From Incidental To Intentional: A Testimony of God's Faithfulness

One Monday night while driving to church, I watched a deer cross in front of my car.

In the next instant, there was an impact and pain, immediately.

It was then that I saw a second deer, a male, lying in the street.

He managed to get across the street, and on broken limbs, he ran off into the darkness.

In the immediate moments to follow, I spoke to my loved ones, all while distracted by this pain, in my head, my neck, and my arm.

As my husband arrived on the scene, I noticed that everything was slowing down.

Although I was always aware of what was happening, my ability to respond was very delayed.

I told my husband I needed medical attention, and he took me to the hospital.

There were several medical professionals with several questions, and I felt like I was thinking through a cloud.

I would learn later that I had sustained a concussion in the accident.

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The pain was intense.

To make sure that there were no internal injuries, a CT scan was ordered.

As I was being wheeled to get a CT scan, Holy Spirit whispered the words, "incidental finding."

I didn't ask Him what that meant.

As I lay flat, in a neck collar, the physician came and stood over me.

"Mrs. Fortson, we can take your collar off now. We did not find any internal injury to your brain or neck, but there was an incidental finding that has nothing to do with your accident"

Lord, didn't you just say that to me?

"You need to see your doctor first thing in the morning. We discovered a mass"

Wow... God thank you for this accident!

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The next morning was the first of many appointments.

In the days to follow, I had to undergo several procedures, tests, imaging, bloodwork, scopes, biopsies, and consultations with two surgeons.

The initial report was as follows:

"Mrs. Fortson, you have a mass that originates in your neck and extends downward into your chest. We don't know what it is or how long it's been there, but it is pressing everything in your chest cavity downward. It is compressing your airway and the circulation to your heart.

If it had not been discovered 'incidentally', it would have been discovered emergently, as it continued to grow. The compression to your esophagus could have caused you to choke while you were eating. The compression to your airway could have caused you to stop breathing. The compression of the circulation to your heart could have caused a cardiovascular emergency.

You don't need to go to the operating room at this very moment, but you will need to go soon. This surgery will require both an ENT surgeon and a cardiovascular surgeon. We will coordinate our schedules and set a date."

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The day of surgery arrived.

With my loved ones praying in the waiting room and all over the country, I entered the operating room.

My understanding is that the wait was challenging, to say the least.

With every report from the operating room, concern waxed and waned.

The most concerning report being, "The saw is on the table, they may have to open her chest."

The surgery was completed and I was sent to post op to recover.

The final report was that the ENT surgeon had to remove half of my thyroid in order to get to the mass. It was more difficult to remove the mass than expected. It had grown to the size of a fist, and had adhered itself to the surrounding tissues. In an effort to prevent opening my chest with a saw, the cardiovascular surgeon had to use force to pull my chest cavity away from by body. This was necessary to make room for all of the non cancerous mass to be removed.

I asked God for three specific things as I prepared for surgery:

1. I asked to keep half of my thyroid.

2. I asked for my chest to not have to be opened with the saw.

3. I asked for the mass to not be cancerous.

He answered all of my prayers!

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Recovery has been painful.

I have experienced natural childbirth, yet the pain that I have experienced in the recent weeks, pales in comparison, to any contraction I have ever felt.

However, in the midst of that pain my declaration has been "Everyday has been better than the day before!"

My declaration is not a denial of my circumstance but a reflection of my decision to focus on what matters most.

My Life.

The temporary pain I am experiencing is a blessing, because the alternative was death.

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For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

2 Corinthians 4:17

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There is no explanation of why the mass developed.

I did not have any known symptoms related to the mass, until 5 days prior to surgery.

I had been walking around living closer to death than I ever could have imagined.

I could have died while sleeping.

I could have died while on vacation with friends.

I could have died while singing in the choir.

I could have died while laughing with my children.

I could have died while embracing my husband.

I could have died while working in the intensive care unit.

I could have died while drinking my protein shake.

I could have died while on the treadmill.

I could have died.

BUT....GOD.....KEPT....ME!

Me, with all of my imperfections.

Me, with all the mistakes I've made.

ME!

Little..ole...me.

Oh God, I owe you everything I am.

I am forever changed.

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My surgical scar will be with me forever.

It is in the shape of a capital T.

I've been asked if I will be ashamed to show my scar to the world.

My answer is never!

Shame is not my portion!

This T will forever represent the Testimony of God's faithfulness in sparing my life.

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Thank you so much for allowing me to share my testimony with you.

It is my prayer that my testimony of an incidental finding, will serve as encouragement to live life completely surrendered to God, with great intention.

I pray that it encourages a decision to live life on purpose, with purpose.

I will forever live intentionally in service to God, simply because He intentionally saved my life.

He kept me, and He's keeping you too.

Look at what God has done! These things amaze us.

Psalms 66:5