True life story: Doctor if God can heal me of this my Hepatitis B Virus, I will never live a reckless life again

I was in my consulting room that fateful morning when the young man knocked and opened my door. He looked depressed obviously. What actually caught my attention immediately was his two eyes that were yellow. I offered him a seat. "what can I do for you Mr Banji?" as the name at the back of his folder showed. He answered me "doctor I have hepatitis B virus." "How did you know this? " I asked. He said I wanted to donate blood for my girlfriend, in the process, I was told that I had it and I should go and see doctor. I also noticed my eyes were yellow since last week.

I have googled the virus since I was told sir. I read online that I could have cancer and die as a result. I read that my liver could stop working and fail. I also read that I could give it to my future wife and children. I also read I could be cured spontaneously. This was why I came sir. I don't want to die young sir. Doctor I am just 26 years old, help me sir" He burst into obvious painful tears with fear written all over his face.

After taking time to listen to all his concerns. I went further to ask him some questions about likely ways he might have gotten the virus. "Are you married?" He said "no". "Do you have a girlfriend that two of you are sexually active?" He said "Doctor, I will tell you the whole truth because I don't want to die and I need your help. I will tell you everything you want to know sir. I have girlfriends not just a girlfriend. Doctor I started having girlfriends since I was 17 years old."

"It all started when my first girlfriend broke my heart by having sexual intimacy with my friend then and I loved her so much. This was what made me angry and I vowed to break the hearts of so many girls back in revenge. So since that time I purposely asked girls out to have sexual intimacy with them and after, break their hearts in the most painful way I could. Most times I don't use protection with them. Sometimes Doctor one sexual intimacy is enough, I break their hearts thereafter and moved to the next victim. If I won't lie to you doctor I have had sexual intimacy with more than 90 girls." In fact it took me all my professional energy not to scream unbelievable, at 26? More than 90 women?.

He continued with the story that he had been drinking alcohol and smoking too since he was 17 years old. He further told me he spent most of his weekends clubbing and partying with girls. He even went ahead to confess to me that he had aborted for 4 girls. I was shocked hearing about this kind of lifestyle in a young man at 26. I sighed deeply.

After I agreed with him that he might likely have hepatitis B virus truly, I had to reconfirm by doing all the necessary tests. I asked him to do all tests on the Hepatitis B virus and the different types of hepatitis viruses. I asked him to do test on his liver's function because that is where the virus targets and destroys and starts cancer. I asked him to scan his liver. He should bring all these tests results as soon as they are ready. I asked him the only treatment I can give him now is that he must stop his present lifestyle of drinking, smoking and womanising (In medical world we call the TRIAD meaning the THREE EVILS THAT WALK TOGETHER, when you see one, look for the other two in the patient). Then he needs rest, he had to drink plenty water, he has to sleep well for 8 hours. He needs to eat fruit, vegetables and balanced diet. No drug for him for now.

A week later, Banji came back with all his results. They showed that his liver is a little bit affected and it also showed that he got the hepatitis B virus not too long putting together all the consultation and results. As I broke the news of his liver being affected to him, he cried and shouted" doctor so I will soon die. I have chopped life but now life had chopped me. I am finished" sobbing deeply and seriously.

Well I took my time to explain to him that since it is recently he got the virus, most times they usually resolve especially if he can stop the present lifestyle he is living and start the new lifestyle I prescribed for him. Then he should pray to God to help him since he said he is a " Christian". He answered me and said "DOCTOR IF GOD CAN HEAL ME OF THIS MY HEPATITIS B VIRUS, I WILL NEVER LIVE A RECKLESS LIFE AGAIN". I laughed a little I said no problem we will need to continue monitoring your liver and the virus. You can be coming every two weeks for now. Before banji left my office that day, he made a vow to me " Doctor I will never drink or smoke or womanize again in my life. Bye-bye to clubbing if God will heal me and give me a second chance I will spend the rest of my life in the church serving Him."

To fast forward the story, banji kept coming every two weeks and we kept checking the virus and his liver ,the virus was still there but his liver was getting better. During every visit, banji would gist me about his commitment to God now. He told me he had changed his church to another church. I asked him why? He said in the other church that he was attending before that the pastor himself used to drink alcohol. He had never condemned alcohol before. He said in fact he had bought the pastor alcohol before. He said he wanted a church that could tell him the truth and helped him out of his drinking, smoking and womanising. By 12th week when Banji came for his regular follow up, he told me he was now a worker in his new church. He had undergone training. He was not drinking, smoking womanising or clubbing again. I really commended him for staying through to his vows. I encouraged him to keep up his new spiritual state as a Christian.

That morning as usual we ordered for his tests while he went to collect part of it that was available to come and show me as he usually did every past two weeks he had been coming, ladies and gentlemen who said God cannot heal us if we change our lifestyle and adopt a godly healthy lifestyle? Hepatitis B virus had disappeared from Banji' s blood. As I opened the result and broke the good news to him. At first he thought I was joking with him, he was just laughing and saying doctor stop joking with me na. I said I am not joking . Then I gave him the result to look at it and in front of him was HEPATITIS B VIRUS NEGATIVE result. He was looking at the result and looking at me and laughing. Suddenly he just jumped up and ran out of my consulting room, jumping and shouting everywhere, scattered our clinic, created scene, shouting "I am free, I am free, I am free, God thank you thank you thank you.

Other patients were just laughing and congratulating him. I came out of my consulting room, stood by the door watching his joyful celebration. When he finally calmed down. I invited him back inside my consulting room and counselled him all over again never to go back to his former way of life. I said "Now it is only hepatitis B virus you don't have anymore. if you go back to your former wayward lifestyle, worse things than this may happen and other viruses may come and this time around, there may be no cure." He told me he would never go back to his former life again. As he stood up and left my consulting room that day, leaping for joy, seven lessons came to my mind from his story. Let me share them with you below:

LESSON NUMBER 1:

In life, foundation is everything. Parenting is the foundation of every child and adolescent. Parents take your parenting calling seriously. A child that started smoking, drinking and womanising at 17 years old. What do you think about the foundation and upbringing of such child?. Train up a child the way he will go when he is old, he will continue in the right way.

LESSON NUMBER 2:

In life, never allow your past heartbreaks to control your future. You will only damage your life further

LESSON NUMBER 3:

The way you live your life plays 100% role in your health. Lifestyle is everything.

LESSON NUMBER 4:

By serving God you are the beneficiary more than God. Your life will change. You will be in health and many other benefits will follow.

LESSON NUMBER 5:

When you think you are chopping life by smoking, drinking and womanising, you are actually not chopping life, it is the other round, it is your life that is being chopped off.

LESSON NUMBER 6:

God can give anybody a second chance no matter how deep and down they have gone!

LESSON NUMBER 7:

I asked Banji about his religion the day he came with his complaints. He answered me boldly "I am a Christian, I attend ... (name of denomination withheld)."

The above answer baffled me. When people say I am a Christian, What does this really mean? Because I have always thought Christianity is a way of life and not just a religion. Well, what I think I have learnt from many years I have spent with thousands of my patients is, religion is just a status for many people, not a lifestyle and Christianity is supposed to be a lifestyle, not just a religion. How can you say you are a Christian and along with being the Christian, you are womanising, drinking, smoking, clubbing and partying?. It is contradicting and very confusing for me. It is impossible to be a Christian and at the same time, be an unbeliever. You can only be one at a time.

END

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