All of you who have been in the internet spine patient community for a few years know about Willie Beeson. He posts as MrBee and has been through an amazing ordeal that includes 5 failed spine surgeries in less than a year. After 3 discectomies, he had multiple complications following a 2-level Charite' ADR done at Stenum Hospital in Germany. He then had his 5th surgery... a revision and again suffered multiple severe complications. I became intimately involved in his case shortly before his ADR revision surgery and have been with him every step of the way since then. A few months after his the revision surgery, when his intestines were shutting down and he had lost the major arteries that supply blood to his left leg, I was really worried that he was going to die. His doctors were telling me that loosing his leg was likely, and as things went from bad to worse to even more horrible, I feared that he would not survive.
He had an amazing recovery and in one day went from death's door to normal. There is a lot about his case that I don't understand and I've spoken at length to his treating physicians and there is much that they don't understand as well. Willie attributes his healing to the power of prayer. While I do not share his faith, I cannot argue with his amazing story of an impossible miracle....
I saw it unfold.
Last Thursday, I spend the entire day with Willie at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA), a prominent Christian college. Willie was sharing his story with 4 classrooms, packed with students. He's done this before, but this is the first time that I participated. I was there to fill in technical details and to share what I observed. A few years ago, if you would have told me that I'd be at BIOLA giving testimony to a religious healing, I would have said that you were on drugs. Again, I don't share Willie's faith and won't attempt to explain something I don't understand. I just feel proud and honored to participate in his life and am so happy to see my friend living a normal life... something I did not think possible. He is still happy and healthy... living pain-free and med-free. His ADR surgery was in August 2004 and the revision was in October. Things had spiraled down after that and in early April of 2005, I thought I was losing my friend. (If you look at the picture of Willie on the bike that I put on the GPN website, that was back in September of 2005, just a few months after he was healed.)
He's written a book about it. It won't be on the shelves until the summer, but it's available online. I'll have a copy to lend via the iSpine lending library. You can find it at:
www.ImpossibleMiracle.com.
Below, you'll find what I posted on the ADR Forums the day I learned the good news:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Posted May 11th, 2005
I had lunch with Willie today. Drove to his house... knocked on his door... let myself in and talked to his brother-in-law while I waited for Willie.
I was expecting him to come downstairs with a walker or cane. The last several times I had seen him, he looked like death warmed over. He's been in such bad shape for a long time, I was expecting the worst. He appeared behind me... I turned around and gave him hug... being very careful not to hurt him. He embraced me with a strength that I did not think was possible.
After the initial shock wore off, I stood in disbelief as I looked upon a healthy looking man... not ashen... not gaunt... not frail... not forcing a smile through a grimace of pain. We walked out to his truck and I asked about his pain... "What pain?" he replied. I expressed my disbelief and he stopped his truck near some very large trash bins that were on the street. He picked one up and flung it around... twisting and bending. I went and picked it up... it was heavy.
He's been off pain meds for 2 weeks.... dropping massive doses of morhpine-sulphate, cold-turkey, with no withdrawals. His back pain and leg pain is gone. His abdominal pain is gone. There is still some claudication (leg pain with exercise) from the occluded artery, but it's not serious enough to keep him from coming back to life... enjoying every second.
He attributes all of this to the power of faith and prayer. I'll leave it to him to explain the details. I don't know how to explain it.... I'm just glad to see my friend looking happy and healthy. As we ate lunch, I couldn't keep my eyes from leaking... it was so good to see him like this.
What a great day!
Mark
PS... Willie... take it easy!
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Willie... thank you for letting me be part of this. I wish we could package your success and give it away!
Love to all,
Mark