9. Manna issue 97 - Safe in the Storm: Trusting in God during Heart Surgery 風暴中安穩：心臟手術中依靠神
Kwai Lin Ly—Paris, France 法國巴黎
In the name of the Lord Jesus,
I testify of God's wondrous grace throughout my heart surgery.
奉主耶穌的聖名，
我見證神於我心臟手術時的奇妙恩典。
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
(Ps 136:1)
1你們要稱謝耶和華，因祂本為善；
祂的慈愛永遠長存。
(詩 136：1)
At the end of October 2020,
I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain in my chest.
This happened twice that night,
but I fell back asleep since the pain did not persist.
Over the following weeks,
I started experiencing minor heart palpitations that became increasingly frequent.
My daughter and husband, who are both doctors, heard a murmur in my heart,
so we decided to consult a cardiologist in Paris
in case I needed a referral to a major hospital for an operation.
在 2020 年 10 月底，
我半夜突然醒來，胸口一陣劇痛。
那天晚上這種情況發生了兩次，
但因為疼痛沒有持續，我又回去睡了。
在接下來的幾個星期，
我開始感到輕微的心悸，發作的頻率越來越多。
我的女兒和先生都是醫生，聽到我的心臟有雜音，
於是我們決定去巴黎看心臟科醫生，
以防我需要轉診到大醫院做手術。
France was in the middle of a partial lockdown during the pandemic,
so the earliest appointment I could get with a cardiologist was in January 2021.
He diagnosed a prolapsed mitral valve.
The heart has four chambers, each with a valve
—a flap that acts like a door.
He suspected that the cords of one of these valves had ruptured,
causing the valve to malfunction and allowing oxygenated blood to leak back into my heart.
疫情期間，法國正處於部分封城的狀態，
所以我最早所能預約的心臟科醫生門診是 2021 年 1 月。
他診斷我患有二尖瓣脫垂。
心臟有四個腔體，每個腔體都有一個瓣膜，
—有一個像門的瓣膜。
他懷疑其中一個瓣膜的索帶斷裂了，
導致瓣膜功能失常，使含氧血液回漏我的心臟。
The cardiologist found no underlying health issues
but suspected a possible tear from the night I had woken up in pain.
A transesophageal echocardiogram confirmed that I needed a heart operation
—in March if possible and before summer at the latest,
as my heart condition would deteriorate and affect my lungs.
If these cords were not able to be repaired during the operation,
I would undergo open-heart surgery on the spot for a valve replacement,
which would require ten days in hospital
followed by three weeks in a heart rehabilitation center.
心臟科醫生並沒有發現任何潛在的健康問題，
但懷疑我那天晚上痛醒時，心臟瓣膜可能撕裂了。
經食道心臟超音波檢查證實我需要進行心臟手術，
—如果可能的話在三月，最晚在夏天之前，
因為我的心臟將會惡化並影響我的肺。
若在手術中無法修復這些瓣膜索帶，
我將進行開心瓣膜置換手術，
那需要十天住院，
接著在心臟復健中心要住三週。
PEACE: JESUS CALMS THE STORM 平安：耶穌平靜風暴
As I am generally healthy and only used medication for allergies,
I never imagined I would need a heart operation.
Thank God, despite the shock, I remained peaceful and calm.
On the way home from the cardiologist,
I recalled a Bible study I had prepared a few weeks earlier about Jesus calming the storm
(Lk 8:22–25).
It reminded us that we never know when a tempest will disrupt our lives,
but as long as Jesus is in our boat,
we will safely make it through the storm.
God knew my needs and had prepared me for this trial.
Life is indeed fragile, but God's creation is wonderful;
our complicated human body is designed to work in perfect harmony.
Who would have thought that a minute tear would affect the functioning of the whole body?
Surely, only God is the giver of life,
and it is truly a blessing to be able to wake up every day.
