Personal Journey Entry # 45

To understand the plan, you have to wait until it plays itself out, and then you can realize that nothing happens by chance. Everything is methodically planned, step by step, if you just let yourself have faith and follow along. I had had enough of this nagging cough that became my best friend about four weeks ago, and I called my PCP to get a prescription to aid in our separation. We were close, but I needed some sleep, and this violent cough was preventing that from happening every night. I was put through to a triage nurse, who asked what seemed like an endless string of questions that at first blush seemed unrelated, but I was wrong. This was not just a nurse, but another Angel who was going above and beyond to take care of me. She identified the origin of my cough as my heart, and not my lungs. Because of the unusual swelling in my legs and the faint feelings when coughing, she made a diagnosis of an irregular heartbeat that was not allowing my heart to shed the excess fluids in my body. She was coy and a bit funny as she explained that she was not a doctor, nor did she play one on TV, but she was very confident that I should get to the ER sooner rather than later. She also asked my permission to pray for me….how do you turn down prayers from an Angel? I went to the ER after my morning bus run, and after many tests and questions, my new Angel proved to be right on with her diagnosis. I was in constant a-fib, and my heart needed a reset. In a matter of minutes, the ER room filled with staff, and I assumed this was not a typical visit. I was given a sedative, and the doctors explained that they were going to use the paddles and shock my heart back into normal rhythm. I told them to have at it and went out like a light. I came to rather quickly and was told they had to hit me twice with the paddles, but they were successful in getting my heart to beat to the music. The nurses unhooked the dozens of probes and sent me on my way.

Thank you, God, for putting that triage nurse on the line. She could have given me a quick answer to take some Nyquil, and you’ll be better in a few days. She chose to be right over quick, and now I am saying a prayer for her.

I also received another bit of good news. Dr. Tompkins reached out and agreed to do the final Endoscopy to verify that the tumor in my esophagus is gone. We are scheduled for the procedure on December 10. It is a long way away, but at least we have a date to focus on. We must remember, it is all part of the plan.

Thanks for stopping by, and may God bless and hold you tightly in his protective arms. Take care. Ray