Complicated Surgery: Crash course in God’s Love
This one I must begin at the beginning but the fact that I am writing about my weakest moment which actually turned out to be my strongest one, shows that I am doing fine. It was a crash course in knowing God’s awesome love for me. Now I do not remember the pain, the three months of trouble, all that is a vague memory. What I remember is how God taught me so much about his character and how he fulfilled his promise made to all of us actually….. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Recently I underwent a complicated surgery to remove a gastric band (it’s a band tied to the stomach surgically which reduces your stomach size and therefore reduced your consumption so one loses weight, or so the theory goes…because it did not work for me.) I had this surgery seven years ago in Ahmedabad. I was actually the first one to have a gastric band installed in my stomach at the first ever obesity surgeon’s conference in India held in Ahmedabad in 2003. I got operated by an Italian doctor. My dad did tell me that I was being made a guinea pig but it was a free surgery and the band alone cost Rs 1.25 lakhs at that time so I thought it was a great opportunity.
To get back to the story, my gastric band eroded, meaning it cut into my stomach lining and caused a lot of abscess. I had inflammation in my stomach since December but the doctor I was seeing then was not able to detect what was wrong. I had a small operation in Ahmedabad by the Indian surgeon who was part of the team to install the gastric band 7 years ago but he only removed part of the band which was imbedded superficially which is called the port of the adjustable gastric band. He removed it through local anesthesia and left the wound open since there was infection. He said it would heal eventually. So we keep bandaging it for two months yet it did not close completely and oozed pus. Abigail, my elder daughter, was the one who did the dressing daily. I was consulting a surgeon in delhi who was known to the Ahmedabad doctor. He said the wound would heal.
Meanwhile another swelling I could detect deep inside my stomach near the wound. I showed that to the doctor but he said it was just edema and would eventually subside. Instead slowly that swelling erupted on the surface, very near the first wound. It was a very large boil with many heads. It was very painful. I couldn’t sleep on my sides. I could only sleep straight which also gave me a back ache. Again I showed the doctor and we decided to drain the pus in Fortis Jessa Ram. We decided to claim my medi-claim so though it was going to be done under local anesthesia the Hospital made a Rs 55,000 bill. But since it was a Saturday evening we were not able to get approval for the small surgery and I returned back home.
I was so disappointed and in lot of pain. I wondered what was God’s plan in this. But it was a blessing that the approval did not come on that day or else I would have been operated to drain the pus and the larger problem would have remained undetected. Maybe it would take another eruption of abscess before we could have figured out that there was a much larger problem inside. So one of the lessons I learnt was that sometimes God does not answer our prayers because he knows the truth. We can only ask him from the little knowledge we have of the situation but he has the whole picture.
Okay, so that was March 6. The doctor was going off for a wedding to Ludhania. He would only return on Tuesday evening. I returned back and just took some antibiotics to keep the abscess in control. Again this was also a blessing or God’s way of directing me to the right direction. On March 8, Women’s Day we (meaning members of the India Women’s Press Corps) went to Rastrapathi Bhavan for tea since the President had invited us. I talked to the press secretary of the President and asked her to recommend me at AIIMS so that I could get treatment swiftly. I knew that to just get an Out Patient Department card made at AIIMS people line up from the previous night. The press secretary talked to the director of AIIMS who asked me to come the next day, so on Tuesday, March 9th I went to AIIMS bypassing the long lines. I really feel sorry for all those sick people who come for treatment at AIIMS and have to wait for days to just see a junior doctor. I also had to wait but mostly hours outside the doctor’s room, not days.
The doctor looked at my stomach and immediately said I should get an upper abdomen endoscopy since it looked like a case of band erosion. That was the first time I heard about band erosion. I learnt that the band can cut inside the stomach lining and get really entangled inside. I went for the endoscopy and sure enough the band was visible from inside my stomach. So the doctor asked me to get a private room at the hospital so that he could operate me. I went for the room to the medical superintendent. The date given to me was April 28, almost a month and a half away. Again I went to the director and got a recommendation letter and was given March 19th as the date when I could get admitted. I informed the doctor; he told me they would operate on me on Monday or Tuesday so I got admitted a day later on Saturday, March 20th.
Let me tell you something here. I have been a journalist for a long time so I am used to being in a position of power, but these days I do not have a job so no power. I started a new media and communications company in November, did one assignment only and since December I was sick and unable to concentrate on work to a large extend or pitch for new projects, therefore I was practically jobless and without money. That is a real tough situation to be in especially if you live in a rented house with two children to support singly in a city like Delhi. I was praying about deliverance. I kept asking God that now I am weak and Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12: 10b. “for when I am weak, then I am strong.” I asked God now I am weak so when will I be strong or when will I feel strong.
Actually I was struggling with finances big time and paying bills and taking care of my wounds, I was just not prepared for a major operation. I just had no money of it. I was probably down to my last Rs 1000 with the rent and the car loan not paid, fees of both the girls not paid and many other things like my insurance, and an insurance which I took in Abigail’s name not paid, I was wondering where I would come up with the money. I told God that he has to do something. I did not take up a full time job as a journalist because I could have more time to serve him so I started a company but then I was waylaid with this infection in my stomach.
The bottom just fell off my world when I knew I would have to go in for a major operation…. I just went lower than where I was already and I had thought it couldn’t get any worse than this. But God was working all the time.
