For nearly 12 years I realized I had diabetes and did nothing about it. No doctors, no testing - nothing. Why? There are many reasons. Someday I can talk with you about them. The biggest reason was - financial. I was on a mission to help children in Africa. To do that I had to stay debt free work hard to help provide the needed funds for that work. I thought I could manage life and beat diabetes through prayer. In the meantime, I ignored the part of the scripture that talked about my body being a "temple" and didn't really take care of it. I worked long hard hours and sacrificed in many ways - but, there was a huge lack of balance in my life that caused a downward spiral in my life that I knew would lead to terrible things down the road. My plan? God will heal me or I will join Him in that place that JESUS has gone to prepare for me.
On Memorial Day weekend after many years of treating my diabetic ulcers on my left foot, suffering with severe neuropathy in my feet and hands, and being faced with a problem I couldn't treat on my own, the long road of thinking I could handle this without doctors and nurses came to an end. Though my ulcers healed closed and it seemed all was well the infection had no way out of my body. It quickly attacked the the toe next to my big toe on my left foot. The toe died, the infection moved into the bone. On Memorial Day when I changed the dressing all the flesh came off my toe and there was exposed bone. The next day I drove myself to Lancaster General Hospital (dis-oriented from the severe blood infection the 15 drive took me two hours). They told me the news.
In keeping with my plan, once I found out they needed to amputate at least part of my foot and treat the blood infection I knew the cost would be over $100,000. I knew the body of Christ wouldn't give that kind of money to save my life (being a servant of THE MOST HIGH GOD for nearly 30 years), I couldn't claim financial hardship as a joint heir to the KINGDOM and ask Medicaid to pay, so I was ready to die as gracefully as I could. When I asked the Dr. how long I would live if I just did nothing further and went home - he thought I was crazy. But, that was my plan. He told me I would last more than a week to 10 days. All I wanted was some pain medication to make me comfortable and I would go home. When my pastor and his wife arrived that was what I planned to do. Now . . . . join the journey and see what happens from here.
*the next day the amputation of all the toes on my left foot
(Surgeon: Dr. David Vaughn)
*the following Monday back to O.R. to clean up wound (remove infection)
*several weeks of strong antibiotic via IV to kill the blood infection (to continue at home)
*the next Monday close the wound and I go home
The updates follow.
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