God Guides the Best Pathway For Your Life {One Thing Our Marriages Desperately Need Today ~~ A Husband's Heartfelt Words as His Wife's Heart was Weak for #HeartMonth}

{To read Part 1, the beginning of the series:

"A Husband's Heartfelt Words as His Wife's Heart Was Weak"

click here first.}

The walls seemed to close in more and more. The oxygen line plugged into the wall that I was attached to became more like a leash than an aid to breathing. I was so eager to go home that the head nurse would tease me that she was keeping a close eye on me that I didn't attempt to sneak home on one of my walks out of the CVICU.

It was all by God's mercy and grace that I did leave those walls and the hospital. It was also terribly overwhelming.

So much healing had now taken place, but there was an enormous amount of healing that was still necessary. Some of which I had never even anticipated.

We were thrilled that I was being transferred to another care centre that would facilitate my needs in order to get me home safely. We had no idea how difficult that transition would be—both emotionally and psychologically.

The few days before I was transferred nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, pharmacists—the people we had connected with for the past 80 days—came to say good-bye and send us on our way. We had so much to rejoice in and we proclaimed God's faithfulness in it all. We had been forever changed in this journey and not the least with me having a better functioning heart.

We continued to more forward filled with much gratitude and trusting that God was leading us and with us every step of the way.

Set up in our new location in the city, Jon sent an update on November 19:

I have actually surfed before, but only on the web. I have 'Googled' things that I have wanted to know or learn more about. I've entered coordinates and destinations to allow remote satellites to trace a route or draw a path to a destination. We have neat tools, in this age of 'instant', to know, be informed, and map our way. But these tools can't accurately gauge our purpose for living, or map our life, guide our future, or determine our destiny.

Psalm 32:8- The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." 

Another translation says that He will instruct and teach us the best way to go . . . His eye is always upon us. I take comfort in this reality that I never stray from the gaze of my Maker.

We got word coming into this past weekend that there was an opening at the West Park Healthcare rehabilitation facility for Rebekah to be transferred. This came quicker than we originally anticipated because there is a waiting list and many hospitals send people there—but a big push and faster priority is given to transferring patients from intensive care units. I wondered if there was a bigger reason we were meant to spend 80 days in ICU and not move to the general recovery unit earlier. There are certainly policies and safety precautions but when I apply Psalm 32:8 in a situation like this, the picture becomes clearer.

On Monday we were patient transferred from Toronto General Hospital, out of the heart of the city, and we are now at West Park Healthcare Centre. Our purpose here is for us to receive training and to set Rebekah up with her home sleeping Bi-PAP equipment. She has had more blood work follow up here, wound care, her PICC line was removed today, a walk test to check oxygen levels, chest X-ray and ECG.

It's still a fight to keep fluids out of her lung, and as we set our sights to going home soon, we need to make sure that can be done safely and everything including home oxygen and her medication cocktail is in place to transition and continue recovery from home. Rebekah will continue as an out patient from West Park once she leaves, for ongoing monitoring and periodic sleep checkups down here for the months to come in order to adjust her equipment settings. 

For a while, the majority of her limited outings will be for medical purposes as its crucial she doesn't get a bad chest cold, congested, or come down with pneumonia again. Please continue to pray for her in this and also that her breathing, diaphragm and INR stabilize and be functional moving forward.

Rebekah's body has adapted to so much over 38 years of life. A lot of it baffles the doctors that care for her. Sometimes her numbers don't seem to make sense as medically she is somewhat a mystery. She sits up and smiles, and challenges others with her faith and courage even with blood gas numbers sometimes in a range that would put me flat on the floor. One doctor recently at TGH who did an oxygen saturation test with supplied oxygen support removed for over half an hour, said she shouldn't be even communicating in that range she was showing—and with the print out numbers she should be turning blue—even though the monitors were showing low, but still a safe range for her.

Again, we have to look beyond the numbers, beyond the medicine and testing, beyond the knowledge and techniques, assumptions and results, all the way to Psalm 32:8 and rest with full assurance.

Again, The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." 

-Jon

{I was discharged home and we were all overjoyed to be united again as a family on November 21, 2014 to continue to recover from my open-heart surgery on August 29, 2014.}

~.~.~.~.~.

This is the final part of the series:

One Thing Our Marriages Desperately Need Today ~~ A Husband's Heartfelt Words as His Wife's Heart was Weak

{for #HeartMonth.}

You can read Part 1, the beginning of the series here.


Thank you to the faithful readers who encouraged us along this part of our pathway.

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