Praise God was blogged on April 29, 2008

Talk about a woman scorned, I was one! But before I tell my story about that, I'll get the second surgery out of the way. So I'd come through the kidney and liver transplant in about 1/2 the time of a normal transplant surgery and I remember the doctors waking me and say to me that I was a true miracle. At this time, I was still groggy from the anestesia, so I drifted in and out of sleep. I didn't know how long I'd slept this time, but I came to when I heard the dr tell my liver co-ordinator to get in touch with my husband because he was taking me back to surgery. That's the last I remember of that day, During the night, a nurse came in to wake me formedication to make me sleep, and I asked her if I'd dreamed about hearing the dr. He said no, that I had heard right. She pointed to the couch by the window and my husband was there sleeping and I woke him. He said that I had been bleeding internally and they had to go back in and they discovered that an artery had ruptured. They repaired it successfully. I don't remember ever being in any extreme pain and I asked why. I was told that for 1) I was being given morphine intraveniously and for 2), all my nerve endings in my upper abdomen had been severed in order to do the liver. Still today, almost 10 months later, I have no sensation in that area. Now to the rowdiness! For about 4 yr, I was at home alone while my husband carried on his work schedule. The last 1 1/2 years, I was basically bed-ridden because I fell alot and I'd go comatose from the amoonia levels. So when my husband would leave at 4:30 in the morning, he'd fix my breakfast and lunch and leave on the bedside table. All I could eat was plain white rice and ramein noodles, so he fix it at 4 am and go on his way. Therefore, by breakfast my food was always cold. And by lunch, there was a film on the ramein noodles! I wanted some hot food, but it was only hot when it was too early to eat! Now, fast forward to my hospital stay. First day for me to have solid food, they brought me French toast, scrambled egg and a bacon strip with a roll. I put my butter on my Frendh toast and it didn't melt! I took a bite and it was like they took it straight from the freezer to my plate and let it thaw. I called the nurse and asked if she would put it in the microwave and Jack got so mad at me and he told the nurse that it was ok! I told him that if it was ok, he could eat it himself, which he did. Lunchtime came around and I was served a cold chichen breast, cold buttered noodles and cold string beans! GRRRRR! I called again and the same scene unfolded. Now this went on for a solid week with the end result of my husband eating my food and me having only juice, milk and the salad that always came with lunch. I WAS HUNGRY and I wanted to eat my food! I asked to speak to my patient advocate and explained it to her and she investigated. The problem was discovered at last! The tray trolley that food was delivered from had a defect and the last row of meal trays had no heating element!  And, of course, I was the last person to be served.I was in room 91, so you know how cold my food was.  So, if my food was cold, that meant the 3 rooms before mune was having the same problem. With a new liver, my appetite was running wild!  I had lost a total of 103 lbs during my illness and now I wanted everything I could put my fingers on. One day I woke up craving a brownie and I threw a fit until my dr told my husband to bring me a brownie. He kept telling me that I was too thin and he put me on a 2200 calorie a day diet. AND told the dietician to make sure Iwas first served instead of last . That was the first day I recieved HOT food and the first time I ate all that was on my tray! Ten months later and I have put on 21 lbs and now the doc doesn't tell me that I'm too thin! Praise God! Now, I'll leave you with that until I return tomorrow to tell about my GPD! Good night all! My God, my God, my God! How GREAT Thou art! Thank You for giving me this second chance of life! Thank You for all the air You give so graciously for me to breathe and thank You for loving me! In Your Holy name, I offer my prayers to You!

Forreasons I have no clue as to why, the chronology doesn't seem right. All the things I write about are actual facts, but sometimes

I get ahead of myself. Wonder if I might be anxious, excited or maybe even dyslexic????? Ok, I forgot to say how frustrated my

husband must have been on the morning he was drivimg me to the transplant Center. We had never driven there at such an early

hour where it was still very dark. My amonia level was elevated and I was in and out of reality. I dosed for a few minutes and then

I'd wake and ask where are we going. Jack always answered me and said we're going to get you well. At one point during our 1 1/2

hr ride, I woke and saw flashing lights and casino signs and the pot of gold with the rainbow above it, and I asked him why he took

me to Las Vegas. I got rather huffy with him and told him to turn around and take me to Ochsner! He told me that he would and for

me to get some rest. Next thing I knew was when I was lying in a hospital bed and a nurse was there doing something. I asked for

