Endoscopy

I am awake at my usual time, shower and dress and sit by the kitchen window waiting for my ride. She pulls up and I wave, tiptoe out of the house and join her for the short ride to Strong Memorial Hospital Konar Center for Digestive and Liver Disease.

We are met by my pastor and my chaplain (how blessed to have two strong women of faith to come alongside me!). We chat easily and happily for a few minutes, then they call me back for prep. Only one person can go with me, and my friend the chaplain comes first. I am not nervous or upset. My blood pressure is even reasonable - way lower than when I just talked with the doctor!

During a break in the questions and prepping, we pray together. She speaks words of faith and encouragement that feed my soul. She holds my hand while we pray, and her hands are warm and soft. She speaks slowly, purposefully. She invokes the presence of God, and I realize that He is with us and has been since before I left home. I am not afraid.

The nurse fusses with my hand, slapping it to find a good vein, pumping it up with a blood pressure cuff. I am not worried. She gets the IV first stick and its good. Nothing blows up. When they move me to the procedure room, the chaplain leaves and my pastor comes to be with me. In another lull, she also prays with me, words that bless my mind and lift my spirits.

I have a good friend in Illinois who used to go with me to things like this and she always held my feet. I spoke with her beforehand, and she told me she would be with me in spirit and prayer, holding my feet for me. She sent me a great online card about it. I recall her words too, and as if on cue, my pastor moves to the foot of my bed and begins to hold my feet!

The words the nurse is telling me about how things will go should have caused me fear, but I hear them and do not worry. God is with me. He will not leave me. They put the oxygen tubes in my nose, I see my pastor leave, I remember little else until I wake in the recovery room. Whew!!! I have only a vague recollection of something being in my throat, a tube being pulled or pushed. It is over. My blood pressure never raised.

The doctor appeared and told me he was able to get 7 or 8 biopsy samples. That should be good. I will find out the results when I see my oncologist next Friday. I am definitely woozy. I talk like I am drunk! I think I am walking in a straight line, but sometimes I tip a bit. I say funny things. This is weird.

My friend takes me home and Kiel is there. I sleep, and sleep and sleep and sleep. Thank you Lord for being with me. Thank you to all my friends who prayed for me. Thank you to the three women who went with me and helped me. You are wonderful! Four tests down and one to go. One day at a time. Just trust.