A Miracle in progress!
About a year ago Joe developed his first ever bed sore right at the base of his tailbone. Debbie was devastated to learn what it was as she had prided herself and was complemented so many times on the care she had taken to prevent such a thing; it seems common that people who are bed ridden often develop them, but how Joe’s developed is a story in itself and does vindicate Debbie’s care or lack of it as the culprit. That’s a story for another time. As Christians we are unique from any other religion in the fact that we have a God who is alive today and therefore have the privilege to have a personal relationship with him as we walk through our lives each and every day. As we search and sometimes struggle to learn more about him, and live lives pleasing to him, he opens our eyes to the fact that he is guiding us and he has a plan that includes each of us. He sometimes, probably more often than not, uses bad things to bring us closer to him. I believe Joe’s bed sore is exactly that. Please understand I don’t believe God is punishing Joe for some terrible sin he had committed, rather more like in the story of Job where God allowed terrible things to happen to one he loved very much so that others could learn and witness the power of God through him.
If anyone has ever seen a bed sore, they can tell you how terrible they are and how difficult they are to heal. They’re utterly disgusting and make you sick to even look at them. It has to be close to leprosy as the outer skin just begins to die. An actual hole in the outer skin begins to develop and gets larger as the skin around it dies. We took him to doctor after doctor and one hospital or clinic after another but the wound seemed to grow larger. They cut away the dead skin and packed the wound with compounds and for a time used a device called a “wound vac” that placed a vacuum on the area. This device was extremely difficult to keep sealed and painful for Joe. On top of everything else in visiting so many different hospitals and clinics one is exposed to germs of others in spite of the care taken to prevent it. The wound became infected and then it was another battle to treat that. Many a tear was shed this past year; how could God be so cruel as to strike our son with such a miserable condition? He’d already taken from Joe a normal life; how much more do we have to endure? It seems so wrong; Joe was such a kind and considerate person.
Just as every Christian believes the salvation of sinner’s is part of God’s plan which was laid out before time began, I believe he has a plan for Joe as well. I know Debbie has prayed for Joe as I have and both of us have asked many others to pray as well. Everyday I have prayed specifically that God “heal this bedsore in a miraculous way.” It sure didn’t seem like he was hearing my prayers and for sure he wasn’t answering them.
Debbie and I were advised that plastic surgery might be answer. This would be so serious a surgery for anyone, but for Joe it would be even more serious. It would require him to lay flat on his belly for as much as six weeks and he could only be shifted slightly from side to side. Joe is fed by a stomach tube and he has a problem with aspiration after eating. Whenever Joe is fed he is elevated to near a seated position to prevent any food he may belch or cough up from possible entering his lungs and cause pneumonia. This has happened before. You can only imagine the stress of making this decision had on Debbie. How would she possibly be able to move Joe as much of the time she is alone with him and the physical strength required would definitely be a challenge. The plan was to cut a patch of skin adjacent to the wound large enough to fold over the top of the wound. As a result Joe’s whole back side would now be raw; just the sound of it alone sounds terribly painful. The surgeon said they could make arrangements after the surgery for Joe and Debbie to stay in another facility where’d she’d at least have help, but would require her living away from home for a month and a half. Who would take care of her house and there were animals to be cared for? This was an extremely difficult decision to make, but it seemed the only answer. On top of everything else the surgery would be scheduled for Dec 23rd, one day short of the five year anniversary of Joe’s initial accident. Just the thought of sitting again in a hospital so reminiscent of five years earlier conjured up horrifying memories. Would she be able to bear the emotional anguish? Debbie and I talked about it; we prayed about it and ultimately decided to go ahead with it. It wasn’t, as we know now, part of God’s plan.
Friday the 19th of December and possibly even before began a chain of circumstances we look back on in awe and only wonder. I guess even before the 19th Debbie, while dressing Joe’s wound, looked at it and really believed it was getting smaller. She had her nurse look at it and she too felt it was indeed getting smaller. On the morning of the 19th I lost electrical power to my house due to an ice storm that was sweeping the area. I wasn’t too concerned but it got into middle afternoon and while Debbie had power she had heard radio reports of massive damage in the area and predictions some may be without service for days. I do have a gasoline generator but it hadn’t run for years. I managed to get it running poorly at best, but was able to hook up my furnace and water pump. It was cold on Monday the 22nd, the roads were icy and I was still without power. Joe was supposed to go in for pre-registration and then return home. Debbie had made several calls with no response. She’d hoped to make arrangements to bring Joe in earlier the 23rd before the surgery due to the treacherous conditions. We didn’t even yet have a time set for the actually operation but no one was returning calls. When the facility where Debbie and Joe were to go after the operation called and asked for insurance information to get it arranged, Debbie lost it! “What! How could this so important and necessary step not even be in place yet? What if insurance turned it down?” Debbie was having real reservations about the whole thing by now and unanswered questions kept coming up. “How is Joe going to eat? What’s going to prevent him from aspirating his food if he has to lie prone? What if the operation is performed and the assistance facility is denied by the insurance company?” I went to Debbie’s; I tried to reach someone and finally got the surgeons office secretary. I asked to speak to his nurse who was orchestrating all the arrangements, but was told she was at the wound clinic. I called the wound clinic and tried to explain I was trying to reach nurse so and so who was either there or would soon be. It seemed so difficult to get this person to understand; she’s not here yet I was finally told but they’d give her my number when they saw her. I think by this time Debbie and I had both decided to cancel; there were just too many things not in place. Debbie needed groceries as she hadn’t planned to be home so I left with a list. In the meantime the nurse called her and when told we were canceling went off on Debbie. In her defense she had gone to great effort and we probably didn't seem too appreciative of that. She told Debbie if we didn’t keep this appointment it would likely be months before another could be arranged. Debbie called me angry, upset, and emotionally drained. She insisted I call the nurse back immediately, which I did, and after a few moments of verbal fencing with her was able to explain how vulnerable Joe would be. He's a very special case and in this seeming chaotic situation, although everything may well have come together we just can’t take that chance.
Doe’s God control the weather? Does he use people to accomplish his plans? Can he heal a wound that modern medical procedures don’t seem to affect? Does God answer prayers? Both Debbie and I believe God has intervened! We believe we are witnessing a miracle in progress! Joe’s bed sore has dramatically decreased in size over the last two months! Every time Joe had an appointment since something happened to prevent his keeping it; crazy things; bad weather; nurse quit; another nurse fell. You may think this is all coincidence, but God is carrying out his plan. He’s healed Joe’s wound in a “miraculous way” and it’s now totally healed as of this writing and with a little help, Debbie is able to get Joe back in his stander finally! Joe loves it! Praise the Lord!!!
Are you facing trials or difficulty in your life? There is a God; there’s only one; his name is Jesus Christ! He’s alive and with us and revealing his presence through this most miraculous healing. I know God is working through Joe and it’s our continuing prayer that God heal Joe completely and allow him to once again walk and talk and we ask for your prayers as well. Yes, I believe miracles do yet happen in our world today! There is a God in heaven and he does answer prayers and he wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. He may put us through trials, but we have his assurance he will be with us when he does. Praise God and may he be with you and those you love and lift you up in your struggles and bless you.