m going to hook you to the device by putting one of these around your ankle and wrist. Then the computer will record your results.”

“Oookay.” Suzie struggled to disguise her doubt.

Margaret said nothing. Her eyes stayed focused intensely on the fasteners as she placed them. Apparently, she hadn’t detected Suzie’s skepticism. “You’ll need to sit quietly for a few minutes in dim lighting.” She started the scan and tiptoed out of the room.

Suzie’s spinal column turned to ice, but she had nothing to lose. Diplomas for alternative medical degrees filled the wall. There were several for chiropractic accomplishments. One for phlebotomy. One for pain management and another for acupuncture. A large shelf filled with small bottles of tinctures and herbs sat across from her. Could using these things make her well?

Try to flush the invader out of your system. Choose one or two food items you enjoy and eat as little of each as possible while drinking all the water you can hold. The medical doctor’s solution had sounded ridiculous. He’d delivered it with cold, disinterested eyes that still haunted Suzie. She’d known in her heart it wouldn’t work.

“Okay, the scan’s all finished.” Margaret’s kind voice brought Suzie back to the moment. “I’ll show these results to Dr. Granger.” She grabbed a piece of paper from the printer and breezed out, gently closing the door behind her.

Suzie crossed her legs and slung her dangling foot back and forth, her pulse pounding in her temples. Did the little bronze box hold the answers?

Margaret returned, sat at the desk beside her, and spread out the paper. “These indicate how well the organs in your body function. We like to see them register a minimum of fifty-one percent.” She ran her hand over the horizontal red and blue lines. “Yours range from eight to fourteen percent.”

Suzie couldn’t breathe.

Margaret tapped a printed number with the manicured pink nail on her forefinger. “This represents the function of your adrenal gland. It’s eight percent, but don’t worry. Dr. Granger will take care of you.”

Horror ripped through Suzie’s bones as she exhaled.

Margaret stood. “I’ll get Dr. Granger. He wants to show you the laser.” She glided through the doorway, her strawberry blond hair moving slightly over her shoulders.

Suzie didn’t understand the scan. What would happen with the laser? The tools and this environment seemed surreal as though she were seeing them in a dream. Margaret could have been an illusion, but she was real. This was real.

Dr. Granger slipped into the room as quietly as a mouse, then tapped his pen on his chart. “Hi, how are you today?”

Suzie wouldn’t tell him her heart broke into millions of pieces. “I’m okay. How are you?”

“Almost perfect, thank you. I see you met Margaret. She handles our scans and our bloodwork, if you should need that. We call her our vampire.” Dr. Granger shrugged. “For fun.”

Suzie couldn’t help but snicker.

“Do you remember the different therapies I explained during your consultation?”

Dr. Granger spoke as though everything was normal. According to the biofeedback results she was nearly dead. It was all she could do to keep the tears exploding inside her from spilling over her eyelashes. But as for his question, she had a vague recollection of the programs he’d mentioned during their first meeting. “Yes.”

“Every one of them would be good for you. You don’t look too sick, but our tests show you’ll need lots of help to eliminate these toxins.” He looked directly at her with steady green eyes as he waited for her reaction.

“What do I have?”

“Something sticky that doesn’t belong in your system.” Dr. Granger’s tone sounded matter-of-fact, the same as the medical doctor’s voice had.

He’s going to tell me to drink water and eat very little.

Dr. Granger crossed his hands in front of him.

Was he waiting for her to ask another question? Her mind was blank.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help teach your body how to remove the harmful substances.”

Her body to remove them? What horrors lay ahead of her? She shuddered.

He sat and rolled the office chair up beside her. With stocky hands he opened a pamphlet, laid it on the desk, and pointed to a blurb. “This explains footbaths, or technically speaking, ionic cellular detoxifications.” He touched another section. “Time on this machine aids in restoring health to your cells. It’s also known as pulsed electromagnetic therapy.” He closed the brochure, patted it, and directed his gaze at Suzie. “Today, you’ll see the laser, a low-level light tool.” He said the word “laser” with great enthusiasm.

