Lazarus

April 10, 2011

After climbing a couple of flights of stairs one day, Dennis said something was wrong with his heart. I took him to the Emergency Room. As usual, by the time we arrived, the symptoms were gone. The doctors said everything looked fine. They didn't seem concerned. We planned to leave for our remote cabin in a few days, however, and wanted to be really sure everything was OK. To be certain, they said, they'd have to do a heart catherization. It was Friday. He'd probably have to wait until the following week, they said, but they'd check the schedule.

They checked and, miracle of miracles, there was an opening that afternoon. They rolled him in and before long a doctor emerged to tell me they'd found a clot near the "widow-maker" and installed a stent. All within hours of his initial symptoms! Amazing!

That was on Friday. He rested at home on Saturday but felt good enough to attend church on Sunday. Part way through the singing, during which everyone stands (customary but not required), he said, "I feel dizzy. Let's go home." We exited the sanctuary and he sat down in the hall as I went to fetch the car.

By the time I returned, the music people had walked by, seen him looking pale as death, and called 911! An ambulance arrived with flashing lights and hauled him away on a gurney. Sweet little girls with terrified looks stood watching, wondering if he would survive. I told them not to worry. Just pray.

By the time we got to the Emergency Room, as usual, his symptoms were gone. All was well. The ER doctor commented on the old story about someone in the choir passing out on stage for no apparent reason. Dennis' body wasn't accustomed to the new medicines. In retrospect, he should have taken a little more time to rest and recover.

We joked that had all that drama occurred within the sanctuary, he could have returned to church the following week pretending to be Lazarus....