The Scalpel and the Soul: Encounters with Surgery, the Supernatural, and the Healing Power of Hope

Description

The Scalpel and the Soul explores how premonition, intuition, "good luck," hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but also can literally alter outcomes and save lives; it validates the spiritual manifestations many physicians and medical professionals encounter daily; it empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when seeking medical help; and, finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events." "The book concludes with an appendix of "twenty rules to live by"--Practical, hard-won advice for patients or their loved ones on how to navigate through surgery or critical care."--BOOK JACKET. (Blackwell).;"Based on thirty years of medical experience, The Scalpel and the Soul tells the unspoken stories behind remarkable patients and strange events, and shares the moral and spiritual lessons found in them." "For physicians, supernatural inklings and intrusions are disturbing. Doctors often cannot be candid with colleagues and patients about anomalous events because they are trained to disregard the inexplicable and unbelievable. They are taught to discount the elusive, evanescent powers of the soul. Superstition, omens, and divine spirits smack of foolishness, if not outright madness." "But patients often report the same inexplicable experiences as their caregivers. Life-threatening illness or surgery frequently brings dormant spirituality to life. The soul often needs more than intensive care alone can give, and in moments of crisis the veil that separates the material from the ineffable can be lowered. 1 Crystal Ball 1 -- 2 Ogooue: River of Doubt 11 -- 3 The Dying of the Light 29 -- 4 Is There a Doctor in the House? 45 -- 5 No One Dies with Harvard Numbers 54 -- 6 From Flesh to Spirit 64 -- 7 Queen of the Gypsies 79 -- 8 Incidental Finding 88 -- 9 Mother-and-Child Reunion 94 -- 10 The Exorcist 106 -- 11 Thread of Hope 126 -- 12 Singing in the Brain 141 -- 13 For the Love of God 154 -- 14 The Surgeon Who Became a Murderer 166 -- 15 Luck of the Draw 179 -- 16 Soul Survivor 188 -- Epilogue: Decent Interval 205 -- Appendix Twenty Rules to Live By 213.