A Cambridge God Adventure* 64) Dystonia disease...help!

(*please skip if you have not been following this story). With illness, living without a diagnosis (and prognosis) is extraordinarily difficult.  Just what was wrong with me?  After months of abortive treatments I was admitted to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge for several days of neurological observation. After scans the consultant told Carol and me that I had dystonia disease which belongs within the Parkinson family.  Hitting me in my forties meant it was focal dystonia affecting my neck and twisting my body rather than general dystonia (which puts you in a wheel chair).  I remember him saying it was rare and there was no treatment though it would not kill me.  However, it would be unlikely for me to continue in my public role.  I knew that!

The January 1988 church magazine printed an article: 'What is wrong with Michael Quicke?' which explained dystonia and its permanent brain damage and described the stages of shock, anger, despair and depression that patients go through.  There seemed to be no hope. Yet, again as the church had engaged through the years, members came together for a Day of Prayer 8:00 am-8:00 pm on January 11th. It concluded with a communion service.  To my joy my previous church in Blackburn held a service to pray for my healing at the same time.  Carol drove me to the back doors of the church hall and supported me as I shuffled into a packed room of concentric circles.  I felt low and crushed yet physically cocooned in love and prayer.

I attempted to keep a journal as months extended.  It's honest and often grim reading.  My world felt upended at the very time when I wanted to be God's leader.  You can perhaps imagine the mixture of comments that came my way - some even suggesting this was judgement on the building project!  In the March church meeting, Vernon Gosden suggested that they should meet every evening of the week up until Maundy Thursday.  He said that as the early church in Acts 12 had prayed for Peter in prison they should pray for me 'imprisoned in disease'.  So, between 7:00 pm -8:00 pm every night people prayed and I was told an average number of 20 people met each time.  In my weakness I knew such love and care.