Kwai Lin Ly—Paris, France

In the name of the Lord Jesus, I testify of God's wondrous grace throughout my heart surgery. 

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (Ps 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.

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.

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.

PEACE: JESUS CALMS THE STORM

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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!

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. 

PATIENCE: WAIT ON GOD DURING UNCERTAINTY

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.

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.

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.

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!

GOD'S MERCY: LEARNING TO TRUST CONTINUALLY

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You." (Job 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.

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!