DebraJ
Remembering with Gratitude – God-sightings in the early days of Keith’s meningitis
A continuation of “But God” (Which you can read here https://gardenlessonsbook.com/but_god/
Psalm 107: 1 – 2a “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story-…”
Reflecting on this chapter in God’s Word makes my heart well up with gratitude for the many ways we saw Him on the move in those early days of Keith’s battle with meningitis and sepsis. While the days were difficult and the struggle was real, the assurance that we were not fighting alone gave us hope…strength…even joy… knowing the LORD was on our side.
The week building up to the onset of meningitis had been a challenge in itself. Both of us felt as if we were fighting the flu. I’d had chest congestion, while Keith was horribly achy, fatigued, and by Friday had an ear infection. While we were sick, my dad slipped in his bathroom and hit his head, causing a brain bleed. He was in ICU at the hospital near his home in San Diego being monitored and cared for. I wanted to drive down to be with him but couldn’t take a chance on exposing him to something that might make his situation even worse. Gratefully, he was discharged on Friday (day of Keith’s ear infection) and, with the help of my wonderful stepmom, was able to return to normal life at home…the day before Keith was rushed to the hospital.
Psalm 107:8 “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds…”
On Saturday, the timing of getting medical care for Keith was perfect. If I had taken him to Urgent Care (we weren’t even thinking about the ER) before I left with my girlfriends for the weekend, things might have taken a different turn. When he finally went to Urgent Care, Keith had horrible head pain but was speaking clearly; when the doctor saw him he could only talk gibberish. Because of that the doctor had him rushed by ambulance to the hospital, which was right across the street. Had Keith gone for help any earlier, he might have been sent home with oral antibiotics, possibly with a much different outcome. We later heard of two others with meningitis who had been sent home with oral antibiotics: one died; the other has brain damage.
That same day after getting the call to come home, as my dear friend, Debi drove me from Pasadena to St Jude Medical Center, freeways opened up in front of us and we arrived safely and in good time.
Psalm 107:6 “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way…” (Emphasis mine).
Our dear friend, Colleen and our son, Kole, were with Keith when I arrived. A CT scan had just allowed doctors to rule out stroke. Within minutes lab workups showed his blood stream was filled with bacteria: sepsis. A few minutes more brought results from the spinal tap: meningitis! Immediately everyone scrambled to don masks and gloves, protecting themselves from air droplets coming from Keith’s mouth and nose, which could spread the deadly disease. He was moved to quarantine, with strict adherence to hand washing protocol, and later gloves and gowns were required, in addition to masks. No one mentioned what might happen to those of us exposed to his air droplets prior to quarantine.
Psalm 107:13 “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them from their distress.” (Emphasis mine).
As day one came to a close, the prayers of so many family and friends from Fullerton, across the country, even around the world, began to be offered on Keith’s behalf and the real, touchable, tangible presence of God was felt.
Before I fell asleep that first night I recorded all of this…and so much more…in my Gratitude Journal. In the days ahead, when times were most challenging I would read back over every recorded event, which brought encouragement and consolation to my heart. (Those of you who maintain such a journal understand what I mean. If you don’t yet have a way of recording God-sightings and things for which you are thankful, let me encourage you to start today. You will be truly blessed!)
Psalm 107:21-22 “Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.”
BUT GOD
Three months ago today. That’s when it all went down, when we almost lost Keith.
But God…
Actually, the week before he thought he had the flu and felt more fatigued than he could ever remember feeling. At the end of the week, Friday, he had terrible pain in his ear; diagnosed later as an ear infection. Then Saturday morning, three months ago today, he woke up with The. Worst. Headache. Ever. He said it only hurt when he moved and breathed. His temp was 100.3.
I had a commitment to be away that weekend with my junior high school girlfriends. Keith insisted I go as planned, and he went to bed to try to sleep off the headache. I asked him to go to Urgent Care; he didn’t want to. So, I arranged for our dear friend and neighbor, Colleen, to check in on him. Then I headed out the door…
But God…
I continued to check on him, but he asked me not to call or text anymore. Colleen looked in on him but he insisted he was fine and just wanted to sleep. Twenty minutes later he texted her to “come up hill”, meaning to say “come up here” (auto-correct or early mental issues?); 30 minutes later they were on their way to Urgent Care.
When the doctor finally saw him, Keith could not speak intelligibly; he knew what he wanted to say but all that came out was gibberish. The doctor’s eyes widened with extreme concern. Colleen asked if he was having a stroke. The doctor then left to call an ambulance to transport him to St. Jude Medical Center immediately; it was just across the street. At 3:11 PM she texted me saying, “I need you to come home.”