Was it that special?

“I recommend these therapies as well as the color and sound protocols with Margaret.” He picked up the leaflet and handed it to Suzie.

She tried to concentrate to take it all in as she grasped it, but her brain remained frozen in shock over the test results. Even though Dr. Granger peered at her with an earnest look in his eyes like a teacher instructing a student, his message floated from a stratosphere she didn’t comprehend.

He sat back. “We treat the structural, chemical, and emotional components. Embryonic cells are made in three parts, the endoderm or inner lining, mesoderm, the middle, and ectoderm, the outer layer.”

Suzie had learned that in school.

“The Bible tells us we’re made in God’s image, which includes the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It even tells us in Scripture that it’s impossible to separate the three parts of God. I believe it’s impossible to separate the three parts that make up our bodies. So…each injury or illness has three parts: structural, chemical, and emotional. If we don’t address and correct all of these areas at the same time, we fail to resolve the whole issue.”

Terror over the severity of the illness and strangeness of the treatment crawled all over Suzie’s skin while she listened without absorbing Dr. Granger’s heartfelt explanation. Yet in the midst of it all, one thing came through loud and clear. He wanted to help, and he believed he could. She nodded.

He slowly twirled his chair around to face her and leaned forward. “The synergy of all the parts and the therapies working together give us the miracles of healing we seek. It’s not magic or the wonder of an individual remedy or pill.”

Yes. A miracle. Suzie sucked in air. That was what she needed. The earnest look in Dr. Granger’s eyes made her believe with God’s help, he could deliver one.

“When we see a patient who requires a number of treatments, we offer him or her a plan including all the tools we have. This ensures that person receives the services he or she needs without making additional payments. For instance, you should have footbaths and the laser as well as the pulsed electromagnetic therapy. Purchased individually, the footbaths and laser sessions cost thirty-five dollars each. Fifteen minutes of pulsed electromagnetic therapy is sixty-five.”

Dr. Granger’s healing techniques came from a world far different from the one Suzie had known before she grew ill. She’d tumbled suddenly from a society where a doctor prescribed a pill, gave a shot, or performed surgery to make her well to the side of the medical field that offered no help and no hope. Her mind and emotions still reeled from that in the midst of a strange malady sapping more of her strength every moment. She tried to take hold of this new treatment and believe in it. Yet a lack of perception for what had happened to her or what the future held hovered over her like fog. The prices registered though. “I understand. I receive a discount if I buy all of these at one time.”

“Yes. If you want to do that, Courtney can handle it. In addition to the therapies we’ve discussed, a ten-visit package includes appointments with me and costs around twenty-two hundred dollars.”

The amount hit Suzie like a hammer. Coming up with that much money at one time was enough to make her shake without this illness. Thank goodness for her savings. “That sounds like the best option.”

Dr. Granger stood and scooped up a bulb-shaped, silver object from his desk. He clutched it tightly as though it was precious. “This violet laser is a bright light, and we think of the word ‘light’ as an acronym for the phrase “letting in God’s healing touch.” Since it’s an LLLT, or cold laser, it doesn’t burn or cut, but will penetrate your clothing. It regulates normal cell function, stimulates weak areas of your body by improving metabolism and circulation, and promotes tissue healing.”

He gave an upward motion with his hand. “Stand up. I’m going to shine it on you, holding it about an inch from your clothes. It will pass through them, but it won’t harm them or change the composition of anything you’re wearing.” Dr. Granger hurriedly pointed the laser at his pants leg as though he realized Suzie needed reassurance it was safe.

She peered at the healing device and Dr. Granger. He seemed fine. The red lines tell us how well your organs are functioning. Why not? How much harm could the LLLT do now? She rose and remained on her feet while he lasered her backside.

