I want to thank all my precious friends for their love, concern, and prayers. When you compare the test results on my heart with how I am feeling, I would say I am a mightily blessed man! Though I’m very weak, I am really feeling quite well. Between the faithful prayers of many folks like you and the wisdom that the Lord has given to my team of Cardiologists at the Cleveland Clinic, the medications are working very effectively. I think we might have to change my name from Michael Jeffrey Peck to Michael Drug Store Peck!
Here is the situation. I want to be transparent with each of you. Apparently about a month ago I suffered a heart attack. I didn’t know it at the time. Then on Tuesday May 26th, I suffered a massive heart attack. Two hours later I experienced my third heart attack. I was transferred the next day to a Cleveland Clinic suburban Hospital. While in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit in the early morning hours of Thursday May 28th, my heart was in distress and failing. I asked the doctor to be straight forward and honest with me. She told me that I was in trouble and the helicopter was in the air. A team of doctors were being assembled in the middle of the night at the big downtown campus of Cleveland Clinic and would be waiting for me as soon as we landed. My nurse took my hand and prayed with me. I will never forget his kindness and the profound blessing of that moment. I honestly thought I was going Home to be with the Lord. I felt sorrow for my family being awakened in the middle of the night. But I also sensed a huge peace, joy, quietness and calmness. I was going Home, or so I thought.
Immediately after landing I saw a hallway full of doctors who were waiting for me. Within moments I was on a table where tons of experts were working. A medical device was insert through an artery leading directly into my heart. This assisted my heart with every heartbeat. Within moments some of the terrible crushing chest pain began to ease. Within hours the pain was barely measurable. I was not out of the woods. However, I was much more comfortable. My heart was in such a state of shock that the team deemed it wise to watch and wait for a few days if possible before any surgery would be considered.
Many tests were conducted and it was determined that far too much of my heart has been destroyed. There is nothing to use to make by-pass surgery a possibility. So I am home with my family, on a heavy medicine therapy. Bless her heart! My daughter-in-law Christina has all my medications sorted out with the times I need them. The Lord apparently is not ready for me yet.
I am determined to do the following everyday that the Lord gives me here. (1) I am going to praise and worship the LORD. (2) I am going to enjoy my family and make memories with them. (3) I am going to encourage my friends to trust and serve the Lord. (4) I am going to share with people the reason for the joy and certainty I have in Christ. (5) I am going to be content to stay but ready to go!
This morning in my devotional reading, I came to Psalm 73. Asaph wrote, “You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel and afterward receive me to glory” (73:23-24). That is just where I am indeed. He is guiding and someday I will be soaring. The day will come that you hear that Dr. Mike has died. Don’t you believe it. I will never be more alive on that day!