Restoration: Jehovah - Rapha
December 2016 marked a distinct timeframe wherein a uniquely challenging season of trials and triumphs surfaced in my life. While already in preparation for an upcoming orthopedic hip surgery, I found myself contending with an acute attack of digestive disturbance. Self diagnosing this to be a viral bug, I tried to keep a daily routine. However, two weeks later, I found that my health status demanded a visit to the hospital. Medical tests revealed dehydration and gall bladder problems. There were two sizable images on the film and I was told I was facing a possible emergency gallbladder surgery. Leaving the hospital, I confirmed within myself that two surgeries, back to back was not the way I needed to go.
Returning home, calls were made to my family with updates. Processing all that was being said medically and how I physically felt, I set my heart and mind to believe God. Proverbs 3: 4-5 gives words of wisdom as to acknowledging and trusting the Lord for direction. Therefore, the next four weeks were requiring a defined focal agenda. Looking back, I can see that personally defined directives truly came. Although physical rest was required, I am thankful I was able to attend worship. My times of daily devotion centered on studying the healing scriptures of the Bible. Because I was nutritionally deficient, I was shown - by way of a dream - to make dietary changes to an all vegetarian eating plan. Lastly, I engaged in a well-researched gallbladder cleanse and took all nutritional supplements to help heal and restore my digestive tract.
As the time drew near for surgery, I encountered having a second dream that I perceived also to be from the Lord. Having biblical understanding that dreams often convey messages of importance; the dream was written out and taken seriously. In the dream, I was shown me driving on a familiar in the vicinity of the hospital. It appeared to be night, with my car moving in pitch-blackness. There were no street lights, external car lights, dashboard lights, stars nor moon, just darkness. There was a feeling of danger and lack of control! I felt that I could experience death at any moment - not knowing what would have hit me due to the depth of darkness. I awakened with my heart pounding. Believing the dream to be a warning of impending danger, my mind was drawn to the upcoming surgery.
Days later, while being out at the church, I shared the dream with our pastor’s wife, Lady Frances Swinney. There, I stood batting back tears acknowledging that fear was now really trying to surface. I felt I was between a rock and a very hard place. Choosing not to proceed with the hip repair meant willfully submitting to live with more intense pain, more falling, and more limited mobility beyond my comprehension. Her serious and direct reply as I recall it was, “You get an answer as to what you plan to do, and we can and will take it from there.”
On Monday, February 6th, at 9:40 a.m. I was admitted into hospital. Prayer requests were made from far and near for a favorable turnout for me surgically, giving specific focus to my respiratory and abdominal/digestive wellness. A dear friend and sister in Christ, Dorothy “Dot” Reese met me and remained with me until surgery time. We were told all vital signs; BP, heart rate, temperature, and respirations were good. The surgery was delayed due to hospital scheduling, yet all went exceptionally well as reported to Lady Swinney by the surgeon. When I left recovery, I was awake and in very good spirits. Although I was not being allowed to eat, the nursing staff was giving multiple medications via the IV line. Lady Swinney having limited medical background and experience, inquired of the nurse as to why I was being given so much medication. The nurse responded, “These meds are listed in her chart to be administered.” Then Lady Swinney said to the nurse, “I am familiar with those medications and they are strong alone. It seems too much, together.” Since she did not want to interrupt the medical staff’s procedures, she sat quietly for a time, encouraged my rest and then left. Yet, please note I had been given quite a bit in a short span of time.
In a few hours, with my daughter, Rianne and niece, Vanessa both onsite, I began to feel unexplainably very sick. My temperature escalated quickly and bouts of abdominal heaving seemed to manifest out of nowhere. Vanessa, noting a low 80/60 BP reading, alerted the nurse to come to the room. It was apparent that something serious was happening due to the activities of the staff. She also began making calls. The BP continued to spiral downward to 50/30 and the pain index kept intensifying. Lady Swinney and another dear friend and ministry intercessor, Sister Lillie McIntyre, were informed as to what was occurring and were immediately in route to the hospital. At some point- I felt myself slipping away, disconnecting from what was transpiring in the room. The nursing staff kept tapping on my chest, saying, “Stay with us, Ms. Trainer, we need you to stay awake.” The nurses were doing all they could to get the BP back up. In the meantime, the doctor was called. Yet to no avail, I did encounter a span of unresponsiveness. Upon entering the room, Lady Swinney addressed the same nurse as previously stated as to this being a medicine overdose. The nurse responded, “Yes it is.” Regaining consciousness, I became aware that an oxygen mask was on my face, implying respiratory concerns! Glancing around the room, I now looked into the face of Lady Swinney and later on saw Sister McIntyre. Their presence brought comfort and strength to me.
At this point the one last noteworthy reflection dealt with me having to contend against the fiery pain of a deep surgical incision without pain medication. Health precautions restricted meds being given because of the low blood pressure. The pain continued to roar and the ice pack that the nurse gave was not of much effect. I clearly recall Lady Swinney looking over at me and said, “They really can give you absolutely nothing. We have to depend on GOD.” Closing my eyes, this same pain that had been raging began to dissipate. It remained at bay until some real form of pain management support was reinstated a day or so later. Great God Almighty! Even though I was assessed as being quite ill, I recognized that the Powerful Hand of God was in the midst, superseding natural laws and keeping unexpected elements of complication under control and on lock down.
To this day, I do not know all that took place making this somewhat, of a critical matter. There were victories being experienced but the war was not over yet! I found out later that I was for a while not only warring against the Hypotensive blood pressure, but also a defined Bradycardia (slow) heart rate. I was then transferred to the hospital’s Cardiac Step-down Unit for constant monitoring. The medical record transcribed by an attending physician writes that the patient was at high risk of decompensation, another unfamiliar big medical word. This condition typically includes difficulty breathing and potentially is a serious cause of acute respiratory distress. Now I see why there was an oxygen mask in place. I know there have been many details but all are of importance. The Lord sent several warning dreams to me and to other as well. I conclude:
I entered the hospital with no heart or blood pressure concerns. After a successful surgery, due to a
medicine overdose a traumatic health attack occurred.
Upon discharge the BP readings were all within normal range, with NO SIGNS OF BP or CARDIAC CONCERNS! The torment of pain supernaturally became subject! The gallbladder issues and stones reported on file at this same hospital in December were no longer found. The radiology report showed “NO STONES or ABNORMALITIES!” The dream forewarned darkness, danger and the threat of demise. The LIGHT of GLORY DISSPELLED every attack of the enemy even arresting the despair of pain in the dark hours of the night.
