November 9, 2012

Ron shouldn’t have joined The Disease of the Month Club.  That can be the only explanation as to why he has had a stellar career of experiencing rather major health problems, leading up to his present battle with Parkinson’s.  He started in high school with a tumor growing around an artery in the upper part of his leg.  [In medical terms it’s that place where the leg joins the hip.]  He had surgery to remove the tumor and then the next year another tumor was discovered, so it was also removed.

Fast-forwarding to the young Hiller family (daughter Renee–11, son Matthew–8), another tumor was found in the same area and that time it was determined to be cancer.  That type of tumor usually grows around bone, but Ron cleverly had his growing around an artery–very rare.  When the surgeon removed that tumor he told Ron, “I had to leave some cancer cells behind to save the artery, but with your faith, I’m sure everything will be fine.”  And five years later, an MRI revealed–no cancer!  Praise God!

When Ron had a 104 temperature and ended up in the hospital for a week, it turned out to be the least dangerous type of hepatitis.  We never figured out where he picked that up.  He was to be out of work (as a Forester) three to six months, but six weeks later he was back on the job!  Praise God again!

In 2002 Ron proceeded to have chest pains and there were several trips to Emergency where he was declared to have “a heart as strong as a basketball player.”  [Unfortunately we heard on the news that a famous basketball player collapsed of a heart attack on the court.]

Our adventure began when we were ministering on the Indian Reservation in Gardnerville, NV.  We had shared with the kids in the first of three nights of an outreach.  Early the  next morning, in the guest room of our friends Tom and Harriet, Ron began complaining of chest pains.  I immediately knew it was a false alarm.  I asked, “Does it feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest?”  He replied in the affirmative (hmmm, I shouldn’t have planted that thought in his head).  Even though I knew it couldn’t possibly be a heart attack, I gave him an aspirin.  Then I woke up Josh, our hosts’ son who was a paramedic.  He came to give Ron oxygen.  Harriet woke up and called 911.  The ambulance whisked Ron off to the South Lake Tahoe hospital.  As Harriet drove me to the hospital I assured her Ron was NOT having a heart attack.  We arrived to find out Ron was having a heart attack.

After he was stabilized they flew him by helicopter to Reno, where just one of the surgeons performs 700 surgeries a year.  As Ron was being loaded into the helicopter a nurse said to me, “Why don’t you kiss your husband good-bye?”  I did.  When she suggested I kiss him a second time, I started to wonder. . .  However, Ron did make it to Reno, still breathing.  The ride cost $7500 and Ron didn’t even look at the view!  [He said he was seeing in black and white and he wondered, “Will I ever see a tree again?”  I was rather insulted he didn’t wonder if he’d ever see his beloved wife again.]

Ron had been whisked off, but I faced the second night of the outreach.  The pastor and I decided we would have the afternoon program and tell the kids it was the last one.  But who would take Ron’s place?  [In our ministry Ron stands outside the puppet stage and talks to the puppets and the audience.]  Our dear friend Harriet had been to many of our programs when she brought her young son Josh to our family camp meetings for many years.  I showed Harriet the outline for our program.  Unfortunately where there is one sentence on the outline, Ron talks for 5 minutes.

Harriet was great!  When I wasn’t ready with the next set-up, she would take prayer requests.  The program ended with several kids committing their lives to Jesus.  Then it was time to take down the equipment (puppet stage, rear-view screen, overhead and slide projectors, etc, etc).  Ron is very particular that things are packed properly.  If he had known I was taken away (to Reno) while other people packed up, he would have had a second heart attack!

Will Ron make it?  This might not be a mystery, but stay tuned. . .

Meanwhile, speaking of Ron, here’s another malapropism:  “Don’t count your chickens till they’re in the driveway.”