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Experience Speaks Volumes

Posted by eph21920 on July 9, 2016 in Answer, Family, Healing, Home, Knowledge

Today a physical therapist came to the house and asked my mom tons of questions to get her Home Health Care set up. The whole thing was a little disconcerting to my dad – first of all, there were so many unnecessary questions that were asked. The therapist explained that is a result of Medicare and the information the providers are required to record. Then the therapist explained some of the additional people who would be coming in to help my mom in her recovery such as a nurse and occupational therapist. It was all a bit much for my dad. Luckily, my sister who broke her leg last year was here. She has had the same type of services and questionnaires, so she was able to speak of her own personal experience. She also works indirectly in the medical field. She said it was like a rehab center coming to the house instead of mom needing to go to a rehab center. My dad still did not appreciate all the private information that was “required” to be collected by Medicare, which I totally understand. But I was so grateful that my sister was able to make a little more sense of all that was going on.

I Found God today in the presence and knowledge of my sister.

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Back Home-Again

Posted by eph21920 on July 8, 2016 in Answer, Family, Healing, Home

After another 3 day hospital stay, my mom came back home today. She has been through so much, it amazes me how she keeps on going. This recent stay was the result of stroke-like symptoms, though not as bad as the last one. After many tests, the doctors feel she did not have another new stroke, but likely a seizure stemming from the stroke site that occurred in October. Therefore it presents many of the same symptoms. They said that it is not unusual especially with trauma to the body and some medications which can make a person more susceptible. So, we’re back home today, ready to work on recovery. Naturally, my dad and I have been super stressed with worry and lack of sleep. I was so grateful that one of my sisters was here all day yesterday, and the other is going to be here all weekend. Family is everything.

I Found God today in my mom coming back home and the support of sisters.

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Connected Through Prayer

Posted by eph21920 on July 6, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Family, Friends, Prayer

Well, my mom ended up back in the hospital late last night. We figure she had a small stroke. The doctors are doing their whole neurological workup to see if they can determine what happened and what might be done to prevent another one. My poor mom. In the midst of struggling with my own thoughts about what she is going through, I received an email from a friend who is going on a pilgrimage to several chapels in Canada and asked if there were any prayer intentions I would like him to bring along. I answered promptly and asked if he would please pray for my mother and my dad and me as well. It was a good reminder that worrying is to no avail and that we are all connected in some way.

I Found God today in a well timed email that resulted in feeling connected through prayer.

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So Far, So Good

Posted by eph21920 on July 5, 2016 in Answer, Doctor, Family, Healing

A while back, my mom had scheduled an appointment for today with the vascular doctor who is checking her carotid artery. The vascular surgeon who performed mom’s surgery the other day works with the team. She spoke with them and they were able to follow up from the surgery. So, at the appointment that I took her to today, the doctor reported that the carotid artery looks fine and she checked the surgery site. She answered some questions that I had. You know, I thought I understood what was going on and how to care for everything, but once we got through a night, there were things that needed clarification. She reassured my mom that everything looks like it is healing well. I was grateful for the encouragement and that we had this appointment set up already.

I Found God today in a well timed doctor’s appointment that resulted in comforting words and helpful advice.

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And She’s Home

Posted by eph21920 on July 4, 2016 in Doctor, Family, Friends, Grateful, Healing, Home

When my dad and I got to the hospital this morning, we were greeted by the heart surgeon walking down the hall. He told us again how sorry he was that my mom was going through such trauma and that this complication happens very rarely. He said that my mom was up this morning and sat in the chair to eat breakfast. He assured us that as soon as she was cleared by the vascular surgeon, they would get everything in order so she could go home. When we entered the room, my mom was back in bed resting from her big morning. That didn’t last long, though, as the physical therapist came in. I was amazed how my mom was able to move and walk after having been bedridden for 3 days. As the doctors and nurses commiserated and started pulling tubes out of my mom, the migraine that I was trying to avoid got worse and worse. Finally, I could take no more. I called my sister to please come and take over and I went home, darkened my room, put a cold wet cloth on my eyes, and went to sleep. In a few hours, my sister came home with my mom and dad. Luckily, by that time, the migraine was starting to diminish. It was wonderful to see my mom home again. Of course, she has another road to recovery, but as the doctor said, “She’s a tough lady.” Later I talked to my friend whose sister had the appendix surgery. She also went home today. Naturally, we are both very grateful. As for fireworks, the neighbors always have a big party and shoot some off. And then there are the fireworks on my dad’s ipad when he wins his solitaire game. But that’s OK. We have had enough excitement for now.

