What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Yes, friends and neighbors, I AM still here. I know that all of my regular readers (both of you) are wondering where I’ve been since June. MAN! Have I got a story to tell you! Maybe I’d better start at the beginning…
Actually, before I can start at the beginning, I have to give you some insight into my life BEFORE the beginning, a prequel, if you will. The year was 2001, and the month was June. I had just returned from a great weekend trip with my beautiful wife (no kids!) to a quaint little bed-and-breakfast in West Virginia. My debut solo CD, Refuge, had just been released about a month before to some success, and life was good. I awoke bright and early on a typical Wednesday morning with a slight stomach ache. Thinking it was nothing, I took a couple of Tylenol and proceeded to get ready for work. Meloney left the house with our 1 year old, Cassidy, in tow. I was still hurting when they left, so I called in to work and let my supervisor know that I was experiencing a little pain and I would probably be a little late. This was at about 7:45 AM.
As I laid down on the couch to wait for the pain to subside, I noticed that the pain was actually getting worse. By 9:00 AM, I was in agony. It was the absolute worst pain I had ever felt in my life. I called Meloney to come get me and take me to the doctor because I was pretty sure I couldn’t drive myself. The doctor immediately admitted me to the hospital and, after much poking, prodding, and x-raying, I was diagnosed with a wonderful little condition called Pancreatitis. They told me that a gall stone and somehow found its way to my pancreas and had irritated it, causing my condition. 10 days later, I was released from the hospital, minus my gall bladder and fully healed, or so I thought.
Now, the beginning of our current story…fast forward 3 years, almost to the day, from my first bout with pancreatitis…Having just returned from a great mission trip to Maneadero, Mexico, and finally in the studio working on my first solo CD in 3 years, I was hit with the stomach pain again. I had had a few unexplained abdominal pains over the past 3 years from time to time, but nothing like these pains. I knew immediately what this was and called Mel to come get me from work and take me to the ER. Sure enough, pancreatitis had struck again, except this time nobody knew the cause. I spent a week in the hospital and went home on, ironically, July 4. This event gave Independence Day an entirely different meaning for me!
When I was released, they told me they were still unable to diagnose the cause of my pancreatitis. The doctors told me that if this condition occurs again, they would treat me and then send me to UAB in Birmingham, the major teaching hospital in Alabama with all the specialists and cutting-edge technology. I hoped it would not come to that, but all my hope was in vain. 3 days later, I was back in the ER. After spending a week at the hospital here in Montgomery, I was transferred to Birmingham. There, a pancreatic specialist did a few procedures and determined that a valve muscle in the general vicinity of my pancreas, stomach, and liver was not functioning properly. He quickly fixed the problem and I was home recovering within a couple of days. Since my return to normal life, I have not had any more abdominal pains and I have gathered my strength back. I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise regularly and I feel like I am healthier than have been in 10 years.
In addition to my newfound excitement for being healthy, God has blessed me with something else through this entire experience: a new perspective on how he works. As I’ve told people before when talking about my first hospital experience 3 years ago, you never know how blessed you really are until things are out of your control. Throughout this entire ordeal, my wife and children were taken care of, though the help of good Christian brothers and sisters and through our family. I thank God every day for the blessings he has given us in both our biological and church families!
One more thing as I wrap this long-awaited post: If you are one of the many people who knew all this was going on and had me and my family in your prayers, THANK YOU! I believe your prayers were heard and were answered in the ways that God has blessed me over the past couple months. May God Bless You!
Well, that’s all for now. I’ll try not to make you wait so long for the next post!
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
(To God Alone be the Glory!)
--Eric G.
Actually, before I can start at the beginning, I have to give you some insight into my life BEFORE the beginning, a prequel, if you will. The year was 2001, and the month was June. I had just returned from a great weekend trip with my beautiful wife (no kids!) to a quaint little bed-and-breakfast in West Virginia. My debut solo CD, Refuge, had just been released about a month before to some success, and life was good. I awoke bright and early on a typical Wednesday morning with a slight stomach ache. Thinking it was nothing, I took a couple of Tylenol and proceeded to get ready for work. Meloney left the house with our 1 year old, Cassidy, in tow. I was still hurting when they left, so I called in to work and let my supervisor know that I was experiencing a little pain and I would probably be a little late. This was at about 7:45 AM.
As I laid down on the couch to wait for the pain to subside, I noticed that the pain was actually getting worse. By 9:00 AM, I was in agony. It was the absolute worst pain I had ever felt in my life. I called Meloney to come get me and take me to the doctor because I was pretty sure I couldn’t drive myself. The doctor immediately admitted me to the hospital and, after much poking, prodding, and x-raying, I was diagnosed with a wonderful little condition called Pancreatitis. They told me that a gall stone and somehow found its way to my pancreas and had irritated it, causing my condition. 10 days later, I was released from the hospital, minus my gall bladder and fully healed, or so I thought.
Now, the beginning of our current story…fast forward 3 years, almost to the day, from my first bout with pancreatitis…Having just returned from a great mission trip to Maneadero, Mexico, and finally in the studio working on my first solo CD in 3 years, I was hit with the stomach pain again. I had had a few unexplained abdominal pains over the past 3 years from time to time, but nothing like these pains. I knew immediately what this was and called Mel to come get me from work and take me to the ER. Sure enough, pancreatitis had struck again, except this time nobody knew the cause. I spent a week in the hospital and went home on, ironically, July 4. This event gave Independence Day an entirely different meaning for me!
When I was released, they told me they were still unable to diagnose the cause of my pancreatitis. The doctors told me that if this condition occurs again, they would treat me and then send me to UAB in Birmingham, the major teaching hospital in Alabama with all the specialists and cutting-edge technology. I hoped it would not come to that, but all my hope was in vain. 3 days later, I was back in the ER. After spending a week at the hospital here in Montgomery, I was transferred to Birmingham. There, a pancreatic specialist did a few procedures and determined that a valve muscle in the general vicinity of my pancreas, stomach, and liver was not functioning properly. He quickly fixed the problem and I was home recovering within a couple of days. Since my return to normal life, I have not had any more abdominal pains and I have gathered my strength back. I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise regularly and I feel like I am healthier than have been in 10 years.
In addition to my newfound excitement for being healthy, God has blessed me with something else through this entire experience: a new perspective on how he works. As I’ve told people before when talking about my first hospital experience 3 years ago, you never know how blessed you really are until things are out of your control. Throughout this entire ordeal, my wife and children were taken care of, though the help of good Christian brothers and sisters and through our family. I thank God every day for the blessings he has given us in both our biological and church families!
One more thing as I wrap this long-awaited post: If you are one of the many people who knew all this was going on and had me and my family in your prayers, THANK YOU! I believe your prayers were heard and were answered in the ways that God has blessed me over the past couple months. May God Bless You!
Well, that’s all for now. I’ll try not to make you wait so long for the next post!
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
(To God Alone be the Glory!)
--Eric G.
