Before You Call

Since several of my friends had fallen and broken bones recently, I tried to be very careful, especially when I was caring for my elderly husband.

I knew that if I broke any bones, there would be no one to care for him. Later, when I was living with my youngest daughter and her husband, I didn’t want to cause them any problems either. And then it happened.

Early one morning when I got up to use the bathroom, I fell.

When the pain eased enough for me to try to move, I was thankful that I could get to my feet, because that meant I hadn’t broken any bones.

But I did have a black eye on the left side and a painful bruise on my right arm. When my doctor daughter heard that I had fallen, she insisted that I go to the emergency department at the local hospital and get checked out.

Because of my advanced age, they were happy to do that.

After hours of x-rays and other tests, they decided to admit me for further examinations. Because of the pandemic, my daughter was unable to see me once I was admitted, so I almost felt like a prisoner.

Although they treated me very well, I had different tests every few hours during the night. They assured me that I could go home the next day, but as the hours passed, no doctor came to give the orders for dismissal.

By then, I was very anxious to get out of the hospital bed and go home. Meanwhile, my daughter had been told that I couldn’t go home until I had an appointment with my primary care doctor to see me within a week.

But my doctor was three thousand miles away! Because of the pandemic, doctors weren’t taking new patients. While my daughter was at home stressing about what to do, her friend, Dorothy, stopped by. When my daughter shared the problem with Dorothy, she quickly responded, “My husband isn’t taking any new patients either, but I’m sure he would see your mother.” And that’s how the Lord provided my new primary care doctor, a kindly, caring man, and soon I was able to leave the hospital and be home again. Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayer before I even knew what to pray for!

Betty J. Adams