Blood—A Life Line!

 

 

I was shuffling down a long hallway on my way to the hospital dining room when a nurse passed me, going in the same direction. She looked back over her shoulder and said, “I’ve seen you around here before.”

 “Yes,” I replied, “my husband is a patient here. This is our 12^th day in a row.”

 I shared how it had been a roller coaster experience with one test after another, some positive, giving us hope; others not so good, causing anxiety and discouragement.

“But this is an important day. If his hemoglobin count is good today, he might be discharged.”

“Oh! Let’s pray right now,” she said while continuing to walk beside me. She was most likely on her break and had a limited time in which to eat.

“Yes, I need that” I said with a hint of desperation in my voice. It seemed like the hemoglobin was up one day and down the next. The doctor who was the head of Al’s care team told us that unless he saw a rising trend, he was hesitant to send Al home.

Low blood pressure was what had sent Al to the emergency room in the first place, most likely from two surgeries in the span of one month. Not only was his blood pressure very low, his hemoglobin count was also below normal. “About half a tank” was how one doctor described it.

Every time the hemoglobin count dropped, another unit of blood was ordered. He had been given eight or nine transfusions since being admitted. After each transfusion, the hemoglobin count would improve. Then, the next day it would drop, signaling internal bleeding.

Even after the source of the bleeding was found, supposedly stopped by an endoscopy and later by an intervention procedure by the radiology team, the results of the blood panels were still fluctuating.

 The sweet nurse lifted up her hands and prayed a very short simple prayer, asking God to help Al’s red blood cell count to be good enough to allow him to go home. Then, she waved good-bye and turned into the food court, while I went on to the dining room, thanking God for her and smiling! Our Heavenly Father works in such amazing ways!

I have never been so aware of the importance of blood, as during these last few weeks. A wonderful young male nurse who tended to Al nearly every day, put it this way. “While I was in nursing school, I was given the opportunity to donate blood and stem cells, along with the other students. It really was the best thing I have ever done!” The knowledge that someone’s life was saved, maybe even Al’s life, gave him great satisfaction.

 Later, the results of his bloodwork came back from the lab showing an improvement in  the hemoglobin count and by late afternoon he was home! Great news!

Jesus made a way for us to reconciled with God through His death on the cross. When He ate the “Last Supper” with His disciples, He broke a loaf of bread symbolizing his body which would soon be broken, and handed them the pieces. Then He held up a cup of wine, saying: “Drink from it all of you. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26: 27-28 NIV)

His blood was a life-line for us, giving us the promise and the hope of eternal life. May we be ever grateful for His blood, shed for us. Thank you, Jesus!

    

^“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.^” Leviticus 17:11 NIV

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53: 4-6 NIV

 ^“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 NIV