Jack and the nurse said he was right outside the door answering questions for my doctor. I don't remember a lot about all the tests

they ran, but on one, my veins kept collapsing and the brought a different nurse in who was a pro at IVs. She was such a pleasant

person to be talking with. I asked her how long I'd been there and she said a few hours. I asked her when I was going to have my

 surgery and she told me as soon as my organs arrive. That's when I ask where they were coming from and she told me. I was be-

ginning to get filled with anticipation and when Jack got done with the dr, he came back to my room and I started to cry. He said he'd

let them know I was getting nervous. He did and the very next thing I remember was waking up with a belly ache and about 12 or so

IVs and tubes protruding from my arms and neck. There were about 8 or more doctors standing around my bed, asking how I felt.

Had I not been a Christian woman, I would have elaborated to them EXACTLY what I was thinking! Also, I was on a ventilator so they

wouldn't have understook me, LOL. I was given morphine for pain and to keep me knocked out for the rest of the day.Second day

after surgery came the old dreaded 'get up, it's time for a change' routine. They helped me into a chair and my husband sat next to

me to be certain that I wouldn't fall. Anti-rejection meds make you shake like you have palsy. My head bobbled and dropped, my

hands shook so bad the when I'd try to drink from a cup, I'd be throwing it all over everyone around me. And when they'd tell me to

go for a walk, my legs wouldn't hold me. So frustrating! After a few days of morphine therapy, I was given a 'weaker' medication

called oxycodene, a milder version of oxycottin (? spelling ?) I progressively improved, becme a very rowdy patient for all the right

reasons! I'll tell about that tomorrow and also about my second surgery. Til then, Lord Jesus, my Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, Jehovah

Raffe, my Healer! I thank yYou for what You've done in my life and what You are continueing to do. Thank You for my valleys, for it

was down in those valleys that I learned how to stand. I praise You, oh my Lord and I thank you for all the many blessing You've

bestowed upon such a filthy rag as I. Continue to watch over us by day and night and protect us in all that we undertake to do. Keep

our leaders in Your favor, Lord and put the right one in charge of Your people. Keep my son's family safe, my granddaughter, husband

and my entire bloodline. And Father God, please save the soul that is nearest hell this hour. I give You the honor and the glory forever!

A 

Now that I Have read what I wrote on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, I see that the program had dated it as

September 17. So I read the previous blog dated Sept 15, but that entry was, in fact, written in about

2006! How do you go and edit dates, I don't know. But, be aware that there were many months between

the two entries.

Evidently, this entry was  given a wrong date. hahaha It is showing Sept 17 as the date. The previous entry, called Whirlwinds, was in fact, entered on Sept 15, 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina. So, in essence, you need to fast forward this entry you are reading to the year 2007. (2 yrs + a couple days)

 PRAISE GOD FOR HE IS GREAT AND WORTHY TO BE PRAISED! It has been a year now since I have posted anything to my space because I have been gravely ill. If you've read my blog from 2004 to 2006, you'll know that I was suffering from cirrhosis. My ammonia levels in my brain stayed extremely high and affected my memory. I was hospitalized many time from 2006 to present. One time, I was in ICU on life support for a week. My ammonia level hit 489 and my dr said I would die within 45 minutes. But by the grace of God, I pulled through. And I'm alive and well today because of His love for me! When my liver shut down completely, so did my kidneys. I walked on a fine line between life and death. This happened in early 2006 and He kept me alive because my purpose was not yet fulfilled. On Wednesday night, July 18 (10:30 pm) I told my husband that I was dying and I could see bright lights. He raised my head and said " you stop that; you said you'd never leave me and I'm holding you to it!" I said I'd hold on as long as I could. At 3 am on Thursday July 19, I got a call, but my phone was out of order. I missed the phone because I couldn't figure out how to answer it. When my husband tried to call back, there was NO DIAL TONE! He hit the 'last number called' button and it sent the call directly to Ochsner's Transplant Center in New Orleans. They said I had organs for me and to get there ASAP! My husband picked me up and washed me and changed my clothes and his and we made it in 1 1/2 hr. My organs hadn't arrive yet and I was told they were coming from a far away place. I asked my nurse where they were coming from and she told me Puerto Rico. I later found out that she wasn't supposed to disclose that info, so I called her my guardian angel because she shared the info with me.

