Okay....
If I left you in suspense....
It only gets better from here......
We (my daughter & I) were in the hospital for approximately 4 days before we were allowed to return home! By home, I mean my Mother's house. With a 3-year old, a brand new baby, a working husband, and a debilitated mom (that's me!)...we certainly welcomed her help.
Mother welcomed us in her home for two weeks following Brenna's birth, just as she had when Bailie was born. It was great seeing my parents bond with our daughters so close after their births! It was also fantastic for Mike to have the help taking care of them. And we were totally unaware of the events about unfold and turn our little world BONKERS!!
About 3 days after arriving to Mother's house, my incision "reopened" in several small "pocketed" areas. This meant Mike would once again play nursemaid and "pack" my open wounds. He was fantastic as ever! So gentle and loving. It takes about 6-8 weeks for the "pockets" to heal from the inside-out (which is the desired effect). So we continued to do what was necessary every day....even once we returned to our own home.
Around week six something totally unexpected happened....When Mike tried to "pack" my incision...he couldn't get any packing in it! We were thrilled...this meant it was done, over, finis!
I had a Drs appointment the very next day and couldn't wait to give him the great news! I was all healed up! Praises were flying all around our house! We were completely in awe of God's healing powers!
The next day at the Drs office, something totally different transpired....When the Dr went to check the final "pocket" that Mike couldn't get packing into, I felt this strange sensation. It was almost as if water were running right down my inner thigh. The Dr ran to the door and called for several nurses. In a fast furious flurry, the room filled with panic faced nurses....
You see...when the Dr went to clean the incision area, he "poked" the cotton-tipped swab into the small space to be sure it was cleaned and sterilized. To his amazement, blood mixed with infection burst from my body like a broken damn!
I could tell by the hurried body language of the nurses that something was terribly wrong. He quickly patched me up to the best of his ability and sent me to the emergency room. He assured me that things would be okay, but it was possible that my incision would need to be RE-OPENED!
Re-opened?
Re-opened!
RE-OPENED!!!!!!
This Dr was out-of-his-ever-loving-mind!!!
Well, I could not have stopped the tears from falling if my life depended on it! I was nothing short of terrified! Oh, Lord Jesus, what had I done? I had done all the Dr had told me to do! I didn't break any of the rules (for once in my life). I was obedient! Why? Why? Why!!!!
I called my Mother from a cell phone to tell her what was happening and asked her to call my husband. We were cut short due to a wasting battery! (go figure)
I was all alone. No husband. No Mommy. NO one. Just me and my extreme fear!
It took the ER department about 2 1/2 hrs to get me where I needed to be and ready for whatever was about to happen. I asked if we could please wait for my husband who was on his way and should arrive any moment! They kindly agreed to give me 20 more minutes, and then they would have to proceed, husband or not!
I don't think I have every prayed such selfish prayers in my life! It was completely about me and my needs at that very intense moment! "Lord, please don't let me go in here without getting the chance to tell my husband I love him...just once more! Please, Lord, let me be able to send love & kisses to my children, parents, & family! Oh, Lord, pleeeaaasseee!! I am so afraid and so alone!!!
At that moment, the door opened and Mike stepped through with huge smile on his face! Cries erupted from a place so deep within me...I thought I might explode. I'm sure I slung my arms around his neck so fast and so tight it rocked him backwards just slightly! His comforting arms...finally...everything would be okay...peace...solace....security!!
The nurses arrived right behind Mike to wheel me off to the operating room once again. I would indeed have to endure a second surgery to "explore" what was happening inside my body. After tight hugs, free flowing tears, and many kisses...I was pushed through the double doors where Mike could not follow!
Complete and utter fear dominated every inch of my being. I felt such a sense of dread...and it was very heavy.
The procedure itself was very quick. I was given a "saddle block" (numbed from the upper torso down to my toes) and allowed to remain awake while the Drs inspected the situation on the other side of the drapes.
Within a matter of minutes, one of the Drs came to my side and told me that they were going to need to call in a specialist to asses the exact extent of the infection. I had a lot of scar tissue and deciphering what was scarring and what was "healing" tissue would be difficult. I indeed had a serious infection and would need some attention immediately. To alleviate any unnecessary pain or discomfort, I would be put under complete anesthesia until the procedure was complete. They expected the specialist to arrive in approximately 45 minutes. Until that time...I would sleep well! Then once again....nothing!
when I finally woke up, I discovered from my husband that I missed two complete days. TWO COMPLETE days asleep! There were wires and tubes all over my body, including one in my nose that continued to my stomach. I was unable to talk, so I improvised and asked Mike questions about everything by writing on some paper. (Which he still keeps in his Bible today!)
