I had a change for the worse on Saturday night so come Sunday they had to do another operation. My brain was swelling and they had to go in and release the pressure, and then I slipped into a coma. It was evident I wasn't getting any better but Dr Hudoba did not give up. On Sunday Christy called my sister Wendy and told her of my complications and Wendy told her to go to my room and walk around the bed and pray as hard as she could pray. And that she did. So there I layed my head all bandaged up, tubes down my throat, and I was in a coma and my Mama was coming on Monday December 1st.
Les and Christy picked her up at
the airport late Monday and they came straight to the hospital. Christy and
Les took her into the waiting room that was on the intensive care floor and
introduced her to the room that would become their apt for the next two
weeks. Christy and Les tried to prepare Mama for what she was about to see
and stressed that she could not get upset and let me know. But Mama said
she could handle it and that she did for when she came in she did not see
all the bandages all the tubes and wires, she just saw her baby and that is
what she kept saying was "Mama's here baby, can you hear me Mama's here
now." From that time on it became a roller coaster ride-not up one day and
down the next, it was up one minute and down the next. On Thursday December
4th they had to take me back to the operating room and this time they had to
put in a metal type pipe to help monetor my brain and then they realized I
was having what they thought was mini strokes but I had had a stroke and at
that time my right side became paralyzed. I started to come out of the coma
but my family could tell I had trouble recognizing them, although every time
they showed me pictures of my babies they could tell by the expression on my
face that I knew who they were.
Things had got so bad that my mama found
the chapel and there she went to have a talk with the Lord. She had a dream
before all this happened and in the dream it was written in the clouds "I
love you---God." This is Mama's talk with the Lord "Jesus you know I'm not
serving you like I should and I can't make you any big promises because I
know it is better to not make a vow than to make one and not keep it. So
all I can say to you is if that dream was really from you then don't take my
baby. If you really love me let my child live." Then came another blow. Dr
Hudoba told Les and his mother that they needed to decide if they wanted me
put on life support so when they came out of my room they met mama and
Christy standing in the hall and they said we need to decide if we have to
put her on life support what will be our decision. Christy just fell to her
knees and mama ran and hid in a corner. Of course they said we will take
her any way we can get her.
So then a few days passed and my sister
Angeligue flew in. Mama, Christy and Les met her at the airport and the
first thing she looked for was to see the expression on their faces to know
if I was still alive. They had smiles because when they left I was on one
of my ups. When they got back to the hospital Angelique would not come see
me until she went to the chapel and prayed, after which she then came to my
room. The thing she noticed most of all was how white my eyelashes were. Then came the biggest blow of all. Dr
Hudoba met mama in the hall and was explaining that every thing that could
go wrong had went wrong with me. Every time he thought he had everything
going good something else would go wrong. He said I was one tough cookie.
And just as they were thinking everything was going to be ok Dr Hudoba came
running into our room and said he was going to have to do another surgery
that my brain was swelling and they were going to have to take out part of
my skull to give the brain room. The thing about it was because so much had
went wrong that my chances of living was only ½ to 1%, but without the
operation I would not live thru the night. Les said "She is my wife and the
mother of my children" and then signed the papers.
Needless to say that was
the worse time. Dr Hudoba grabbed the papers and ran and the next thing
they were running with me down the hall. All my inlaws and family were
standing at the door as I went past and just screaming "Fight Trissie don't
give up. We love you." After I had been taken into the
operating room for my last operation, my family was in the waiting room and
the whole room fell apart. Everyone was screaming, "She's going to die.
Please God don't let her die." My sister Angie tried to console the room.
God was telling her to calm the room down and to wait until you see the
miracle I perform tomorrow. He told her my eyes would open and I would
talk. Then bless her little heart Angie started going around to everyone and
grabbing them by the face and screaming "Think positive. The Lord told me
she was going to live." Of course no one could accept that considering the
news they had just received. About that time the phone rang and it was for
mama. It was her cousin Diane from Johnson City, and she told mama that
they had called Pastor Brother Hall and got a hold of his wife and told her
about Trissie and she told Diane that an hour before when she was praying
the Lord told her to pray for someone named Trissie and she had been
praying.
Also my sister Wendy had been in Raliegh NC working and while in
the hotel she was "leaping" for joy believing God was going to do something
but when she got home that evening her husband Tommy had to give her the
news that Trissie was being operated on and her chances for living were not
good. But after a few hours I was rolled back to my room in intensive care
and the long, long night began. But sure enough, come the following morning
, my eyes were open and I tried to say I love you. This was a first in a
week. Wendy left that morning on her way to Canada. She was picked up at
the airport as everyone else had been done. When Wendy went into my room
the first words out of her mouth was "Trissie this is your older sister
Wendy, this is your sister Wendy." I responded by looking at her and then
looking at her rings. I could swear she had my rings. She had to keep
telling me that these were hers and that Les had mine. But I wanted those
rings. So from then on when my eyes were open and she came into my room
with "this is your sister Wendy," I looked for the rings.
The hours started
turning into days and the roller coster ride continued. I would have my
moments when things looked good and then at a drop of the pen they would
turn bad again. Every morning at 5:oo am mama would come to my room and say
we were having coffee like old times when I lived at home. She would talk
to me all the time about my life and our faith in God and how He had spared
my life. There was one time when they called for all the family to come to
my room and tell me good-bye, but they refused to accept that I would die,
so instead they all met and formed a circle around my bed and prayed. Then
on Thursday December 11th mama and Wendy had come down to see me and when
they were getting ready to leave the nurse that was on duty at that time
stopped them outside of my curtain and said she wanted to talk to them.
