The Crazy Medicine

I mentioned in a previous post that, in addition to the many family, friends, and friends of friends who had been praying for us, some of the medical staff was praying as well. A rather comical and very uncomfortable incident led to my knowledge of this fact.

On the day before my c-section, I had not had any food for a while, but I was throwing up stomach acid, which was not fun. Because of my discomfort, a kind nurse gave me some anti-nausea medication. This well-intentioned act had some interesting results. I had a reaction to the medication. It made me crazy. Like seriously crazy. I saw cart wheels as alligators and bright, swirly colors on the walls. I could hardly contain my need get out of my bed and escape the room, even though my various tubes and cords would have made that deleterious.

For someone wholly unaccustomed to such a state of mind, this experience was terrifying. Just as the reaction was taking hold, my mother and a pastor from my parents' church came in. They prayed for me. After this, my mom, dad, and sisters prayed for me as well, as the nurse stood by my side. As they prayed, the reaction began to subside, and I sank into a stupor.

As a result of that experience, I had an eye-opening conversation with that nurse, Lori. She told me that the night when I had the reaction, she had been praying for me as well. She told me that reaction usually lasts much longer, and she believed I had been healed in front of her. She said it was encouraging to her, since she and her family are getting ready to leave as full time missionaries to Haiti. She saw my healing as evidence that God still works in obvious, powerful ways through prayer.

I was able to share with her a little bit about my two trips to Haiti. We talked about home school curriculum. Then she told me that my anesthesiologist, Roseann, was a Christian as well and had been praying for me during my c-section. I had wondered why her presence was so comforting to me. It was amazing to me to see that God had placed people so perfectly to encourage me and so that I could encourage them. It helped me see God's purpose in my pain a little more clearly.