Mysterious Malady

Aug 6, 2023 | by The Fellowship

I have always been a really healthy person. On the rare occasions that I do get sick, it is invariably a mild case. That is why what happened this spring is so baffling to me.

In late April I was on a trip with friends. I was not feeling great and had symptoms of a urinary tract infection, a very rare occurrence for me.  After I sent my doctor a message, she immediately called in an antibiotic. How thankful I was for the online services she offers!

Fully expecting to feel better within a day or two, I was mystified when the discomfort and symptoms persisted. But since I was scheduled to see my doctor for a regular checkup soon after my trip, I was not worried about anything.

At my visit with her, she prescribed another, much stronger antibiotic. Because it was one I had taken before, I expected it to be very effective again. However, several days later, I was worse instead of better. Again, I messaged my doctor.

She said that if I still felt bad to go to an Emergency Room. My husband took me to a small, branch ER since we did not feel it was imperative to go directly to the hospital. The ER doctors ran several tests, assured me my problem was viral, and that it just needed to run its course. They sent me home.

I felt a little foolish for going to the ER for what seemed to be nothing serious. My husband was scheduled to leave for a business trip to the Middle East the next day. I assured him that I was fine. This was just a virus. It should resolve in a day or two without intervention, so he left for his trip … reluctantly.

Unfortunately, I continued to get worse and the next day, I asked a friend to take care of my dogs for me. She wanted to take me to the ER, but I was embarrassed for having gone in unnecessarily the day before. I assured her that I was fine.

The next day was even worse.  Upon learning this, my husband (who had arrived at his destination) said he was going to call our daughter to take me back to the ER. She was a couple of hours away. I felt so terrible that I called a friend and asked if she could take me immediately. My daughter was on her way and would meet us at the ER.

This visit was very different from the first just two days previously. They ran the same tests. But this time the doctor came back saying, “You are very sick! We are admitting you directly to the ICU.” 

My daughter called her dad and told him he needed to come home. By God’s grace, he was able to get a flight home within a few hours. It was the last seat on the plane! The Prayer Team at The Fellowship was alerted, and they joined our family and friends in crying out to the Lord for my healing.

I was in ICU for three days, but do not remember most of it. My family said I had a team of doctors who would come in and brainstorm ideas for what could possibly be wrong with me -- much like a television episode of House. Nothing made sense.

I spent another ten days in Intermediate Care before being discharged. The final diagnosis was sepsis, but there still was no certainty of the cause. (Sepsis occurs when chemicals to fight an infection are released into the bloodstream and trigger inflammation throughout the body.) The blood work just two days prior to being hospitalized showed no infection.

It still does not make sense to me how things went from “This is just a virus” to “We are admitting you to ICU.” I do know that God preserved my life. At one point while in ICU, I remember thinking about what I needed to say to my children before I died. But I had peace about it, having been a Christian almost all my life. I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving that I am healthy and strong today. I experienced firsthand God, Jehovah Rapha - The Lord Who Heals.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong,
firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 
1 Peter 5:10-11