Recently, a 40-year-old man was hospitalized for treatment of advanced leukemia. While he was reciving massive doses of chemotherapy, he was put in quarantine for fear that even catching a common cold from family or friends could be potentially lethal. During isolation, his family could come no closer than his door, and then had to stand separated from him with masks covering their mouths. The only person allowed to touch the patient was a nurse who has been specially cleared as being in good health.
Here is how the patient described the experience of isolation: "This nurse changed my bedding and kept me clean and all that," he says. "But she hated to touche me, or at least it felt that way. Whatever she was doing she did with as little physical contact as possible.
"I wish I could have told her how important touch was," he adds. "I craved the feeling of flesh on flesh. I craved it! It wasn't a sexual thing--in my condition that was the last thing on my mind. But I really felt I was losing my will to live without that touch. I mean, I still wanted to live, to get better, but the reason to keep struggling was slipping away from me. I needed the feeling of someone's skin on mine to held me find it again."
Touching eases pain, lessens anxiety, softens the blows of life, generates hope and has the power to heal, according to most experts. In fact, modern psychology and medicine are confirming what mothers across the centuries have intuitively known--namely, the healing power of touch.
One touch can "speak" volumes and convey your love, acceptance and suppot. For example, a woman, who had been recently widowed, tells of being overcome with grief at a Christmas Eve service following her husband's death. Sitting next to her was a 10-year-old girl, who noticed the woman's tears. "I felt my little neighbor's small hand creep up into my lap," the grieving woman says. "She took my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. My heart swelled."
Everyone should remember hands were designed to do many different tasks. One of the best uses is to convey love, warmth, caring, understanding and acceptance. So, reach out and touch someone--it's healthy!
Victor M. Parachin is a freelance writer who lives in Villa Park, Illinois.