BY GREG WALTERS

An Easter Miracle

Five years ago a good friend of mine became very ill. She had visited her family physician for her annual physical. While some x-rays were being taken she passed out. He doctor made arrangements to go to a nearby hospital to have some tests run.

The initial tests did not prove anything conclusive. But it did point to very low blood pressure readings without any particular reason. She did not smoke, was not a heavy drinker, not diabetic and in reasonably good health. After consulting with each other it was decided to keep her in the hospital for observation.

Within the next week her body began to shutdown. What appeared would be the final blow was when she developed septic shock with acute double pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism. She slowly slipped into a coma.

The hospital physicians were in agreement. They did not know what was causing the deterioration, but it was clear to them she was dying. They collectively advised she be put into a hospice program to ease any suffering she may be experiencing.

Her sister and daughter had joint medical powers of attorney in this matter. They were adamant. She was not to be put into hospice. Her daughter was explicit to the doctors. She told them, “My mother is a fighter. She will survive this.”

Within two weeks her daughter was to be proven right.

My friend remembers dying. She is a religious person with strong faith in the reality of God.

She remembers praying “I have had enough . . . I am ready to go, take me Lord.”

Her next memory is God placing His hand on her shoulder and saying, “No, it is not your time yet . . . I have plans for you.” She then woke and came out of the coma.

Her health steadily improved and she was released from the Intensive Care Unit within days. After four more weeks in the hospital, she was finally released to go home.

Forward three years, she visited her family physician for her annual physical. Upon examining her x-rays the doctor was surprised to learn a condition she had been diagnosed with the previous year (pulmonary fibrosis) had completely disappeared. She had contracted the disease while working in the World Trade Center site in New York City in the aftermath of 911.

She tells me these life changing events, though years apart, both happened around Easter.

She considers them to be her Easter Miracles.

AFTERWORD BY GREG WALTERS . . .

If there is a lesson in the above story it has to be the power of positive thinking and the belief there is more to our existence than what we experience on Earth. My friend is also a neighbor. She did have an extended hospital stay in which she slipped into a life threatening coma due to a very long list of health issues described as the perfect storm of a body shutting down.

The rest is a matter of faith. I believe trust in God and prayer was the most important reason for her recovery. Her doctors can offer no reasonable explanation for her recovery.

But recover she did.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As many readers are no doubt aware, Paul Livius and his musings has absent from these pages for quite some time. He recently showed up with the following story. When asked where he had been he explained he had gone to Casablanca to take in the waters. When told that there Casablanca is in the desert in Casablanca he simply replied, “I know that now. I was misinformed.”

He told us transportation back to the states was difficult to find.

"Not to worry",  said I to Paul. "It is time to get back to work". Paul is paid by the number of words he writes, so his absence was not a costly affair from our point of view. .

He went on to say it was good to be back and took a short tour of Raytown to see what had changed. The following is his report.

BY PAUL LIVIUS

The Paul Livius Report

As you can see from the  photo at the right I recently drove by City Hall to check out the city’s new monument sign at City Hall. I had heard it was to be quite the landmark in Raytown, so naturally I went by to check it out.

I was lucky. Apparently I had missed the large crowds that no doubt had made this same pilgrimage to view Raytown’s new monument sign.

There I was, pen in hand, ready to write down all sorts of notes from the electronic wizardry in front of me.

And then . . . nothing happened! It was just me and the sign. No timely notices from City Hall. No schedule of upcoming concerts. In fact, no communication at all, except for the word "watchfire", which meant absolutely nothing to me.

A word came to mind . . . that word is "disappointed".

When spending upwards of $40,000 for a monument sign it should come with four wheel drive, cushy seats and a very nice sound system.

Greg told me the monument sign was without a doubt the biggest waste of taxpayer’s money he had seen in his 28 years on the City Council.

It is hard not to agree.