It was as though nothing happened, no sensation at all. The fear of the unknown taunting her diminished. Dr. Granger wasn’t writing her off. He seemed confident he could treat this malady, and he’d already started.

“I’ll move around front. Here, wear these.” Dr. Granger handed Suzie a pair of black plastic glasses that looked like goggles. She slid them on, and he repeated the process. “We want to avoid shining the light directly in your eyes. It could damage them.”

“Don’t eye doctors perform laser surgery?”

“Yes, but they use a different type of laser.”

This peculiar object would help her. Sure it would. Doubt gripped Suzie like a straightjacket. Then again, the laser didn’t hurt, and she had nothing else to try.

Dr. Granger cut the light off, laid it down, and relaxed his stance. “That’s enough to acquaint you with the treatments.”

Suzie removed the glasses and handed them to him.

“Have a seat.” He motioned toward Margaret’s chair. “I want to give you a special diet. It’s imperative we control your blood sugar.”

Food. Little did he know the horrible problems that erupted inside her when she ate. She plopped down then Dr. Granger pulled up the desk chair and sat in front of her.

He sucked in a deep breath. “You’ll have to play a big part in this.”

Maybe his results revealed more than the medical doctor’s. “Do I have diabetes?”

He sat back. “No, your pancreas is working, but not properly. We’re going to help your body repair that. In the meantime, you must limit carbohydrates to fifteen grams at one time. One starchy food at each meal and two snacks.”

He means no potatoes, cake, ice cream, and cookies. His words fell on Suzie’s heart like darts. She opened her mouth to argue, but Dr. Granger’s voice sounded as though it had steel in it.

“Also, when we eat foods compatible with our blood types, our bodies process them easily. If we consume foods incompatible with them, our bodies have to use extra energy to handle our meals. Use the guidelines in the book, Eat 4 Your Type or Cook 4 Your Type. Either one is fine, and most bookstores carry both. Right now, you don’t have any energy to spare.”

He got that right.

“Your body needs every ounce of strength you can muster to heal, but we’ll ensure you feel better soon. Do you have any questions?”

None that seemed relevant. She didn’t understand the scan, the laser, or the diet, but God had sent her here. Visions of chocolate éclairs and baked potatoes with butter and sour cream danced in her head. Right now, she hardly could eat at all, so what did it matter? “How long do you think it’ll take for me to recover? Sometimes my head hurts. I can’t eat without experiencing horrible indigestion. Unbearable pain from it keeps me up at night until I fall asleep from exhaustion. Then the weakness overtakes me, my insides race, and I start shaking.”

Dr. Granger shook his head. “We can’t eliminate all the symptoms at once. You’ll regain strength and health a little at a time. I think the weakness sweeping over you will go away as soon as we balance the blood sugar.”

Getting rid of any of the maladies would help.

Unlike the medical doctor who’d flitted around the examining room like a trapped fly trying to escape, Dr. Granger remained steadfast in his seat.

“What about the heartburn?”

“We’ll give you something to settle it. If you’d like, stop by the grocery and purchase fresh ginger. Grate a little over your food. It’s soothing to the stomach, but a problem in your brain causes the indigestion.”

Silent screams echoed in Suzie’s head. She put her hands over it. “My brain. What’s wrong with my brain?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it, but the foreign substance has spread through your blood stream to your entire body. We’ll get it out. You’ll be fine. If the toxic matter had caused scar tissue, we couldn’t reverse it, but it hasn’t. It’s made an imprint.” Dr. Granger tempered the horrible truth with confidence in his words and tone.

Suzie hardly could speak for pushing back tears of relief that the problem wasn’t permanent. At the same time, those of sadness over being nearly dead in the first place threatened to break open the dam of emotions. Yet, she had to know. She forced the words to her question while dreading the answer. “What ailment do I have?”