由於我通常身體健康，只服用過敏藥物，
所以從未想過自己需要進行心臟手術。
感謝神，雖然很震驚，我仍然保持平安鎮定。
從心臟科醫生那裡回家的路上，
我想起幾週前準備的關於耶穌平靜風暴的查經課程。
(路 8：22-25)。
它提醒我們，我們永不知道暴風雨何時會擾亂我們的生活，
但只要耶穌在我們的船上，
我們就能安全渡過風暴。
神知道我的需要，並已經為我預備來承受這場考驗。
生命真的很脆弱，但神的創造很奇妙；
我們複雜的人體被設計成可以完美和諧的運作。
誰能想到一絲細微的撕裂會影響整個身體的運作呢？
當然，只有神才是生命的賜予者，
每天能夠醒來都真是一種祝福。
Before the operation, I started to imagine what would happen to my family if things went wrong.
My first instinct was to repent;
perhaps I had fallen short in certain areas
and failed to ask for God’s forgiveness.
Next, I prayed to understand what God wanted me to learn through this experience.
Knowing that His thoughts are above mine
(Isa 55:9),
I prayed that He would grant me the mercy and strength
to accept whatever He had planned for me and to glorify Him, whatever the outcome.
The night of that prayer, I informed my sister and brother in the UK about the operation,
and they immediately sent a prayer request to the UK brethren.
手術前，我開始思想，如果事情出錯，我的家人會發生什麼事呢。
我第一個直覺是悔改；
或許我在某些方面有所虧欠，
且沒有祈求神的寬恕。
其次，那時我禱告，想要明白神希望我透過這次經歷學到什麼。
深知祂的意念高過我的意念
(賽 55：9)，
我就禱告祈求祂賜給我憐憫和力量，
能夠接受祂為我安排的一切，無論結果如何，都可以榮耀祂。
那次禱告的晚上，我通知自已英國姊弟手術的消息，
他們立刻發出代禱請求給英國的弟兄姐妹。
I spent the next few weeks in and out of the hospital
for various examinations and procedures.
Because of the coronavirus, I had to attend them alone,
but I was often strengthened and comforted
by reading Psalms on my Bible app in the waiting areas.
Thank the Lord that everything went smoothly.
In mid-March, I finally saw a surgeon specializing in 3D mitral valve surgery.
He explained that there were two different valve-replacement options
if my valve was not reparable:
a biological animal valve, which would require a replacement every ten to fifteen years,
or a mechanical valve, which would require lifelong blood thinners
to prevent blood clots forming around the valve,
in turn posing the increased risk of hemorrhage.
As I was only fifty-four, he recommended the mechanical valve.
He explained that the operation had its risks;
my heart would be stopped during the procedure
and my blood would circulate through a heart-lung machine.
My upper body would be anesthetized for two days to ease the pain.
I gave my consent while entrusting everything to God.
The number of daily heart operations had been reduced from four to one during the pandemic,
so mine was scheduled for April 19, 2021.
我接下來的幾週進出醫院，
接受各種檢查和手術。
因為新冠病毒疫情，我只好獨自前往，
但在候診區用聖經應用程式閱讀詩篇，
常常會給我力量和安慰。
感謝神，一切都很順利。
三月中時，我終於見到了一位專攻 3D 二尖瓣膜手術的外科醫生。
他解釋說，有兩種不同的瓣膜替換選項，
方如果我的瓣膜無法修復：
生物瓣膜，每 10 到 15 年會需要更換一次；
機械瓣膜，會需終生服用血液稀釋劑，
以防止瓣膜周圍形成血塊，
從而會增加出血的風險。
由於我只有54歲，他推薦了機械瓣膜。
他解釋說，手術有其風險；
手術過程中我的心臟會停止跳動，
而我的血液會需要透過人工心肺機來循環。
我的上半身需要麻醉兩天來緩解疼痛。
我同意了，並把一切都託付給神。
在疫情期間，每日心臟手術的次數，已從四次減少到一次，
所以我的手術安排在 2021 年 4 月 19 日。
In the intervening period,
I was deeply touched by the love and concern of brethren worldwide.
A preacher had also asked members in Africa to intercede
—they were experiencing far greater difficulties than we were during the pandemic,
yet they were praying for me!
