In August, 1998, two months before Michelle’s 14th birthday, we witnessed God’s intervening power on a situation totally beyond our control. At that time, our daughter had just about reached her peak maturity level, which was approximately seven-years-old. Even then, I’m not sure she was thinking on the maturity level of a child that old.
Apparently, Michelle had developed a headache. Looking for some “headache medicine,” she found a bottle of pretty purple pills, so she swallowed some – not two; not four. She downed 22 capsules of her daddy’s blood pressure medicine. And no one knew.
The capsules were time released, and we didn’t find out until the symptoms started to show up – four hours later. The capsules were now exploding like firecrackers throughout her little seventy-five pound system. Crying and dizzy, unable to maintain her balance, Michelle complained of a terrific headache and all-over achiness.
Living a mere five-minute drive from the hospital, I rushed her there myself. At this point, every second counted and waiting for an ambulance could mean the difference between life and death for our daughter. Big mistake. Because she wasn’t brought in by ambulance, the ER didn’t take the overdose seriously, and they took their sweet time about seeing her. So by the time they realized they had a genuine emergency on their hands, forty-five minutes had elapsed and her blood pressure was falling like a rock.
Consulting with poison control, the doctor ordered two bottles of liquid charcoal for Michelle. She had to drink them both an hour apart. It would neutralize the medicine in her system. Three quarters of the way through the first bottle, it all came back up. Now, the hospital had a dire emergency. They were about to lose her, and they knew it.
Next week: Part II “God’s Miraculous Intervention”
For the complete account, read “Another Day, Another Challenge.”