You can get your copy of Back from the Brink – A Christian Covid-19 Survival Story at…

Chapter 3: Picture Pages

Here we are at lunch after our trip through the caves. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was already getting sick with COVID.
Feeling better after getting some oxygen in my system, but the adventure is just about to start.
Picture of Death
My kids watching as I’m being loaded into the ambulance. 
“Will we ever see our dad again?”
Not my best look, but at least I’m still alive. I’m in my private ICU room now. My O2 is holding steady at 92%. Anytime it dropped below that, the alarms went off and a nurse was not far behind. This happened a lot in those first few days.

Not the cleanest shave, but it will have to do. At least my face isn’t itchy anymore. Thank you, “Chris”, for going above and beyond!

Movin’ On Up


Finally made it out of the ICU and into a regular room. 

Thank you, God!

Peace Like a…Pigeon?
Sometimes God works in the simplest of ways

Finally, the visit I had been waiting for

No more jet engine! Making progress.
Feeling like a brand-new man! This is after the first real bath I had since arriving. Looking good and ready to go home!
Let that COVID-Survival bell ring!!!
Let’s get out of here!

HEADED HOME!!!
I went backward for a bit when I first got home. I had to crank my oxygen back up to 4. It’s the first full day back and it’s Halloween! Looks like I’m catching up on some sleep instead.

But that didn’t stop me from getting in on the action. 
Below is “The Invalid and the Gold Digger”
Here I am telling the story of Jesus bringing me Back from the Brink. They asked me to draw what I saw in that dream. As you can tell from the picture below, I am no artist. Still, it is a powerful image I shall never forget.

Here is my cool setup. A little while on the couch. A little while in the office chair. No hurting backside…in theory.

Made it out to the back porch. Thankful for that 30-foot oxygen hose. It was nice to get some of that Texas sun

.

Starting to feel more like myself again.  Able to get a little light-duty work done in my cool office setup.

SETBACK!!!
She told me I wasn’t ready to mow the grass.  But, hey, I’m a man.  I don’t listen.  This is my “yeah, I guess you were right” look.
Glad to be alive and getting back to normal. You can barely see my hair thinning after this ordeal.
Here’s a better picture of that thinning hair. This was another unexpected consequence of COVID and being in the hospital. After my hair started falling out, I did some research and found that this was not uncommon. Still, as someone who beat the odds (male baldness on both sides of my family), I have always enjoyed having good hair. Thankfully, it stopped well short of baldness and with the help of some hair products, started growing back in. You will be relieved to know that it grew back in fully and…a little darker than when it fell out. Mind you, I did not pray for this. As a matter of fact, I intentionally did NOT pray for my hair. That would be vain, I guess. Anyway, just like Solomon didn’t ask for riches but still got them, I got my hair back. Yay God!!!

Leaving Texas for Christmas Break. We’ve come a long way since I came home from the hospital.

First Stop…Middle Tennessee!

Me, my wife, and four kids (including my son’s family) on top.
Me and my four kids on bottom.

Next Stop…Georgia!

My mom on the right and my aunt on the left.

Back through East Tennessee…

Dinner out with my brother.

Still in Tennessee…

My wife’s brother and his family.

My dad and his wife.

Michigan for Christmas…

The rest of my wife’s family (missing a few).

The Aftermath…

This picture was actually taken in Georgia, but it perfectly captures the aftermath of this crazy adventure. Absolute exhaustion…

Parting Shot…

On the right is the picture of death. You’ve seen that one before. But on the left is a picture of life. This picture was taken in March of 2022. This was the first time we had been apart overnight since I returned home from the hospital October 30, 2021. I was headed to a 3-day conference in Las Vegas. My wife snapped this picture, not realizing at the time that it was the perfect compliment to the picture of death. Thank you, God, for life! Now, help me live it to…Your Glory! (Especially in Las Vegas)