10/8/2010 The day our world was turned upside down...

It was four something in the morning.... my husband reached down and kissed me on the cheek as I lie sleeping.  Just as he always does before he leaves for work.  I don't remember if I said anything to him, if I opened my eyes to smile at him with my heart.... I just don't remember. 


It was 8:05... my eyes opened... the house was still, no little feet running up and down the hall.  No sound of cabinets in the kitchen opening and shutting in the kitchen.  Nicholas had told me he was going to bed early the night before because he was so tired.  I told him he could sleep in a little... but usually he is up by now and Hannah wakes up with the sun... they slept... peacefully and quietly.... it was a sweet, early morning and a rare moment of solitude.  I considered staying in bed and trying to go back to sleep.  I hadn't been feeling well and it would be a welcome reprieve for our normal busy morning routine.  Instead I opted to take advantage of the gift of a few quiet moments to myself in the morning.  I remember asking the Lord for His will for the day before I got out of bed.
I had been in the bathroom less than a minute when the dog started barking frantically.  I thought someone must be at the door but who would be at the door so early in the morning.  I rushed out of the bathroom to meet both kids with eyes wide telling me there was some lady at the door.  (my little window peepers.... uggggg)  I have made it a habit over the last couple of years to not feel obligated to open my door to strangers.  I still fight against the unspoken rule that one must open the door when it is knocked upon or the doorbell rang, but I try to stand firm on my new rule set in place for the safety of my children and myself.  I too opened the curtain and peered out.  There was a cute, harmless looking little red car in our driveway.  There was a pretty lady who looked very sweet and not menacing at all at the door talking on her cell phone.  But!  I had watched Criminal Minds the night before and I was NOT opening the door to a stranger.   She  saw me as I looked at her through the window not certain what to do.  "I'm Rick's wife.  Jeremy's friend from work."
I felt so bad.  I had left this poor woman standing at my door for what seemed like a very long time.  She obviously was in some kind of trouble and needed help.  I opened the door, she held out her cell phone to me and said, "Rick needs to talk to you."  I was still a little foggy, not fully awake.  Definitely not alert.  Then he said the words, "D, Jeremy is ok!" and I KNEW something awful had happened to him.  I had had a call 27 years ago about my mom that had stopped my world.  Now once again I was receiving the dreaded call about my husband.  I can't remember what I said, if I cried, or yelled... I just remember feeling that way inside, as well as dazed and confused.  I do remember saying very forcibly, "What happened to him?!!!!!"  All the emotions, thoughts, memories of the explosion at his work on Feb. 7, 2007 came flooding back!  I immediately feared the worse.   There had been an accident.  He was burned.  He had been trying to reach me but no one answered. (we slept through my Jeremy calling me from the hospital telling me he was ok but hurt. This is something I am dealing with....) He was at Memorial Hospital.  It is all a blur...... We got dressed as quickly as possible.  Hannah was crying.  I was a fast walking zombie woman... walking around in a trance.  Nicholas was the man of the house, just as his Dad tells him to be when he leaves for work.  We loaded the extra car seat into Bonnie's car and she started to take us to the hospital in Savannah to see him.  
On the way there my cell phone rang.  It was Jeremy.  He told me he was ok!  He had been burned but he was ok.  (He sounded ok... he sounded so normal.... a little loopy but ok.) He made a joke that he didn't need a hair cut anymore.  I didn't understand, but was relieved that he was joking.  Then he asked the doctor to talk to me.  The doctor told me he was burned but he was ok, that with injuries like this there was a chance of the air ways constricting even hours later and becoming life threatening, so they were going to sedate him and intubate him as a precaution.  He preceded to explain to me that they were transporting my husband to the Augusta Burn Center as a precaution.  Immediately I was alarmed!  Taking Jeremy to the Augusta Burn Center did not mean that he was "ok" in my world.  I asked the doctor if they were taking him via ambulance or flying him.  He told me they were flying him.  That is when I knew this was not ok... this was very serious.  If they needed to lifeline my husband to the burn center in Augusta I did not want to keep his doctor on the phone with me when my husband was in harm's way.  I asked him to tell Jeremy that the kids and I would meet him there.
Bonnie turned the car around and took us to the plant where my husband works to get our one and only working car.
After talking with a few of his co-workers for a couple of minutes we were in the car, driving to our home to pack a couple of things before we left... Have you ever been in a traumatic situation where you seem to be on automatic pilot... walking in a daze, going through the motions and not even realizing what you are doing or why?  (I know the Lord was ordering my steps and leading me in everything that needed to be done.  Thank You Jesus)  I told the kids to grab a few clothes and their pajamas.  Nicholas got himself, his sister packed and helped me too as my back was going out and if I moved wrong I would not have been able to walk or drive.
We went to Bonnie's house to pick her up because she graciously volunteered to go with us and her husband would come to Augusta after work and pick her up that night.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to make the drive, my lower back was very unstable.  Bonnie to the rescue again, she offered to drive and I was so thankful.  Between my back and my state of mind, I had no business driving.
The drive to Augusta was over two and half hours... two and a half hours of not knowing anything about my husband's condition... I admit that much of the next 72 hours are a blur..... I remember making phone calls, first and foremost to ask for prayer!  I called our pastor and shared with him what I knew, asking him to send out a prayer request for Jeremy.  Pastor Dan prayed for us before I hung up  the phone.  I remember calling Robin and crying with her on the phone.  She was praying for us and got the word out, asking everyone to lift up Jeremy in prayer before the Lord.
The spiritual warfare has been quite intense the last few months for us.  Each time we are in the process of adopting one of our children it gets intense.  The last thing the enemy wants is for a precious child to come home to their family where they are loved and will learn about the love and saving truth of Jesus Christ.  Add to this our mission trip to share Jesus in Peru and minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus there and apparently we were on the defeated one's radar.  (Thank You Jesus for allowing us to be a thorn in his side!)  Two days before the mission trip the engine to my mini van threw a rod and we still need an new engine for it.  Before that our refrigerator went out, Jeremy's bronco and my mini van needed batteries and we had to get tires for both vehicles.  Jeremy ended up in the hospital in the jungle during on the trip with severe food poisoning, I got sick on the last day before we came home and am still battling what ever I brought home from Peru after being treated for a bacteria infection.  We come home and the transmission goes out on his bronco, our air conditioner goes out in our house... I know there has been more but I can't remember it all. lol  All the time all I can think of is that we don't have money for this, we are trying to raise the ransom fees to bring our daughter home from China to no longer live in an orphanage but to be with her family!  But.... I know God is on the throne.... so we just kept praying!  I remember telling Jeremy that even though all of these things keep happening... that I can't imagine all that the Lord is not allowing the enemy to attack us with.  How blessed we are.... our kids are safe and healthy.  We have our health.  All the things that are breaking don't matter, they can be replaced.  Then Hannah got a burn on her leg from tail pipe of our car.  I was upset but I just kept thinking that it could have been so much worse.  I knew the Lord had once again protected her....
We thanked God for not allowing the enemy to touch us... with the exception of a few mishaps like food poisoning, bacteria infections and a small burn on Peep's leg....
Then Jeremy got hurt at work..... our world was turned upside down...  I remember talking to the Lord on the way there.... I remember saying to Him, "Well, Lord.... You're taking us to a whole new level..."  I knew that He did not cause Jeremy to get hurt, but He is omnipotent and He did allow it to happen.  Holy Spirit kept Romans 8:28 close to my heart the entire time. (And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose)  I knew that God was going to cause good to come from this.... that we may not know what it was until we stood before His throne in Heaven but that He was going to use this some how, some way for His will and His kingdom.... But God started showing me so much of the "good" that He was bringing from this almost immediately.  He impressed upon my heart that Jeremy was going to be OK.  That somehow this all had to do with His plan  for our family to serve Him in the mission field, to get us to Peru.  This was a constant companion for me through out Friday and Saturday.  It was a precious reminder that God was not going to take my husband home to be with Him yet, that He was going to bring him home to his family.  He has called our family into the mission field and has given my husband the gift of evangelism.  There is work to be done for His kingdom and Jeremy is still a part of that work.  He was going to be OK.

