My husband Thad was experiencing some shortness of breath and the cardiologist had him undergo a stress test which he failed. Then they scheduled him for a cardiac catheterization. The catheterization showed that while the two stents he already had in his arteries were working well; on either side of them were blockages; one at 50% and one at 60-70%.
The doctor assured him that he could repair the blockages with additional stents. However, since Thad was sporting a dislocated shoulder at the time of the procedure; the cardiologist suggested having that done first and then returning to him for the stent placement. Should the stent placement be done at this time, Thad would need to wait 3-6 months before he could repair his dislocated shoulder.
Though disappointed, what we heard was God saying “Wait”.
That same week, Thad was admitted to the hospital to have his shoulder dislocation repaired. Now Thad already has had both his shoulders replaced almost 10 years ago, so this would be a revision of that replacement.
However, when the surgeon opened up the old incision he found a massive amount of infection, degradation of the old appliance requiring 4 hours to remove all the broken, imbedded pieces, necrotic tissue and infection with copious amounts of saline, and antibiotic washes. A “spacer” that leeched antibiotic and antibiotic powder was placed where the old shoulder appliance had been and two antibiotic drugs were to be administered daily for 6-8 weeks.
No revision or replacement of his shoulder could be done. Again, we were disappointed, but we clearly heard God say “Wait”.
Eight weeks and daily infusions of two antibiotics later, he was scheduled for a total shoulder replacement to be done this past Wednesday. He used the surgical scrub for four days, new towels each day, new sheets on the bed for his return, packed for an overnight (me too as his surgery was scheduled for 3 pm), and ready to drop off our Queen Ween Doxie, Liesl at our daughters when we got the call. The surgeon wanted to delay the surgery until 3-D scans of his shoulder and bloodwork as close to the next operation as possible could be done. Once again, delayed and deferred to another date.
God – is that you?
How do you respond when God says “Wait”? For us, our first reaction was “Really, God? We had to wait on the stents to have the shoulder repair. But the shoulder can’t be done because of the infection which could take months to heal. Now its delayed for more studies and tests! Help us, Lord!”
But then we realized that all we need is a little faith. And patience (that’s the hard part). We need to see the other side of the moment. While disappointed, we look for the blessings. We are trying to see the events not from our view point but from God’s 360 degree vantage point. We became grateful that while Thad had no symptoms of infection, the infection was found before he had sepsis without knowing it’s origin. That could have been deadly. We are thankful that he has little to no pain unless he tries to move his shoulder a certain way. We are grateful that while he does need stents, neither blockage are severed enough to be a threat to his life. We are appreciative of the surgeon who wants to use every tool in the medical bag to know exactly what to expect when he goes into surgery and it will be without incident.
Meanwhile, Thad is ambulating better and better each and every day. Together, we exercised our brains as to how best set up our home for Thad to have as much independence as possible with only the use of one arm. Our bodies may not be getting exercise, but our brains are getting a work out! I even got to give him his antibiotic infusions where I tell people I got to shoot my husband daily!
And so we have faith, patience and trust. Trust God that regardless of the events and even the outcome, God is with us and He has this well in hand for His purpose.
Max Lucado states in his book God Will Carry You Through – “We cannot always see what God is doing, but can’t we assume He is up to something good?”
In time, God’s time, all will be made well.
And with me as Florence Nightingale/Nurse Ratchet, Thad will be back in service for the Lord in no time.
“Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”(ESV) Psalm 33:20-22
Thank you for reading my post. If you have found it encouraging please consider liking, commenting or sharing it. Feel free to even re-blog – may these words take flight!
I have additional insights I’d love to share with you found in the pages of my debut book: Surviving Medical Mayhem – Laughing When It Hurts. To order a copy or learn more go to my website at www.lorettaschoen.com
Blessings for Health & Wellness.
Hi Loretta. I just re-posted something you responded to 5 1/2 years ago. Just thought I’d let you know, since we seem to have disconnected a ways back. Blessings, Mitch
July 11, 2024 at 11:27 amHi Mitch. Thank you for letting me know. Life has gotten a bit busy but I love your posts and your thinking! May you see the blessings amidst life’s stressings.
July 11, 2024 at 2:46 pm