Tim Lee
I had been admitted into the emergency room in complete septic shock, my blood pressure 60/40. (Sepsis and Septic Shock) I needed immediate dialysis but I was too weak. The doctor said I would die. After just a few hours, he came out and told my wife to get my immediate family there asap, I had a 50/50 chance of not living.
I’ve read that after 3 days with an abdominal breach, if surgery hasn’t been performed to repair the leaks, the odds of surviving drop precipitously. It was now 7 days later still in the ICU when the decision was made to perform surgery to repair the 2 holes in my intestine. (Sepsis and Perforated Bowel) I was told that every day they had asked me my name, which I could never answer. Due to severe encephalopathy I remember nothing of those days.
But the truth is I had the easy part…the dying. My wife had the unbearable part, living through it all, sleeping nights on cold steel chairs in the ICU waiting room. The most important book in my life is the Bible, the 2nd now being my wife’s journal she wrote during those harrowing days and nights. So I want to honor my precious soul mate. I would not be alive without her! Here are her words written during the surgery to save my life. Reading this the first time crushed my very soul!
“It’s 10:30PM on Friday night. You are so serious that they are taking you right into surgery now that they think you are strong enough. Before taking you out of the room, a male nurse sat down and told me everything that could happen, honestly and frankly. He said the worst could be that when they open you up, all your organs could now be infected. If that were to be what happens, he said they would basically staple you up, and wait for time to take your life. So here I am alone, being told that this may be the last time I see my baby alive ever again. And what of our children? Do I call them all in and let them tell their daddy goodbye in case the worst happens? I would die to have to hear little 5 year old Tate say ‘Bye daddy. I love you daddy.’ Or any of our other children hug your neck knowing this could be it. O God, please help me. I feel so lost and alone. If you don’t help me, I won’t see this through.”
The surgeon himself later told my wife that indeed “God saved his life,” explaining my omentum had partially sealed the breaches or I’d be dead, even calling other doctors in to view this DURING the surgery. I’m absolutely convinced God saved my life, confirmed by a second event my wife said happened while I waited to be wheeled back for the surgery.
She told me I was staring intently at something across the room. I wouldn’t take my eyes off of it. She asked me what’s wrong. I said “Who are those 2 women right there?” “What women baby?” she asked. “The ones standing right there, the ones wearing orange dresses?” There were no women in orange (gold?) dresses standing with us in the room.
I’m convinced holy angels went with me into surgery.
That was December…2014! I lost my job of 31 years due to the effects of the encephalopathy. Yet again though, God’s provision has been manifested as we won the appeal for long term disability! I will never be the same as I was before the sepsis, but I’m eternally grateful that I’ve had many years since to hug my kids necks, to honor the best woman any man has ever married, and to have never had to say goodbye!