But God…
…Provided my dear friend, Debi, to drive me directly to the hospital and stay with me overnight. Kole arrived to be with his dad, who was incoherent, thrashing in his bed from the pain and fever. Tests and scans ruled out stroke but showed he was septic, infection raging through his blood stream. A spinal tap provided the grave diagnosis: meningitis. It would take 24 – 48 hours to determine which bacteria was doing the damage…
By God’s grace the deadliest bacteria were ruled out, but waiting for cultures to show which one it was seemed…to…take…f-o-r-e-v-e-r!
In the meantime Keith was treated with five different antibiotics, but until the bacteria was identified and the right one was administered, all treatment was basically ineffective. Without all of the information about what Keith was battling it only seemed he was getting what was needed to cure him. I would encourage him to hang on, that he’d feel better soon, but my words weren’t doing any more good than those wrong antibiotics; they were mere platitudes, though I sincerely believed them. He did get a little better – coherent and able to communicate again – but he was still in grave danger as the infection raged through his cerebral spinal fluid, as well as his blood stream.
But God…
Finally, word came that Keith was battling Haemophilus Influenzae Bacteria, commonly known as H-flu. We’re told it resides in all of us, in our ears, nasal and sinus passages, usually without issue. But if it pools in the “right place” it can cause problems; in children causing ear infections; in adults, typically manifesting as bronchitis.
In Keith it became a mortal enemy, disguising itself as something his body thought was harmless. It wasn’t. With the body’s defenses down, it came in, and with a hook, bore a hole into his cells, destroying and taking them over, growing wherever it wanted…
But God…
And finally the right antibiotic was administered and real healing began. Keith got to come home, when he was no longer septic. I was to administer the drug at home by IV for 10 days. Tests were done to make sure the H-flu hadn’t hidden itself in his heart valves, where it could once again rear it’s deceptive, ugly head and take over his defenses-down body. Yet, even that test might not be sufficient and we would need to watch for fever and/or flu symptoms, early signs of re-infection.
God had guided the physicians and the worst was behind us; recovery of health, strength and mental acuity would slowly return over the next couple of months. Today, three months later, the only residual effects are depression and processing thoughts a little more slowly than pre-meningitis. Miraculous…it could have been so much worse.
Of course, as I pondered and prayed about this life experience I saw a correlation to our spiritual lives…
Wasn’t the way Keith’s body was attacked similar to the ways Satan (and sin) tries to take over the life of every human? Deceiving and leading us to think something is normal or harmless, when it’s allowed to enter our hearts…minds…bodies it infects and threatens our very lives. Yet, believers in Jesus have found the right treatment, the only treatment that works at the source: the blood of Jesus, shed to bring life from certain death. Anything else is mere platitude, no matter how sincerely it is believed.
But, when our defenses are down even believers can be deceived. The Bible says our enemy, the devil, prowls around seeking someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5: 8 – 11). Yet, with God’s power that rose Jesus from the grave (the same power that is alive in each of us who believe in Him), we can resist the temptations, stand firm in the faith, not give the deceiver any place to enter, pool and fester, and start to infect.
How I love the life and healing that is found in God’s word! It states in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And in Ephesians 2: 1, 4-5 it says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah (Christ Jesus) even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Emphasis mine)
Oh, Lord Jesus, what joy to be able to say, “But God…” We are so grateful for the life you have given…restored…provided, as we have seen your healing hand again and again over these past three months. Help us to remember that your power goes beyond anything we can imagine, and that NOTHING is too hard for you.
The Hot Dog Tree
Last summer I wrote about the Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) we have in our front yard (read here: https://gardenlessonsbook.com/the-golden-shower-tree/). We actually have two of them now and are enjoying them immensely. The younger tree isn’t blooming as prolifically as the elder; nor does it lose its leaves in the summer. But it is growing and following in the steps of its older mate. It even has some dangling seedpods.
Oh, I neglected to mention those dangling seedpods last year. They weren’t as noticeable back then, most likely because they were few and far between. Not so this year. There’s a bunch of them and they’re quite noticeable!
A few nights ago a mom and her young (maybe 3 year old) son, were taking their nightly walk. They always come by, read the scripture rocks together and look up into the different trees along the street; the mom pointing out a fragrant flower or unusual leaf pattern to her sweet boy.
After reading the last scripture rock along the driveway the other night, the little boy looked up at our largest Golden Shower Tree, cocked his head and said, “Hot dogs!”
The mom started laughing…and couldn’t stop. She looked at me, still laughing, and pointed up at the dangling seedpods on the leafless tree, and said, “Hot dogs! He said, ‘Hot dogs,’” both of them laughing now.
So I looked up and I, too, started to laugh. Sure enough! The seedpods DID look like hot dogs…or Dodger Dogs, to be more precise! Dodger Dogs that had just been processed and hung up to cure in a butcher shop window!
Oh, how refreshing to see life through the eyes of a child!!
Lord, refresh our parched hearts on these hot summer days with glimpses of Your presence, power and abundant joy! No matter our age, may we, Your children, view all of life as through the eyes of a child!