In one city, three women by the names of Andrea, Barbara, and Cora contracted the same illness on the same day. If left untreated, the disease was eventually terminal—but if the treatment were administered by a specialist in time, physicians could guarantee recovery. The course of treatment usually took several weeks.
From the onset of symptoms, Andrea denied she had contracted this malady; in fact, she denied the strain even existed. Her health declined steadily. Loved ones pleaded with her to seek aid, but Andrea refused. She insisted nothing was wrong and that she felt fine. Andrea never would meet with her family doctor about it, let alone a specialist. Even as she gasped her last breaths, Andrea would not acknowledge what had brought her to that point.
Barbara downplayed her symptoms for months, believing her affliction to be nothing more than a cold that just wouldn’t clear up. But as symptoms became more serious, she realized she needed help. While she waited for her appointment with her doctor to arrive, she missed a vacation with her family. At her appointment, her doctor referred her to a specialist. The specialist examined Barbara’s symptoms and stats, ran some tests, confirmed the diagnosis, and prescribed the full course of treatment. In time, Barbara fully recovered and enjoyed her former quality of life, though she wished she had seen her doctor and the specialist much sooner. “I would have recovered a lot earlier and not missed out on our vacation this year,” she lamented.
When her symptoms appeared, Cora realized immediately that she didn’t feel right. Before long, she further recognized that this was no ordinary, passing illness. She visited her doctor and then a specialist when the earliest appointments were available. Cora diligently followed the prescribed treatment and soon felt noticeably better. Within two months after contracting the illness, Cora felt not even residual symptoms and was free to resume her normal activities, which she did with a joyous smile.
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