The Night Before...

I wanted to share what happened on Tuesday night. The night before the anniversary of Katherine's passing.

It was Tuesday night. Every Tuesday night we go to a local, family owned Mexican restaurant. Most of us order the same thing. Our regular server doesn't even bother to bring us menus and she knows our order well.

This week, Don decided to order the carne asada-the whole steak-while he usually orders a carne asada taco. It was with his first bite or two that the problem occurred. This is a recurring problem for him. His food will get "stuck" in his esophagus and refuse to go down. It's a painful experience for him and a scary experience for those of us watching.

Usually, the food will go down eventually. This time it was stubborn. It doesn't affect his breathing but causes great discomfort. I finally asked if he thought he should seek medical attention. He finally relented. Never before had it come to this.

So, we headed off to the hospital...the hospital where Katherine was born...on the night before the anniversary of her death. I could feel my anxiety building. This is the third year in a row we have ended up in that ER during the months of September and October; right in the middle of her birth day and her death day.

They attempted to treat him with medication but it wasn't working. As I was sitting by his bedside, the doctor walked in and told us that he was to be admitted for the night and that a GI team would do an endoscopy the next morning. I sat-stunned. He turned to me and asked how it would affect the next day. I started to cry and said, "It's just that...Katherine..."

I could not bare the thought of my husband in *that* hospital, having a "procedure" on the anniversary of our daughter's death. I told the doctor why I was so upset and I could see the look of compassion on her face. She left us alone to talk about it. After a few minutes, I went to the waiting room to tell the kids.

Several minutes later, the doctor and our attending nurse came back in and told us that the GI doctor had decided to do the procedure that night and that he would be there in 30 minutes. I'm convinced that the compassion of that ER doctor was a factor in the GI doctor deciding to come in that night.

I talked to the kids again. I took them home, put the baby to bed and headed back to the hospital for the procedure. Thank the Lord that we live so incredibly close to this hospital and that we had this option.

The procedure began about 10:45 and I was back with Don by about 11:20. It went well and they did a repair on his esophagus that should prevent this problem from happening anymore. He was discharged shortly after and we were home right at midnight...just minutes before the calendar rolled over to October 29th.

The thought of being in the hospital on that day was overwhelming to me. But, God, in His mercy allowed a sensitive doctor to motivate others in order to allow us to be together and *not* in the hospital on that day. I am so thankful for His provision and His protection over my husband.

So, another milestone has passed and we bask in His care for us!