Three weeks latter our family was saying good bye to her and burying her body. That was over 31 years ago now but there are days I still miss her. Grandma Mason was a rock in my life.
In August of 2003 a doctor told me that I would be dead within 30 days. A colonoscopy revealed Crohn's Disease in its final stage. I was bleeding to death. My daughter Heidi couldn't accept this diagnosis. She called several gastrointestinal doctors in Atlanta who said they probably couldn't help me. Finally, Dr. Binderow told her that he would see me. He read the reports and examed me. He didn't give much hope, he said there was less than a 50% chance I would live through a surgery to help stop the bleeding.
I agreed to let them try to help me. I lived through twenty-seven more surgeries by 2007. The last surgery was so horrible. After two days on a ventilator, I woke up with tubes running out of every part of my body. Ten tubes were draining blood and fluids. There were IVs in my neck putting fluids and medications back into my body. Who can forget the nasty N.G. tube sucking blood and bile out of my stomach?
I looked down at the incision which was from my breast bone down to the pelvic bone. Part of the incision was stapled shut and part of it was left partially open so it could drain. I looked in the mirror, my hair was mated and filthy. If it killed me I was going to wash my hair. (By golly, it almost did kill me before a nurse came in and helped me.)
She was kind enough to help brush the tangles out. Having clean hair helped my attitude a lot. Prior to this I had cried and asked God why he had let me live through all this. That was a really bad day. What do you do to get through horrible days?
After the shampoo and a sponge bath I was hurting worse than I've ever hurt. The pain from having mesh filleted off my stomach muscles, hernia repairs and having my one and only bowel restructured was so bad I was sure I'd die. I remember calling out to God, "Please just hold me and take away the pain."
Not long after that, I slipped into a really deep sleep. Have you ever cried out begging God the Father to hold you? It's an awesome place! Imagine being wrapped in His loving wings, totally surrounded and secure in warm loving peace. His wings will literally shelter you from any storm the world can throw your body into in this life.
I slept safe and sound for several hours before I woke up again. I woke up refreshed and even mustarded enough courage and strength to hobble down the hall way with my IV pouches in tow. Seven or eight days latter I was able to come home, yeah hey.
The best way I know how to cope through the worst of days is to let God my heavenly Father scoop me up in His loving arms. I stay there until I'm strong enough to battle the rough spots with Him.
Jesus never minds carrying us when we can't walk on our own but we do need to ask for His help.
"Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by." Psalm 57:1 (NASB)
Although the storms maybe raging you always can have eternal peace in Jesus. There's NEVER a time we have to walk alone once we have accepted Him as our Savior.
"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:39 (NASB)
I hope you'll take time to read Psalm 57 and Romans chapter 8. Take these things to heart and thank God your Savior for them. In troubled times rest assured God will see you through them.
