Somewhere in the midst of living a fairly normal life on February 6th, our world was turned upside down. It was shaken to the core, and hung out to dry on a rope clothesline secured only by a very brittle, weathered clothespin. A catstrophe happened in a matter of seconds. As the wind whips and dries the clothes on a line, our lives were whipped, dried, and torn at the hospital.
Tommy was scheduled to have a heart ablation procedure done to help get his heart back in to sinus rhythm. The surgeon had completed a successful five hour ablation on Tommy. As the doctor was telling his nurse that everything was fine, Tommy bottomed out and ended up on life support. This was not supposed to happen. There is no known reason why this occurred. Everyone in the room was stunned. Crisis mode kicked in and they did what they were trained to do.
Lisa and I had received a phone call saying the surgery went fine. The doctor would come out and talk to us in about an hour. We were in the process of enjoying the good news with a walk to look at the Memory Garden. Both of us were excited and talking at the same time. It was a good feeling. The anxious thoughts and fears began to ebb and flow, slowly easing its way to a peaceful shore line. Tommy was going to be fine. The five hour operation was over.
In about the same amount of time it took me to write the above paragraph, everything changed. His doctor and nurse were racing to find us. My cell phone rang and it was the doctor's office but no message. We thought it was a fluke. My phone is an odd, little, cheap duck, it does random things all the time. Lisa and I laughed. That was the last laugh we would have for 3 days.
We met the doctor and nurse in the hall. They led us back to the waiting room and asked us to sit down. He began telling us what happened or as much as he knew. We were told Tommy was now in Intensive Care and we could see him in about an hour. There was a heavy stillness that hung in the air as the doctor finished talking. I was stunned.
Our first look at Tommy was frightening. He was barely recognizable. Tubes were running everywhere. Machines filled the room. Monitors appeared to be going crazy with racing, changing stats. The first visit we didn't stay long in his room. We were in the way. Each of us gave him a kiss and told him we loved him. I remember asking him to "fight and fight harder than he ever fought before". He told me later he remembered me saying to "fight". I had not mentioned this to him at all. How he remembered I will never know. He was knocked out, appearing to be a million miles from us. He was on a ventilator, and yet he heard.
Lisa and I went to the ICU waiting room, filled with other people who had loved ones in critical condition. One family was in the process of loosing their mother and grandmother. She died that night. There was a young woman about 33 years old, whose husband was having numerous operations to repair a bowel. He was so sick and will be in the hospital at least 2 months and have numerous operations. She will not let any one speak a negative word in her presence. She helped me that first night. I will go back and check on her each week. Her name is Tammy and can use all the prayers she can receive.
On the 3rd day Tommy did a complete 180 degree turn around. It was incredible to watch. The doctors were puzzled, the nurses confused and we were amazed, all of us were happy. Hourly his condition improved and tubes were reduced. He was sent to the cardiac unit the next day. On Wednesday he was discharged. He is to take it easy for the next 2 months. They will reevaluate his condition at that time.
Thank you all for visits, texts, calls, prayers, and a special thanks to Lisa. I don't know what I would have done without Lisa Wednesday night and every other night I fell apart. You all prayed and reached God's ear and for that I will be eternally thankful and grateful. When Tommy was being discharged, the doctor once again said he could not give him any reason for what had happened. He said "we will probably never know what happened". Then he called him "our miracle man."
God stepped in and did what man could not do. I believe that. Why or for what purpose I don't know. Why didn't He heal everyone in the intensive care unit? I don't know. I have no clue, but I believe with all my heart He healed Tommy and for that I am more grateful than anyone will ever know.
To be continued...................our story isn't over yet.
God is good!! Our prayers were heard and answered!!
ReplyDeleteMelody thank you so much. Love you lady
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