Raising the Dead
It was just another regular day at the clinic and I noticed that it’s almost lunch time, 30 minutes before 12 noon to be exact. I have about 5 patients waiting to be examined and still have to go to the mayor’s office to follow up something. As I was leaving my clinic, I noticed this lady sitting at the receiving table together with a male companion. She was given the routine checkup by the nurse so I really never gave her that much attention because it seems that everything is under control so I proceeded to meet with the mayor.
While I am inside the mayor’s office, suddenly there was a knock at the door. It was the mayor’s assistant and when he opened the door, he seemed to be in distress as he alerted me that there is an emergency situation at the clinic that needs my immediate attention. I immediately ran to my clinic wondering what could have happened while I was away. As I was running towards the clinic, I could hear people shouting and seems like everyone is in panic mode. The people that I meet while I was on my way back to the clinic looked pale and worried.
As I enter my clinic, my staff was all in distress and shouting while trying to revive the patient. They were shouting as they told me that the patient suddenly became unconscious and turned stiff and gray. I then saw the patient lying on the floor, eyes half-opened, grayish in skin color and not moving, with saliva all over her face as her male companion was crying and shouting “don’t leave me!“. And at the same time wiping her saliva off her face and trying to close her eyes.
I immediately alerted the people around me to get the ambulance because she needs to be referred to a tertiary medical facility. The clinic where I’m working is only a primary health care facility with the aim to prevent disease from occurring and not really on the curative aspect. And even though we do out-patient services, we still lack emergency equipments to deal with emergencies like this. But to my dismay, they told me that the driver of the ambulance was nowhere to be found. So I told them that they need to look for another driver.
At that moment, there were many things that were running on my mind as a doctor. I thought of procedures how to revive the patient. But because of what I’m seeing, I really felt that this is already a hopeless case.
I then touched the patient, and she already feels cold and clammy while I was trying to look for a pulse. I then tried to look for a heartbeat, but to my dismay the patient had no pulse and no heartbeat! This leads me to think that I already lost this patient and the chance of her being revived is near impossibility. And to make matters worse, the things that are running through my mind that I need to do to this patient are unavailable in my clinic! There was no epinephrine to jumpstart the heartbeat, no entubation set to facilitate artificial respiration, no ambubag to pump air for the patient and no oxygen! The only thing left for me to do is a CPR!
I then asked my staff, “For how long has the patient been like this?” They said that it’s already more than 2 to 3 minutes that the patient was unresponsive. I then instructed them to let the patient lie on the floor. But because everybody was already panicking and the male companion seems to keep on hugging the patient, they were unable to obey my instructions right away. It still took them another minute before they were able to put the patient on the bed. I then noticed that there were many people surrounding us and some of the employees of the different offices were there to witness what is happening inside the clinic.
I then began to do CPR, and after 2 cycles of 5 chest pumps without airway resuscitation, it then dawned on me that I need to pray and visions of Lazarus flash in my mind! I began to pray silently and declaring that Jesus would do a miracle instantly! And as I was pumping her chest, my midwife noticed that the patient’s pants were already wet with urine signifying that there’s really no hope left. I continued doing CPR and I began to pray out loud. I began to shout “In Jesus name!“ And for the third time that I shouted “In Jesus name!“, I felt a strong punch under her chest hitting the palms of my hands! From the time that I started doing CPR, it was only about 30 seconds when these happened! The patient then began to cough out fluids, moved her arms and her skin turned pink! I then let her lay on her side to prevent aspiration of fluids to her lungs. She then began to open her eyes and tried to get up! I told her just lo lay flat and elevate her legs. I asked her if she knows where she is right now and it seems that she is still in a state of shock! By that time, the ambulance was already ready but the male companion was nowhere to be found because he thought that she is already dead! And when he returned, his eyes were wide-open as he could not believe seeing her conscious and moving! My nurse and my midwife accompanied the patient as she was transported to a tertiary health facility.
On the way to the hospital, as my staff related to me, the patient was already moving freely as if nothing happened! And when they arrived at the hospital, the patient was almost not admitted because her vital signs were all normal! Her blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate and heart rate were all normal!!!
AMAZING!!!
What an amazing GOD!
I then recalled that ever since I studied medicine and practicing as a doctor, I was not able to revive a patient just by doing CPR in a matter of seconds! And as I observed, every time we could successfully revive a patient in the hospital, the patient is always placed with respiratory support to facilitate breathing. Never did I see a case like this! I then realized that this patient rose back from the dead! And as my staff told me, it’s about 4 to 5 minutes since the patient had turned gray, pulseless and with cold and clammy skin until the time that she has awaken! So safe to assume that she is already dead for 4 to 5 minutes! But because of the power of God she rose back from the dead!!!
This experience grounded me and increased my faith that if we are full of the Spirit and we remain in God then He will do mighty things in our lives and greater works will He do through us, even greater things than what Jesus Christ did! And the supernatural becomes natural for us! This is the life living in His Kingdom! HALLELUJAH!!! All praises and glory and honor unto Him alone!
DR. MERVIN IAN B. ASCABANO, M.D, M.P.H.
Municipal Health Officer
Municipality of Dumalinao
September 28th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
God is indeed amazing! More, Lord!
December 17th, 2009 at 12:10 am
How many died a simple death just like that because there was no one who could stand in the gap.Father God, gives us doctors and nurses who are courageous to pray and raise the dead like Dr. MARVIN IAN.