Temporarily Out of Order

Debbie Redman

Description

Despite taking steps to ensure a healthy winter, Debbie Redman develops mysterious aches and pains that persist over the Holidays, making the busy season at her hair salon increasingly difficult to endure. Several doctor appointments, emergency room visits, and overnight hospital stays fail to yield answers or relief as her pains transition into paralysis.Eventually, Debbie is rushed to a university hospital, where she is diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. To make matters even more desperate, she soon succumbs to respiratory failure.Almost completely paralyzed, she is in complete agony and unable to move or communicate. When she is finally stabilized, Debbie's sight, her only sensory means of communication, is also taken away.Her mother, friend, son, and husband Jim provide support and tough love with a sense of humor, helping her endure her torturous condition. Surrounded by machines, tubes, and beeping noises, they faced each day with a mixture of fear and courage. What did God have in store for them? A lesson in faith and love? Jim's steadfast love for Debbie held strong through this unbelievable quest to bring inspiration to his wife. With stubborn grit and strength from loved ones, she ultimately rallies through recovery and rehabilitation to return to work one year later.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Memoir

Informations

• Publié par: eLectio Publishing
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781632131058
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table of Contents
Cover Page and Copyright Information
Dedications
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1 (Debbie) A Bit Under the Weather
Chapter 2 (Jim) What’s Wrong with My Wife?
Chapter 3 (Debbie) Local Hospitals
Chapter 4 (Jim) Still a Mystery
Chapter 5 (Debbie) University Hospital
Chapter 6 (Jim) Finally, an Answer
Chapter 7 (Jim) The Crash
Chapter 8 (Jim) Intensive Care Unit
Chapter 9 (Eric) Whoa!
Chapter 10 (Debbie) Dreamland
Chapter 11 (Jim) Settling In for the Long Haul
On the 8th morning, Deb again couldn’t move anything. Later that day, I got a call from our good friend Holly, saying that she was coming to visit. I took a walk to help her find the way to the ICU. When Holly and I approached her bed, Debbie lifted her left hand and waved hello. After that, she slid her left arm from side to side again. It was a happy moment. I slept well that night.Chapter 12 (Jim) Good Days/Bad Days
Chapter 13 (Dawn) God Help Her!
Chapter 14 (Debbie) ICU
Chapter 15 (Jim) Life in the ICU
Chapter 16 (Jim) Improving Slowly
Chapter 17 (Dawn) An Eye for Fashion
Chapter 18 (Jim) Blinded
Chapter 19 (Debbie) Blind Sided
Chapter 20 (Jim) Breathe
Chapter 21 (Eric) A Long Road
Chapter 22 (Jim) Boot Camp
Chapter 23 (Debbie’s Mother) My Daughter
Chapter 24 (Jim) Step-By-Step
Chapter 25 (Debbie) Where Am I?
Chapter 26 (Jim) Debbie’s Bodyguard
Chapter 27 (Debbie) IMC
Chapter 28 (Debbie’s Mother) Worried
Chapter 29 (Jim) Getting Better All the Time
Chapter 30 (Eric) Tough Road
Chapter 31 (Jim and Debbie) Family and Friends
Jim
Debbie
Chapter 32 (Debbie) (Im)patient
Chapter 33 (Jim) Uphill Climb
Chapter 34 (Debbie) Basic Training
Chapter 35 (Debbie) In Training
Chapter 36 (Debbie) Still Learning
Chapter 37 (Eric) Rehab
Chapter 38 (Debbie) Home
Chapter 39 (Debbie) Getting Back to Normal
Chapter 40 (Jim) The Happiest Birthday
Chapter 41 (Eric) She’s Doing It!
Chapter 42 (Debbie) Five Years Later
Chapter 43 (Jim) Never Forget
Chapter 44 (Dawn) Inspired
Epilogue
The Mystery of the Light
About the Authors
Temporarily
OUT OF ORDER








DEBBIE REDMAN
JIM REDMAN
with
BONNIE GRIER

eLectio Publishing
Little Elm, TX
www.eLectioPublishing.com


Temporarily Out of Order
By Debbie Redman and Jim Redman with Bonnie Grier
Copyright 2015 by Debbie Redman and Jim Redman
Cover Design by eLectio Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-63213-105-8
Published by eLectio Publishing, LLC
Little Elm, Texas
http://www.eLectioPublishing.com
The eLectio Publishing editing team is comprised of: Christine LePorte, Lori Draft, Sheldon James, and Jim Eccles.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
Publisher’s Note
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Author’s Disclaimer
The author has made every attempt to recreate events, locales, and conversations as accurately as possible, and where appropriate, based on her memories of them and having confirmed as many details as possible with individuals involved. Any discrepancies and inaccuracies are unintentional. However, in order to maintain their anonymity, in some instances, names of individuals and places have been altered. Additionally, some identifying characteristics, such as physical properties, occupations, and places of residence, have also changed .
This book is dedicated to those who are or have been afflicted with Guillain-Barré Syndrome or similar illnesses, as well as to their supportive families and loved ones.

