Last year I had surgery on my bowels. The morning after I had surgery, I had such a sense of urgency to sing the song "Nothing but the blood of Jesus." I had no idea why but it seemed very strong. Later that day I found out why.
The nurse came in to get me up to use the washroom but when I needed to get back to bed I collapsed. They got me back into bed and after awhile laying there I realized I just couldn't move my legs. So, I called each of my girls and told them, “I don't know why but I feel at peace, but I want to tell you my legs don't work.”
Each of them replied, “It's ok Mom, it will all work out.”
My medical world was all a buzz because I couldn't move my legs. I was told that an MRI was scheduled to check and see if I had a blood clot on my spine. They informed me that I might need surgery to correct it. So, around 3:00 pm that day I was taken down to where they do the MRI.
The tech came out with his clip board full of questions of which I was answering. Of course, the biggest question was, “Do you have any metal in your body?”
“No,” I answered, “only fillings in my teeth.”
After 20 minutes of questions, he clicked the brake off of my gurney. As he did, I don't know
why, but I asked him, "Would there be any metal in my ileostomy pouch?"
This is a special bag that is placed over the stoma to collect waste products that usually pass
through the colon (large intestine) and out of the body. “You have an ileostomy?” he asked?
“Yes,” I said.
He was instantly enraged!
“Why didn't you tell me you just had surgery? You will be full of staples! If I had taken you in there the staples would either be cauterized right into you skin because of the friction of the magnets, or they would have been ripped out of your flesh!”
He immediately called to the surgeon and told him to cancel the surgery. However, the doctor said, “No, take all the staples out and do the MRI.”
So, the nurse started taking out all of my 30-plus staples, as I laid there watching my stomach opening up. At one point the nurse had to leave for a minute, so I started to pray out loud and weep. I said, “Father I am putting all of my trust in you. I can't do anything to help this situation!”
As I lay there, I started pulling out the promises of Psalm 91.
“Thank you, Father for your protection from infection,” I prayed. “Thank you that you are with me.”
The nurse returned, but she was shaking as she took each staple out. “I am just following the doctors’ orders,” she kept repeating.
I begged the tech to be careful to not rip my stomach open more as they moved me off the gurney to the MRI bed. The MRI showed no blood on my spine, but that the epidural cord had gone in too far. That was what caused the issue.
Well, I was eventually able to wiggle my toes and then my legs. Today I have full mobility and I praise God for sustaining me. Also, for the prayers of family and friends.
Apparently, the urgency to sing the song, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus" and to ask the question, "Would there be any metal in my ileostomy pouch?" were promptings from Holy Spirit. Who knows what may have been the outcome if I had not received that urge to worship, and also that urge to ask the question?