EXCERPT

The Story. . . ​
Excerpt

At approximately 1:00 a.m. in the early morning of May 7, 2006, a female doctor called me at home. She told me that they were doing all they could, but that it did not look good, so she suggested that we return to the hospital and wait. My husband and I got ready and went back to the hospital. We could not believe it was Mom lying there. Mom’s body had blown up to almost 350 lbs, more than twice her size. She was hooked up to several machines. It was such an unbelievable sight. I still shake my head when I think about it.
Mom’s body temperature was very cold.
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I placed a pair of soft white socks on her feet to help keep them warm. I asked the doctor, “What on earth is happening to my mom?” He explained to us that Mom was not passing out any fluids and she was still bleeding internally. So it caused her body to expand continuously. My goodness! I replied. “Why did this have to happen to my mom?” Mom looked as if she was about to explode at any moment.

I went out to the waiting area and called everyone I could get a hold of to tell them about Mom’s condition. It did not look good at all. I was clearly about to lose my mom, yet I had no tears. I was always a crybaby, yet at the most devastating moment of my life, I could not shed a tear. Instead I became stronger, calmer, and more resilient. An unexplained survival mechanism kicked in — it was a form of shock that allowed me to get through this terrible ordeal.

At around 12:00 p.m. on May 7, I saw a minister visiting a patient in the ICU. I watched as he and his assistant prayed for the patient. The moment I saw him, my brain went into overdrive. I instantly thought maybe I should ask him to pray for Mom. I had to leave the room at the time, but when I returned I noticed he was just about to leave. I said to myself, “Thank God. Now is the time for me to ask.” There was a lady with them, and I walked over to her and asked her if the minister would pray for my mom. She did not hesitate to ask the minister who immediately walked right over to my mom’s bed and prayed for her. God is good!

That moment was very special to me. Deep down inside I felt relieved and at peace. I knew right away that if or when Mom passed, she would most definitely be with the Lord. Everything happened for a reason. The minister showed up just in time and got the job done. The Lord was indeed present.