Surgery is done and I am home now. While leading up to the time I was in surgery, I was often amazed at the things that were not bothering me. Normally, if I have a procedure that requires me to not eat or drink after midnight, I suddenly become hungry and/or thirsty at 12:01 a.m. Not this time. My surgery was scheduled for 11:30 a.m., but it happened about an hour later than that. I was not nervous during this time, which is unusual for me. I chatted and laughed with the doctors (who all had a great sense of humour). The anesthetist was able to put the IV in the first try which has always been a difficult feat in the past. My angiogram took 7 tries to insert the IV. What do I attribute all of this peace, calm and success to. Prayer. My prayers, and the prayers of others that went before me. As I have previously mentioned, I cannot conjure up a peaceful demeanor. As hard as I have tried in the past, it is impossible. So the glory goes to God for the ease in which I entered this next encounter.
Upon waking up from surgery, I began to breathe deeply through my nose to help get my oxygen levels up and wake up quickly. I moved my legs and hands and did all the things I would normally do upon entering the recovery room. I had a tickle deep in my throat from the nose tube they used and started to dry heave uncontrollably. Nurses quickly gave me an anti nausea medication to stop it. But since the cause was not my stomach, but the tickle, I realized quite quickly I would have to try and alter my breathing to make the tickle less iritating. The oxygen being forced into my airway was also iritating "the tickle", but I knew they were not about to remove this. At the same time, the pain was mounting higher and higher and I was becoming distressed with all the overwhelming negative sensory feelings I was experiencing.
I asked for pain medication and knew I just had to hang on until this started to work. They injected the medication. I waited, and waited, and felt no relief. An attending physician noticed me writhing in pain and spoke to the nurses in charge of my recovery. After much discussion, they tried another shot. I waited patiently for what felt like many long, drawn out minutes, but still no relief. I told the nurse that I was still in pain so she said she was going to give me a different medication. I believe it was called phentonol. She injected the medication and within 5 seconds, I was having great difficulty breathing. It was as though I had to consciously think about, and make myself breathe. I told the nurse I was having trouble breathing and she told me it would be all right, and walked away.
At this point, I was once again reminded of the verse I had been given by CK before I went into surgery. I can do everything through God who gives me strength. Phil 4:13 I felt comforted that God was in control. That nothing was happening, or would happen that He did not know about. At that moment, with all that man could do being done, I turned to God and gave my life into His hands to do what He wanted. I stopped fighting the breathing, and relaxed and was breathing more shallow to stop the tickle in my throat. I knew the monitors would determine if I wasn't getting enough oxygen.
A nurse came by and told me to close my eyes. I did and it seemed to make me feel better.
I was still in quite a bit of pain, but as I relaxed, became more peaceful and reticent, the tickle in my throat subsided and the dry heaving urge stopped.
I heard the nurse say that I could be moved to my room so I got ready for my ride. I passed my mom talking on the phone in the hallway and waved to her. She would follow us up to the room.
I got settled into the most comfortable bed and tried to drift off to sleep, but couldn't. I could close my eyes but still hear everything going on around me. Mom told me what the doctor had said about the surgery and who she had called to tell about it. Everyone had been informed and I could get down to the job of dealing with my post-op recovery.
Once again I was shown man's limitations. But with Christ, all things are possible. CK left me with a second verse that morning that I was reminded of when I was realizing things were not going as well as I had hoped.
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jer. 32:17
During those moments, I knew with all my heart that this was true, and called upon the living God to take control of the situation and use it for His glory. He never fails. He did just that.
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