It's been quite a whirlwind of events lately! Late one evening I got a call on my cell phone. I thought - who would be calling me this time of night?! I was stunned when it was my daughter-in-law's mother. She called to say that my son Matt had a stroke and they were taking him to the hospital. Being that he is 5 hours away an in another state - I knew I couldn't leave that night - it was too late - and I can't see well at night...or stay awake for that matter. So after much prayer - and asking others to pray as well....I tried to sleep! Tried - was the key word - because I couldn't sleep much!
Early the next morning - I finished packing my suitcase, (as I was planning on visiting my grandchildren), and headed out to South Carolina. I stopped to pick up my daughter in Sevierville, TN and we both traveled to the hospital to see Matt.
When we arrived, he was in ICU...and we couldn't go and see him right away - as they were working on him. We waiting - and gathered information from Ellen. Soon - we made our way back to ICU where my son was hooked up to a ventilator and in a deep coma to keep him fro seizing and having any more atrial fibrulations. From 8:20 pm the night before until 7:00 am the next day they couldn't stabilize him so they had to intubate him and put him in a drug induced coma.
There sitting by my son's bedside in ICU was his wife Jessie, my daughter Michelle and me. We were only allowed 2 in the room with him - but I think they made an exception for us and even offered another chair so that we could all three sit down. We were the three closest women in my son's life, now sitting beside my lifeless son - and the ventilator breathing for him. We choked back tears while we sat there, eyes fixed upon my son in hopes to see him come around - praying that God would not take my son from us! It's hard to lose a child - I cry at the thought - but to leave my daughter-in-law a widow - I couldn't fathom it!
The next day when we arrived he began to stir some and, although he has no memory of this, opened his eyes slightly. I held his hand and asked, "Do you know me?" He gave a slight nod - and a tear came rolling out from the corner of his eye. It was so hard to hold it together. Next, my daughter held his hand - and before she could ask him if he recognized her - he grabbed for her hand and whispered, "I love you!"
The next hours blended into days - and then over a week later.......Too many stories to recount them all - but after a series of several teams of doctors ALL contradicting the previous teams in diagnoses, etc. an the frustrations of NOT really understanding what was goin on with him - we were able to bring Matt home.
He is doing very well - and astounded his doctor that he is able to talk, walk and function as well as he is. He tires easily - but he is able to do far more than the doctors anticipated. He had had 2 bleeds on the brain - 1 on each side. A cavernous angioma on one side - and a venous angioma on the other. He is another stroke looking for a place to happen!
Through all the prayers - and prayer warriors that prayed unceasingly during this agonizing week-long trauma unfolding - we know that God's hand was upon Matt - and brought him back to us. Praise God! Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ever ask or hope for.
He isn't out of the woods yet - but hopefully soon he will be able to find the appropriate neurosurgeon specialist to perform the delicate lazer surgery that he must do. Meanwhile, we keep praying that God will lead us to the right surgeon - after our nationwide search!
I am so thankful that we still have him!!!!! He is amazing!
God is so good!!!
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