Southern Sundays: Blessed

"Fear though not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." -Isaiah 41:10

Last Thursday, my sister was on her way to stay with me for a couple of days. We were going to lay out by the pool and just relax. I was sitting in my bathing suit talking to Kelly on the phone when my mom beeped in. She was calling to tell me that my papaw was being admitted to the hospital through the emergency room. I panicked. I would like to think that in an emergency situation I would be able to compose myself and do whatever needs to be done at that point in time. I am just not that person. I knew I needed to get over to the hospital quickly, but I couldn't process how. Tyler told me to get out of my bathing suit and into some regular clothes, and then he drove me to the hospital. I called my mamaw on our way over, and I could tell in her voice she was very upset and nervous. I didn't know what to expect when I got over to the hospital. I took the elevator up to the third floor and cautiously walked into my papaw's room only to find him standing up and walking. What a relief! They ended up sending him straight up to his room as opposed to making him check in through the ER which surely would have been a long, drawn out process. His room was gigantic and very nice! My mamaw was sitting in a chair in the room with him, and her little hands were furiously shaking. You could tell that it was a big surprise to both of them that he had to be admitted that day.

They had initially gone over to get images taken of his heart after he had a not so great stress test performed. His regular heart doctor of over twenty years was out of the country, so papaw was being cared for by one of his colleagues. At the time, this really stressed us out. The new doctor was wanting to do a heart catheterization on my papaw - a procedure his regular doctor had been trying to avoid for ten years. We were all very nervous and worried. The family spent the day together laughing and talking at the hospital. Papaw felt fine, and we were just trying to keep everyone's spirits up. That night around nine, Kelly and I told papaw goodnight and left to go home. As soon as we walked out of his room, we both burst into tears. I had been fighting it all day, and I know poor little Kelly had been too. We were very nervous, worried, scared, sad, upset, anxious.. you name it, we were feeling it!

The next morning we headed over to the hospital bright and early to see him before the heart catheterization. The doctor had a talk with us and explained the heart cath was an absolute must. He had seen a blockage on the images that he didn't like. He said we would discuss further options after he does the heart cath. That tells me he was expecting to have to put in a stent or do another procedure. Before papaw was taken back to be prepped, we all gathered around him, held hands, and prayed. My uncle Freddie led the prayer, and tears filled my eyes as he was praying. I felt God there with us.

They took papaw back, and the long wait began. After several hours, they called us back to speak with the doctor. He wasn't saying anything, so my mamaw asked, "IS HE OKAY?!" The doctor said the procedure went fine........ (I was expecting a big BUT here). The blockage was minimal and much less serious than what he had thought. That's God, y'all! We know the blockage had to have been bad because: 1) They wouldn't let him leave the hospital the day before. They told him it was possible that if he went home for the night he could have a heart attack and die. 2) They obviously saw something they thought was very bad for them to have done the heart catheterization. I explained to his new doctor that his regular doctor wanted to avoid the heart cath at all costs. The doctor said he understood that but this was an absolute must. He wouldn't have done that if he thought it was something minor. 3) He was preparing us for another procedure. He kept saying after the heart cath I will come out and discuss the options. He was planning on putting in a stent.

We all prayed so hard. I do believe that God touched my papaw that day. A quote from one of my favorite movies, The Notebook, says it best: "Science only goes so far, and then comes God." Studying in the science and medical field, educators teach you that there is a reason for everything. One thing causes another. This treats that. As a pharmacist, I take that knowledge and apply it as best as I can. As a Christian, I know there is more to it than just what they teach us in school. I also apply that knowledge daily!

We are all so fortunate that our sweet papaw is going to be okay! My mom hosted a dinner for the family last night to celebrate papaw's health and to spend some time together. She had steaks, mashed potatoes, million dollar spaghetti, french bread, cornbread salad, two desserts, and some crab legs especially for papaw. They're his favorite! It was so great getting to spend time with everyone! We love our papaw so very much, and now I know to cherish any time we get to spend with each other. Thank you Jesus for taking care of my sweet pap and keeping him here with us. Papaw told me he prayed to God to just be with him throughout this and that His will be done. I told pap that I prayed for him to be healed and to get to stay here with me LOL That made him laugh! Papaw was my first baby sitter, my Bible story teller, my advice giver, and my comforter. He has always been there for me throughout my entire life. God blessed me by making him my grandfather! I love you Pap!

A Walk Down Memory Lane