December 27: A Day Of Good Tidings...

The following day, December 27th was my younger brother, Obi's birthday. I hoped he would call so I could wish him a happy birthday. I would have loved to call him but he and his family were in the States for Christmas.

Kechi was looking fine that morning. She was definitely aware of our presence and was moving her legs. She had also started scrunching up her face whenever we came in to see her. I spoke to her and she calmed down, and I began to minister to her spirit the love of Jesus.

She was due to for surgery that afternoon for wound cleaning and dressing. I prayed that there were no new infections. When we got back to the hotel, there was the, now usual, accommodation mix up between ISOS and the hotel regarding my departure date and so we could not get into the room. I called ISOS and they promised to resolve the problem. Meanwhile, the hotel reprogrammed my key card and we gained access.

While we were getting some rest, I got a call from a Mrs. Obi from the South African embassy in Lagos. She wanted to know where Mike would stay when he came and I gave her the name and address of the hotel. Mike later called from the embassy and informed me that he might be leaving for Johannesburg the next day. Apparently, the Office of the Presidency in South Africa called the South African Embassy in Lagos and paved the way for a speedy issuance of his visa.

It turned out to be a day of good calls because soon after, ISOS called me to say that they had sorted out my accommodation problems and I should not worry about it. They also wanted to know when my visa was going to expire so that they would arrange for its renewal.

By this time, I was so overwhelmed with God's continuous grace to me that I just fell on my bed and gave Him praises. One of the songs of praise we had sang while praying came to me:

“All the glory must be to The Lord

Only He is worthy of our praise

No man on earth should take glory to himself

All the glory must be to The Lord.”

To be Continued...

Johannesburg: Depending Completely on God...

Already, rumors were circulating about interviews I was supposed to have given and I did not really need the distraction.

The man called back and said he could not see Kechi but wanted to come and see me. He came to the hotel and told me that he was a Catholic and would book masses for Kechi. I thanked him and he left.

Dorothy had already told me that if he asked what help the embassy could render, I should ask for transportation to and from the hospital, which was proving quite expensive. But the man never asked what I needed. On the other hand, he may have just come on his own.

I thanked the Lord for the lessons I had been learning from Him. I was learning to depend entirely on Him. He was making provision for all my needs and He was going to continue to do so.

Dorothy was livid that the Nigerian government had not made any effort to help out in any way.

It was really very strange and disconcerting, but I refused to dwell on it because the bible says in Philippians 4:v19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (KJV). So, like the bible says, it is well.

Anyway, Mike and I agreed that we did not want anyone getting political mileage out of Kechi's situation. It is God that will be glorified and not man, no governor or president. God alone! So I absolutely refused to be bitter...

To be continued...

Back At The Hospital...

Back at the hospital, Kechi's blood pressure gave me some concern. It was high for her at 153/84. The sister agreed with me that it was high for her age, but nothing to worry about as long as it remained under 160. Her heart rate was fluctuating between 120 and 150 and the sisters said that was because of when they moved her or turned her, and when she heard my voice. I decided to be quiet. I just sang some of the songs she liked very softly and I knew she was listening to me.

I noticed that her stomach appeared to be distended and I brought it to the notice of the sisters. They said that they were keeping an eye on it, and suspected that it was because she had not stooled for about two days.

Kechi was given a blood transfusion earlier that day because her HB level was low and the doctor was awaiting the result of her blood test before deciding whether she would need more blood or not.

At some point during the visit, one of the equipment for IV infusion of antibiotics started to malfunction. They got a new one, installed it, and it continued to beep. They changed the line itself, and it continued to beep. At this point, I bowed my head and prayed. The bible says that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. That included that machine. While the sisters were working on the line, baffled as to what could be the problem, I spoke to the machine and commanded it in the name of Jesus to cease its malfunction and do its job.

As I was praying, the sister put in the line, switched it on and it started working. I gave glory to God at once. The nurses, not having heard me as I prayed under my breath, were relieved, because at this point, three of them had tried and had not succeeded.

To skeptics, it may simply be a simple matter of a malfunctioning machine that was properly fixed. But to me, it was just more evidence of the awesome resurrection power of Jesus within me. If this power could raise the dead, then what was a machine? Brother Bisong once said that we have a power greater than atomic or nuclear power within us and I believe it.

I started to pray very hard that Kechi would have improved remarkably by the time Mike came. I was afraid of what seeing her in her current state would do to him. But on second thoughts, I felt that maybe it was important that he saw how sick she was in order to appreciate just how great a miracle God wrought in our lives.

When we got back to the hotel, a man called me and said he was supposedly from the Nigerian Embassy and that he was waiting at the hospital to see Kechi. I had no idea of who he was and I called the ICU and told them that absolutely no one could see Kechi if I was not there. I had to be very careful and protect my child. 

To be continued...

After Christmas, 2005...

Mike was staying at Ulo's and I spoke to him. He said that he had been surrounded with love from my family and he was very grateful. He told me that the MD of Sosoliso Airlines had asked for a private meeting and that Chidi, Ulo's husband would go with him. It had been a long, eventful day...

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.” - 1 Chronicles 16:34 (KJV)

The day after Christmas, December 26th, I woke up around 4am with severe stomach cramps. I had no idea what was going on, so I just prayed and tried to go back to sleep. Apparently, I succeeded because next thing I knew, it was morning and I woke up with a calm stomach and a song on my lips. Then followed a period of praise, worship and thanksgiving. Dorothy joined me and gratitude just poured out of us. It was wonderful. We marveled at the grace of God and how He is lifted up, exalted and magnified through the miracle of Kechi's life.

