I've been getting lots of texts and calls, so I want to update everyone. I am going to do my best to list all of the miracles that the Lord performed for The Old Man today.
Let me preface by saying that in just the past two weeks, Dad had made tremendous recovery with his bullous pemphigoid (huge skin blisters issue). Yesterday was the first day he had been able to wear regular shoes, and he went to church and also back to church last night for the Christmas program.
Yesterday morning while we were at Cracker Barrel, Dad's aortic artery aneurysm ruptured. We had just gotten our food, and started to eat when he said he had excruciating pain in his lower back. This continued, and then all of a sudden I looked across the table at him and he had a blank look on his face and had zoned out. My cousin's husband told him to swallow his food and he didn't respond. I immediately called 911 and a man at the table next to us overheard and came over and said he was a nurse. He took over and cleared his mouth and got him down on the floor on his side. First miracle.
The man's wife came over and put her hand on Dad's chest and prayed for him. Within seconds, he snapped to (he was only zoned our for maybe a minute or two, but it seemed longer) and was his old self - trying to get up from the floor and get in the chair. Second miracle.
EMS was there within two minutes of me calling. Third miracle.
He was able to stand up and walk to the stretcher. He was as alert and coherent as he always was. Fourth miracle.
The ER rushed him through, and the nurse rushed him to get a CT scan. It took maybe 15 minutes, where normally it would have been 1-2 hours. Fifth miracle.
The tests confirmed what the ER doctor was hoping would not be the case - that his aortic artery aneurysm had ruptured. He called for a vascular surgeon who also confirmed. The surgeon said that he would need surgery immediately or he would die. They were able to get him in surgery about half an hour after the doctor told us this. The surgeon laid it all on the line for us - he could do the surgery two says. One - he would cut him open from below the heart to his groin and repair the rupture. But the blood clots that had formed would move down, and to make the long story short, he would lose the kidneys and need to be on dialysis. The second option was much less evasive and an easier surgery on the 84 year old patient - he would make two incisions in the groin and put in stints to repair the rupture. But the stints would cut off the blood flow to the kidneys and he would end up on dialysis. Bud didn't hesitate and told him to do the "easier" (his words) surgery.
The surgery lasted about three hours, and when the surgeon talked to us afterward, he said that everything went well, and that he was able to put the two stints in lower, so they wouldn't affect the arteries going to the kidneys. MAJOR sixth miracle.
They kept him in the recovery room for four hours on his back to make sure there was no bleeding. Seventh miracle.
We went back to see him once they got in him the ICU and his color was great, and his spirt and temperament was like Normal Old Man. And he said he didn't have the pain anymore. Eighth miracle.
They took more blood while we were there, and the surgeon asked his nurse to give him the results immediately. All of the levels they checked were normal, especially those related to the kidneys. Ninth miracle.
He was finally able to get some water and he inhaled his cup of Jello, another good sign. He was still in great spirits, all the time giving thanks to God for the prayers answered. So we left him in the very capable hands of his ICU nurse and we went home, where we will all hopefully get some rest tonight.
But wait, there are still a few more miracles to tell you about.
I had the day off, so I was there with him when the aneurysm ruptured. If it had been any other day, I would have been at work, and chances are he would have died here at home. Tenth miracle.
Last but not least, my Favorite Cousin and her Dear Husband were still here with us. They had been here visiting with us since Friday, and had planned to go home this morning after we all had breakfast together. The Lord had other plans for them; the Lord wanted them to be here beside my Sweet Mother and I today. Eleventh miracle.
I hope the Lord forgives me if I missed out on telling about any other miracles. He already knows how thankful we are for everything He, the doctors, nurses, and others did for us today.
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