Transplant Day Six
November 18, 2019
Today Is a troubled day for me. I need to know God as âmy ever present help in time of troubleâ on this day of  kidney transplant aftercare that began early this morning. Being in the Mayo Clinic lab by 6:30 is not so gentle a way to treat a person with a huge, painful incision! On the way to Mayo Clinic, bumps and potholes in the road caused sharp pain. Walking the hallways at Mayo Clinic required far more energy than I currently have. I am weak and shaky, struggling with significant pain, and suffering from the side effects of very potent medications.
The medical visits will end around 2:00 pm today. We hoped to be able to rest until the next medical appointments on Wednesday. But the transplant doctors need to repeat my blood tests early tomorrow. They made some significant changes to my medications to try to address some concerns they have about my kidney function, excessive incision pain, blood sugar and fluid retention.
It occurred to me today, that in some ways, all of the inflexible after surgery care and the daunting medication regimen seems as if it is not at all about me; itâs about the kidney! Itâs all about the kidney!
I can live with that if I can remember that God cares for me, for every part of me, and of course, for the new kidney. But my hope rests on the grace-giving God who also cares for the whole of me â whatâs going on with me physically, emotionally and spiritually.
A comforting hymn text about Godâs care has lifted me up into hope at various times in my life. âDay by Day, and with Each Passing Momentâ was written by a young Swedish woman, Carolina Sandell Berg. Like the Psalmist, Berg learned early in life to trust in Godâs strength to help her overcome times of suffering. She learned that when pain and tragedy strike, God may use that experience to deepen our faith.
When Carolina was 26-years old, she experienced a tragedy which profoundly affected her life. As she and her father crossed a Swedish lake, the ship suddenly lurched, and before her eyes, her father was thrown overboard and drowned. Like the Psalmist who gave us a strong affirmation with these words, âGod is my refuge, an ever present help in time of trouble,” Carolina Berg found hope in God day by day.Â
Although my present situation is very different from her tragedy, I am learning all over again about how hope and faith work for me. This is my paraphrase of Carolina Sandell Bergâs wonderful hymn:
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in Godâs kind and wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
God whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what She deems best â
Lovingly, itâs part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day the God of love is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares Godâs love will bear, and cheer me,
God whose name is Counselor and Power.
The protection of Godâs child and treasure
Is a charge that on Herself She laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me She made.
Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
Ever take, as from a motherâs hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
âTill I reach the promised land.
On days like this one when I feel weary and weak, when I experience pain and need an extra measure of compassionate care, I know I can look to God who is âmy ever present help in time of trouble.â And I know that God, who is both father and mother to me, will walk beside me day by day, every day, through every passing moment.
On another note, please pray for me as I recover from my kidney transplant at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. I am so grateful that you are walking with me on this journey that often felt so frightening and is now a very difficult recovery. Your thoughts and prayers mean so much. Your donations through the Georgia Transplant Foundation have helped us get very close to our goal. The Foundation will match donations dollar for dollar up to $10,000, and you have already helped us raise $9,015. If you are able, please help us get to the $10,000 matched amount. We are almost there. If you can contribute or if you would like to read more of the story of my illness, please visit the Georgia Transplant Foundationâs website at this link:
://client.gatransplant.org/goto/KathyMFindley
A âGo Fund Meâ page is also set up for contributions to help with the enormous costs related to the transplant, including medications, housing costs for the month we have to stay near the transplant center, uncovered medications and medical equipment, and other unforeseeable costs for my care following the transplant. If you can, please be a part of my transplant journey by making a contribution at this link
God of the Sparrow đ± By Kathy Manis Findley 
Every day your are surrounded by love and prayers. We can hear your singing and know that God is holding you in your pain. With love and with tenderness be sustained.
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