Lol - okay
I'll tell you the story...
You see, it all started one fine day in May. Routine blood draw (or so I thought).
[Queue the ominous music]. Followup appointment with my PCP (Primary Care Physician). Full disclosure includes a very healthy body for almost all of my life no matter how much abuse I've thrown at it. I call it "lucky" but really? It more like blessed. But then, about 4 years ago, my body started "complaining" and I started listening. What choice did I have?
Words like "Type 2 Diabetes" and "Hyper-Tense" and "High Blood Pressure" and "Blood Glucose Levels" were familiar to me because those were the kind of things that other members of my family had. But not me. Well, not that I knew of until 2010.
Skip to 2014 and the Month of May: Results from the blood draw mentioned above come back. I get a phone call: It's my doc,
"We've noticed your Creatinine Levels are higher than normal... " (It's an indicator of Kidney function). So... off I go. The Ultrasound Technician was very nice. Since then I've been ultra-sounded quite a few times -- and I've no clue how this happens but each time by a different Technician. And each time the Ultrasound Tech is female. And each time the female technician is pregnant. I love pregnant ladies. Just something about them, you know? But I digress...
My PCP gets the results and says,
"While they were looking at your kidneys they noticed that you have an aneurysm of the aorta," and as that little tid-bit of information sunk in the Doctor (also a friend) said,
"I'm going to refer you to a Vascular Surgeon." Turns out that aneurysms of this nature also run in the family and are one of the leading causes of death in US Males (the 13th largest cause). So there I go. My PCP refers me to Colleen (Vascular Surgeon) and she is a sheer wonder! How can such an amazing mind be so compassionate and understanding? I am impressed by her.
She tells me all about the options available for repair of the Triple A or AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) and I nod my head all the while drinking in every word so that I might go home and figure stuff out (I like Google - Google is my friend). She also schedules another routine test -- an Echo Cardiogram. Basically it's a stress test and ultra-sound of the heart. They want to know if my heart is healthy enough for me to be able to survive the AAA procedure.
And then...
After the routine examination I meet another couple doctors. One of them a heart surgeon with very impressive credentials. He examines me completely and uses the term "asymptomatic" because I don't have any of the usual symptoms associated with CAD (Cardiac Artery Disease).
"I understand that you came in asymptomatic so I am very sorry to tell you that you are an emergency..."
He scheduled me for surgery on July 1st. I started praying and asking all my friends, families, loved ones to pray. Then just to be sure that we were all knocking on heaven's door with my name on our lips? I asked that others ask
their friends and prayer partners to lift me to the Great Physician as I trusted Him to provide... I owe a great debt of gratitude to many. Every single moderator here. Many of their friends. My family. Church members. Even fellow students. And here's the thing. I can never repay. All I can do is look to Jesus and ask him to be faithful (like that's a problem for Him or something? HA!) but to be faithful to repay for me, to bring their reward with Him... I do love Him so and have grown closer and closer as He draws me and us)... I'm starting to see by revelation just how much each person means to our Lord God. It's too much but shhhhh... sacred secrets are difficult to speak of...
Back to the story... They (the surgeons) told me that I could expect 5 to 8 days of recovery. Prayer works. I was admitted on July 1st. I was discharged on the 4th of July. You don't count the Day of Surgery so I had 3 days of recovery. And I felt good. Still feel good. In fact, I've felt better each day. I test myself, test my lung capacity, test my endurance (how long can I walk? 2 minutes in the hospital then need rest? Okay.
Yesterday? Two 17-minute back-to-back (walking to the grocery store, shopping and back) and carrying 10 lbs (my lift restriction is 10 lbs) with a slight uphill at the end... FEELING LIKE I COULD DO IT AGAIN! but no. Don't press. Who are you trying to impress anyway? Just accept the healthy with thanks. One step at a time. Continue and run the race with an eye toward crossing the finish line. The race does not go to the fastest... I've heard these things in church and in Bible college and all my life. I'm guessing that so have you.
So that's that. My creatinine levels have come down while in the hospital. They are slightly above normal but no alarm. I've been seen by a Nephrologist (kidney doctor). I've got another appointment with him in 3 months. The heart? There were 2 by-passes performed. Nothing but admiration in me for the great job they did. My mom was a nurse and my sis was a Medical Transcriptionist. I grew up with an appreciation for all things medical and it has only grown by what I've seen. Top notch professional and also? The Lord let me see secret things, like the fact that they also know His Word and are serving Him from the heart. So many brothers and sisters in the Lord we have. They are hidden for a moment but shall be revealed... (Psst... so are you!)
The future as I see it today? Sure: On the 11th of August I'll go back to Connie (the Vascular Surgeon) and I'm betting she will be all gung-ho to go for the Triple A repair. That's fine by me. My prayer? Well, I'm a 61 year old male and a student at the local community college currently studying for my degree in CyberSecurity. My prayer has been and is ---> that I am somehow able to continue my education come September and the Fall Quarter. I want to go back to the campus healthier than I left it last June and I believe that's exactly what will happen.
Either that or maybe the Lord will come for me in another way and I will understand what 2 Cor 5:8 is about. Being confident. Actually preferring to be absent from this body and present with the Lord... but I think no. There are many great assurances given and I am hearing a call... not to come home but rather to serve with all my heart. Not sure how that's gonna happen except that if it does and I am blessed in it I know who to blame. Jesus, the GREAT Physician. Because I know that He likes to heal the whole man. So I suspect that God willing, I'll hit the campus running come this fall.
So far? I'm right on track and very, very grateful.