Showers of Blessing

Nine weeks ago, it was time to order a new tracheotomy tube. It is not a long process. I notify my respiratory therapist, and she submits a request to the durable medical equipment (DME) office. They find my tracheotomy tube in the warehouse and send it to my house. The process takes about a week to complete. This time, though, it was a little bit more complicated.

When I first got my tracheotomy in 2017, I had severe reactions to the two most commonly used tracheostomy tubes. The one is made with silicone; the other is made with polyvinyl chloride. After searching the internet, I stumbled upon a tracheotomy tube which was made from polyurethane. I ordered it, and to my delight, I did not have an allergic reaction to the tracheotomy tube. From that moment forward, I started using the polyurethane tracheotomy tube.

However, there was hitch. This is not a commonly used tracheotomy tube. Henceforth, my DME has to special order the tube. This was not a big deal as they would keep one in stock for me. When I requested a new tracheotomy tube, the DME would subsequently place an order from their supplier for another tracheotomy tube. This is how it should happen, but this time, it was not so smooth.

After requesting my tracheotomy tube, I waited and waited. It took my respiratory therapist eight days to submit my request to the DME company. Unfortunately, the last time I received my tracheotomy tube, no one reorder another tube. So, the DME company had to ordered a tube from their supplier. To my heartbreak, the tracheotomy tube was back ordered. Weeks and weeks rolled by. No tracheotomy tube. After waiting eight weeks, I was informed the tracheotomy tube was being sent from the supplier to the DME company. Then, the DME just had to send it to me. It was almost here!!!

(The downside to having to wait for such a long time is my insurance only covers a new tracheotomy tube once every three months. (Two months had passed since I was first eligible to receive a new tracheotomy tube.) A few days after submitting my request for a new tube, the tracheotomy tube I was using failed. I had to resort to using my backup. Now, my backup was near the end of its usable life—they only last about three months. I was very stressed out. It is not good to not have a backup tracheotomy tube. They can fail at any time.)

I was notified of the shipping information for my package. I was excited. It would arrive the next day! I waited and waited the following day, but the parcel never arrived. I checked online. The box was sitting in a distribution center. It remained there for four days. Finally, it found its way out of the facility and in to a truck.

After waiting NINE weeks, I received the parcel. I ripped open the box. Inside, there was a receipt stating I was billed for one tracheotomy tube. I discarded all the packing material, and there were TWO tracheotomy tubes in the box! I was in disbelief! The receipt only says I was to receive ONE tube...but there are TWO tubes in the box!



I began praising God. “Oh what showers of blessing You have bestowed upon me. Now I am not without a backup tracheotomy tube! Hallelujah!”

“And I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” (Ezekiel 34:26)