As you can imagine, getting a double lung transplant is a pretttyyy hefty surgery. Not to freak anyone out -- so if you get freaked easily skip this next sentence.
My core was literally cracked open. Two of my vital organs were taken out and replaced. I woke up with 6 chest tubes, and 8 port IV stemming out of my neck, and A LOT of staples holding me back together as if I'd been cut in half, which essentially, I was. But the point was I woke up. And JUST like God, He not only held true to his promises, but loves to give in abundance.. and here's the story of post transplant: waking up and how the Lord fought for me.
Post transplant, you're supposed to be knocked out/sleeping for 48 hours after surgery. I had asked my family/close friends (but really, they are family, too) to read Scriptures and sing praise songs in my room after I was out of surgery -- I can't tell you if they did or not cause I was prettyyyy knocked out haha. At 5AM my mom decided that she was going to go home, shower and rest up a little while because I wasn't even going to be conscious for 2 days. She and my family/friends went in to see me before she left, my mom told the nurse her plan, and wanting to be reassured said "because she won't be awake for another 2 days." The nurses response came as a bit of a surprise when she replied "Oh no. She's already starting to wake. I expect her to be awake by 11 or 12." And sure enough, 16-17 hours after I went into surgery, I was awake. When I woke up, I remember asking my the nurse to call my mom, and before I knew it, that cheery, familiar and comforting face like none other appeared in my ICU room. I told my mom I was bored, I wanted to come off the vent, and I wanted to get up and do something.
27 hours after I went into surgery, the doctors very skeptically let me come off the vent and on trach collar, because after all, I was still supposed to be sleeping. I was allowed to come off for an hour, then was supposed to go back on. But when the hour passed, I didn't want to go back on, and didn't need to. This pattern of agreeing to go back on in an hour or two but then refusing/not needing to continued through the night.. and I never went back on the vent.
I. Love. This.
There's nothing that we could do in prep, or during surgery, or afterwards that could make my body heal so quickly like that.
The Lord holds true to his promises. And gives in abundance.
"The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still." Exodus 14:14
The Lord woke me, kept my vitals wonderful, and made my lungs breath on their own sooner than anyone could have imagined; the Lord blew minds; the Lord fought for me.. because God is love.
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