ICU and God's peace

Once the heparin drip was in place, I was transferred to ICU where I would stay until the critical time passed. I realized that this meant limited visitation by family and me laying alone waiting to see if the embolism decided to break off kill me.

By now I was exhausted, but they wanted to place a second IV to draw blood from since they would be needing it frequently. That done, they allowed Hannah to come in and visit though it was very late. This was the first of many acts of kindness we would experience at Erlanger.

Hannah had to go find a chair in ICU waiting to get sleep. Truly on her own with her momma very sick, I saw a very strong young woman. I was so proud and so concerned for her; if anything happened to me, she was here by herself until William could get to the hospital.

Alone in the room, I felt God's peace. There was very brief moments of anxiety, but they passed quickly. I slept fairly well the rest of the night. God's peace truly passes all understanding. How in the mist of such a scary situation could I remain calm. If you had asked me before this happened, I would suspect that I would be crying and yelling, begging God to fix it. Instead, I felt all was in His plan and the outcome in His hands.

Being the only coherent patient in ICU, I got to know the nurses and they were so kind. When William, Sarah and Hayden got to the hospital Saturday morning they said we could visit longer than allowed. I was so excited to see them and for them to see me still breathing! They waited for each visiting time and I hear were first at the ICU door!!

My time in ICU was uneventful. I had no 'close calls' or tense moments other than getting wrapped up in all the wires and tubes! I got to know the nurses and waited for the next visiting time.

Everyone stayed in Chattanooga Saturday night anticipating mom passing the critical time and getting out of ICU. Sunday afternoon brought just!

The next blessing was the room where I would spend the next week. It, unlike the majority of the rooms, had three large windows that looked out onto the Tennessee River and the mountains surrounding Chattanooga. It also had a sofa for Hannah to sleep on.

Next: A week of laughter, healing and new friends