I am a teacher
from Southern Ohio who survived a disease called ARDS (Acute Respiratory
Distress Syndrome). I would like to share my story of the healing power
of the Lord.
I became ill in late January 2001, and visited urgent cares, doctors,
and emergency rooms. I was told that I had the flu and should be fine in
a few days. After a week of trying to find out what was wrong with me, I
went to the emergency room, and was diagnosed with "large pneumonia".
The doctor said that he wanted to put me in ICU just to keep an eye on
me. The next day I was on life support. The day after that, I was placed
in a drug induced coma with about a 40% chance of survival. I was on
every prayer list from here to Russia. The doctors told my parents and
husband that they had to make a choice whether to keep me in our
hospital or send me to The Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus. I
took a turn for the worse that night, and the doctor made the decision
to life flight me to the OSU Hospital. I remained in a coma and on life
support for over a month. I was given all sorts of medicines to
experiment to give me a better chance of survival. The one that finally
seemed to work was Serfactant.
At this time, my son was 7 months. While in the coma, I had very vivid
dreams that he had been kidnapped, and I looked all over the country for
him in my mind. I could hear what people in the room visiting were
saying, and I translated it into these dreams. It was terrible.
I had 5 chest tubes, several surgeries, blood transfusions, and much
more, while I was in the coma. I could hardly breathe when I was lying
on my back, so most of the time I was in the coma, I was on my belly. I
now have pressure scars on my stomach from this. I also was given
Heparin to prevent blood clots, and I had an allergic reaction to it,
and developed blood clots, and developed a "frost bite" like symptom on
several parts of my body including my right foot. I ended up losing the
toes on my right foot. I also was so swollen that I had severe carpal
tunnel in my right hand, so I couldn't even move my thumb and two
fingers. I had surgery for that as well, but they are still numb, and I
spent a lot of time in Occupational Therapy. When I finally woke up from
the coma, I was still on the ventilator, and I was paralyzed from the
neck down. I couldn't talk or move. On top of that, I had no idea where
I was and I was anxious, and hallucinating. I overheard from one visitor
that there was an inmate down the hall, and in my mind, there was a
prison break, and the inmates were looking at me through the lights. My
brother must have visited around that time, because I thought they got
him and wouldn't release him. I was terrified. I had no idea what was
going on.
Finally one of the nurses gave my husband a letter board, and he would
point to the letters, and I would try to spell out messages by nodding
my head. I would spell out, "I want to go home!" every time he would use
the letter board. I couldn't understand what was going on. I asked my
husband with the letter board one day what was wrong, so he wrote ARDS
on the chalkboard next to my bed. I had never heard of this, and
couldn't figure out what was going on.
After a few more weeks, I was finally moved out of ICU, and into a regular
room, and MY SON GOT TO VISIT!!! I was so afraid that he had forgotten
me. I knew that because I was paralyzed, I wouldn't be able to hold him.
When he got to the hospital, he was really tired and cranky. MY whole
family tried to calm him down. Finally I asked them to put him in bed
with me, and he went right to sleep. He hadn't forgotten me!!!
After 2 months in Columbus, I was finally able to come back to my
hometown, but I was sent to a nursing home for rehab. I still was
paralyzed, and was starting to be able to talk. I had to learn how to
talk, eat, brush my teeth...everything! It was horrible. My husband
chose a nursing home that was across the street from the pharmacy that
he worked at, so he could come and check on me in the morning, at lunch,
and when he got off work. My son stayed with my mother-in-law. (While I
was in the coma, my son got his first tooth.)
I was so depressed when I got to the nursing home rehab and saw all of
these old people who had broken hips or strokes. I was only 29!!! After
a few days, I began to adjust. I worked hard all day, every day to get
back on my feet. After about three weeks, I was able to walk almost the
length of the hallway with a walker. I saw a lot of the older people
able to do it, so it was one of my goals. The therapists there were
great. I was able to see my son for about an hour a day while I was
there. This was a relief. I was determined to get better and be able to
take care of him.
After a month, I was sent back to our hospital for inpatient rehab. I
was there for around 3 or 4 weeks, and was finally able to go home. I
still couldn't walk without a walker, but I was going home! I continued
outpatient rehab, and prayed everyday that I would be able to walk soon.
One day, I saw something on the floor, and was afraid my son would get
it in his mouth, and I walked about 3 steps before I realized it!!! My
sister-in-law, who stayed with me while my husband worked, said, "Angie,
you just walked without a walker!" After that, I was determined to walk
without the walker. I practiced around the house, and eventually, I got
to walk into therapy with just a cane! It was so great.
I was told that I would not be able to go back to work in the fall, and
that I probably should consider a different profession, because young
children always seem to carry in colds and other germs. Well, by the
beginning of August, I was walking without a walker, and was determined
to go back to work. I had the surgery to remove my toes the first week
of August, and by the 27th, I was back to teaching! This was only six
months after I originally went into the coma. I prayed it through, and
felt like it was meant for me to go back this year. I love my job, and
feel that it is what I am meant to do. As long as I do the Lord's will
in my life, I know He will continue to bless me. Without Him, I know I'd
be gone by now. While in Intensive care in Columbus, I prayed and
prayed. God was the only one who could hear me, because I couldn't talk
out loud. He spoke to me and gave me the idea for a children's program
at my church. My sister-in-law and I started the program, and we now
have nearly 30 children. We were down to 7 or 8. It is growing every
week.
Life was not easy for me, even after I went back to work. I had a long
battle ahead of me. I was still on a lot of medication, including a pain
patch. I was on an emotional roller coaster. I was still having paranoid
thoughts, and I was very depressed. I thought my husband didn't love me
anymore, even though he stayed at my side, and took such good care of
me, and dressed my foot everyday before he went to work. I though I
needed to do "something" to feel alive. Fortunately I am a Christian, so
that "something" that I felt I needed to do ended up getting my masters
degree. I started classes in February 2002. Soon after starting classes,
I found out I was expecting another baby. I was very nervous, but knew
that God was in control. My second son was born in 2003, and I had no
complications. I finished my degree the same month.
More than seven years later, I am still hanging in there. I still enjoy
being a mommy to my two little boys and a wife to my hubby of 12 years,
I still teach, and I still love the Lord. At a very young age, I
dedicated my life to serving Him, and I feel that this has been
something that He trusted me with. Even though I get down every now and
then, when I have flashbacks, I know that God is in control of my life,
and He has a plan for me and will always be with me.
Sincerely,
Angie Finn
If you or someone you love is going through
ARDS, and you need someone to talk to about it, feel free to e-mail me
at
finna71@gmail.com.
|
