Conversation Between Dr. Pain and Mr. Body

By Jerry R. Malone

Dr. Pain: “Well, well, Mr. Body, how have things been going lately?”

Mr. Body: “So, so.”

Dr. Pain: “Guess you’re getting tired of me hanging around, eh?”

Mr. Body: “Yeah, so beat it.”

DP: “It’s getting pretty bad, the pain in your body, isn’t it?”

MB: “Yeah, so what?”

DP: “You know what I’m trying to do, don’t you? I’ve pretty well broken your body, now I’m after your spirit, to break it totally so you will lose all hope and give up.”

MB: “Bug off!”

DP: “Sorry, man, I can’t do that. Remember when you were about 15 years old and I started this “treatment” on you?”

MB: “How well I remember.”

DP: "You dealt with light to moderate pain as a teenager, remember the good ole days?”

MB: “Yeah, yeah.”

DP: “You thought you learned to deal with it didn’t you?”

MB: Sigh...

DP: “You thought you could handle it and you did. I worked and worked on you gradually increasing the pain so you would at least seek help from doctors, and that you did. Doctors, pain specialists, surgeons, pain clinics, injections, medicines, surgery, you’ve done it all and have they helped you? How’s that working out for you?”

MB: “Blah, blah, blah.”

DP: “Did you really think they would make the pain go away? HA, HA, no way Jose. You’re in it for the long haul, aren’t you?”

MB: ...silence...

DP: “Well, I succeeded in forcing you to stop your work and sell your business you had built up over the years. If I remember, you had some 1200 clients? Bet that hurt to have to turn them over to someone else after all your hard work? Plus, I got you to stop working about 15 years before you were ready to retire with no warning whatsoever. Wait, I remember, you were even planning on working at your own leisure in retirement part-time so you and the Mrs. could travel, etc. That didn’t quite work out for you did it, son?”

DP: “So, how does it feel to not be able to do the simplest things anymore? How does it make you feel now that your pretty wife has to do EVERYTHING? HA, HA, you’re not much of a man anymore, are you....you don’t have to answer, I don’t want to embarrass you anymore than I have to. Hee, hee.”

MB: ...silence...tearfully

DP: “How’s your mental state, MB? I hear you feel like a dark cloud is over you? HA! That’s what we call depression, and get used to it man, as it goes with the territory with chronic pain. Tell me, don’t you get tired of people asking “how’s it going” and you smile and say “pretty good” or “I’m hanging in there”. You are so funny, man. This I enjoy watching you more than others with chronic pain that I inflict.  Other people don’t have a clue what is really going on with you, do they, as they think “he’s just getting old with his aches and pains”. But....you and I know this is not “growing old aches and pains”, is it, this is debilitating chronic pain. “

MB: ...more anger...“Your point, please?” 

DP: “My, my you don’t have much to say, do you? My point being I think I’ve about taken the fight out of you, haven’t I?”

MB: ...weak and tearfully...“Yes, I’m sorry to say you have.”

DP: “One more thing, you call yourself a Christian, don’t you?”

MB: “Yeah, so what?”

DP: “Another thing I’ve noticed over the many years, how many times have you been prayed for, believing for a miracle? HA, HA! I can remember when as a teenager you were prayed over, and what happened? Were you miraculously healed? I don’t think so.”

MB: “Get this over with.”

DP: “I can’t count the times you have been prayed for and believed for healing, and again I asked, did it come? I don’t think so.”

MB: “Please, leave me alone!”

DP: “I’m sorry, no can do. What’s the matter, not enough faith to receive healing? Do you really think God in heaven cares about you and could He or would He heal YOU? Are you even sure that you are a child of God? Where’s your faith, son?”

MB: “I told you, I am NOT your son!”  

DP: “I almost forgot, how’s your breathing,  is it getting a little difficult?”

MB: “Yes, I'm afraid it goes along with the total exhaustion of hardly doing anything.”  

DP: "Ha, Ha, hang in there as it will only get worse. And do you really think that God even loves you?”

MB: "ENOUGH, STOP IT! I recognize you for who you are and you are not my pain speaking to me, you are the prince of darkness and straight from the pit of Hell! Yes, God loves me, I know this, and I love Him. Job 13:15 - Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."

DP: interrupting....”Don’t preach to me son, you....”

MB: “Get this through your head, devil, I am NOT your son!” Isaiah 53:5- But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we (I) are (am) healed. James 5:15- And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Peter 2:24“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  James 4:7  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And one more thing you lying prince of darkness, even if He chooses not to heal me in this life, I will continue to serve Him however many days I have left on this earth. Now, go back to where you came from! “

DP: Okay, don’t even think of getting comfortable, for I’ll be back with a vengeance, rest assured!”

                                                                    This allegory written by Jerry R. Malone  -  Part 1   

Author's note: I hope this little allegory might help others who are dealing with chronic illnesses, as this is my intent for writing it. I have dealt with chronic pain for over 55 years. Your comments or personal messages are welcome. God bless you.         

Webster’s definition of the word “allegory”: the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence.