It was four years ago today that I underwent bypass surgery…
Like anyone having to undergo such an extreme event, I wondered if I would survive. This was definitely what I was thinking as I was lying on a gurney while being wheeled into the operating room. I never had to face any kind of surgery before, let alone something of his magnitude.
I thought a lot about dying, especially since not everyone survives getting a bypass. And mine was going to be a quadruple. Four heavily blocked arteries needed to go. I wondered if this is what a car feels like when it gets brought into the shop for a new transmission?
Now it was my turn to get an overhaul. My ticker definitely had a lot of mileage on it, forty years worth of having to live in a highly stressful environment. No wonder my heart began to conk out.
So off I went for surgery, not knowing who I would see when it came time to open my eyes again. Either I was going to awaken to someone from the hospital's medical staff hovering over me, or I was going to see Jesus.
Of course, I did a lot of praying beforehand. So I was ready. I wasn't overly nervous. Actually, I was quite calm. I knew God was with me. But the big question was, am I ready to meet Him?
The thought that today could be my last day on earth was both poignant and profound. Would I still be in the hospital, or would I be in heaven dancing with the angels? I was torn between the two.
The answer came when I awoke. Feeling groggy and exhausted, I opened my eyes to see a nurse with a concerned look on her face staring down at me. There was no Jesus and no angels. The party would have to wait.
It was a bittersweet moment. I was not going home to heaven just yet. So the Lord, I reasoned, must have more work for me to do on earth. I'm okay with this.
D.B.
I thought a lot about dying, especially since not everyone survives getting a bypass. And mine was going to be a quadruple. Four heavily blocked arteries needed to go. I wondered if this is what a car feels like when it gets brought into the shop for a new transmission?
Now it was my turn to get an overhaul. My ticker definitely had a lot of mileage on it, forty years worth of having to live in a highly stressful environment. No wonder my heart began to conk out.
So off I went for surgery, not knowing who I would see when it came time to open my eyes again. Either I was going to awaken to someone from the hospital's medical staff hovering over me, or I was going to see Jesus.
Of course, I did a lot of praying beforehand. So I was ready. I wasn't overly nervous. Actually, I was quite calm. I knew God was with me. But the big question was, am I ready to meet Him?
The thought that today could be my last day on earth was both poignant and profound. Would I still be in the hospital, or would I be in heaven dancing with the angels? I was torn between the two.
The answer came when I awoke. Feeling groggy and exhausted, I opened my eyes to see a nurse with a concerned look on her face staring down at me. There was no Jesus and no angels. The party would have to wait.
It was a bittersweet moment. I was not going home to heaven just yet. So the Lord, I reasoned, must have more work for me to do on earth. I'm okay with this.
D.B.
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