When we got to the hospital we found out he was in a room.  I remember thinking to myself, "That must be good.  He is already in a room."  We worked our way through the labyrinth of hospital corridors until we found our way to the hall leading to his room only to be met by double, closed doors that bore the sign, ICU Burn Unit.  My heart stopped.  Once again, to me, this did not mean he was ok.  We rang the buzzer, spoke with someone and they sent some one out to speak with me.  I don't remember much.... I was getting upset because I wanted, I needed to see my husband and I knew he NEEDED me!  Finally the Pulmonary doctor's nurse practitioner came out and took me into her office.  She began with, "Your husband's OK.  He's on a respirator, and..."  That is when I cut in.  I said, "Wait a minute.  Isn't a respirator a life support system?"  "Yes."  "That's enough.  Everyone keeps telling me he is ok.  He's been lifelined to the Augusta Burn Center, He is in the ICU Burn Unit, He's on a life support system.... that is NOT OK!  What condition is my husband in?"  She then told me that he was in critical but stable condition.  Honestly..... in whose world is critical condition ok?  I still don't understand it all.
I asked to see him..... I just can't remember so much of it.... I remember walking through the ICU unit.... glass room after glass room... I remember seeing so much suffering as my eyes drew to each patient lying there, burned.... some so badly that I just can't imagine..... just before Jeremy's room was a precious little 7 week old baby boy... "So much suffering Lord..... I can't fix this... I can't make it all go away...."  "There is suffering in the world my child.  It isn't your job to fix it... you can't.... just love them, pray for them, be there for them."
Then I saw my husband through the glass.... 
I had to gown up before I could enter his room.  It seemed like it took forever the first time I donned the gown, cap, mask, gloves, shoe covers...( I became a pro at it quickly) In one way it was such a relief to finally lay my eyes on him... to see him for myself.  By this time I think it was around 1 o'clock!  They had him on so much pain medication and they had just done a scope on his lungs so he had been sedated for that.   His head was bandaged, his arms, his wrists and hands with only his fingertips showing through.  His legs and feet were heavily bandaged as well as some blow up, compression things.  They had his arms strapped to the bed and he had tubes coming out of his nose and going down his throat.  It broke my heart...
My gloved hand gingerly reached out and lightly held on to his fingertips.... I whispered, "I'm here my love.  You are going to be alright.  Jesus is with you, He is going to heal you."
I silently cried..... I quietly prayed....