“We treat the whole body. The word ‘diagnosis’ comes from Latin. Broken down in English, di equals two or more. Agno translates as not to know, and sis means the process of. So literally, diagnosis means two or more people don’t have a clue what’s wrong with you. The diagnosis is more directly related to what category or box you fit in and, of course, the money issues. Who is going to pay?”

Dr. Granger’s explanation paralleled what the medical doctor had told her when he’d consulted the technicians in the labs then refused to treat her. Apparently, they hadn’t found a category for her.

“Because of the way a body works, all disease starts with a shock, trauma, or surprise. Then the body begins a two-step cycle. During the first, the conflict phase or incubation period, no signs or symptoms show up. By modern medical standards, a patient in this phase would not have a diagnosis or be considered sick.”

It was difficult to relate Dr. Granger’s words to the limited knowledge Suzie had of her malady and illnesses in general, but she nodded as though she understood.

“Only when and if a person’s body perceives that the shock, trauma, or surprise has ended and the body’s safe again, will the body begin the second, or healing phase, of the disease. That’s when the patient has symptoms. He or she may experience pain, fever, vomiting, wanting to sleep all the time, or grow a tumor. At this point, most people would say the patient is sick. He or she needs a doctor.” Even though Dr. Granger spoke from a sitting position, he delivered the information with the enthusiasm of a great classroom instructor.

“Wait, are you telling me when someone feels really awful, or contracts what modern medicine calls a disease, that person’s actually recovering?”

Dr. Granger nodded. “Yes, at that point, the body’s attempting to cure itself. It’s saying, ‘We are beginning to alleviate the conflict that occurred in the past.’”

Whew! At least Suzie’s brain still functioned.

“All disease works this way. Some people may have a conflict phase of less than a second in time, while others’ bodies may be in conflict for years. Research in the field of German New Medicine shows the longer a body is in this phase, the greater the potential for a more drastic healing. Say, someone is exposed to chicken pox, the disease will surface in about two weeks, while food poisoning will show up in around six to ten hours.”

Suzie got that. She’d had both.

“Also, each part of the body has symbols, such as a shoulder.” Dr. Granger patted his shoulder. “When it’s hurt, it may indicate carrying burdens for other people. These representations help correlate what precipitated the shock, trauma, or surprise.”

This explanation of the healing strategy still seemed foreign to Suzie, but in so many words, Dr. Granger told her he would get to the bottom of this disease. The hope he offered started to seep into her pores. “Sometimes, I start sweating for no good reason. Will that stop soon?”

Dr. Granger’s blond eyebrows shot up. “When you sweat, your body’s throwing off toxins. That’s a good thing.”

“What are my limitations? I took a job coaching a summer league swim team so I could move to Destin and take advantage of these treatments. Am I able to coach? How about going out in the evenings? Should I be resting? How about exercise?” Suzie almost burst into tears. “A good-looking guy asked me out tonight. I’ve lost twenty-five pounds and none of my clothes fit.”

Dr. Granger met her gaze with kind green eyes. “You have no restrictions. Do what you feel like. You lost weight because your body isn’t absorbing food right now, but it will. In the meantime, I think a short shopping trip this afternoon is just what you need.”

Warmth bubbled inside Suzie in spite of the dark and coldness invading her heart. It seemed as far as Dr. Granger was concerned, she could’ve been a normal person with a sinus infection. It was a matter of getting her through the phases.

Dr. Granger and Margaret concluded from the scan she was very sick, but they accepted her as someone special enough to cure. Their attitude proved they’d do whatever it took to make her well. Peace fell over her like flowers, and for the first time in three months, she wanted to kick up her heels.

“We’re going to take good care of you. Courtney will have all the papers you need with your supplements out front. Go ahead and schedule your next appointment.” Dr. Granger leaned forward and held out a note. “Here’s a phone number where I can be reached after hours. If you need me, call. Enjoy shopping and your evening with the good-looking guy. God bless you.”

Gentleness floated from Dr. Granger and soothed Suzie’s troubled soul. If only it would last.