40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS

It is hard to believe we have spent 40 days and 40 nights here at UMC. At times it seems it has just flown by and then at others...it seems as though we have been here longer. To the staff...it seems like an eternity....but mostly because we have been coming here so many times. Ron was here every 3-4 months last year and in 2006 we were here for four months. So, to them ...it's as if we never left. What a journey this has been for us. As I reflect back on the 40 days and nights....some are a blurr..others are still very vivid in my mind. The moment we received the call at 6am Saturday, Dec. 8th....the excitement...the shock....the anxiety of trying to get everything together to get on the road as quickly as possible.....the anxiety of knowing Ron would be going through another heart surgery....and a kidney, too....the drive to Tucson in the pouring rain and Thomas...taking all this in and being such a good boy through it all. I remember Dr. Copeland telling us Ron was very sick and that his heart was as bad as the one they had just removed. He was in serious rejection once again. The images of having all the doctors in his room trying to keep his heart from failing any further in order to keep his organs from shutting down. The feeling of helplessness .....trying to go very deep into my being to cling to my faith as best as I could in the hopes that God would find HIS way into Ron's room and "fix" everything for me. Reaching out to the doctors whom I put my trust in to help Ron get through this. It was all I had left ....my total faith in God that He would take care of it all. And, he did. Ron improved .....we had a great Christmas....The Lord gave us the best gift of all....Ron's life ..... But...the Lord was not finished with our journey just yet....he had much more work to do through us....Dec. 30th....Ron went into cardiac arrest....and once again I walked up to a room full of doctors and medical staff in Ron's room trying to save his life. It was all so surreal....Here I was again watching my husband unconscious and lifeless.....everyone working so desperately to keep him alive....the doctors coming to me mouthing things I did not want to hear ...it did not look good ...his heart had stopped...we would need to connect him to a heart/lung machine in order to keep him alive and figure out what had caused this and come up with a treatment. My head was spinning ....for a split second, I did not know what to do.....I needed guidance and the Lord brought it to me...through a doctor I fully trusted who assured me this was the best thing for Ron. And, so I agreed to it and signed the consent form for them to start. For five grueling days we sat and watched Ron hooked up to this machine and others that kept him alive while the doctors tried medications to help bring his heart back. Once again...the Lord presented himself with his amazing love and miracles. HE showed us that all things are possible through HIM if we just believe! There were still obstacles to overcome but we knew we could do it...the Lord was with us ...we could do this! Each day Ron has progressed....each day a little closer to full recovery. He endured having his sternum damaged and repaired. He has endured having his kidney transplant site reopened and getting it cleaned and treated twice a day. He has recently endured another surgery to have his permanent pacemaker installed. And through it all...he has managed to keep his sense of humor and his will to keep fighting ...he wants to get out of bed and walk so bad...each morning he strives for that with everything he has. He is up by 7am...ready to sit on the side of his bed and exercise as best he can....just like he did today. He even at his breakfast sitting on the edge of the bed and exercising his legs while he ate. He then went into the cadillac chair for over two hours. We have permission today to go out of the hospital to sit out in the courtyard and get some fresh air! How awesome is that!....Ron still has many milestones to cross...he has already overcome so many. These forty days and nights have had their trials but we have also had some great victories....Praises to our Lord ...who has strengthened us and sustained us during moments that were very tough to go through alone. We are ready to take on the next task of helping Ron fight even harder to regain his strength as he begins to endure the rigorous routines of physical therapy. Thank you for taking this journey with us.....there is much more to come...with the hope it will all be positive from here on out. "12But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." John1: 12-13