I felt unworthy of having so many members asking for God's mercy on my behalf.
I was also encouraged by every member's expression of concern,
whether it was a phone call, a simple message,
words of comfort, a Bible verse, or a hymn played or sung.
Some members even continued to send me daily encouragement throughout my months of convalescence.
They were all exemplary models from whom I could learn.
As my operation was high risk,
I prayed and fasted more to ask God to grant me additional faith,
to thank God for the members' intercessions, and to bless them.
在此期間，
我深深被世界各地弟兄姐妹的愛心與關懷所感動。
有一位傳道也請非洲的信徒代禱，
—在疫情期間他們比我們體驗到更大的困難，
但他們卻為我禱告！
我感到自己不配有這麼多信徒為我祈求神的憐憫。
我深受安慰因著每位信徒表示關懷，
無論是一個電話，一則簡訊，
隻言片語的安慰，一節經文，還是一首彈奏或吟唱的讚美詩。
有些信徒甚至在我康復幾個月間每天給我傳送安慰之語。
他們都是我可以學習的榜樣。
由於我的手術風險很高，
我更多禱告禁食，求神加添我更多的信心，
可以因為信徒的代禱而感謝神，並祝福他們。
During this time, I experienced God's embrace
and the movement of the Holy Spirit in my prayers.
Many times, I would suddenly hear the chorus of the hymn
I Am So Glad That Jesus Loves Me,
and was filled with joy and overflowing tears.
God was personally comforting me.
My first experience of this was while praying earnestly for some church matters.
Thus, I understood that if God loves me,
I need not fear whatever happens.
Later, I realized He also reassured me that everything would be fine.
Other times, I would hear the hymn
Faith Is the Victory in my mind
while praying, encouraging me not to be afraid.
God is indeed our God of comfort
(2 Cor 1:3).
這段時間，我體驗到神的擁抱，
以及在禱告中聖靈的感動。
有好幾次，我會突然聽到讚美詩的副歌，
耶穌愛我，
心裡充滿喜樂，淚流滿面。
神在親自安慰我。
我第一次體會到這種情況，是在為教會某些事情逼切禱告。
因此，我明白了，如果神愛我，
無論發生什麼事，我都不必害怕。
後來，我意識到祂也安撫我，一切都會好起來。
其他時間，我會在心中聽到讚美時
信心使我得勝，
在禱告的時候，
安慰我不要害怕。
神確實是我們安慰的神
(林後 1：3)。
Despite the situation,
God granted me amazing peace that enabled me to pray with thankfulness and praise.
I adopted a slow pace of life to ease the physical pressure on my heart.
Thank the Lord that, miraculously,
my heart palpitations and breathlessness gradually disappeared.
I felt so well that I even used a stethoscope to see
if my heart murmur had gone away!
儘管情況如此，
神賜給我奇妙的平安，使我能帶著感謝和讚美的心來禱告。
我放慢了生活的步調，以減輕自已心臟肉體的壓力。
感謝主，很奇妙的，
我的心跳和呼吸困難逐漸消失了。
我感覺真的很好，甚至用聽診器去聽看看，
自已心臟的雜音是否已經消失了！
A week before my operation,
one of my blood tests revealed an unusually high marker
that indicated a bleeding disorder.
The hospital staff said they would take precautions
and reassured me that this would not affect the operation.
However, they told me other underlying health issues
might require further investigation.
This was another trial,
but we just prayed to God to help us step by step.
手術前的一周，
我血液檢查有一項顯示異常高標，
那表示我出現凝血異常。
醫院職員表示他們會採取預防措施，
並向我保證這點不會影響手術。
然而，他們告訴我，有其他潛在的健康問題，
可以需要進一步檢查。
這是另一次的考驗，
但我們只是禱告神來一步步幫助我們。
PATIENCE: WAIT ON GOD DURING UNCERTAINTY 耐心：不確定時等候神
Three days before my hospital admission,
my operation was postponed without further information.
With the outbreak of a third wave of COVID infections,
hospitals were once again inundated by patients and deaths.
