Ten days ago, I had to call an ambulance for my husband. All week he had been struggling with what we thought was a bad reaction to his chemo. All week the nurse help line at the Cancer Care Centre advised us to keep following the protocol we had been given and continue to monitor his symptoms. But by Friday when he was no better, the time for monitoring and managing on our own was over.
“Try not to spend another six weeks in the hospital,” I said. He laughed in response. Surely that couldn’t be.
But after talking with the emergency room doctor, I wasn’t so sure.
“Your husband’s case is complicated,” he said. And it seemed the longer my husband was in the hospital, the more the complications grew. A cardiologist was called to consult. Then a surgeon. Then a specialist in internal medicine. I’m learning a new vocabulary I never wanted to know, of atrial fibrillation and cardioversion and ventilation-perfusion scans.
But one by one the complications have been sorted out, and I’m so grateful to God for the skill and thoroughness of the doctors, grateful for the expertise and care of the nurses, grateful for care aides and cleaners, for phlebotomists and lab techs and hospital porters, and everyone working in health care in these trying times.
My husband was technically admitted to the hospital that first night in the emergency room, but due to a shortage of beds, he spent a week in emergency before being transferred to a room with a proper bed for him, a chair for me, and relative quiet compared to the busy emergency room. We pray this change in our circumstances means that the pressure on the health care system is easing overall; we pray for other individuals and families needing medical treatment; and for my husband we pray that no new complications will emerge. Please God, bring him safely home to me.
If you have a loved one in the hospital, I pray that our story might encourage you to keep calling, caring, taking care of yourself, and praying. If you’re going through a hard time or know someone who is, I pray that these positive thoughts and prayers might offer some comfort and inspire your own expressions of care. Our story isn’t over yet, and neither is yours.
Writing/Reflection Prompt: What prayer is most on your heart and mind these days?
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April Yamasaki 
Oh, April. My heart goes out to you both. Such a hard time in life. I am praying he comes back to you. Whole and healed.
Your Redbud sister, Carolyn
This is such a hard and rocky path, April, for both you and your husband. Our prayers are for healing, whatever path that might take.
Praying for you and your husband. Not easy to negotiate being in hospital these days. Christine Sine Author of The Gift of Wonder: Creative Practices for Delighting In God Unleash your inner child with a little awe and wonder. Phone: 2063548874 Blog: Godspacelight.com Order Gift of Wonder: IVP or Amazon
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Praying for your husband and all those treating and caring for him. For the two of you I’m asking God to bless you with peace, calm, and understanding through this continuing journey.
Sending thoughts and prayers for you and Gary.
Prayers for you and your husband🙏
That he has a quick recovery and you stay at peace. Amen 🙏
April, you are both wrapped in God’s arms as you go through this journey. You have been so strong through these days. Praying that God will continue to look after you both during this very challenging time and will give wisdom, patience and support to those charged with his care.
The verse on my Prayer Calendar is Ps. 138:7a (NIV) “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.” May this comfort both Gary & you, April
My heart aches for you both. God and the angels below and above surround you with care and concern and prayers for healing for Gary and strength and patience for you.
My heart goes out to you, April. I well know the tension that goes with sitting with your husband in hospital. May you feel the arms of God’s love around you. I pray for good response and hasty healing.
We are so sorry to hear of your suffering and pray that you and Gary will continue to receive the care you need. God’s peace to you!
Lord of the heart, may the hourly outworking of your purposes manifest in gentle, peaceable ways, a-shimmer with healing grace and glory. For your renown, amen.
April, thank you for your trust in us your readers. We lift both you and your husband up to the love and grace of God. You have stood by the bedsides of so many. May the love you have given out be multiplied to you in this hard time.
Thank you so much for these beautiful comments and prayers that helped to sustain us during my husband’s hospitalization. Yet in spite of our prayers and dearest hopes, instead of bringing Gary safely home to me, God brought him safely to our eternal home. I am deeply grieving, yet deeply grateful to God for the life we shared together: https://aprilyamasaki.com/2022/02/28/safely-home-with-god/