On Monday morning, May 3, 2010, Carman woke up very ill. She had gone to bed early the night before, which is highly unusual for her. She has always been a night owl, but because we have been so busy with school finals and prom, we didn't think much about it.
Just after 1 AM, I awoke to hear her calling for me. She was nauseated and experiencing strong pains in her abdomen, on the lower right side. She began vomiting, and for the next two hours, could not hold down any liquids. She also shuddered uncontrollably, not with chills, just shuddering throughout her whole body.
During that time, we layed hands on her and prayed together, commanding the sickness and symptoms to go from her body.
I checked the internet several times for a list of symptoms of appendicitis, but her symptoms did not clearly indicate this illness. Also, as the first two hours passed, and she threw up repeatedly, her abdominal pain steadily decreased to the point where she was in almost no pain.
Her symptoms seemed more like a stomach flu. She had no fever, her pains lessened, and her countenance lifted. She became more herself, cheerful and peaceful. But I did not have peace.
As I was asking the Lord what to do, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Carman has a high tolerance for pain. The vommiting and shuddering were clear indicators that she had been in severe pain, so we decided to take her to the hospital to be checked, just in case. It was about 3:30 or 4 when we left.
By that time, she felt so well that she didn't think she needed to go. She even told me that she would go, "just because I wanted her to", but that she did not think it necessary. By the time we packed a bag, got dressed, and loaded her in the car, her pain was almost completely gone, and there were NO SYMPTOMS in her body.
When we arrived, the doctor pressed and pressed on her abdomen, back and sides, looking for something other than the appendicitis. She was no longer nauseated, had basically no pain, and was very chipper. After they ran the blood work, they ordered a CT scan because the white blood count was high.
We were laughing and talking, listening to ipods, and visiting with each other, when they finally came to take the scan. She had to drink the barium liquid, which she found quite disgusting, then wait one hour before the actual scan. Afterwards, we were told there was another one hour waitng period before the results would be ready.
Within 45 minutes the doctor came back in and said Carman would need surgery. They notified the surgeon on call, and said that he would be in to speak with us shortly. He never came. Soon, a different surgeon, a Spirit-filled Christian from Church On The Move, came in to examine Carman and speak with us. We were never told why we got this surgeon instead of the other one, but we believe it was by God's design. As he examined her, he said her symptoms were "unimpressive", and that he needed to take a look at the CT scan for himself.
He came back a few minutes later and said that she, indeed, would need to have her appendix removed. He seemed surprised as well, because of the lack of symptoms.
He had another emergency appendectomy to perfom before Carman's, and said that surgery should last about an hour. It was after 7 AM by this time. They started Carman on a saline IV, but other than Pepcid and Regulan, which they gave her as a precaution before the Barium liquid, they didn't have to give her ANY meds; no pain meds or antibiotics were ever needed before the surgery!
About 8:45 the tech came in and started the pre-op checklist. They wheeled her to surgical waiting by 9 AM, and at 9:15 we were asked to leave and they wheeled her into surgery.
At 9:45, only thirty minutes later, they said the doctor was ready to see us. We met him in a private waiting room, and he said she was finished and could go home later that morning, or early afternoon. The entire procedure took less than 30 minutes, and was a completely textbook case!
We were able to see her at 11 AM, and she was awake, smiling, and drinking water. By 11:45 AM, they had her out of the bed and walking to the bathroom. Just after noon, she was dressed and in the wheelchair on the way to the car.
Other than being tired from the pain meds, and three small incisions covered with band-aids, she is completely well.
It was only by the leading of the Holy Spirit that we knew to take her to the ER. If we had gone by our own understanding of her symptoms, we could be telling a very different story. Thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit, working in the lives of believers!!!
John 16 says, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you."
We rejoice in our Father's faithfulness to us!
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