Monday, July 9, 2007
Written by
Dr. & Mrs. Keith Gomez
@
9:00AM
I slipped away on Saturday, July 7th, to come
back and preach in my pulpit for the first time in three Sundays. I have been at my son’s side for 21 days. I
boarded a plane in Sacramento at 11:11 AM, and
before I had reached Chicago,
the doctors had already removed the respiratory tube. They told Josh not to
talk because of how sore and raw his throat is where the tube had been inserted
for so long. Of course, he wanted to talk, and Carla and Ashley had to tell him
to stop. The fine nurse who we witnessed to told us she is a Christian and
teaches a 2nd and 3rd grade girls’ Sunday School class.
She took her vacation to work Vacation
Bible School
this week; that is the type of personnel that God has put over my son as his
nurses. She had promised Josh that if he would be a good boy and breathe, she would sit him up in a
chair! He has become very restless in
his legs and movements since he’s been off the pain medication, and he is more
conscious of his surroundings.
Saturday at 3PM, they actually had Josh sitting up in a
chair for 45 minutes, until he said he was tired and hurting. The nurses and
doctors who passed by the ICU room stopped, backed up and said, “Is that the
boy who was in that bed in such bad shape?”
The nurse reminds all of them that this was a miracle from God because
of the multitudes of 1000’s who have been praying for this boy. I would like to
praise the Lord for His goodness and also let you praise Him for answered
prayer.
There is so much that was not done to him that we were told
had to be done. For instance, we were told Josh would have to have total
reconstruction of his face with titanium plates and screws. Some of this was
done, but very little. They did not have to wire his jaw shut for months, as
they originally told us. Upon closer examination, they felt there was no need
to do so. The pneumonia was supposed to add many more weeks to his ICU stay,
which we’ve learned is not the case now. They told us on Wednesday of last week,
that he absolutely needed a blood transfusion and refused to allow us to use
our family blood. They said that would be impossible. We told them we would
pray that Josh would not need a blood transfusion then. He did not need one!
As I just stated, they said there would be many more weeks in
ICU; however I received a phone call from Carla (on Sunday) and they are now
talking about putting him in a room of his own and starting rehabilitation
today (Monday)! All of this has
transpired so fast that it is astonishing, not only to the doctors, but to us
also. Josh has written lengthy thank you
notes to the doctors and nurses, telling them how much he appreciates what they
have done for him. At the end of one of those notes he wrote, “I go now, okay?”
and then signed his name. He is constantly reaching out for his older brother,
Jason, thinking that Jason might be in the room on his blind side. He told
Carla on Sunday, “I need my daddy. He brings me strength. Where is my daddy? I
need his strength.”
To God be the glory for all these things that have been
manifested in this boy’s life…the good, the bad, the ugly! Our lives should
bring glory to our Savior, and this is what we want with regard to this whole
incident. There is still a long road ahead. Please do not slack up on your
prayers. I read without fail every note sent to us and every note written in
the Caring Bridge website. I thank God for each and
every one of you, and I love you very much. Thank you for all that you have
done for us.
Still sincerely praying for my son,
Dr. & Mrs. Keith & Carla Gomez