Why the tube in my nose?.....To keep me from vomiting....Oh!
Why so many IVs?......You're on 4 antibiotic medications....Oh!
Where's my children?.......with family.....Oh!
I recall lots & lots of x-rays! Everyday. It seems the medications I was on were extremely harsh on one's body. They were also looking for signs of pneumonia or fluid build up in my lungs! I wasn't able to get out of bed due to the large, uncomfortable WOUNDVAC that was attached to my "re-opened" incision.
WOUNDVAC - a device used to cause constant circulation in a severely infected wound. It pulls infection from the body through a tube and into a sterile container which is emptied daily. It is continuous and it doesn't stop...unless it is turned off for the wound to be cleaned and re-packed.
Re-packing my wound was the most horribly painful experience of my life. It was so painful that 10cc of Morphine could not touch it! Could NOT TOUCH the pain! Eventually the Dr had pity on me and began using anesthesia and literally knocking-me-out to clean my wound and re-pack it. I received a total of 7 surgeries while I was in the hospital over a 2 1/2 week time frame.
It was horrible and I had never felt so completely alone. Mike stayed with me for a few days and once the Dr realized that I wasn't going to die....Oh yes, they had already told my husband that my chances of going home with him were less than 40%....LESS THAN 40%....most people do not recover from a Staph infection of this magnitude. It was very severe and I was in grave danger!! Mike felt horrible...and so completely alone! He hit his knees in an OR waiting room and began to pray! He was devastated! How could this be? Why Lord, Why?
Eventually Mike had to return to work or loose his job. I assured him I would be okay and that each day was a triumph! One night, after a very tough day, Mike called like he usually did and I could not refrain from squalling like a baby! I wanted to come home!! I wanted to hold my babies! I wanted to be free from this machine and all this pain!! ....I basically poured my lonely heart out to my desperately-trying-to-hold-it-together husband. After many reassurances from my dear sweet husband, we closed our conversation with prayer and lots of phone-kisses!
As I prepared to drift off to sleep, I put one of the many teaching CDs a friend had given me into a CD player (which she had also given me) and began to listen. First came worship, then prayer requests & announcements, then finally the message. It was our Senior Pastor and he was speaking on receiving from God. Not just receiving ANY old thing from God, but claiming the promises!! It was powerful to say the least! It moved me to a place I had not yet been able to come to in my current circumstance!!
I cut off the message and immediately began to pray. First I asked for forgiveness for my "un"belief! Then I began to praise His wonderful Holy Name with singing and shouting! Then I prayed (speaking it out loud)...."Lord, Jesus...you are the bread-of-life, the great physician, the ultimate Father, and complete embodiment of pure LOVE! You are completely above anything these Doctors may say will or will not happened to my body....You have ordained this that I might learn and be a living testimony to Your Greatness! By your stripes I AM HEALED and I claim this in Your Holy Name! I BELIEVE that when I go in for surgery tomorrow morning, a miracle will appear right before the Doctors eyes and I will shout joy full praises to You for You are the mighty God!" in Your Precious Son's Name.....
I cannot forget that prayer. I remember it word-for-word! I have it memorized...because I must not forget how Great My God is.....
Yes, a miracle did happen before the Doctors eyes. He was amazed to find that my wound had in fact healed. No infection remained anywhere he looked. He repeated it time and time again..."I can't believe this....I just can't believe this....I've NEVER seen this before!" I could have leaped straight up off that gurney and danced a sweet jig to MY LORD that would never have been matched to this day....but I was unable to....since my legs were not able to move!! I did in my heart though...and I shouted praises to the Lord Almighty that were heard in operating rooms on both sides of mine!! I was healed!!! I was going home!!!
Recovery was slow, but it was sweeter than anything I have experienced since! I can honestly tell you....I BELIEVE GOD!!!
Later during my final visit to that very same Doctor, he confided in me that he had determined that I was not going to survive the week! He had already began to prepare himself for inevitable news he would have to bring to my husband & children! It had amazed him that I was always so positive and chipper...even when pain was so...well...painful! He couldn't believe I never cursed him, asked him to "save" me, or seemed to "give" up when the news was grim! He finished with how he admired me and then he asked me a question, "Ms. Melton, why do you think you are still here today?" I was quick with my response...."Because I worship a God who is able to DO ANYTHING!!"
So, you might ask me why I call this a Happy Day? Because that was the beginning of my Total Submission to God. It was my lesson above all lessons and it is what I meant to teach others.....
BELIEVE GOD!!!
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