Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:24
On the evening of July 6, 2016, I began to have what I thought was an asthma attack. My breathing was shallow and labored, so I knew I needed to use my inhaler, which usually alleviated any symptoms I was having.
When that didn't help, I went to another "rescue inhaler" which I use in emergencies, but I remained in respiratory distress. At this point my husband, Don decided I needed a breathing treatment on my home nebulizer. After taking two treatments with no relief, Don called for an ambulance.
EMS arrived shortly and the paramedics determined I was not stable enough to move, so they gave me two more breathing treatments and a shot of epinephrine, which is used as a heart stimulant, to constrict blood vessels and to relax the bronchi in asthma. When this didn't work they did what I call a "scoop and run" to get me to the hospital.
I was given oxygen, received two more breathing treatments and a slow IV push of epinephrine in the emergency room as I struggled to breath. A chest x-ray showed my lungs as "full of rocks" according to the ER doctor and I was admitted to the hospital's telemetry unit.
I was exhausted as I battled to breath... all while the charge nurse was busy admitting me, respiratory hooking me up to a heart monitor and nurses aids taking my vital signs.
I needed to pray... I needed to rest in my Savior's arms...
Suddenly love emanated everywhere... and peace saturated
my entire being as we walked side by side... hand in hand...
yet never touching... we communed yet no words were ever
spoken... I felt at home... as though I had been in this place
my entire life... I looked around...
Tall trees bearing fruit swayed in the slightest of breezes...
Flourishing beds of tropical flowers adorned the babbling
brook as it flowed freely over cascading river rocks...
Up ahead... a small footbridge crossed over the river... the
pathway blossomed with greenery as it continued upwards...
And high on a hillside I could see a city... A city I wanted to
run to...
"Not yet... not now... there is still work to be done where you
are... I need you to tell them that I AM!"
"Mrs. Weltin... Mrs. Weltin... Judy..." Oh, who wants me... who is calling me?? I was content where I was... I was with my Lord and we were walking together along the banks of this beautiful river... I didn't want to leave... Still, I could feel myself slipping away from this peaceful place.
I opened my eyes to see nurses and doctors around my bedside. The bliss and serenity I had felt in the moments before... seemed to be the contentment they felt at the moment I opened my eyes.
And why...?? I had just survived a "Code Blue!"
What is it? A "Code Blue" is generally used to indicate a patient requiring resuscitation or in need of immediate medical attention, most often as the result of a respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest.
(I will be sharing more about... how my hospital stay was designed by God and how He brought me through several events, that I think will bless you and strengthen your faith in Him... stay tuned!")
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