Today is Wednesday, August 26th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1643
Last week my sister Amy related this personal story to me about a co-worker; they both are employed by a credit union in Burnsville, Minnesota.
Dorothy has a twenty-something year old son, Adam, who is part of a duo working for "Two Men & A Truck". On July 1st, Adam badly sprained his ankle and couldn't go to work. He took some over-the-counter pain remedies and waited to get better. He continued to be around his parent's home complaining of his pain. On the 3rd of July, he began telling his dad about his back hurting as well.
Dad encouraged Adam to go to the doctor to avoid needing extra medical attention over the 4th of July holiday. Dad and Adam drove to the hospital where the doctors admitted him, administering some pretty heavy duty pain killers.
Mom and Dad arrived at the hospital the next day to find Adam moved to intensive care. They learned that overnight Adam's liver was beginning to shut down, he could no longer breathe well on his own, and by the end of the day he needed a ventilator. He was moved from their area hospital to the downtown university hospital, where he slipped into a coma.
Day after day, Adam didn't improve and the coma continued. Amy recounted in mid-August, Dorothy mentioning they didn't know what was going to happen next and that it had been '40 days' since their world had been tipped upside down. "She said it had been the longest 40 days of her life," told Amy.
That evening the couple was making their daily trek to the hospital. It had been a rainy day. There was clearing from the west. A rainbow came into view. Driving into Minneapolis from the south, the lay of the land is such that the rainbow seemed to be touching the hospital where they were heading.
Dorothy held the thought, "I hope this is a sign from God!"
She mentioned it to her husband, who looked at her like she was grasping at straws. "I always have been taught that rainbows are a sign from God," she told him.
Walking into the hospital room, followed by her husband, Dorothy stepped up to Adam's bedside who said for the first time, "Mom" and grabbed her hand.
Did Adam jump out of bed the next day and walk out of the hospital after a week? No, but he continues to improve! He is in rehabilitation as he needs to be taught how to learn to breathe and walk again on his own. One by one they are removing his life supports. There may be several lasting side effects.
It seems Adam had taken a combination of too many over-the-counter prescriptions which contributed to his lengthy illness.
But the bottom line:
Adam is getting well!
And God is good!!
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