As most of you are aware, I’ve been in and out of the hospital for the last few weeks due to major back surgery whereby I had three discs removed and then fused together. My recovery has not gone well and I’ve suffered excruciating pain day after day.
Saturday I was trying to go into my bedroom to read and (hopefully sleep) and get some rest. After maybe ten steps my walker went one way and I went the other and I completely passed out and fell. My wife said that my eyes were glassy and open and staring at nothing like a dead person. She kept screaming until I regained consciousness. I had fallen a few times before, but hard-headed me, I stubbornly refused to go to the hospital.
This time I agreed and off we went.
I look and feel like I’ve been on the losing end of a fight with a porcupine. I’ve had so many CAT scans, MRI’s, and X-rays that I don’t need a light in a dark room because I glow with the radiation from all those tests. I’ve had all of the hair on my chest, legs, and arms ripped from my body from them taping various devices to me, ripping the tape off only to add more in another place. I’ve had numerous blood tests where they’ve taken enough blood out of me to float a battleship, (well maybe a small toy battleship).
The doctors were worried that I was having mini strokes, an aneurism or related vascular problems, a brain tumor, or brain damage from the operation, whereby I was anesthetized and had gone too long without oxygen. The doctors at this new hospital were not short on theories and checked for all sorts of things.
I put out the word as many prayer warriors as I could that I was in bad shape and needed prayer. Several hundred people responded that they were praying for me and I suspect that all told, several thousand were praying around the world and asking our glorious Savior to intercede. A very good Spirit filled friend of mine even drove 7 ½ hours to pray with me Saturday night, because God had told him and one of his friends to do so.
So the battle raged on as the doctors systematically checked everything. Yesterday in the late afternoon my doctor came into my room to tell me the verdict.
Gulp!
She smiled as she told me that my heart is in excellent shape as is my vascular system, and brain. The EKG’s, MRI’s, and CAT scans, blood tests, et al indicated that the operation was a success and everything was where it was supposed to be and there was no brain damage.
I asked, “So why am I passing out and why do I have so much pain?”
She explained that my nerves were severely inflamed. (I remembered my surgeon telling me that the normally white nerves that exit my spine were as red as he had ever seen). She said the lengthy operation made that inflammation worse and there was also swelling that was putting pressure on the nerve.
Okay that explained the pain, but what about the fainting? She said this was caused from low blood pressure and could be easily remedied.
So the prognosis is that I’m going to make it, albeit it could take from 1 to four months or even longer to fully recover. She gave me meds that should prevent me from falling and something new to try and curb the pain without becoming a junkie . . . I’ll just have to tough it out and keep praying that God will provide help with it.
So our prayers were answered and you can bet that even though it hurt like the dickens I got down on my knees and thanked the Lord last night. Unfortunately my wife goes in tomorrow to have a biopsy due to her mammogram and ultrasound detecting a growth. I believe in prayer and I ask you to join me in praying for Teresa tomorrow morning . . . I’ve been steadily praying since we heard the initial news.
Prayer is the most powerful weapon with which God has blessed us. Satan is waging radical war particularly on those of us who dare to oppose him. It is called satanic warfare in the Bible. Yes satan has power and alone we are no match for him; however we do not have to be alone when we accept Christ as our savior. And he will run like a scared rabbit at the mere mention of our Savior’s name.
Hmmm: Ok you lowdown reptile, take this: Jesus! And this: Jesus! And this Jesus! And this: Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!
God holds our next heartbeat in His hand; so we never should fear He loves us! Just settle in and talk to our Lord about all that is going on in your life. He will be there, ready, willing, and able to help us through anything provided we have faith.
(Please excuse me if I seemed to ramble a bit on this post. My hands are shaky and I’m still a little loopy from all I’ve undergone. Many thanks to my good friend Al Cuneo, who has been selecting WFTD from the past to publish,)
James 4:7
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
February 23, 2015 – Click here to listen