Dad sleeps almost continuously, probably more than 99 percent of the day. Dr. Duke? This man must NEVER sleep. Sometimes he does surgery during the day, sometimes during the evening, sometimes during the night. You never really know, and this 80 year old man is said to have a hand as steady as a 20 year old and his stamina is amazing. If you ever have lots of free time, google him, his resume is phenomenal! Not to completely insult his accomplishments, but he's a real-life Forrest Gump of Medicine. Name a major medical event, and you'll see Dr. Duke there. He brought the Level 1 Trauma Unit and Life Flight to Houston, when President Kennedy was assassinated Dr. Duke attended to the wounds of Governor John Connolly, he was an Aggie Yell Leader and the first to deliver the poem "The Last Corp Trip" publicly, he's an Eagle Scout, and he graduated from the Baptist Seminary... just to name a few.
Yesterday when Chris and I were telling dad bye, we got the chance to talk to Dr. Duke. It was good timing, because he's a hard man to catch. He said:
"That exit that's been givin' us all the trouble there, is oozing. You know he's had 2 more units of blood, but his hemoglobin is still low. I wasn't gonna take him today, I have to emcee this little thing tonight around dinner time, but after that I'll come get him and take him back."
Some where in there he also reminded us that he's "deaf as a rock" and referred to all of the surrounding staff as "all of the monkeys I have to deal with around there". About that time his work there was done and he left. He probably had to get a quick surgery in before he "emceed that little thing".
Dr. Duke kept his word and dad went back to surgery around 1:30 a.m. By this time the bleeding had pretty much stopped on its own, but Dr. Duke was able to remove a little more tissue, clean everything up, and retire this group of microsurgeons. Around 4:30 a.m. (I guess really 5:30 new time) dad was out of surgery and Dr. Duke said it went well.
"He graduated from the Baptist Seminary" tells it all! Dr. Duke is obviously not working out of his own strength, but instead, God is working through him! It is God's power, God's strength and God's wisdom that equips Dr. Duke with all that he does in a 24 hour day. Hebrews 13:20-21 declares, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant, brought back from the dead our LORD Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
ReplyDeleteequip you with everything for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
Thank You, LORD Jesus, for working through Dr. Duke every day and every night, so that he may accomplish all that You have planned.
In Your holy and precious Name,
Amen
All glory to God,
Jeanne Elder