I noticed that on every single day since July 5, 2009 someone has mentioned the power of prayer to me or near me, even in conversations I wasn't involved in and people who didn't yet know my son was in the hospital. Of course many have proffered to remember him in prayer for which I am truly grateful.
Today, the nurses who attended my son when he went into respiratory arrest on the 5th and for a day or so after just finally came back on rotation and when they saw me, stopped what they were doing to squeeze me, damp-eyed saying they were amazed that it's the same kid. None of them thought he'd make this much progress and said they had seen him progress just during their shift today!
When people found out what had happened to John, they began to call and ask permission to put him on the prayer list at church and some even asked if they could ask others in other churches to do the same. I said yes, of course.
Today, I was leaving the hospital and an older gentleman stepped onto the elevator one floor lower than I and we traded the obvious information ("who are you in for?") as we walked to the parking lot. He told me about his great-granddaughter's recovery - an unexpected one. She is 16 years old, is a car accident victim and was in ICU from July 4 - 16. All the attending physicians stand that there should be no way she was able to leave ICU so early. And, of course, I had to ask him ... with a wry smile on my face, knowing what was coming ... to what he attributed the girl's healing.
"Well, you see, I believe in the power of prayer." I shared with him my son's story and we both half-cried, half-laughed and embraced right then and there. I don't even know his name, but the girl's name is Britny. We promised to keep each other's ward in our prayers, hugged again and parted ways.
The man was exuberant and I have to admit, his demeanor was catching.
John became altered on the morning of July 5 and tried to fly like Buzz Lightyear off of an interstate overpass. He fractured his femur and his tibia, shattered his right heel and broke his sacrum. He also hit his head, evidenced by his broken tooth and facial abrasions.
He lost half of his blood volume and received blood transfusions, totalling four units of donated blood. He had an extremely difficult time coming out of his first surgery - that to pin his femur and tibia - and went into respiratory arrest. Though his oxygen saturation was virtually nil, his heart never stopped beating. He was revived and was put on oxygen. As he came out of anasthesia, it became apparent he had some kind of neurological issue related to his head. It took over a week to find out he had a closed head injury including small bleeds on his brain - nonoperative, but worrysome in those first few days.
His pelvis/sacrum was repaired next - his very rare "H" fracture was repaired with three screws and we are all blessed that his fracture was NOT displaced. He came out of his pelvic surgery better than he went into it and we were MOST relieved. His heel surgery left him a little altered afterwards, but it's done and he shouldn't require any further surgery ... unless we have missed something.
The thing that speaks volumes to me is the teary-eyed nurses who are simply amazed at his progress since the first five days after his injury were wordless, moaning, convulsing nightmares. He is now able to feed himself, carry on conversation, sit to eat, is independently doing fine motor Occupational therapy exercises I gave him and his PT a lot, can lift his upper body off his bed, push the call button for the nurse, open jello and juice containers, etcetera. If they didn't think he'd be this much better ... why would he be?
I think people pray without realizing it. A friend told me today that when she was a little girl and on into adulthood would always spend a few minutes before sleeping making wishes for people she cared about, knew needed help, etcetera. She realized later, of course, that she had really been praying. And then there is the manifesting power in confident, positive thought and love sent to people. There's no question in my mind that prayer and love have had a hand in the healing of my son. He has a long road to travel but he is living and whole nonetheless.
If you have a story you want to share about the power of prayer, please do.
Today, the nurses who attended my son when he went into respiratory arrest on the 5th and for a day or so after just finally came back on rotation and when they saw me, stopped what they were doing to squeeze me, damp-eyed saying they were amazed that it's the same kid. None of them thought he'd make this much progress and said they had seen him progress just during their shift today!
When people found out what had happened to John, they began to call and ask permission to put him on the prayer list at church and some even asked if they could ask others in other churches to do the same. I said yes, of course.
Today, I was leaving the hospital and an older gentleman stepped onto the elevator one floor lower than I and we traded the obvious information ("who are you in for?") as we walked to the parking lot. He told me about his great-granddaughter's recovery - an unexpected one. She is 16 years old, is a car accident victim and was in ICU from July 4 - 16. All the attending physicians stand that there should be no way she was able to leave ICU so early. And, of course, I had to ask him ... with a wry smile on my face, knowing what was coming ... to what he attributed the girl's healing.
"Well, you see, I believe in the power of prayer." I shared with him my son's story and we both half-cried, half-laughed and embraced right then and there. I don't even know his name, but the girl's name is Britny. We promised to keep each other's ward in our prayers, hugged again and parted ways.
The man was exuberant and I have to admit, his demeanor was catching.
John became altered on the morning of July 5 and tried to fly like Buzz Lightyear off of an interstate overpass. He fractured his femur and his tibia, shattered his right heel and broke his sacrum. He also hit his head, evidenced by his broken tooth and facial abrasions.
He lost half of his blood volume and received blood transfusions, totalling four units of donated blood. He had an extremely difficult time coming out of his first surgery - that to pin his femur and tibia - and went into respiratory arrest. Though his oxygen saturation was virtually nil, his heart never stopped beating. He was revived and was put on oxygen. As he came out of anasthesia, it became apparent he had some kind of neurological issue related to his head. It took over a week to find out he had a closed head injury including small bleeds on his brain - nonoperative, but worrysome in those first few days.
His pelvis/sacrum was repaired next - his very rare "H" fracture was repaired with three screws and we are all blessed that his fracture was NOT displaced. He came out of his pelvic surgery better than he went into it and we were MOST relieved. His heel surgery left him a little altered afterwards, but it's done and he shouldn't require any further surgery ... unless we have missed something.
The thing that speaks volumes to me is the teary-eyed nurses who are simply amazed at his progress since the first five days after his injury were wordless, moaning, convulsing nightmares. He is now able to feed himself, carry on conversation, sit to eat, is independently doing fine motor Occupational therapy exercises I gave him and his PT a lot, can lift his upper body off his bed, push the call button for the nurse, open jello and juice containers, etcetera. If they didn't think he'd be this much better ... why would he be?
I think people pray without realizing it. A friend told me today that when she was a little girl and on into adulthood would always spend a few minutes before sleeping making wishes for people she cared about, knew needed help, etcetera. She realized later, of course, that she had really been praying. And then there is the manifesting power in confident, positive thought and love sent to people. There's no question in my mind that prayer and love have had a hand in the healing of my son. He has a long road to travel but he is living and whole nonetheless.
If you have a story you want to share about the power of prayer, please do.
