On Miracles: Update on Mom

My Canadian friend and I have a lot in common. She graduated Loma Linda medical school one year after me and is a woman of faith. She seeks to be a medical missionary wherever she is. Her father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma one year before Mom received her own diagnosis of the same.

It had been almost 3 months since we talked last. We have been in touch sharing notes and praying for each other. Her father had been undergoing difficulty in treatment as had my mother.

I’m not sure why I felt like I needed to call her. Perhaps I needed to talk to someone who I knew would understand me. Maybe I needed advice or just some encouragement. I shared with her the ups and downs of what Mom had been going through for the last 2 weeks. Honestly I’ve been filled with doubt and angst.

My Canadian friend, like many other physicians, are measured in their responses. We are a cautious bunch. We respect the data and are careful in our prognostication. Her response wasn’t what I expected.

She shared a couple of stories with me. One was a patient with a terminal illness. While he was progressively getting worse, she told me that he never complained and seemed to be happy. Then one day the doctors gave it to him between the eyes. They told him he was going to die. My Canadian friend noticed that within days his disposition went from happy to depressed. Within a matter of days he passed away.

“Andrew, I don’t think we did him a service,” she tells me. “We should never be in the business of taking away someone’s hope.”

She dove into another story about a friend of hers who was a mother of an infant. This baby was sick with abdominal organs going into his thoracic cavity. The baby was on the ventilator for a total of six months. During that time the doctors had informed the mother that treatment was futile and that she should pull the plug on her baby. But the mother fought for the baby. She struggled with the doctors. In the end, the baby turned around on its own and today the same Mother has a 4-year-old boy still with her.

My Canadian friend then directed advice toward me. “Andrew, you have got to be filled with hope and faith. Because whatever you are believing and feeling will be transferred to your Mom and to your family. There may come a point when it’s time to let your Mom go. But today, your Mom has the gift of life so you fight for life.”

I told her how surprised at how unequivocal and impassioned she was by her statements. She told me how she hadn’t planned on saying these things.

“Andrew,” she went on, “In Bible, people were healed as – they – believed.” She paused after each word in italics. “God did a miracle for your Mom last week. There’s no reason why he can’t do another one. Miracles don’t make sense in the face of data.”

It’s that last statement that’s been ringing in my head: Miracles don’t make sense in the face of data.

Personal Reflections

Yesterday I shared the story of Elisha’s servant and King Aram. Elisha had to pray that the eyes of his servant could be opened to see a greater reality – there was a heavenly army outnumbering the army of King Aram.

I realize my eyes need to be open to a greater reality. God’s not done with Mom yet. She may still be on a vent. The doctors may be pessimistic about her condition. But my prayer is that my eyes may be open to a Master Physician who is still looking to rescue her.

Mom Update

Mom’s been waking up more now. Her sister, Connie, was able to visit her in the hospital and pray for her. Auntie Connie tells us Mom was able to open her eyes and recognize her. For some reason, Mom has been “fighting the vent” which is making the doctors keep her sedated. If she stays sedated she won’t have the chance to prove she can breathe on her own. Let’s pray the doctors can figure out what’s making her agitated. Pray that Mom will be free of any pain or nausea and that she will be at peace.