Dead to hope? Jesus offers you his own 'Lazarus effect'

[This was originally posted Dec. 24, 2009; revised in 2014]

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said.

"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

-John 11:38-44

A few years ago (2008), I heard a presentation by one of the doctors responsible for making tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) available to stroke patients.

In my own 1998 experience, I could not speak, I could not move my right arm or leg - but after the clot-busting tPA, I regained those abilities. It was a dramatic experience. The doctor called it "the Lazarus effect."

Marriage might boost stroke survival odds

I see countless benefits of being married to someone who puts up with me. Now, it seems, a lengthy, stable marriage may boost stroke survival:

Stroke patients may have better odds of surviving if they're in a long-term stable marriage, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among more than 2,300 stroke sufferers, those who'd been "continuously" married had a better chance of surviving -- versus both lifelong singles and people who'd been divorced or widowed.

Aphasia hits young people differently than seniors

Stories about aphasia speak to me.

And stories about young people - I was just 39 - who have had a stroke also interests me. Further - and play the audio at the bottom of this posting - music and aphasia intrigue me.

Now, those three items have come together in a story about as strokes become more common in younger population, intense programs to reteach speech grow:

“We are seeing more younger people with aphasia attending our program,” said Leora Cherney, the director of the Center for Aphasia Research and Treatment at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

'Give you a future filled with hope'

I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me.

-Jeremiah 29:11-13

Hope ever seem hopeless?

Personally, I'm a big fan of hope. But still, sometimes hope seems distant. Once, when people were in exile and hope seemed distant, this reminder came: "... they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope."

These verses stay with me for lots of reasons. I've run across it off and on in my life, which is not a big surprise. It's often-quoted. A couple of years ago, I had a small health scare (odd spot on a lung) that turned out to be nothing of note. A friend quoted one of these verses in response.

There are lots of thoughts these verses generate, but today, remember hope.

More worrisome numbers about strokes striking the young

You've read about this concern here before: People designated as "older" Americans are seeing better numbers in stroke rates, while younger people are seeing a rise.

Now, we get some more solid statistics comparing the "Golden Generation" vs. "Generation X" with a finding of strokes decline in older Americans, rise in young:

"People born during what I call the 'Golden Generation,' 1945 to 1954, had lower rates of stroke than those born 20 years before them and also in the 20 years after them," said lead researcher Joel Swerdel. He is a Ph.D. candidate at the Rutgers University School of Public Health in New Jersey.