So what about tomorrow?

Well, it’s Labor Day morning and whatever Labor Day plans we might have had were transferred to the ER yesterday (Sunday). Let me explain.

Yesterday morning I sat down in our designated barber chair here at the farm for a long overdue haircut from my favorite barber, who also happens to be my wife. Yep, she’s a multi-talented woman alright. I think it’s her natural gifting, and then further training as an art major, that enables her to replicate with her hands anything she can see in three dimensions … including cutting hair; a lucky guy I am indeed!

Back to the haircut. I seated myself in the chair, put the cape over my shoulders and patiently waited for the barber to arrive … but she didn’t. After a few minutes, she called to me from her favorite chair and said with some distress, “I have some chest pain. I think we need to go to the hospital.” As far as I can remember, other than when she was going into childbirth labor and when one of our steers stomped on her leg, this is the only other time in 50+ years she asked me to take her to the hospital, so I knew I was not to question her. I made haste and left within a few minutes to go to the ER.

Now, let me take this opportunity to give a shout out to the staff at the Crisp County Regional Hospital. We’ve had to use this facility about 10 times for various family members in the last eight years, and we’ve had nothing but timely, polite and competent caring staff every time. We are so blessed to have these people and top-notch facility to turn to when we need it. Thank you!!!

The ER people got her right in without any wait or hesitation whatsoever, and within minutes, she was on an EKG monitor and receiving excellent care. After the ubiquitous blood tests and several hours of EKG monitoring, the ER doctor decided it would be prudent to admit her, at least for overnight observation.

Because of the current COVID virus visitation policy, I was “invited” to leave my beloved wife in their care and go home. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering of families around the world who have had to leave their loved ones for extended periods of time without the caring, healing touch of loved ones during hospital stays. Lord, please bring an early end to this virus and all the suffering it has brought on our world!

As I was putting together my thoughts for this column earlier this morning, I got a call from Bess. I answered the call when I saw her name on the phone with a jovial, “Are you ready for me to come get you?” She said, “Not yet.” It seems that after all the professionals have reviewed the data, they want to transfer her to the Luce heart Center in Macon tomorrow for further testing.

Before I wind this up, I want to give another shout out to the Luce family for whom I worked for 30 years at Blue Bird. Because the founder, A. L. Luce Sr. and his three sons all suffered with heart disease, the Luces had a very personal connection with heart health and due in part to that, and because they had a real heart for people, they left a legacy to all of us here in middle Georgia. The Luce Heart Center in Macon is a world-class facility that has been serving our heart health needs ever since it opened in 2008.

Now, having thrown our health care privacy to the wind, I pause to ask you a personal question: “What about your tomorrow?” Someday, all of us will walk into a tomorrow called eternity. Are you ready for it? If not, here’s a familiar Scripture to point you to a powerful truth. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

If you’ve not dealt with this issue yet, I challenge you to place your trust in HIM so you won’t have to worry about your tomorrow, even if it’s your last one here on earth!

Thanks for reading All About Seniors … see you next week.

Bill Milby is a Director of Visiting Angels® of Central Georgia, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsofCentralGA/.

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