The woman wearing a scarf

As I slowly entered the small house with another caregiver we were instructed to sit on a small couch with no cushions.  There was a strange odor in the room that we later realized must be infection.  Catherine, the patient, was called to come out of her make-shift room that was literally the size of a single mattress.  Her daughter and husband had constructed a wall in their den just the size of a mattress and then put mosquito netting over it for the door.  That is where Catherine crawled out of to come and visit with us for a few min. She was a beautiful woman with a scarf draped over her head.  At first glance you might wonder what was wrong with this woman.  I could tell her face was swollen on one side around her jaw area.  As she began sharing how she was feeling she took off the scarf so I could see.  I didn't ask to see her face but she wanted to show me.  (This isn't the first time this has happened to me)  As I saw her face it took everything in me not to gasp or vomit to be honest with you.  There was no ear and on the side of her face there was no skin either.  I could see inside her face.  I saw it and then slowly turned my head to ask a question of the daughter as Catherine draped the scarf over her head once again so that flies would stay away from her face.  Catherine has been a patient of Needs Care for at least the last 6 months.  A couple of ladies from our volunteer team this summer went to visit her and give her a BGR bucket.  Caregivers visit her every week.Then this last week 3 women from my seminary class went to visit her and encourage her.  Each time people would say I needed to go visit with her but because of other commitments I had not been able to go until this week. She has been told by a Dr. that what she has is cancer.  She said it started out small like a pimple and then has just spread.  It all started a couple of years ago.  I think that by the time she actually started going to the Dr that they have said there is nothing they can do for her except give her pain medication.  As she told her story her lip quivered and her hands shook a bit from the pain.  When she goes to the Dr. they just give her more pain medication and tell her to come back the next month.  Thankfully, her daughter is taking care of her.  I can't even imagine if she didn't have anyone to fix her food or help her in other ways.  Now, she even has trouble eating because it hurts to chew so she has to take really small bites.  We praise God that she says she is a believer.  We tried to encourage her and we prayed for her.  As I prayed tears filled my eyes.  How in the world was this woman making it through each day?  Please lift up Catherine in prayer. She could really use all the prayer support she can get.  Pray for her daughter as she cares for her as well.  I did not take a picture but one of the other caregivers had taken one a while back.  I'm going to put it down lower so in case you don't want to see it you can just stop.  If you do want to see it scroll down a bit.