(Minghui.org) I go up to the mountain to get firewood every winter. I noticed a big issue with my health last winter, in that I had trouble breathing at the slightest exertion. I had to sit down and rest every few steps while going up the mountain. And as for fetching and carrying firewood down the mountain, it was even more agonizing. I was gasping for air.

I felt strange. When I did not exert myself, I felt no different health-wise from when I was young. Why was I feeling so bad in my early 50s? I thought it was due to my cultivation state, and that I might be going through sickness karma. But after a long time, I only got worse. I could hardly get up the mountain.

I have a distant cousin who looks healthy but who also has severe shortness of breath whenever he moves. I asked him what was wrong with him.

He sighed and told me that it was silicosis. He said he contracted it while working in a molybdenum mine in his youth. The condition was irreversible, and he had no choice but to live like this for the rest of his life. He then told me about the symptoms and prognosis of this disease, which sounded very distressing.

I was alarmed. How could this be? My physical condition turned out to be very similar to his, just slightly less severe. In my 30s, I’d worked in an iron mine for two years, loading iron and stone underground. Because I was already practicing Falun Dafa at that time, I feared nothing and did not follow any of the safety precautions. I never wore a dust mask, while others did. Now I was literally shaking, certain that I had silicosis.

I was in despair that night, lying in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. In the end, my righteous thoughts prevailed as I reminded myself: “I am a Dafa disciple, and this is due to my low level of enlightenment and understanding. The seriousness of silicosis is well known, and there is nothing that Chinese or Western medicine can do about it.”

With tears in my eyes, I asked Master for help. I have a firm belief in Dafa and Master. I will cultivate to the best of my abilities and carry out my duties as a Dafa disciple. I then felt at ease and fell asleep peacefully.

Something miraculous happened the next night. I woke up suddenly in the middle of it, drenched in sweat, especially my upper body. I wiped off layer after layer until I finally gave up and let it flow freely. When I woke in the morning, I saw that the mattress and quilt were soaked with sweat.

Looking at the mattress and sheet again, I saw a layer of something oily and black. It seemed that the iron powder that was deposited in my lungs had been excreted in my sweat! I burst into tears and couldn't say anything. I felt like Master was watching over me.

I sweat profusely for the next few nights. I aired my bedding out during the day and used it again at night. When I finally stopped sweating, all my bedding was black and covered with an oily substance!

I am now completely recovered. I go up the mountain to collect firewood and can carry home over 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of wood at a time. I am never out of breath like before and I can move with complete freedom. My breathing is easy and my chest is clear. I feel as if I have been reborn.