On May 5, 2022, we were two months away from our trip to Spain. I was to speak four different mornings to 30+ coaches and counselors who were preparing to welcome over one hundred young people to join them in camp. I felt God had given clear messages to share that would hopefully encourage everyone in Christ. This was the day I started having health challenges. A sinus infection grew so intense that I was hospitalized the last week of school.
From a physical standpoint, sickness is a bummer. You just have to fight through it. From a spiritual standpoint, one must choose which voices to accept: ‘See Dana, you can’t go to Spain, what if this happens over there?’ Or: ‘Keep your eyes on Me and do not be afraid. I am with you and nothing transpires without My permission.’ God tells us that attaining perseverance is critical for His children.
I chose to persevere, though my blood counts were particularly bad. For a healthy person, platelet counts run from 150,000 – 400,000. Mine regularly measure 2000… which is why I get infusions twice a week. Platelets make a person’s blood clot, so when this count is low, any weak place in the body is vulnerable to bleed. A healthy person has a hemoglobin count of 12.9 – 16.1. Mine rarely hits 10. When I dip below 8, I receive a unit of blood. I was receiving one unit of blood per week.
June 20, I was feeling very weak, but I thought I could hold out one more day before going to Emory for my scheduled infusion. Susan left for work early the 21st and I made it to my car a little later and drove to Emory. Reaching the desk, I just laid my head on it and the sweet worker asked, ‘Mr. Davis, are you tired?’ They called one of my doctors to come check on me and she ordered paramedics to put me on a stretcher and take me to the ER. My hemoglobin had dropped to 4.4 and my platelets were at 1000. I called Susan and she left work to join me. Exactly two weeks before our trip, I was admitted to ICU and spent 10 days in the hospital.
‘So now what, Lord? I can’t go to Spain if I’m in the hospital.’ They discovered I was bleeding in the lower GI and I was scheduled for a colonoscopy to find the source. The procedure was partially successful, but they told me they would need to do more work later. In ICU, I made friends with several nurses and doctors. I told one nurse the second day, “My wife and I are to go to Spain in less than two weeks. Do you think you could let people know I need to get out of here as soon as possible?” Word spread quickly.
So many nurses peeked in to tell me they were praying for our trip. Of course, some were a little worried, but they were all encouraging. The wise, kind, experienced ICU doctor, who visited me every morning, shared interesting advice on the 6th day, before I was moved to another floor. “Mr. Davis, I would advise this regarding your trip to Spain: weigh the risks. Weigh the risk of going out of the country with a weakened body and weigh the risk of not going.” Since I still felt God wanted us to go, the risk of not going meant not trusting our Heavenly Father. He has protected me all over the world and most of the time I feel better in another county than I do in the States. The risk of choosing ‘my understanding’ over ‘trusting the Lord’ was something I did not want to take. I was thankful for the doctor’s advice.
Finally, I was released from Emory on Thursday, June 30. We were to depart Tuesday, July 5. Susan and I were still in unity. I contacted our missionary friends and confirmed our time of arrival in Barcelona. It looked like many prayers were being answered.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:36