Five years ago, my sister almost lost her life.
This is copied straight from her facebook on the first anniversary of her ordeal.
It's been five years since that day, and I'm so happy that my sister is still here with us. Every time I hear the song "Live in the Sky," I think about those five days I spent in that waiting room without showering...sneaking in to see her when it wasn't visiting hours...crying on the bus to Shreveport...and those red pants of mine that she grew to hate. lol
I love my Sissy.
This is for those that don't know and a reminder for those that do. (This is my testimony from 2006.)
A year ago today, Sunday, 23 April 2006, my life almost ended. I had coughed up alot of blood and my mother took me to the VA emergency room. The doctor on duty ran tests and told me I had pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs). I went back into the waiting area and that's when everything started happening very fast. I had a sudden sharp pain in my right side and I couldn't breathe. My oxygen levels had fallen and my blood count had dropped. They put me on oxygen to help me breathe.
They admitted me into ICU and put me on complete bed rest. I couldn't get up for anything. They did blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds, ct-scans, everything. I had blood clots scattered throughout my body. I had a huge clot that was blocking my right artery to my lung, and smaller clots that were blocking the left lung. I had clots in both legs. Let me add that I also had a broken ankle and was in a cast and had developed pneumonia in my right lung. My mother stayed camped out in the waiting room the entire time.
That night while in ICU, I prayed to the Lord and asked Him was it my time to go. He told me that I was going to have a testimony. And the way I see it, that meant I was going to have to be here in order to tell my testimony. They were drawing blood every two hours, constantly giving me blood thinners. The next day my friends came to visit. My assistant minister, Minister Nelson came to pray with us. My pastor, Rev. Banks and his friend, Rev. Palmer came to pray with me and I told them what the Lord had told me. Afterwards, my mother said that Rev. Palmer told them they didn't have to worry about me because he could see that I had Faith all over my face.
I was in pain almost constantly, even with pain medication they were giving me. With the clots blocking my lungs and the pneumonia it was a struggle just to breathe. I couldn't lay flat on the bed because laying flat seemed to cut-off the little air I was able to get. I had to sleep with my bed at almost a 90 degree angle. I had to stay still because even the slightest movement would cause me to have what felt like spasms in my back and side and when that happened I could breathe. I would be gasping for air.
My dad came, then my sister, Toya came and stayed for a week with me. Everybody camped out in ICU waiting room. The doctors had told me they were going to put a filter in that would prevent the clots from getting into my heart - which would have killed me if they broke loose. Everyday was a different reason why they could do the operation. I continued to go through being stuck with needles in veins that they couldn't find. One day I was stuck over 15 times. It was so bad they tried to get blood in places you would never imagined. My arms were so badly bruised from the IV's that they ached. They were running out of places to get blood. Finally they did a pic-line, which is like an IV but normally for cancer patients to receive chemo. It involves using a guide wire to get the tubing into place, which is supposed to go up your arm and across your chest. Well the first attempt mine ended up in my jugular vein (the big one in your neck).
By Friday, I had broken down. I thought the doctors were going to let me lie there and die. Because they hadn't put the filter in. They had been increasing the dosage of the blood thinners and still no change. My nurse told me not to worry and not to loose Faith. I hadn't lost my Faith, I just had a moment of weakness and Satan thought he could make me forget about the promise the Lord had given me. And a few hours later, the doctors came in with wonderful news. The blood clots were beginning to get smaller. ALL GLORY TO GOD! And I say this not only because it's true, but because the doctors kept telling me the medication WILL NOT AND CANNOT dissolve the clots. And they were right! IT WAS THE LORD!
I was moved out of ICU that Saturday, and stayed in the hospital another week. I was discharged on Monday, 8 May 2006. I have had to go to the doctor some times twice a week because I was still on blood thinners. My body didn't seem to be adjusting well to the blood thinners at first. They were increasing my dosage every time I went for my visits. But I am here to say that everything worked out just like the Lord had promised. I have been off my blood thinners for about 2 1/2 months and my last ct-scan came back negative, so there weren't any signs of blood clots. I'm still on blood pressure and cholesterol medications, but that too shall soon pass. I'm keeping the Faith.
I want to thank all of my friends that called and visited. My mother, father, and sister for being there to comfort me and your continued prayers. To Rev. Banks, Rev. Palmer, Min. Nelson and the New Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church family and everybody in the community that kept me in your prayers, my our Lord and Savior continue to be a guiding force in your lives.
I'M CELEBRATING THIS DAY AS MY NEW BIRTHDAY OR AS MY SISSY CALLS IT MY LIFE CELEBRATION DAY!
It's been five years since that day, and I'm so happy that my sister is still here with us. Every time I hear the song "Live in the Sky," I think about those five days I spent in that waiting room without showering...sneaking in to see her when it wasn't visiting hours...crying on the bus to Shreveport...and those red pants of mine that she grew to hate. lol
I love my Sissy.