My mom was not able to come since she has just had a pace maker installed in her heart and would not be of help in Delhi. My younger sister who is very resourceful was eight months pregnant so that ruled her out, my brother was just recovering from a major illness so my mom sent my elder sister who is not so resourceful but can manage the house and take care of my younger daughter Sera. Mom told me not to worry about money. We even contemplated selling some of my gold. My brother sent me Rs 20,000 so I had some money to atleast get admitted to AIIMS. I estimated that I would need around Rs 35,000 but eventually we needed Rs 50,000. But family, friends and many totally unexpected sources gave or lent me money.
But the amazing part is not just finances, on the day of the surgery; I was totally calm, though I knew that it can be dangerous, getting operated in general anesthesia since I have hypothyroid and also high blood pressure. But all my parameters were normal. I learnt another verse first hand on the day of my operation, March 22, Phil 4: 7 “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” When I went for the operation, I had a Christian friend with me, as Abigail (my elder daughter) had gone with Sera (My younger daughter). Sera had to appear for an entrance exam at Carmel Convent. My friend prayed with me. When I went inside, I did know I would live after the operation but I also knew that anything can go wrong in a surgery. Amazingly, I had the peace of God and I knew that if anything happened to me, God would take care of my daughters. So I went for the operation with a great peace of mind, no tension.
Just then my doctor, Sandeep Aggarwal came. I told him not to mess up my stomach with scars but he told me the greater worry for getting the band out which is a very complicated operation. He told me that they were lucky that they had an Australian doctor which them who was experienced in band surgeries and their removal and that he would be also helping them in the operation. So God was planning for me way ahead. How could I know I needed a more experienced Australian doctor for my surgery? I knew that Dr Aggarwal had done only two previous surgeries where the band had eroded. Before the anesthetist could knock me off, I told her I needed to pray so I prayed loudly and committed the whole team, the instruments, their hands, their wisdom and my body to God. At least some ten doctors including residents were present there. After the operation I was just fine, lots of pain but fine. Doctors told me I would be okay though the operation was complicated. They told me the operation would take about 45 minutes to an hour but it took three and a half hours.
I discovered what God was teaching me all along that He alone was enough. It was like He was saying to me, “I alone am enough… You do not need anyone. I learnt the meaning of another verse from Isaiah 49: 15, “Can a woman forget her nursing child. And have no compassion on the son of her womb. Even these may forge, but I will not forget you.” I used to wonder how a mother can forget her children. Being a single mother and spending all my time, effort and money on my children I used to wonder about this verse. But I learnt it firsthand during my surgery. My mother was not able to come but God was there for me. I had so many women from the Apostle’s Methodist Church come and support me that I am totally overwhelmed. I mean women from the church who I do not know so well came and did intimate tasks for me. They took me to the bathroom, helped me gargle my mouth and spit in a kidney tray which they had to throw away. They had to measure the urine for record…. Things I would not expect even some of my family members to do but they did it. I was overwhelmed that Jemila ( a lady from the church) came despite not having a car and a driver, she had to travel by two buses back to her house. Shreedevi (another church member) came when I was still not able to go to the bathroom on my own and Kamla Prabhakar (another church member) took leave from her government job. My dad was a government officer; I know that one does not take leave just to look after some person in the hospital who you do not even know well. Pastor’s wife Mrs. I C Singh also came and so did many others. Also Rina (another church member) for making such a wonderful chicken soup as such short notice. I found that though the women of my house, my mother and sister was not able to come, I found for the first time what it means to be a part of the family of God in AMC. I really want to thank the women of Apostle’s Methodist Church, some of my other friends and the pastors for visiting me and giving me confidence and all the other my friends and family praying for me.
After the operation I was not allowed to drink water for four days since they wanted to check whether there was any leakage in my stomach wherever they had stitched all the ruptures caused by the band. So after four days when Jemila was with me, we went for Gastrography test which showed that I had not leakage and that now I could drink water. Actually God was working every step of the way. First we did not get the date for the Gatrography test and it would have been done on Friday but God intervened and despite everyone saying it was not possible, the test was done on Thursday and from that day onwards I could drink sips of water…
When I couldn’t drink water, I learnt the meaning of another verse from Mathew 4: 4, “Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” When I could not drink water and therefore was not able to talk due to the dryness in my mouth I thought of this verse and understood. Doctors would say I was on IVs so I was well able to survive without water but the dryness in my mouth was another thing altogether.
Despite all that God was doing I still showed little faith. I was scared when doctors did not come to find a new vein so that they could give me injectable medicines on the fifth day and I behaved rudely when all I needed to do was just ask God. Even on the day I was being discharged I thought since it was Sunday we would not have enough money to pay the final bills but we had enough money.
On top of it, my younger daughter Sera who performed badly in her entrance exams which she gave on the day I got operated was given admission in Carmel Convent despite her poor scores and we again had enough money to pay her fees. We paid two rents, the car loan, the insurance, fees of both the girls and all other bills. My sister told me that God sometimes had amazing ways to help us. I went through the surgery where I learnt so much about God and how much he cares for me. I knew that he is always in control, but I experienced in first hand in his very interesting ways of solving my problems. So now I am rid of the band, most of my debts are paid, I do have some new ones though to family members and I know God will be there to guide me in the future also.
My mom also had any amazing vision while she was praying for me during my surgery. She said she saw Jesus along with the doctors peering into my stomach when they were performing the operation. She said she saw that vision for one whole hour with her eyes open. From that time onwards she knew I would be fine and nothing could harm me. And I am fine. No post operative complications.
