The Plane

Lesson 5

So last week I totally had a miracle and totally ticked off the surgeon! It was a win, win for me that day! (Ha, ha just kidding!) God resolved my hemothorax without the medical procedure they were about to do to me, (stick me… pretty sure that is the correct medical terminology…) which required a surgeon. He was torqued! But I was ecstatic! Even the medic couldn’t believe what was happening.

They went ahead and took me for an MRI, where they discovered that I had broken ribs. The blood was still in the chest wall but the bleeding had mysteriously stopped on its own. I was told, “Your body will absorb all fluid that is still in your chest cavity. We were concerned, but the bleeding has stopped, so you’re going to be okay.”

People from the church we were on our way to minister at came to see us, and one of the members was a nurse. She stayed with me and emptied my bedpan all night because the ER was so busy with accidents. When you are in this kind of situation, you get to know people really quickly and you really don’t care that you are lying on a gurney covered with asphalt not looking your glamourous best!

My staff member and our driver were going through testing at the same time. Our driver had broken ribs and my companion had a severe concussion as well as being badly bruised all over, but thankfully her leg was not broken. I had to breathe on a respirator and I was only able to get to 500 at first. They told me I could not leave until I could get to 2500.

In the midst of all this craziness, I finally got to talk to my husband and he was completely broken. It’s hard when bad things happen to somebody you love, he said, “All right, I’m going to hire a private jet, it’s only 14 grand, I’ll sell something on eBay,” I told him he had lost his mind!

“OK, then we’re going to buy you first class plane tickets because it’s easier to ride in first class when you’re injured and you’re going to leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I said, “No, I can’t get on a plane tomorrow. There’s no way.” I’ve spent a lot of time on planes, so I know the ropes. I cried, “There’s no way we’re getting on a plane tomorrow. We would have to make a connection in Atlanta. It’s one of the busiest airports in America. There’s no way. I’m not going to leave. I’m not going in the plane!!” I was now Katie the Baby instead of Katie the Warrior Princess. Everyone, including the church pastor, was in agreement that we should go home before the adrenalin wore off, because we would really be in bad shape once that happened.

Once we were released from the hospital, we were taken to a hotel to rest before our flight. The hospital had insisted that I take some pain pills. I had objected because I can’t even drink coffee, let alone take pain meds. They made me sick to my stomach and I was dry heaving on the hotel curb while the pastor was getting us checked in!

Just getting our clothes off to get into bed was extremely painful. Finally we fell asleep for about an hour and it was time to get up again. We were both in agony just trying to get dressed and we looked like such a mess, we were so bruised and battered.

The church brought two wheelchairs and we were wheeled all the way to the plane. Of course the first plane on this arduous journey arrived in Atlanta a half hour late. The Atlanta terminal is a sea of people and they have these l o n g walkways to get to the monorail. Then from the monorail you have more l o n g walkways to get to your gate.

Our gate was the very last one on the walkway and we were leaving from the very end gate on the other side of the terminal. They had called ahead for wheelchairs but, of course, there was only one. Our connecting flight was already boarding and I decided to walk because if we missed the plane, we would be in this airport for eight hours, or we would have to get a hotel, wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning to come back and catch our connection. I was not missing that plane. I said to my cohort, “Get in the chair right now. Come on, we are not missing that plane!” So off I go across the terminal, holding my ribs the entire time.

The nurse that Robert had hired to attend us on the trip was freaking out, yelling, “Katie wait, Katie wait!” as she was getting the bags, patient, wheelchair and attendant together. “No, I’m not waiting. Come on, let’s go!” I yelled back at her. About four gates down the walkway I saw the second wheelchair coming toward us.

The nurse yells at him, “Stop, stop. That woman, right there. She’s the woman that needs the wheelchair. Go put her in that wheelchair right now!” So, now we have two wheelchairs, two attendants and a nurse. I said to the two attendants, “We are late for our plane. It’s in another terminal,” and I pulled out $20 for each of them. “Get me there as fast as you can!”

We must end here for now, but getting to the plane was nearly as difficult as getting to the hospital was! I just have to laugh as I look back at this. It’s always good to build an altar to the Lord in remembrance of how amazing He is! Amen? We will continue next week. Until then…be safe…

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