Life Goes On

Three years ago today, I was very glad to be walking through the doors of my home.  Eleven days before, my husband had taken me, seemingly conscious, but totally unaware of anything going on around me, to the hospital.  When he got me there, they immediately did an MRI and discovered I had had a brain hemorhage.  Some people don't believe in God, some people believe there is a God but He is just out there not really caring that much, only cracking down if we goof up big time, and then there are people like me, who have seen God actively at work.  Three years ago was one of those times.

It was Christmas time, and we had had a really sad, really bad time and to top it off, it was a ridiculously bad winter and our Christmas program had had to be cancelled the Sunday before Christmas because we were snowed out.  That was a first for us in 34 years of ministry.  Don was actually pastoring 2 churches that were 3 1/2 hours apart and this particular Sunday, 2 days after Christmas, he had to go down to the Paris area church.  The weather was terrible, snowing much, and he really didn't want to have to make that trip back on Sunday afternoon, but he knew he had to come because he needed to handle the lights and things for the program.  Because the program was snowed out the week before, Don happened to be home, instead of staying in Paris.
I had waked up that morning with a massive headache, unlike any I could remember, and as the morning service progressed, things actually became "foggy" because the pain was so extreme.  I had several young adults helping with the program who had stayed to lunch and to help with the kids party and the final run through on the play, but by mid-afternoon, my conscious mind had ceased to function.  Oddly, I was on "auto-pilot".  Don got home in time for the program, and everything went off without a hitch.  I sang 3 solos, 2 duets and played the piano for the program and everything went off pretty much without a hitch.
Our best friends had driven over from Brussels, Belgium and were supposed to stay and eat and celebrate, but I was so sick, they decided not to stay.  We went in our house (we live next door to the church) and I got Don's supper, but didn't eat myself.  I went to lay down.  Don watched an American football game and fell asleep (they come on about 10:00PM or later) and he woke up abruptly about 2 AM.  He knew he needed to find me.  I was standing just outside the bedroom door upstairs and he knew something was wrong because I asked him if it was time for the Christmas program.  He decided it was time to go to the hospital.
Now...here is the thing.  I remember nothing from shortly after lunch until I woke up 3 or 4 days later in the hospital.  My brain had apparently been bleeding all day from an intraventricular brain hemorhage.  Somehow, and this can only be explained by God's grace, I not only was able to keep functioning, even though I didn't know it, and stay alive, much after I should have.  With this type of hemorhage, one usually has 4 hours to be under treatment, and then there are no guarantees.  The doctors were concerned enough that there was a neurosurgeon standing by for the 2 days I was in intensive care.
My brain bleed had been going on for at least 12 hours, and yet, apart from some short term memory issues (which can also be explained by OLD AGE...hahahaha!) I am perfectly fine.
Ten days after my hemorhage, a friend from our college days, had an even more massive hemorhage, plus a fist sized tumor.  They didn't think she would survive the surgery, and were expecting, if she did, that she would be so physically impaired her "life" would be over.  Karen not only survived, she leads a fairly normal life except for limited peripheral vision and occasionally, when she is tired, a few motor difficulties.
Both of us had thousands of people the world around who were praying.  Both of us survived with good measures of quality life.
Under Obamacare, neurosurgeons have been informed that if a person has a brain bleed, they are NOT to be operated because people with brain bleeds don't usually come out with quality of life.  Karen's family would have been cheated out of so many years of joy with her if that had been the case for her.  I, myself, know that being treated for brain bleed is worth it.
I said all that because men are now trying to pick and choose who lives, who dies.  People are being labelled as health risks, thus not worth the cost of treatment because their "quality of life" is not as great as people think it should be to merit living.  When all is said and done, only God can and should be the Author and Finisher of life.  Years ago, I placed my life and my soul in God's hands.  It is the safest place to be.  Man is fallible...God isn't!  Though I tremble for the future of my children and grandchildren at the hands of little men trying to play God, I know that ultimately, HE WILL WIN! 
I haven't been on for awhile, so I will take this time to wish you a very happy 2013!
                                                     Blessings to all!