However, I trusted that God knows best
and continued to pray and fast for extended periods alone and with my family.
We all had our concerns
but continued to support one another physically and in spiritual communion.
God's peace is beyond our imagination.
Amidst uncertainty, I was serene,
like a bird safely resting under the Lord's loving wings
as the tempest raged around me
(Ps 91:4).
I ate normally and slept better than usual.
Aside from a couple of nights during a June heatwave,
God miraculously enabled me to sleep through each night until my rescheduled operation
(Ps 127:2).
Throughout those few months, my heart had a few sudden shudders,
but thank the Lord for watching over me and keeping my condition stable.
Finally, I received a new date for the operation:
Friday, June 25, 2021.
入院前三天，
我的手術在沒有任何進一步的消息之下就延期了。
隨著第三波新冠疫情的爆發，
醫院再次充滿為病人和死亡。
然而，我相信神的旨意最好，
並繼續獨自與自已的家人，在那多出來的時期禱告和禁食。
我們都有各自的擔憂，
但在肉體和屬靈上交通繼續相互扶持。
神的平安超乎我們的意念。
在不確定之中，我卻覺得平靜，
就像一隻鳥安穩的棲息在主神慈愛的翅膀下，
雖有風暴圍繞我四周。
(詩 91：4)。
我飲食正常，睡的也比平常更好。
除了在六月熱浪時有幾個晚上外，
神很奇妙的讓我每晚都能好好睡覺，直到我重新安排了手術。
(詩 127：2)。
那幾個月裡，我的心臟會突然顫抖幾次，
但感謝主一直都看顧我，讓我的病情保持穩定。
最終，我收到了新手術的日期：
2021 年 6 月 25 日，星期五。
My breathlessness started again in mid-June,
and I was eager to get my operation done.
I was admitted to the hospital the day before the operation
and was woken the next morning at 6 A.M. for pre-operative procedures.
By 8 A.M., I was ready for the operating theatre.
I waited and prayed throughout the whole morning,
but at 12 noon, my operation was canceled!
The nurse felt very sorry for me,
and I broke into tears after all the emotion,
wondering how I would be able to wait another few months.
It was a hard lesson,
but I had to continue to trust and turn to God for strength.
Later, the surgeon apologized,
telling me the cancellation was due to staff shortages because of the pandemic.
My operation was rescheduled to the following Tuesday,
so I returned home for the weekend.
六月中旬時，我再次開始呼吸困難，
我很急迫去完成手術。
手術前一天我獲准入院，
隔天早上 6 點就被叫醒去做術前準備。
到早上 8 點時，我準備好進手術室。
整個上午我都在等待和禱告，
但到了中午 12 點，我的手術就被取消了！
護士非常同情我，
經歷很多情緒後我忍不住哭了，
想知道我要怎麼作，才能再等待幾個月。
這是一個艱難的課程，
但我必須繼續信靠神，並轉求神加添力量。
後來，手術醫生道歉了，
告訴我因為疫情人力短缺，才導致手術取消。
我的手術就改到下個週二，
所以我回家去過週末。
When I was re-admitted,
I took the opportunity to testify to the different healthcare workers I met.
I plucked up the courage to preach to a nurse,
and before I was put under anesthetic,
I thanked the medical staff
and shared that I had prayed for God to guide their hands.
當我再次住院時，
我抓住機會去向自已所遇到的各個不同醫護人員作見證。
我鼓起勇氣向一位護士傳道，
並在開始麻醉前，
向醫護人員表示感謝，
並分享自已曾經祈求神指引他們的雙手。
The whole procedure lasted approximately four to five hours,
and I was on the heart-lung machine for an hour and a half.
When I woke up, I felt a stabbing pain in my lower back
and could not feel my right side at all.
I was given a shot of morphine and placed in an upright position for the night.
The next day, the surgeon announced
that my valve cords had been successfully repaired with an annuloplasty ring,
and the only complication had been a drop in blood pressure.
A large volume of liquid had been induced to restart my heart,
but everything was functioning.