I Found God today having my mom back home, being grateful for my sister, and for my friend’s sister’s recovery as well.

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Successful Procedure

Posted by eph21920 on July 3, 2016 in Connected, Doctor, Faith, Family, Friends, Prayer, Sick

My dad and I got to the hospital bright and early this morning. The nurse came in and took another ultrasound on the area of the pseudoaneurysm. Unfortunately, the gap in the artery re-opened and there was still blood flowing into a “pocket” that had formed. It was decided to do surgery to close the gap. My mom needed to be transported to another hospital that had the capability and staff to do the surgery. My dad rode in the ambulance with her while I drove the car downtown. Upon arrival, we met the vascular surgeon who explained the procedure. We headed down to the pre-op and after getting my mom all prepped, we had a few minutes to pray with the nurses around us and my mom blessed herself with the holy water from Lourdes that I brought with me. Some people came in to meet with another patient and I thought I recognized one of them. Sure enough, it was one of my good friends. We seem to meet in the strangest places. Her sister had an appendix that needed to be removed. We all said good-bye to our loved ones and headed into the waiting room. My sisters and nephew also showed up, so we all had plenty to talk about other than worry about our family members. After a while, the doctor came in and told my friend that her sister was out of surgery and while the appendix had ruptured, she was doing well. Shortly after that, our doctor came out and said that my mom’s surgery was successful and she did very well. The “pocket” that the blood was pooling into was very large and she left it open to drain. We all thanked God and continue to pray for healing and no other complications.

I Found God today in successful surgeries for my mom and my friend’s sister, seeing my friend in a most unusual place, in the companionship of her, my sisters and nephew, and in all the friends who lifted up prayers.

 

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Mom’s Heart Attack

Posted by eph21920 on July 2, 2016 in Answer, Faith, Family, Grateful, Prayer, Sick

It has been a tumultuous couple of days. Yesterday early morning, my mom woke up with pains in her chest, ribs, arms, and back. She waited about an hour to see if it would go away, but it did not. She woke up my dad who promptly woke me up. After talking with her for a few minutes, we decided to get her to the Emergency Room which is only a few minutes from the house and she took a couple of chewable aspirin on the way. There was no one else there, so she was able to get right in. The staff there did an EKG and x-ray but did not see anything suspicious. They did some bloodwork and tested for an enzyme that shows up if a person is having a heart attack. All the tests came back negative. They gave my mom some medication for the pain and she was feeling pretty good after a while. We were happy to see a man from the church come into the room and offer Communion. The test for the enzyme was repeated after 2 hours. This time, it showed up – but only slightly. The test was repeated again with the level being higher than the previous. The cardiologist came in and talked to my mom, dad, and me about the different options. He was very concerned and recommended a catheter to check the heart arteries. My dad has had the procedure done several times, so he and my mom were familiar with it. The decision was made and within a few minutes my mom was whisked away. I was glad that we were able to get a prayer in there before. The doctors found that one artery was 80% blocked and they were able to insert a stent into the area. By night time, my mom had all the necessary treatments and was back in her room. Everything was looking good, so my dad and I went home for the night. We thanked God for the timely ER visit and testing and the doctors who literally saved my mom’s life – again. As I fell into bed, my sister called to tell me that my nephew had been in a car accident. He was rear ended on the highway. Luckily, no one was hurt badly. My sister took her son to the Emergency Room to get a good check over, just to make sure. Of course he was pretty shaken and sore, but no other trauma. I thanked God for that. When my dad and I arrived back at the hospital this morning, we learned that my mom had not been out of bed yet. She tried, but felt very dizzy and her blood pressure was low, so they were giving her a little more time. While we were waiting, another Eucharistic minister stopped by and we had a little prayer service and received Communion. That made everything just a little more calm. By mid morning, her nurse came to help her out of bed. My mom said it felt good to stand up. But then, she said that her incision was hurting. She laid back down and the nurse took a look. There was a large, hard lump on my mom’s leg where they had inserted the catheter. The nurse called for help and I watched as several other nurses came in and all worked on my fragile mom who was suddenly in a lot of pain. The head nurse applied pressure to the area while the others got my mom laying back down in the right position, put her on oxygen, and monitored her vitals. The nurse made some phone calls while doing all this and the doctor came in after a short while. He was distressed himself and said that this complication is very rare. Further testing revealed a pseudoaneurysm – basically blood was leaking from the artery incision into the surrounding tissue. There are 3 treatments for the problem and they started with the one that was least invasive. The nurse who had done the ultrasound on the area previously came back in with the machine. Before she started her procedure, I asked if she was a praying person. She said she was, so we all said a little prayer before she started. She pinpointed the leak with the machine and applied pressure, apologizing to my mom for the pain that she was causing. She stopped now and again and took images and after half an hour, she said she felt confident that it was successful. We thanked her profusely and she thanked us for the prayer. When she left the room and got to the nurses station, I heard her proclaim, “YES!” and all the nurses thanked her. My mom now has to lay flat on her back another night and we will try it again in the morning. We’re praying that things calm down, heal properly, and there are no other complications.

