I am beginning to feel like damaged goods. First the TIAs , next strange scarring on my right arm and then a horrible surprise – came home after a blow dry by Kim and lunch at Andy’s (both delightful experiences) went to the bathroom and, in simple terms, shat blood. It was most frightening. Called the doctor and have an appointment for today at 11:30. Called Personal Driver and he will come and pick me up for another ride to. Marin. No idea what it is but the office manager was very reassuring and getting an immediate appointment is also most reassuring.
This portion of the blog is being written the next day – I now have some answers. Primary Care Physician diagnosed the problem as being haemorrhoids which is a swollen vein or group of veins in the area of the anus. PCP could not discern anything, said that if I had more bleeding he would refer me to a proctologist. Went home and had two more bleeds. So got a referral, with PCP assuring me that I would not bleed to death. The bleeds are probably the result of the consumption of baby aspirin which are being taken for the TIA’s – what a mess. I am damaged goods.
The markings on my arm most strange. PCP diagnosed these a result of the ingestion of baby aspirin. What a mess. One thing leads to another and none of it is good. I suppose full disclosure will have to be made to the ‘matchmaker’ who is searching for a Muslim husband for me. The markings on the arms will not be an everyday problem as Muslim women’s arms must be covered when appearing in public. But I suppose the potential husband must be told.
Personal Driver and I are thinking of expanding the search for the Muslim husband, perhaps London might be a venue. The Mayor of London is a Muslim, interestingly enough, also the Mayor of Rochdale is a Muslim. Rochdale is a small backwater town near Manchester in the UK. I am thinking of enlisting Computer Guru Chris – do double duty, post my blogs and scout about for a Muslim husband. I do know this for sure, he will laugh. Personal Driver thinks I should use my blog to advertise: Wanted: Muslim husband etc. etc. But that does not appear to be a very good idea because there will be no screening procedure and the families will be unknown. So it is back to the drawing board. We are ruling out the Middle East as a possible venue as great wealth and good Islamic practices do not appear to go hand in hand. Of course I have had one offer of marriage from the Middle East, but for various reasons it is not suitable.
But back to some research done on the markings on my arm. For some reason I thought about stigmata so, of course, I Googled it and found the following information: Stigmata
A stígma (στίγμα) is a mark on the skin.[2]
Stigmata are primarily associated with Roman Catholicism. Many reported stigmatics are members of Catholic religious orders. St. Francis of Assisi was the first recorded stigmatic. For over fifty years, St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin reported stigmata which were studied by several 20th-century physicians. Stigmata are notably foreign to the Eastern Orthodox Church, which professes no official view on the matter; the first and only stigmatics have been Catholics who lived after the Great Schism of 1054.
A high percentage (perhaps over 80%) of all stigmatics are women.[5] In his Stigmata: A Medieval Phenomenon in a Modern Age, Ted Harrison suggests that there is no single mechanism whereby the marks of stigmata were produced. What is important is that the marks are recognised by others as of religious significance. Most cases of stigmata have been debunked as trickery. Some cases have also included reportings of a mysterious chalice in visions being given to stigmatics to drink from or the feeling of a sharp sword being driven into one’s chest.
So it does not seem that the markings on my arm are stigmata for several reasons. Although I am a woman I am not Roman Catholic, and although Christ may have had hurts on his right arm – he also had them on his feet and his hands. There is another clincher. A clincher is a aa fact, argument, or event that settles a matter. This from the book given to me by Personal Driver’s Son: What Do Muslims Believe About Jesus? “Muslims respect and revere Jesus (peace be upon him). They consider him to be one of the greatest of God’s messengers to mankind. The Quran confirmed his virgin birth, and a chapter of the Quran is entitled Maryann (Mary)….During his prophetic session, Jesus performed many miracles. …. Muslim believe that Jesus was not crucified. By the way, the meaning of believe is this: accept that (something) is true, especially without proof. Its synonyms: regard as true, accept as true, accept, be convinced by, give credence to, credit, give credit to, trust, put confidence in, count on, rely on, depend on; swallow, swallow something hook, line, and sinker, fall for, go for, buy, take as gospel.
But the book continues. “Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the plan of Jesus’ enemies to crucify him, but God saved him and raised him up to Him. And the likeness of Jesus was put over another man, Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him, thinking it was Jesus. (Quotes from the Quran). But neither Muhammed or Jesus came to change the base doctrine of the belief in one God, brought by earlier prophets, but rather to confirm and renew it.” You can learn more by visiting www.Islam.gude.com//So if Jesus was not crucified, but someone took his place then the whole theory of stigmata goes out the window and I am stuck with the baby aspirin theory. The photograph is of my right arm with the strange markings, not a pretty sight but going for full disclosure.
