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Praise God He Still Heals Our Afflictions, I am Living Proof: Chapter 6

This is the 6th part of the series I am writing about the stroke I suffered on August 19, 2014. Me having a severe stroke was an absolute shock to everyone, especially my primary care doctor. On August 2, 2014 my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, on August 5th I had a complete physical after which Dr. Korgan told me I had the metabolism of a very healthy 40 year old man. I was 64 years 8 months old then. The stroke hit me at about 6:30 p. m. on August 19th as I was cooking our supper. A blood clot of unknown origin hit my right carotid artery, partially blocking it. The resulting increase in blood pressure tore 6 pieces off the clot, damaging my brain severely. The biggest piece killed the portion that controls my left arm, leaving the arm paralyzed. The next biggest piece took out brain control of my left leg leaving it paralyzed also. The 4 smaller chunks took my vision, speech, short term memory, balance, and emotions. I spent 10 days in St. John Hospital in Tulsa where they performed multiple CT scans, learning the extent of the damage. I apparently made several attempts to get out of bed to use the restroom, only to hit the floor and put a knot on my head. I was not cognitive enough to know my left side was totally paralyzed. The nurses quickly moved me to a room across the hall from their desk and put a bed alarm on that would ring if I so much as lifted my butt up to change positions. It seems I was quite a nuisance to them without me even being aware I was still alive. I was then taken to Claremore Nursing Home where I spent 10 weeks recovering before being allowed to go home. The only thing I remember from the time of the stroke to 3 weeks into the nursing home stay was the EMTs loading me on their gurney at the hospital to transport me to the nursing home. I don’t remember them loading me in the ambulance nor them unloading me at the nursing home. I have been told that I was oblivious to everything when I got to the nursing home, I was conscious, as in the lights were on but no one was home.   I also made at least one attempt to get up at the nursing home but the food tray caught my fall and my wife caught the tray before it and I hit the floor.

I received excellent care at the nursing home. The entire staff watched over me very closely and the therapy team worked very hard to help me regain some mobility. My first memory was 3 weeks into the nursing home when 3 therapists came and got me for my first session. They got me into a wheel chair and one held me upright while the other 2 pushed me to the therapy room. It took a week or so to get me to the point that I could stand without 3 people hanging on to me. I remember almost nothing that happened for the first month after the stroke and rely on what others have told me about what happened during that time. I had a dream one year ago this month, don’t know which night but I do know it was during May, that I woke up one morning totally healed. That morning hasn’t arrived yet but it WILL ARRIVE, of that I have no doubt. God’s Word tells me that Jesus accomplished my healing at the cross and I know that I merely have to believe it, accept it, and do what I can to help myself and that day will come as long as I don’t give up on it. I have provided many more details about my condition and the original and subsequent diagnoses in previous installments so I won’t rehash them here. I will say it looked pretty bleak for a while but God is faithful, powerful, and loving, and He has big plans for me to accomplish in the future. I am doing my best to do my part and relying on God for the rest, as it should be. I can’t do God’s part but I can, am now, and will continue doing all He expects me to do to aid in the recovery process.

I pray every night that the next morning will be the morning in my dream and when it isn’t I think; well, it will be tomorrow. I will continue this until “tomorrow” comes and my body is fully restored. Some have tried to “encourage” me by telling me I will have a Heavenly body without flaw but I say, “no, I will be restored on this earth in this life as God told me I would be in my dream”. Some have scoffed and ridiculed me, asking me if I “really believe all the ‘crap’ about healing” and I tell them I believe every word with all my heart because I KNOW IT IS TRUE without a doubt. The skepticism and ridicule hasn’t deterred me because Jesus is my Champion, my Lord, my Healer, and my Protector, and I know I am in His hands. Allstate Insurance brags about them having “good hands” but the hands of Jesus are beyond comparison and have no equal. I am in the best hands I can be in and I will remain there. When the evidence of my healing arrives the skeptics will not be able to deny that my faith has been well-placed because they will be able to see it with their own eyes. I still have difficulty walking, can’t yet use my left arm, and still have emotion issues. I also have memory and balance problems but they are improving a little at a time. I also get choked up easily as my emotions are not completely wired yet. I thank God that I don’t have issues with anger or being belligerent as those issues would cause people to doubt my faith greatly if I was unpleasant all the time. The time I spend at the Claremore Veterans’ Center benefits me greatly as I have improved through my activities there. My physical, emotional, and memory problems have improved through my exposure to people, some of whom have much worse conditions than mine, and I am exercising both mind and body through my duties there. That building is full of wonderful, kind, loving, and faithful people who encourage me every day. I can’t describe how thankful I am that my wife set me up there and that the residents and staff have been so accepting and loving towards me. God sent me there as part of His plan to help me and it has been a wonderful 2 years and I am counting on many more to come, even when my healing is evident to all. Thank You, Jesus, for dying for me and for providing not only eternal salvation but healing now as well.

I submit this in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, in faith, with the responsibility given to me by Almighty God to honor His work and not let it die from neglect.

Bob Russell

Claremore, Oklahoma

May 13, 2017

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Bob Russell

Graduated from Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in May, 1968. Enlisted in the U S Army on December 11, 1968, serving 3 years in the 7th Special Forces Group as a Heavy Weapons Expert, attaining the rank of Sgt. E 5. upon separation went to work at Southwestern Bell Telephone on January 17, 1972 and retired on August 31, 2003. Also spent 1 year on active reserve as a member of the 14th Special Forces Group. attaining the rank of Staff Sgt. E6. started and operated a business installing wiring for telephone, data, and video surveillance systems from October 2003 until December 2011. Suffered a debilitating stroke on August 19, 2014. Now recovering and doing volunteer work at the Claremore, Oklahoma Veterans Center. Attends church in Claremore at CedarPoint and LifeChanger churches. Married to wife Marsha since August 2, 1989 with 4 daughters and a deceased son, 12 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

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