When I left the room I spoke with his nurse.  They did not know for certain until they could do surgery to see but they thought he had received burns to 20% of his body.  (Thank the Lord it was 12% that has 2nd and 3rd degree burns)  They were very concerned about his lungs.  
I went to the waiting room to check on our kids and was so thankful for how Jesus had sent Bonnie to us to drive us, to pray for us, and to watch my children so I could be with their Daddy!  Jeremy's mom and brother had gotten there.  His Mom and I  spoke with his doctor who showed  the pictures of his airways and he explained how it works, how it should be baby pink in color but they had been burned and were blanched white.  Those were his words and the pictures were just that... he told me the first 48 hours were critical.  He had no way of knowing how much worse it would get.  We later found out that as he was cleaning a boiler a wave of hot ash came out and engulfed him.  He was not only burned by it but actually breathed it in.  I remember telling the doctor that my husband had many, many people praying for him and that he was not ok now, but that one day he would be.  That God was going to heal him.
If you do not truly know that God is God.... that Jesus answers prayers and is able to do all things..... I would love for you to meet my husband.  He is a walking, living, miracle of the Lord!

They only allow you to visit at specific times for short  periods in ICU.   Each time I went in he was in and out of consciousness... 
It was all so hard to believe... to grasp that my honey was lying there fighting for his life... but, through every moment he and I felt the presence of God with us.... moment by moment He got us through in His strength, not ours.  Thank You Jesus.... You are oh, so gracious and merciful....
Our friends had offered to take the kids for us, so that evening my heart broke again as Bonnie and her husband Rick drove away with my children to take them to the friends they were going to stay with.
I remember after they were out of site... I walked through the hospital parking lot towards the entrance to take me back to my husband and I broke down and sobbed...... I think I was talking to someone on the phone at the time and I can't even remember for certain or not and I can't remember who it was I was crying out too but most likely it was Robin.  Thank you my dear, beloved friend.... thank you for being there with me each moment of the day and night.  Thank you for picking up the phone no matter what time it was and being there for me!  I love you and am so thankful and blessed with the gift of you my friend.  You will never know...


How thankful I am that I am writing this post from the saftey of our home... that my husband and our children are sleeping in their beds... (except for our Isabella who is still awaiting the family she does not yet know... hold on little Pearl.... mama's coming...)
There is so much of this story to be shared.... it truly is God's story.... He taught us so much.  He grew us in our walk with Him so much.  He moved in miraculous ways time and time again...  I want to share it in hopes that it will minister to others.  Praying that God will be glorified and as a way to document much of what the Lord did... so we will not forget.... I haven't been able to do so before now.  I will share more as I can.
To each of you that lifted Jeremy and our family in prayer before the Lord, we thank you.  You will never know how God ministered to us through your prayers, your encouragement, and your gifts that provided for us while we were in Augusta.  You were an answer to prayer.  May God bless you as you have blessed us.... thank you...
And to my Lord.... with all that I am Jesus, I thank You for the wonder of You.... oh, Lord... how I love you and how You take care of us... thank You Jesus...