Praise and thank God
for sparing me from having open-heart surgery and a valve replacement!
整個手術持續了大約四到五個小時，
而我已經用了心肺機一個半小時。
而我醒來時，我感到後腰背一陣刺痛，
且右側一點也沒有知覺。
醫生給我打了一針嗎啡，並讓我整夜保持直立的姿勢。
第二天，手術醫生宣布，
我的瓣膜韌帶已經成功以瓣環成形術修復了，
而唯一的併發症一直有血壓降低。
醫生注射了大量液體來激動重啟我的心臟，
而一切功能都正常。
讚美感謝神，
讓我免於進行開心手術及心瓣膜置換！
GOD'S MERCY: LEARNING TO TRUST CONTINUALLY 神的憐憫：學會一直信靠
The next few weeks were not as smooth sailing.
But God was teaching me to continue to trust Him
even after the operation was over,
and He graciously walked me through each step.
I was in the intensive care unit (ICU) for two days
and then the coronary care unit (CCU) for four days.
I had three sudden bouts of excruciating pain,
worse than the pain of my three childbirths!
I prayed for God to have mercy on me and waited for the pain to pass.
I thought of how much agony Jesus must have gone through on the cross for us.
We can never fathom how great His love is.
I was thankful and deeply felt the love from members' intercessions
alongside God's mercy during those hard times of struggle.
接下來的幾週並不是很順利。
但神一直在教導我，要繼續信靠祂，
即使在手術完成之後，
祂恩慈的帶領我走過每一步。
我在加護病房 ICU 住了兩天，
然後在新冠疫病照護室 CCU 住了四天。
我突然發作了三次劇痛，
比我三次生產的痛苦還要慘烈！
我祈求神憐憫我，並且等待疼痛過去。
我想起了耶穌需要為我們在十字架上承受了多少的痛苦。
我們永遠無法理解祂的慈愛有多偉大。
我很感恩，深深感覺到來自教會信徒代禱的疼愛，
以及在那些艱難掙扎的時期一切都有神的憐憫。
My low blood pressure meant
that I could only start walking again five days after the operation
—pushing around two drip stands of medication, an external pacemaker,
and two drainage bottles in the process.
I woke up twice in a pool of blood on the bed
because I was bleeding from one of the wounds caused by the drainage tubes.
Though I could not eat and was still very weak,
thank the Lord, I was discharged on the eighth day.
Returning home for two nights with my family to refresh myself
before heading to the heart rehabilitation center was a blessing.
由於我的血壓很低，
我手術五天後我才能重新開始行走，
—行進間推著兩座靜脈點滴架，一組體外心律調節器，
及兩個引流瓶四處走。
有兩次我在病床的血泊中醒來，
因為我由其中一個引流管形成的傷口出血。
雖然我無法進食，而且仍然很虛弱，
但感謝主，我在第八天就出院了。
在前往心臟康復中心之前，
能夠回家和家度過兩晚，讓自己恢復精神，
真是神的恩典。
In the center, I was still in pain but had to walk to various places.
Returning to my room after meals and activities,
I would doze off out of exhaustion.
During the first few nights, a persistent cough prevented me from sleeping
and caused pain around my fresh surgical wounds.
Thank the Lord that with inhalers and the intercession of members,
I was back to normal and able to rest after three days.
在康復中心，我仍然很痛，但不得不走去各個地方。
飯後及活動結束後回到房間，
我會因為疲憊而打瞌睡。
最初的前幾個晚上，持續的咳嗽讓我無法入睡，
並且導致我手術的新傷口周圍很疼痛。
感謝主，藉由吸入器和信徒的代禱，
我恢復了正常，三天之後就能休息了。
After heart operations,
patients are normally prescribed medication to manage their heart rhythm
because of the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
This medicine can cause low blood pressure,
so the doctors decided not to prescribe it to me
and, instead, advised careful observation.
In the rehabilitation center,
a couple of patients were wearing "life vests"
—jackets incorporating defibrillators
that deliver shock treatments as soon as they detect life-threatening arrhythmia.
Thank God for preserving my condition without such interventions.