I laid lifeless For months on end You were so tolerant For me to mend
Your endless patience Waiting for just a limb to bend Often called family and friends With little progress to send
Always left work and home Every single day Without any doubt To just watch me sleep and lay
You made me stronger As you dried every tear That made me more determined To not leave you my dear
Never showed me no worries Always gave me hope Even with a sense of humor When times were hard to cope
In words I can’t portray You expressed your love Always without any uncertainties In God’s hands from above
In summary You are the love of my life I love you so much So honored to be your wife

Poem written by Debbie for Jim
Acknowledgments
We thank God for giving me a second chance.
To our parents, family and friends, special thanks for all your visits, prayers and belief in my recovery.
To our son Eric, who was there for us, a source of strength and security.
We are forever indebted to our special friend Dawn, whose help and words are all highly appreciated.
We are eternally grateful for the close friendship of Keith and Holly who were there for us during the entire adventure.
Words can’t say enough to describe the gratitude to my medical staff and therapists who brought me back to health.
Sincere thanks to all of those that are involved at eLectio.
Many thanks to three women, authors themselves, who provided honest critiques of the manuscript, as well as helpful words of advice: Billie-Fae Gill, N.K. Wagner and Alison Winfree Pickrell.
Special thanks to Tom Grier, another author, who contributed expert review and advice, as well as endless patience and support.
Temporarily
OUT OF ORDER

Prologue
As Jim rolled my wheelchair down our driveway, a slight fear came upon me. If my husband decided to let go, I would rapidly roll downhill, gaining speed until I crashed into my neighbors' dining room across the street. We were headed to their house for a Bible study, but I really didn’t want to enter that way. My fear melted as I remembered the love and support I had just experienced recently. He wouldn’t let go of me, just as he hadn’t throughout the last four months.
We entered the neighbors' house through the door, as expected. He lifted me out of the wheelchair and carried me to a comfortable seat where I stayed for the next hour. Life was good. Miracles can and do happen.

Chapter 1 (Debbie) A Bit Under the Weather
The sun peeked above the horizon as I pulled into my parking space on a chilly November morning in 2009. I turned the engine off and drew a heavy sigh. Pausing for a moment I stared at the sign hanging above the shop’s dark windows; cursive letters singing out “Shears To You”. For the past eight years, the beauty salon was my pride and joy, a successful business where several stylists plied their trade, making women and men look and feel better walking out than they did walking in. It was also the recipient of most of my time and energy. I wondered if I’d make it through the day.
The holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve is exhausting for most people. Their normal busy routines are amped up with increased workloads, along with shopping, travel, and social events far beyond their usual demands. A hairdresser’s schedule always goes into overdrive during these months, filling appointments for everyone wanting to look their best for the holidays. Mine was booked solid. The other stylists in my salon also had stacked appointments. It was the same as any other year. We all couldn’t wait for 2010 to arrive so we could finally relax a bit.
Unlike the other beauticians, my days didn’t begin and end with appointments. As the owner, I worked more than ten hours each day plus at least six more on Saturdays. Hitting the ground running before 8:00 am, I mopped the floor and cleaned the entire shop for the benefit of the customers and the other stylists, as well as readiness for possible state board inspections. There were account books to be balanced, supplies to be ordered and bills to be paid for electricity, phone, rent, and taxes. These tasks needed to be addressed before, after, and in between appointments. What I couldn’t finish in the shop, I’d continue at home. During my free time, I shopped for necessities such as trash bags and cleaning supplies. These duties would be exhausting for just about anyone in a normal situation. The increased holiday schedule squeezed every last bit of energy from me. This year was different. I felt even more tired than usual and strange aches and pains just weren’t going away.
I wasn’t worried, though. I had always been a highly energetic person, often accused by family and friends of being a little hyperactive and a chatterbox. My stamina allowed me to keep moving throughout the day and keep on going after work, running errands and tending to our home. My husband Jim was the same way; both of us were workaholics, rarely taking vacations. Thankfully, our children were all grown and living on their own.
The flu was predicted to be an epidemic that year. News warnings finally convinced me that it was a good idea to get immunized since my work involved close personal contact with the public. In addition, my son and daughter-in-law had just given birth to twins. We certainly didn’t want to infect the little newborns. I got my very first flu shot ten days before I noticed symptoms. I was confident that I was protected from the virus and had prudently ensured ongoing health throughout the season.
One night just before Thanksgiving, I complained that my legs hurt. That wasn’t terribly unusual since I stand on my