I Found God today in knowledgeable, caring medical professionals, and relative safety for my mom and my nephew.

 

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The Prayer at Valley Forge

Posted by eph21920 on June 30, 2016 in Faith, Past, Prayer

Today I took my mom and dad to the ear doctor to order some new hearing aids. On the way out, we went down a long hallway. We always travel slowly, so I enjoy noticing the people and decor around me. About half way down the hall, a large piece of art on the wall struck me. It was a picture of George Washington and his horse outside alone in the woods on a winter day. Washington is on one knee, hat off, and head bowed in prayer. I had never seen anything like it. I wanted to find out more about the picture, so I looked it up when I got home. The original painting is called The Prayer as Valley Forge and was done by Arnold Friberg. It is a depiction of Washington praying in Valley Forge as he and his troops were hanging on for dear life through the relentless winter. The story that inspired the artist came from the diary of a Presbyterian minister named Nathaniel Randolph Snowden. A friend of the minister told him of how he came upon Washington in the scene and Snowden recorded the meeting. Evidently, there is some controversy about the account – was it true, or a myth. In any case, it gave me good food for thought and contemplation as we begin our Fourth of July celebration.

I Found God today in a beautiful picture of our first president in prayer.

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Prayers Are Working

Posted by eph21920 on June 29, 2016 in Answer, Faith, Family, Healing, Prayer, Sick, Struggles

My mom’s brother and his wife have been having a very tough time of it. For about a year or so, they have been in and out of the hospital. Just when they are starting to recover from one thing, they have another issue. My uncle was diagnosed with COPD recently and the past few times we spoke to him, he was so out of breath and coughing that he could not hold a conversation. My aunt is now on weekly dialysis. A few weeks back, my mom ordered a rosary with some holy water from Lourdes inside from a favorite religious community. She also requested that her brother and his wife would be included in the daily Mass intentions. She sent the rosary and prayer card to them. When we talked to them today, my uncle was clear of mind and voice. He sounded strong and happy. He was even getting out his painting supplies, which he had not done in a very long time. We also talked to his wife who is feeling better and stronger too. My mom was sure that the prayers are making a difference. I agree.

I Found God today in better health and prayers that are working.

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A Selfless Friend

Posted by eph21920 on June 28, 2016 in Friends, Generosity, Sick

My mom has a good friend who comes over every week. They visit, play the piano together, then we go out to lunch. She spent many years caring for husband who died just over a year ago. Now she spends a lot of time visiting people who are sick and/or home bound. She tries to keep them busy and find them something they like to do. She always updates my mom on the condition of people that she knows. Today, after hearing how some of her friends are doing, my mom said she really appreciated it as she is not physically able to visit herself. I admire my mom’s friend for being so active, so committed to others, and such a continued supportive friend.

I Found God today in my mom’s trusted, selfless friend.

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