心臟手術後，
通常會開藥給病人來控制心律，
由於會有心臟驟停的風險。
這種藥會導致低血壓，
所以醫生決定不給我開這種藥，
而相反的，建議我密切觀察。
在康復中心，
有幾位病人穿著“心臟背心”
—是種帶著心臟除顫器的外套，
只要一偵測到危及生命的心律不整，就會立即進行電擊治療。
感謝神，讓我保守我的健康，不用介入這種治療。
I followed the physiotherapy program
and exercises designed to help my heart function properly again.
My pains diminished amazingly quickly,
and I was able to stop using painkillers by the second week in the center.
I took the opportunity to testify to various patients.
I met three patients who had all had the same operation as me, with the same surgeon.
Two of them had to undergo a valve replacement and were very disappointed;
the first patient's cords were repaired
but did not function properly,
while the second patient's cords were not reparable.
Indeed, many physical factors affected the reparation of my valve,
but I know that I am indeed blessed to have God's mercy.
I also learned in the center
that some patients had contracted COVID-19 during their hospital stay,
which caused further complications.
Praise and thank God for arranging for me to have my second dose of the COVID vaccine
while waiting for my operation and for allowing the procedure to be successful.
我按著物理治療計劃，
並以設計來幫助我心臟正常運作的方式來運動。
我的疼痛很迅速很奇妙的就減輕了，
到康復中心的第二週，我就可以停止使用止痛藥。
我藉此機會向不同的病人作見證。
我遇到了三位病人，他們都與我一樣做過相同的手術，都由同一位外科醫生作手術。
他們中兩人需要進行瓣膜置換手術，但結果非常失望；
第一位病人的瓣膜索帶雖然修復了，
但仍然無法正常運作，
而第二位病人的瓣膜索帶無法修復。
是的，有許多身體因素會影響了我瓣膜的修復，
但我知道，我非常受祝福，可以得到神的憐憫。
我還在康復中心還得知，
有些病人在住院期間，還感染了新冠肺炎 (COVID-19)，
那會導致進一步的併發症。
讚美感謝神給我安排，
可以施打第二劑的新冠疫苗，在等待手術期間，
讓手術可以成功。
Thank the Lord that the three weeks at the heart rehabilitation center flew by
and felt like a holiday.
I returned home on July 29,
one month after my operation.
Some of my nerves were damaged and needed more time to heal,
but it was indeed God's grace that my main organs were not injured.
My residual pain and scars remind me of God's wonderful grace and mercy,
which carried me through this episode in my life,
enabling me once again to see His almightiness.
感謝主，在心臟康復中心的三周飛快的過去了，
感覺就像度假一樣。
手術一個月後，7 月 29 日，我回家了。
我有一些神經受損了，需要更多時間來恢復，
但那真是神的恩典，我主要器官沒有受傷。
殘留的痛苦和傷疤會提醒我想起神奇妙的恩典和憐憫，
扶持我度過這個人生的篇章，
讓我能再次看見祂的大能。
"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You."
(Job 42:5)
5我從前風聞有你，
現在親眼看見你。
(伯 42：5)
Though the tempest may arise, we need not fear.
We are blessed and must remember
that we have the support of our spiritual brethren.
God is there to comfort us through His Holy Spirit
and strengthen us by His word.
All we need to do is learn to trust and commit our ways to Him,
and He will surely carry us through.
縱然風暴可能襲來，我們無需害怕。
我們是蒙福的，必須記住，
我們有屬靈弟兄姐妹的支持。
神會隨時藉著祂的聖靈安慰我們，
並用祂的話堅固我們。
我們只需要學習信靠祂，並交託我們的道路給祂，
祂一定會幫助帶我們度過。
Praise the Lord!
I truly thank God for my big family in Christ,
for His great lesson of trust,
and for His everlasting mercy.
May all glory be unto the Lord!
讚美主！
我真心感謝神賜給我基督的大家庭，
以及祂信靠的重要教導，
還有祂永不止息的憐憫。
願一切榮耀歸於主！
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)