“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
I am going to take a break from 1 Timothy today to write about my recent experience. I haven’t posted anything for a while, and that is due to a medical emergency that I went through several weeks ago. I want to document it because I saw God’s providence throughout the entire time.
We left for our trip at the beginning of September. The plan was to leave on Monday, take a couple of days to drive to Arizona where we store our 5th wheel RV, get our supplies, and then head out on Saturday to start our RV adventure. So far, so good. Our first stop was Barstow, the halfway point to Paso Robles, where we planned on spending two nights before joining our group in Monterey for the rest of our trip through the California Redwoods and up the Oregon Coast. My stomach started to bother me a little bit on Saturday as we were driving, but it wasn’t too bad. Our oldest son Danny joined us for the afternoon so we could meet his new puppy, Chewie. We had a great visit with him. I ate a little, and my stomach really started to bother me that night after he left. I really did not want to go to the hospital that night, so we waited to see how I felt the next morning.
Sunday morning, I laid on the couch in the RV watching Pastor Steven from our church (Home) preach on our TV. Bill was in the process of getting us ready to get back on the road. I was in quite a bit of pain, and all I could do was lay there as Bill got things wrapped up. I can’t remember too much of the sermon other than it was on proof of Jesus’ resurrection and it was bringing me great comfort. And at the end, Pastor Steven read one of my favorite verses from 2 Corinthians, the one I started this with. It was a reminder for me that my momentary affliction was just that.
We got hooked up and resumed our trip to Paso Robles. As we drove, I had a little relief from my pain. The night before, my pain levels had been at around six to seven, and now it was down to a manageable five. We arrived in Paso Robles in the afternoon, and Bill got us set up while I rested in the truck. Then we headed for the drugstore. I have already had both my gallbladder and appendix removed, so I was thinking that my stomach pain was caused by constipation. I picked up some Miralax chews, and then we went to dinner. It was after this that I really saw God’s providence in my whole situation.
First, we had decided early on to join our group in Monterey on Tuesday instead of on Sunday night in Buellton. It was just a matter of us not wanting to drive south (a little out of our way) and giving us a chance to get the RV checked and situated before joining the group. If we had been with them when my medical emergency happened, it would have ruined the beginning of the trip for them. As it was, they were worried enough, but they were able to continue with their plans without having to rearrange everything. It also put us in place for the perfect hospital and doctor for me.
Second was the Miralax. I was not constipated. It instead caused so much stomach pain that by 2 am Sunday night (early Monday morning), I knew I had to wake Bill to take me to the hospital. It might sound funny to say that God’s hand was in my taking the Miralax, but up until I woke Bill up, I kept second guessing myself. I have had pain before, and I kept thinking this would go away, but the Miralax forced the issue. The pain was so intense that I knew something was wrong. So at 2 am, when my pain level was about nine, I could not ignore it anymore. I believe it was God who prompted me to take it seriously and wake Bill up. Our GPS took us on a circuitous route to the hospital, and I can remember praying aloud, “Help me, Lord” all the way there. And He did.
Third, we got to the hospital ER at 2:30 in the morning and I was the only one there. They took me right back and the doctor came back to see me. I think she must have suspected something was not right, because they sent me back for an MRI with contrast dye right away. The technician returned me to the room and said the doctor would be back in about 60 minutes to go over the results with me. The nurse started an IV and gave me some pain medication. Just a few minutes later the doctor returned to tell me the surgical team and anesthesiologist were on their way. I had a twisted intestine, and they needed to operate immediately.
My surgeon arrived and she was wonderful. Dr. Winnie Feng is new to that hospital, and God knew exactly where I needed to be when the emergency happened. He had me go in at that time and to that hospital. She inspired my confidence when she explained the surgery and what she was going to do. She was calm and gentle when she explained the possible complications. From the time I arrived at the ER to the time I was on the operating table was two and a half hours!
Fourth was the anesthesia. I have gone under anesthesia four times- twice for colonoscopies, and twice for laparoscopic surgery. All four times I have come out of it so sick, even when we tell them that I do not do well with it. This was a two-hour procedure, the longest surgery I have had (and obviously, the longest I have ever been under). It took me a little while to come to, but when I did wake up, I was fine! The pain was gone, and there was no nausea.
Fifth was the procedure itself. My surgeon came in later and explained that my lower right colon had twisted and looped up over my liver. She explained that some people have extra length in their colon and that it can twist. She removed about ten inches and stapled and sewed the two parts back together. The technical term for what I had was a volvulus, and the surgery was a colon resection. I knew in advance that this would not be laparoscopic surgery, but that she would have to do an incision and open me up. Thankfully, the MRI had showed that there was still blood flow to my colon, so there was no gangrene and no sepsis. If I had waited any longer, or if the ER doctor had not taken my symptoms seriously, my outcome could have been far different. Again, God’s providence.
I had wonderful care at Adventist Health Twin Cities Hospital. The nurses took such good care of me. I spent two nights in the hospital (the longest I have ever been in a hospital!) and because I was doing so well, I was released Wednesday after lunch. Dr. Feng told me that she wanted me to walk as part of my recovery, so she gave us the okay for us to rejoin our group as long as I felt up to it. We stayed in Paso Robles for an extra day to make sure I was doing okay and on Friday, we headed up to join our group.
On Friday, we drove up to Willits (in the Redwoods) to meet up with our group. On Saturday, we drove up to Crescent City. Driving was easier than I thought it would be, considering I had 16 staples holding together the eight inch incision in my belly! On Sunday, we visited the lighthouse at low tide, and I was able to walk all the way from the parking lot, down the beach, over the rocks, up to the lighthouse, and back. Later, we drove to Jedediah Smith State Park and hiked among the Redwoods. It wasn’t a long walk, but the fact that I was doing as much walking as I was, less than a week after major surgery, felt like a miracle!
Lastly, I saw God’s providence in the prayers and caring of His people. I had people praying from California to Wyoming to Pennsylvania. My husband has taken such good care of me. My boys have called, texted, and visited. Friends and family have regularly checked up on me. And the friends we were traveling with made sure that I did not overdo it. They all kept a good watch on me to see that I was doing okay.
So here I am, three weeks later. I am writing all of this down so that I don’t forget God’s goodness to me. I am not one hundred percent yet but I am getting better every day. I still have soreness where the incision is. My digestion will take a while to get back to normal. But when I think of what could have happened and how quickly I am recovering, I am so thankful!
“Blessed be the Lord,
for he has heard the sound of my pleading.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart celebrates,
and I give thanks to him with my song.” Psalm 28:6-7
Grace be with you!
Abundant Joy 