Mama and Wendy stood there listening and they could not believe what they
were hearing. She proceeded to tell them why didn't they just give me up
that if I lived I was just going to be a vegetable. With Wendy standing
there with her mouth wide open, not believing what she just heard, mama
proceeded to put her arm on the nurses shoulder and look her straight in the
eye and tell her that as long as there was prayer there was hope. After
leaving the intensive care mama ran straight to a phone in the hall and
called a preacher back in Myrtle Beach. She explained to him my condition
and he told her when you go back into her room God is going to give you a
scripture. Walk around her bed and keep repeating it when He gives it to
you. That she did the next time she came into my room she walked back and
forth around my bed saying "Trissie by His stripes you are already healed."
They sent in a Dr. to talk to my family what to expect if I lived from the
effect the stroke had on me and that wasn't good either. Finally December
12th came and Dr Hudoba came in to talk to the family that he was going to
have to take the pipe and tubes out because they were only suppose to be in
there for 8 days and it was already 9 and it was beginning to smell. Les
ask him if I was going to be able to speak when he took the tubes out and Dr
Hudoba said if she speaks you do have a miracle. He proceeded to tell them
that I had died three times and was at deaths door seven times and that he
had to take out part of my speech in my brain and all that was left was
about the size of your little finger. No she will not be able to talk.
Also he had to take out part of my peripheral vision and the part of brain that controlled my bladder.
He also told them that I had completely flat lined during the last
operation, and that a higher power than him stepped in.
Since no one had been able to shower or clean up everyone but mama and Kelly
(my brother-in-law, Les' brother) went to a friends to clean up. Kelly
decided to come down and see me and in a few minutes he ran back and told
mama they needed her in intensive care. She broke into a run and he was
saying no,no, she's alright. Mama burst into the room so scared that she
didn't notice that the tubes and pipe were all gone, and that I only had a
oxygen mask on. There was a female nurse named Betty and a male nurse in the room, the male nurse
walked over pulled up my mask and said "Trissie, here is your mother-don't
you have something to say to her?" AND GUESS WHAT---I SAID "I LOVE YOU".
Now that was God because Dr Hudoba had told them that morning---IF SHE
SPEAKS, YOU DO HAVE A MIRACLE. Mama's hands went up in the air and all she
could do was scream THANK-YOU JESUS. Nurse Betty went to crying, Kelly was crying
and of course mama was crying. Then they started preparing me to go up to
another floor, they even had my mother brush the little bit of hair that was
out from under the bandages in the back.
Now remember the day before they
were telling my family to let me go-there was no hope for me-so don't ever
underestimate the power of prayer. One day I am a vegetable and the next I
am upstairs on my way to recovery. Little did they know when they got me
upstairs my family was in for another surprise---I had lost my long term and
short term memory. But they did not care, I was alive. After they got me
settled into my room mama, Angie, Les, and Wendy came in and they started
showing me a picture of mama and my sisters and asking me who they were.
Guess what I did -I pointed at my sister Christy and said my sister
Wendy-then I pointed at my sister Angie and said my sister Wendy---then I
pointed at my sister Wendy and said ---my sister Wendy-then I pointed at my
mama and said-my sister Wendy. And then I looked at my mama and smiled.
See everyone laughed at Wendy trying to keep telling me while I was in a
coma this is your sister Wendy but apparently I heard her because she was
the only name I remembered. The next day mama and Wendy flew back home,
Christy had went back a few days earlier and Angie stayed for a few more
days to help me get ready to go to the rehabilitation hospital.
This picture was taken on one of my up times.
Back row left to right - |
My Brother-n-law Mike, My Brother-n-law Tracy,
My Brother-n-law Kelly, My father Basil. |
Next row left to right - |
My SISTER WENDY, My Sister-n-law Lora Lee,
My Sister-n-law Wynn, My Sister Christy,
My Father-n-law Don. |
Next row left to right - |
My mother Carolyn, My Sister-n-law Erin,
My Husband Les, My Sister Angie,
My Step mother Shelby
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Bottom row left to right - |
My Mother-n-law Teresa, My Son Codie
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My Rehabilitation page 3 coming soon!!! |
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As Seen Only Through A Mother's Eyes
God gives us the gift of children.
This, I'm sure, we all know.
He shows us how to nurture them;
To help them mature and grow.
Our children are to outlive us.
Or so we all hope and pray.
But, in too many cases, my friend,
It doesn't happen that way.
I watched my daughter suffer
as the tears filled my eyes.
Praying continuosly for God's help...
A miracle I'd come to realize.
When doctors told me it was over;
There was no hope in sight...
My prayers helped her to recover.
Oh what a glorious delight!
Moment by moment, she changed.
But my faith kept me strong.
My beautiful Trissie's life was arranged.
On earth is where she belongs.
Her life could not end before mine.
She has 2 babies to raise.
I ask God to please let her life shine...
And gave Him the Praise.
She went through trial after trial
but always came out on top!
Then on Sept. 24, 2003,
I learned denial...
An accident brought her life to a stop.
Yes, she brought so much sunshine to me.
Accomplishments I still come to realize.
Daily her accomplishments are plain to see...
As seen only through a Mother's eyes.
~Kaye Des'Ormeaux~
All Rights Reserved.
Dedicated to & written for Carolyn Bethea,
In Loving Memory of her daughter, Trissie Fetter
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