Jesus Has My Back

For fifteen years, I had lived with intermittent neurological problems: a burning on my left arm and tingling in my fingers. An MRI revealed a cavernous hemangioma in my spinal cord at C4 and C5, the midsection of my neck. The lesion itself was not connected to any veins or arteries—an entity in and of itself that presented itself on the surface of my spinal cord. At the time, those of us with this condition stood a 2 percent chance that the lesion could hemorrhage and render us quadriplegic. The concern was that a blood ring had already formed around the lesion, which suggested that it had leaked. So there was current damage to my spinal cord. There are risks with any surgery, but I had the added risk of a 2 percent chance of paralysis that could be triggered by the surgery. The surgeons determined that my spinal cord would be monitored during surgery, and if it cooperated, they would remove the lesion.

At the first sign of complications, the surgery would stop.

The young doctor who gave me this news told me she had performed only four of these surgeries on the spinal cord, but she did them in the brain all the time.

I thought, Lord, don’t You want someone more experienced to perform this surgery on me? I felt I was in big trouble. So where do we go when in trouble? The Lord led me to these words, “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid” (Psalm 56:11, NASB).

So there I was. The anesthesiologist commented that I looked a little edgy. I said, “A little.” She replied, “Well, you have an excellent surgeon.” I thought of Jesus. Those were my last thoughts until I heard myself say, “The bed is too short!” as they wheeled me into intensive care. I had slid down in my bed. The assistant surgeon told me later that he was amused by my complaint about the bed. It was a good sign because it meant I could feel my legs. I had lain on my belly for an eight-hour surgery while they removed the entire lesion that had transected my spinal cord. The surgeon was indeed a skilled doctor, and the Great Physician, Jesus, had her back and mine as many prayed for my healing. Friends, we can safely put our trust in God. He will always have our back!

Joan (Jo) Yelorda