Wellbeing
In 2008, I was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. I needed to transplant. By Fall of last year, I was working with Piedmont Hospital getting all of the requirements met to get on the list for a transplant and raising money to help pay the enormous costs. By mid-November, I was in a coma and the local hospital called in the preachers to sit with my family. I was not expected to wake up from the coma. I do not know how many people prayed for me at that time. I do know that on November 15th, my birthday, I woke up just as churches all over the city were ending their services - I am told of at least 4 different churches that prayed for me.
I left the local hospital only to be re-admitted into another hospital in Chattanooga shortly afterward. After that hospitalization, I went to Piedmont where I stayed for weeks getting ready for the transplant. By early January, we were told my insurance was kicking me out of the hospital. I was dying and a liver could not be found. My last day I was allowed to stay in the hospital was January 7th. The prayers began again. I do not know how many people prayed for me. I knew that God was with me every step of the way. I was not terrified. I was ready for surgery or to go home to God - the decision was not mine to make.
In the early hours of January 7th, I got the phone call in my hospital room that a liver had been found for me. My good friend Billye and her son were with me in the hospital and she danced around the hallway with me in a wheelchair. Soon I was in surgery and the next thing I knew, it was three days later.
I'm here today, learning to live again after preparing to die because some unknown woman had the courage and generosity to make a final gift of life to someone she did not know. Her liver lifes on inside of me and I hope I also have some of her courage and generosity, too.
I left the local hospital only to be re-admitted into another hospital in Chattanooga shortly afterward. After that hospitalization, I went to Piedmont where I stayed for weeks getting ready for the transplant. By early January, we were told my insurance was kicking me out of the hospital. I was dying and a liver could not be found. My last day I was allowed to stay in the hospital was January 7th. The prayers began again. I do not know how many people prayed for me. I knew that God was with me every step of the way. I was not terrified. I was ready for surgery or to go home to God - the decision was not mine to make.
In the early hours of January 7th, I got the phone call in my hospital room that a liver had been found for me. My good friend Billye and her son were with me in the hospital and she danced around the hallway with me in a wheelchair. Soon I was in surgery and the next thing I knew, it was three days later.
I'm here today, learning to live again after preparing to die because some unknown woman had the courage and generosity to make a final gift of life to someone she did not know. Her liver lifes on inside of me and I hope I also have some of her courage and generosity, too.