Breakthrough

I'm still battling issues with pain in my abdomen. I've been blessed with a doctor who is willing to work with me beyond usual practices. The first hour after I wake up is usually the toughest part. I have medication that kicks in after about 45 min. This morning was going just like every Saturday morning. Cheri and my dad were getting me ready for the day ahead. One of the things that we do every Saturday requires unhooking my diaphragm pacer and changing the tape on the bracket that keeps the wires in place. I was still feeling a little plain, but not much during this process. I am laying flat, so I can't see what is actually happening, but I knew they had changed out the pacer tape and started changing the dressing on the skin breakdowns  (these are healing well).  I was feeling lethargic and really felt like I was not getting deep full breaths. When they rolled me over onto my right side I had them stop and lay me back flat because I could tell my oxygen saturation was low. What I actually was feeling was me breathing on my own for about 15 min. The pacer had not been turned back on and I was controlling every breath on my own. I have done this in the past, but that was before I went through a setback about a year and a half ago. It may not sound like much, but   Praise Be To God,  I know that He is not through with me and my healing process. When I came home from Houston over six years ago I had virtually no activity in my diaphragm. The have an instrument called a spirometer, and most of the time their measurements of my diaphragm activity was zero, so today is actually a pretty big thing. THANK YOU JESUS.
I don't want to dismiss the significance of this breakthrough, but it always feels good to close with a joke. Here is one that includes someone having trouble breathing.

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says "Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says "OK, now what?"

OK, don't tell me that you didn't smile  :-)

Much Love, Dennis