Answer to Prayers After Another Week in the Hospital

Can you believe it? We went to the hospital on Tuesday because the site where I got my defibrillator put in had not healed completely on the left side and was bleeding when I slept on it at night. When we went to the hospital, the doctor said the device had to be immediately removed by surgery and then they would have to put it back in the other side with another surgery. The doc was very concerned that if the site was/got infected, there were wires attached that went straight to my heart, and the infection would most likely be fatal.

On Wednesday, after a long night in the hospital, they started me on IV antibiotics and didn't let me eat all day. The doc finally came around 3 and said my site didn't look infected and I had no symptoms of having an infection... so he thought they shouldn't rip it out.

Then later in the night, they came back and said they were too worried about infection and they needed to rip it out.

Another long night and no eating all day Thursday. Wednesday night held a LOT of prayer for me. Not only from some prayer warriors around me (Ray, Mom, Dad, Mary, Harrison, Mary, Nikki, etc.), but some intimate longing in my own soul to know the love and strength of God. The verse, "CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM, FOR HE CARES FOR YOU" went over and over in my mind.

Thursday (late afternoon again) a different doctor came and said that there were more risks of infection in having 2 surgeries than in a "possible" infection of which I had no signs. I was so thankful for this doctor, and that God had heard my prayers. I really felt God reminding me of His love for me and that even though we are going through such a dark time, He is with us... and I am so thankful for His love.

By Saturday (yes, that's 5 more days in the hospital), they slapped some stitches on my site and sent me home. The only other concern they had was that my kidneys were not doing well because I hadn't eaten for several days and they had given me really strong antibiotics.

I also got psychologically evaluated in the hospital for my heart transplant. Surprisingly, I am not crazy or in need of drugs. :-) She said something though that has changed my thinking quite a bit. She said that I will have many rough days where I just have to lay around and rest. But on the days when I am feeling well, she suggested I got out and do something big. Because even though I will be tempted to do what is comfortable, I will never remember a day of laying around; however the memories of doing something big will always be with me. I thought that was good advice for all of us. None of us know the day or hour when we will leave this life or our Lord will return, so we must make the most of every available memory. And also in our faith, it is easy to do what we are comfortable with, but extremely hard to take big steps and let God use us in different ways; however, we will always have the memory of being able to be used by God.

Sorry for the long post... and for the tardiness in getting this out. There are so many of you that have been so wonderful with visits, cards, phone calls, e-mails, etc. I thank you so much. And I want to extend an even bigger thank you to anyone who has prayed for Ray and I. There have been times in this journey where we have been so tired and in so much pain that we couldn't pray ourselves. It was in those times that we coveted the prayers from our loved ones. I am so thankful to have so many prayer warriors surrounding us in our time of need. I cannot thank you enough. Love to you!