Is not going through treatment for cancer a sin?

[vivificantem]

When I read a biography of Mother Angelica, it mentioned one of her sisters, a elderly nun, I believe, who didn’t want treatment for stomach cancer. Here is a religious, with many years experience and with many years of prayer life behind her, with access to wonderful priests, confessors and spiritual directors, who made that decision. Has anyone else read this book?
It was the one written by Raymond Arroyo.

 

[notself]

Didn’t mean to derail the thread, but in my defense my case is not hypothetical, in spite of the slow progression of most prostate cancers. (correct as usual, coptic)

For me, this is where the rubber meets the road. Is Jn 12:25 (he who hates his life will keep it) just a figure of speech, just a way of feeling devout but, oh gosh no, not really hating one’s life?

How many of you have spent childhood naturally rejected by your peers, fought like crazy for an education in spite of the odds, sacrificed your entire young adult life to be part of the healing profession, been used by people for the money you now make, and have your spouse of 20 years run to a neighboring state to “reconnect” with an old flame, who happens to be a practically toothless, overweight, aging, chain-smoking bachelor whose house could be featured on “Hoarders” if he cleaned it up a bit first? * I am telling the truth, and any illusions I have had about life being something I “love” have been totally shattered*, and any shred of self-respect I have had is now ripped away from my being. * I am a worm, and no man* (Ps 22:6); I don’t just read this passage, I live it. Is this wrong? If so, how? Because it is sacred scripture itself.

Christ is on the cross: If Christ is the Way, anything that keeps me from the cross is not the way. If Christ is the Truth, anything that keeps me from the cross is not the truth. And if Christ is the Life, anything that keeps me from death on the cross is no life.

I believe my wife is not in a typical state of sin, she is a hard core prisoner of Satan himself, and is lost in a blinding vanity to which she clings with every fiber of her being. Marriage counseling? Don’t kid yourself, it’s no match for the evil one. For well over ten years I have had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach that the ultimate sacrifice would eventually be required of me.

For those who think I have lost my marbles, I don’t think so, as I continue to have my doubts about this line of action. But at least my doubts are based less and less on fear of suffering and death as time goes on. And maybe that is really the only point.

Compulsive spending is a sign of bi-polar disease and depression. bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-excessive-spending.html
You are imagining her as a prisoner of Satan and yourself as some sort of sacrifice. Did it occur to you that both of you may need psychological testing and possible treatment? Bipolar is very treatable. I have two friends with bipolar which is totally controlled.

There is also something called Anger Disorder which you may want to check. psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200904/anger-disorder-what-it-is-and-what-we-can-do-about-it

You both need to get physicals with complete blood work up. Check the physical before ruining your lives. And, yes, most mental problems are also physical.

Good luck and may kindness and compassion re-enter your lives.

 

[marypat435]

Hi, Tim,
I just wanted to let you know I will pray for you. God created you for a purpose. You are in the healing profession; you must know of a good doctor in your area. I would also suggest you find a good priest as a spiritual director to help you sort through all of this. Suffering is hard, and we will definitely pray for you.

 

[quilisma]

I would ask you to accept that I would think of you and I am sure that others will as well…I would pray that you consider doing nothing more than the blessed mother said when asked what to do with the jugs of water…do all that He asks…and He doesn’t ask you to suffer without grace…and He doesn’t ask you to die unless you are called…

I have an honest question…

Could it be that the cancer IS His call? I’m thinking of the joy with which St. Therese welcomed the first hemorrhage of her tuberculosis, as Jesus’ promise that He was coming soon to take her home. Many of the writings of the saints tell us that the earth is not our home but a place of exile, and they saw death as a homecoming.

If we fight against His call by seeking out treatments that only prolong our exile away from Him, are we doing His will or resisting it? Are we saying yes or no to God?

I really want to know…