THANKFUL THURSDAY !
Hello and Happy New Year to our family of bloggers and readers! Welcome to our THANKFUL THURSDAY edition of our WEALTH OF WORDS blog. The following is a condensed account of what would become one of the most fiery trials of my husband’s life, and how God has brought him through! Certainly a Testimony for the THANK BANK! The following are a few of the scriptures that helped our family chase away the fears and tears, reminding us of our covering and purpose throughout the process. Please read and feel free to share!
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” Psalm 23:4
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” I Peter 4:12
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Isaiah 61:1
WARNING: The photos that follow may be a bit vivid in nature.
During 2015 my husband of 26 years suffered with three bouts of pneumonia for which he was hospitalized each time. The treatments were given to combat the pneumonia, mainly the prednisone, left his body and immune system extremely weak. My husband was still holding down a full-time job at the time and the stress of all of the above led to a random fall that didn’t leave a headache until a week later. The headache seemed minor in nature, but by Day 3 of the following week it increased until a trip to Emergency Room was necessary.
The Doctor, after careful examination, gave us the unbelievable news that my husband’s fall explained the old and new blood discovered on his brain. We were then informed that immediate surgery would be required. The doctor began to describe very graphically the necessary procedure of drilling holes on either sides of his head in order to drain out the fluid. Huddled with our children in that small room, we all agreed that a decision for surgery was the necessary thing to do. Soon my parents and other family members, which included our Pastor would join us at the hospital. My husband, now on a morphine drip to help him deal with the pain, would not be able to recount the information that I’m sharing with you right now.
As you may imagine, our family prayed for the success of the surgery and the strength of all involved. We even had prayer with the neurosurgeon. Several hours later the surgery was successfully completed. The next time my children and I would see my husband he would be shaven completely bald with a tube running out of the right side of his head. Later, a second tube on the other side of his head would be added for further draining, along with both a feeding tube and a ventilator for oxygen, as well as several IV units for fluids and pain medications which left him in a heavily sedated state.
Despite the fact that I was at his bedside day and night, only going home to shower, cook and sleep for a few hours, it was only when I was away that something negative would occur. Problems with breathing or fluids going back into his spine. But by the fourth day in the Intensive Care Unit, my husband began to stabilize. Each day after that there was significant improvement. The ventilator was removed, then one by one the tubes in his head and feeding tube were removed. Still not stable enough to walk, he was given a wheelchair.
In retrospect, I was so overwhelmed with exhaustion and because of how everything happened so rapidly, I now realize that there was never any time to think about what all this would mean for the future of our family stability and ministry. However, every time I would place my hands on my husband to pray, the Glory of The Lord that rested upon him would be so potent that it would cause me to literally jump back. I knew that this was a “God Whisper” that He was in complete control of my husband, His servant.
My husband, though under heavy sedation, would awake, gesture, and say things to me to let me know that he was still intact. One time he said to me, “Go home! Get some rest! I am fine!” He would ask about the children, and/or confirm who visited him in the room. He would gesture for me to come closer to him. Other times my husband would say (shhh) things that only can be spoken between a man and his wife!
Understanding that we were in an ICU, I began to get use to the various routines that the hospital staff would conduct to make sure that my husband was improving. One of the routines was to lower his sedation medicine on the IV so that he could wake up enough to go through various exercises, such as name, date, year, why he was there, etc. I learned to use this time to ask the staff questions and give updates of my interaction with my husband. I noticed that there was not much response when I would share about my interaction with my husband. Finally, a nurse told me that the amount of the sedation that my husband was under should have made it virtually impossible for him to react to me in the ways that I expressed. I assured the nurse that it was so, and proceeded to give her a demonstration, as she had not yet pulled down his sedation. I stood up, walked over to my husband, called his name, and touched his face. He opened up his eyes, smiled, and when I said, “Hello Honey,” he said, “Hi.” The nurse was quite surprised, and I knew that God was giving me another “Whisper” that He was in complete control.
After a week in ICU, my husband was finally released to the step down units at University Hospitals. Within several days, he was released to the UH rehab facility. After 10 days of rehab there he was discharged home without the use of a wheelchair or oxygen. Of course we would start the long journey of therapists coming to the home and doctor visits outside of the home. Though progress was slow, it was consistent. However, my husband developed a life threatening blood clot that required yet another hospital stay and he began doses of Warfarin at that time.
Now more than a year later, God is still faithful. On December 11, 2016, my husband, The Elder Cedric D.T. Jackson, Sr., returned to the pulpit and preached The Word of God for the first time since his brain surgery. The blood clot is gone, and he is currently on less medication than he ever was on. Although his lungs and oxygen are still in repair, we believe God for his complete healing. It was our constant family prayer, along with the visitation and tangible support hat our parents, our Pastor and his wife, along with my siblings, and the church family provided that helped us weather this fiery trial.
As one could imagine, we as a family have been tested spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially, to say the least. But God has provided, and continues to heal and provide. The blood clot and Warfarin are gone. My husband is a living testimony that our times are in His Hands. God and God alone holds the keys to Life and Death. Time will not permit us to share all of the God Whispers that occurred before and during this entire experience. He covered our children and our marriage. We are stronger. We hope that this testimony will serve as a source of encouragement and confirmation that you are not alone. God will cover, strengthen and sustain you. Your steps are ordered.
So, stay tuned, my family of bloggers, as we reveal more of this testimony.
Coming soon….
How God prepared our family for this fiery trial, and kept our family stable.