I received a call from my mom as we left for the hospital. She told me that she was going to take Tara and her best friend, Kamara, to the cinema. I was so grateful to my family. They had been with me from the word go, an awesome support group.

When we got to the hospital, we were told that Kechi's surgery had been moved to the next day. Kechi was even more active that morning, moving her legs and head around. The sister told us that Kechi had started to resist them when they tried to turn her over to clean her. They believed that it was because she was in pain. They had also noticed that she kept moving her lips,  trying to say something, as if she was aware of what was going on around her.

This made me even more determined to continue to explain to her in detail everything going on with her body.

At some point during the visit, Dorothy became very concerned about the noise the nurses in the ICU were making. They constantly gathered to talk quite loudly, making the unit very noisy. We agreed that this was probably not the way any ICU should be run. Dorothy decided to write about it and drop it in the suggestion box but I did not intend to complain until I saw negligence in the way Kechi was being cared for, and I had not seen that yet. The way I saw it, medical staff had to have some kind of armor against all the death and near-death they saw constantly. So long as Kechi was being well taken care of and they answered my numerous questions, even when I was sure they thought I was being a nuisance, I was fine.

I had handed everything over to God, including the care- givers, and I knew He was in control of Kechi's life.

Christmas Day, 2005, Part 4...

Kechi appeared to be much more aware, opening her left eye, obviously trying to focus, and mouthing something that, knowing Kechi, looked like “Mummy”.

I responded at once, telling her I was there. Then it occurred to me that if Kechi was coming out of sedation, she would be very confused, and would be wondering where she was, and what was going on with her body. I began to explain to her where she was, why she was not able to talk and how she had been in an accident. This was the start of something I continued until Kechi came off the coma. Besides, Kechi was always the kind of person who needed to know exactly what was going on.

Later that evening, Brother Dotun and his family came and took me to their fellowship at Hillbrow. I had not heard good things about that area of Johannesburg, but it was nice to fellowship among the brethren once again.

I was fifteen minutes late for the evening visit, but Kechi appeared to be fine and was still moving her legs and eyes. I asked the matron on duty if that would cause her any harm and she said no, it was actually a good sign. It meant that she would find it easier to move at the end of her stay in ICU, or when she had to be weaned off the heavy-duty drugs she was on at that time.

Mom called that night and she had Chizitara with her for the Christmas holidays.

We had all agreed not to tell her anything about Kechi so she believed that Kechi and I had to travel to Lagos together for Kechi to take an exam. But people talked around her and she was beginning to piece things together. Mom decided it was time to tell her the truth, especially since neither Kechi nor I were in Lagos when she got there. Mom said she told her that Kechi had an accident and was badly hurt and so I had to take her to a big hospital in South Africa. Tara then wanted to speak with Kechi and Mom told her Kechi was still too weak but she could speak to her later.

I spoke to Tara then and she thanked me for the things I bought for her. I reassured her that her sister was going to be fine. Mom told me not to worry about Tara. But something that could only be of God had been happening. It was as if God wiped Tara out from my mind. If I ever dwelt on her for a single moment, the pain of leaving her behind would have be too much. So it was as if God was saying to me, concentrate all your energies on Kechi, I am taking care of Tara. I did not for one moment worry about Tara...

To be continued...

Christmas Day, 2005 Part 3...

Kechi was such a tactile person that she always used to hug and hold onto me as often as she could throughout the day. To be with her and not be able to touch and hug her had been so hard for me and I really cherished that moment. She responded by moving her legs. I remembered that she is very ticklish, though, and after some time I stopped because her pulse rate was going up. 

It was beyond thrilling to be able to touch Kechi even a little, when I yearned to hold her in my arms and soothe away her pains. I gave God glory for that opportunity. Dorothy jokingly said that she hoped I was not going to faint from touching Kechi. It was a special moment. 

When  we  got  back  to  the  hotel,  Dorothy  treated  us  to Christmas lunch. It was a buffet and we had far too much to eat. After lunch, Magdalene, Layi and her husband, Francis, Ifeoma Nwosa and her husband, along with two of their friends from Zambia and Zimbabwe came for a visit. We all sat at the hotel lobby, praying and singing. It was wonderful. Ifeoma and Magdalene brought food which we kept for supper.

Then Magdalene took me aside. “Ijeoma, “she asked me, “Are you mourning your daughter?” I was startled. “No!” “Then why do you go around looking like you are? Why don't you do up your hair nicely? Why are you not wearing lipstick? Why are you not looking like a woman who is celebrating God's gift to her?” She reminded me that she had cancer and yet people who did not already know would never guess. She told me to powder my face, put on my make up, and celebrate God, Who had done so much for me. I was deeply moved and thanked her.

When we went back to the hospital that evening, Dorothy and I were wearing makeup...

To be continued...

Christmas Day, 2005, Part 2...

When Dorothy and I went in to see Kechi, her temperature was fine, her pulse and blood pressure were fine and she was stable. That magic word.

The plastic surgeon, Dr. Slabbert, (Dr. Nel was on vacation) had seen her and was going to have her back in the OR the next day to clean her wounds and check on their state. The physician, Dr. Pahad, examined her and said she was better than the day before and the infection finally seemed to be under control. God be praised!

Kechi was super-responsive that day, moving her legs when we talked to her, moving her head, and even trying to open her left eye. I asked permission to touch her and the nurse said yes. So I had to kit up - disposable apron, gloves - and look for a patch of uninjured skin to touch. 

I finally settled on a spot on her shoulder and stroked it gently. It was such an awesome moment for me. That was the first time I had touched Kechi since the accident...

To be continued...