     Thank God, for today I feel like a new person due to my very active liver and kidney! I will try to remember to post on my spaces from now on.

Janice

It's been a month now since I've made an entry and lots of changes have taken place. The big issue is, of course, Hurrican Katrina and her path of destruction. I never dreamed that I would ever see another storm in my lifetime that would compare to Hurricane Cammille back in 1969. Well, Katrina did not compare....she surpassed Cammille by 100 %. Cammille destroyed many southern mansions that sat along Hwy 90 and moved a tugboat onto shore north of Hwy 90, but Katrina destroyed not only all the remaining mansions, but Hwy 90 itself. She didn't stop with tugboats, she moved casino barges onto the shore and twisted them around so they were heading the wrong directions. She tore down bridges and railroads and made whole cities disappear. Her 30 ft wall of water wiped homes out to sea leaving only slabs and foundations and death in her aftermath. I say God, in all His fury, is trying to tell us something. HELLO! People, it's time to wake up! This is only a foretaste of what is to come. What if this had been the 'real' thing? What if everyone heard that trumpet sound and knew they had missed the rapture? No one will be able to buy nor sell without that 'mark'. People will be killing to get food for their children. "Blood will flow up to the horse's bridle" in the streets. There will be screaming and gnashing of teeth. We have just witnessed these things taking place and, for sure, it has opened my eyes. God is not happy with the way people on the coast are living. Gambling was not acceptable in the days of Jesus and He made it known when He went into the temple and flipped over the tables of the 'moneychangers'. He said His place was not to be known as the 'den of theives'. What makes up believe today that Jesus is not able to flip over the casino barges as easily as He flipped over those tables in the temple? My prayer today is that God forgive us our tresspasses and lead us not into temptation. Turn from your wicked ways and begin to really live. God is alive and well and His son, Jesus, lives. Because I know He lives, I can face tomorrow! Thank you, God, for yet another chance.

   I REBUKE you, satan! Stop eating up my entries! I published a wonderful post this morning concerning the Holy Grounds I stand on in the Presence of my God.

I clicked on 'publish this entry' and what do I get? Only the title and the category! For what reasons do this happen? I WILL be back to resubmit my entry!

   Ok, Lord, what are you telling me here? I ask that You use me, Father, as a witness to Your Greatness and let others be able to see Jesus in me through the way I live my life. Remind me, Oh Lord, that the only one that has been with me ALL of my life is You and that You are what makes me who I am. Your word tells me that You were with me even before I was in my mother's wound and that You know the number of hairs on my head! And like the grains of sand in an hourglass, my days are numbered. I thank You, Lord, for each of those grains of sand.

   I've just read the local obituaries and have found 3 people within less than 3 weeks, well known to me, in that space. Deborah Anna Ladner Monroe, aged 54, was a childhood aquaintance. She passed away the first week of August on the 4th. Dr. Menon, aged 49, was my kidney specialist. He passed away the second week of Augist on the 9th and now, Carey Star, aged 55, Optician and childhood aquaintance passed away on August 12. These people are all considered to be in their prime of life. I've always heard that age 55 was the beginning of the 'Golden Years' and I have looked forward to this time in my life where I can begin to think of retiring and have a little rest and relaxation going on. I've worked hard all my life, usually holding down more than 1 job at any given time. I never expected that when I hit the magic age that I would be given a grim outlook on health. So I am here today to say 'I REBUKE you satan, in Jesus' name and I cast you back into the firey depths of hell from whence you came! You cannot come near me for I AM a child of God and He tells me that I can stomp you on the head! God gave me the power to do so. I say you can't touch me because God has covered my back and the precious blood of Jesus has cleansed me whiter than snow. I am protected by 10,000 angels camped around me as Jesus holds me in the palm of His hand and breathes new life into my body and soul."

   Thank You, Jesus for granting me such power! In Jesus' name I always pray.