Healing Hands and Second Chances

 "For I will restore you to health

And I will heal you of your wounds,'declares the Lord,

'Because they have called you an outcast, saying:

"It is Zion; no one cares for her."

Jeremiah 30:17

Today marks a special day for me in some way or another.  It's the 2 year anniversary of a major surgery that was performed to initially save my life.  One that I felt unworthy of, and sometimes still do.  So, today I give you, my fellow readers, an inside look on one of my many testimonies:

For many years now I have been overweight.  After my 3rd child I was at a grand total of 
195 lbs, which in my eyes was horrific because growing up I couldn't gain weight if I tried.  Well, that and I lived in a household where looks meant everything.

 I was bound by depression due to the circumstances of my home life so I didn't have any motivation to lose it, even though occasionally I would try.  However, nothing was dropping.  I even sought help from my medical doctor and again nothing.  

In 2010, when I left my now ex husband, the weight started dropping.  So, I decided to take advantage of that.  Still not really motivated, the weight would come and go.  Until 2 years ago.

I finally got motivated and the weight started dropping and my eating started to improve (for the first time ever!), I even broke my barrier.  I worked out 5-6 days a week, until I couldn't push myself anymore.  I started getting pain in my upper right side and massive dizzy spells along with nausea.

It got so  bad I eventually had to seek medical help in August of 2012.  I thought it was my gallbladder because for years I had been having issues, but to everyone's surprise it was much worse.

My medical doctor sent me to the hospital for a weekend observation and upon my release I had to see a gastrointestinal specialist.  She ended up doing a endoscopy, but something in her gut also told her to do a colonoscopy.  By doing so, in my eyes, she saved my life.

At the age of 33 they found a huge polyp in my colon.  She sent me on to a surgeon because at my age it was "disturbing."   As I walked into my appointment with the surgeon I received a call from my doctor personally letting me know the polyp they found was precancerous.

Coming from a medical background and knowing people who died from colon cancer, for me this was traumatizing.  All I could think about was my children growing up without their mother and my 3 year old, at the time, not remembering me as she grew up. Looking back,  I know now that God gave them to me so I would push forward with my life, they gave me the only  reason to fight and a reason to live.  I told my surgeon just that too.

For many years I have felt unwanted and unloved, so in my eyes I had no reason to live, but I knew I had to, if not for me, for them! So, during that time I reached out to a friend because even though I wasn't following God, she was and I needed some prayer. 

They needed to do the surgery sooner than later, so on September 26, 2012 around 11:30 a.m. they rolled me into surgery for a partial colectomy.  Later, I would find out they ran into some complications.  The surgery that was suppose to take 3 hours took 4 1/2.

Upon coming out of anesthesia, the pain was so bad I went into tachycardia.  Once it was controlled they rolled me into my room and the healing process began.  

Even though they wanted me to stand that night, it wasn't happening.  I in fact looked at the nurse like she was crazy.  She probably just blew it off as the heavy medication dosage, but I assure you, it wasn't!  

My requirements to leave the hospital, however, was to walk and well yeah....So, the next morning I started walking and I kept walking.  3 days later, I was released!  But, before I was I felt the everlasting peace of the Lord upon me and I knew everything would be okay.

I went back for my follow up weeks later and the precancerous polyp was suddenly benign. The doctor also made note of how fast my body had healed.  It was faster than the average person.   I knew then God had  healed me.

Even though I wasn't following Him at the time, He had a lesson for me to learn and that is I do have  purpose.  I am here to tell you, so do you.

Many people are having their health attacked these days, but God is still in the miracle business.  The devil is out to steal, kill and destroy(John 10:10)  Don't lose faith!  Don't lose heart!  God is with you, this I am sure of.  


Today, this is me.  The weight is still coming off slowly, but I am eating better and living a more active lifestyle.  To date I have lost 41 lbs and still have 29 to go, but the second picture is from July where I had 35 lbs to still knock off.

I am not the candidate for weight loss, in fact,  I still have a lot of things I need to change about my diet. I make a lot of poor choices still and  I still have other health issues.  However, there is no doubt in my mind that God won't heal me again.

To this date I don't regret having the surgery and I feel so blessed that my Heavenly Father not only healed me, but gave me a second chance at life.  God bless!

 

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,  And by His scourging we are healed."

 

Isaiah 53: 5