The Second Toe Shall Be First

How can one small toe cause so much havoc and turn one’s life upside down?  The hospital Emergency Room scrambled to alert the surgeon and his staff about my husband’s infected toe, the one next to the big toe.  How far had the ugly infection spread?  The surgeon said he would amputate and keep going to get all the infected bone.  Thankfully, he only removed one-half inch of the toe.  These last two weeks have come with a whirlwind!

Thankful for so much!

I am thankful Tom finally listened and stopped fighting me to go to his primary care doctor.  Men!  I’m glad his primary care chewed him out for waiting when he saw his toe looked infected.

I am thankful for the wonderful healthcare he received during six days in the hospital and for loving daughters who came along side us to help and encourage.

The first hospital night felt like Tom won a week’s vacation stay at a one-star hotel to hear him describe it.  Even with two blankets, he froze.  Awful food.  I learned the place picked up quite a few COVID patients challenging the busy staff.  Hospital COVID rules denied me entrance.  I stayed home and pounded on heaven’s doors for my man who felt forgotten.  God heard and answered my prayers for Tom quickly the next morning.  I’m still laughing.

God Can Use a Zombie

A new nurse introduced herself and happened to be a huge fan of the popular Zombie series Tom watches.  They bonded.  Tom pulled out his phone and showed her a photo of his close friend with a famous cast member from the series, her son.  As Tom tells it, “They treated me like I was a king after that.”

God can use a Zombie.

Tom’s bacterial infection has a long name with lots of I’s and t’s.  It is rare; twenty five people in a million catch it in their lifetime.  Though antibiotics do nothing for it, there is one that kills it and that one is available at our hospital.  The surgeon believes he got all the infection in surgery, but now for prevention, the doctor prescribed the killer antibiotic.  Thankfully, he does not have to stay in the hospital to be on this medicine via a drip method with a picc line to his heart.  When he came home, a nurse came to teach me how to administer this antibiotic and care for him. 

Our days are filled with lab blood work, hospital wound care visits, podiatrist, and environmentalist/disease doctors.  Next week is D-Day When the drip will end and be replaced with pill form.  Thankfully, my energy sustains me and I am able to do all the watering outside and keep up with cooking nutritious home-cooked meals, grocery shop and drive him to appointments.  Tom and I are thankful, so very thankful!  We avoided a disaster and know it.

What Have I Learned?

Where would I be without girlfriends?  I appreciate every call, every prayer, every text and email.  My on-line friends came alongside us in a powerful way praying with support.  I am filled with peace and courage.  Tom knows he is in the Lord’s capable hands.

We marvel at the fact that a toe, insignificant as it seems compared to much larger parts of our body, can raise so much disruption.  It reminds us how every part of the body is valuable.  So when the days of normal every-day living return, be it keeping up with home/family/friends or watching a good movie together, may we never forget this toe journey realizing how valuable we all are to God.  And may we never forget how valuable others are to us.