These are pictures of Tim's foot a year ago (on the left) and a week ago (on the right). His foot has been declared healed by both his surgeon and his infectious disease doctor and the wound care clinic.
Mary Beth has named this a "Resurrection Story" and it is just that. It was a year ago that our friend, Carolyn, took Tim to the hospital becau
se she knew he was sick. I was in Richmond with Mary Beth and Caleb for a few days to help them get moved and visit my family when all this happened. I remember talking with Tim earlier that day and he said he didn't feel good and that Carolyn was coming to take him to the hospital. I knew then he must be sick if he was going to the hospital. It was only a short time after arriving at the Emergency Room that Tim went into cardiac arrest and his organs began to shut down. Carolyn called me and said he was not good, the doctors were working to stabilize him and she would call me when she knew more. As we talked off and on for the next hour or so, it became apparent that I needed to figure out how to get back home. I went to work trying to change my flight and get out that night. After checking everything even driving to Washington, D.C. to catch a flight - I wasn't going to get out of Richmond that Sunday night, so I booked the first flight out the next morning. That was the longest night of my life! The doctors worked to stablize him through the night and I was talking with them every couple of hours getting updates on his condition. Tim had gone into septic shock due to infection throughout his body. The infection had started with his foot and spread through his body. His blood sugar was very high and a diagnosis of diabetes was made. That night was an emotional roller coaster and a night of prayer for Tim, the doctors and me! Mary Beth in her calming presence sang hymns with me 'til dawn.I took the early morning flight and got to DFW late morning and to the hospital by noon. My prayer all morning was that he would still be alive when I got there. I had a layover in Atlanta and that wait seemed forever. I found Tim in ICU hooked up to all sorts of machines and fighting for his life. After seeing him, I knew I had to work to get the girls to Fort Worth. One of the doctors said to me when asked about this, "if this were my dad, I would want to be here." We (I'm not so sure I did anything but say y'all need to get here) worked to get Katie and Mary Beth here. That was another miracle! Thanks for friends and my brother, Johnny, who helped with no questions asked.
Katie and Matt arrived around 10pm and Mary Beth and Caleb came in around midnight. Friends picked them up and brought them to the hospital. It was such a comfort to have them there and we stayed at the hospital into the early morning hours. The husbands, our new son-in-laws accompanied them and boy was I glad to see all of them.
Tim was in ICU for 3 days battling for his life. Those days were very scary for all of us and many prayers were lifted for us all over the world. The waiting room quickly became filled with family, friends, co-workers and people who wanted us to know of their love and prayers. He stablized and remained in the hospital another 10 days while doctors worked to decide what was really going on and what was needed for the future. The conversation vivid to this day was with his surgeon at the suggestion to amputate the foot and leg below the knee because the infection in the foot was so bad he didn't see any other solution. It was Dr. Sotman, the infectious disease doctor, who held the opinion all along that the foot would heal but would be a long process. I also remember the first time the wound care nurse came to the room to debreed the foot. She said to both of us, "this is going to take a very, long time". In my mind, I was thinking 3 months or so wouldn't be too bad, we could do that. Oh, my - here we are a year later with the foot healed. Thanks be to God!
What a year - home health care, wound care, multiple doctors' visits, picc line care at the infusion clinic, no weight bearing to bearing weight, straight walker to walker on wheels to cane to walking without assistance, off work to returning to new work, new shoes with orthodic support - all in the course of a year's worth of healing. Well, here it is, 12 months and now I do know it takes a long time, lots of prayers, lots of help, lots of tenacity, and lots of hard work but we've done it! Thanks for all the prayers, all the help with meals, transportation and encouragement.
Tim has done an amazing job of getting his diabetes under control and keeping his levels consistent so that the healing could take place. Way to go, Tim! His doctors are amazed with what they have witnessed in this year. His surgeon and his infectious disease doctor were not convinced that Tim's foot would heal and that he would be walking with a foot and all 5 toes! What a miracle and a resurrection story! God is good and the people of God are wonderful!
