Radio Host to Fans: ‘Your Prayers Saved My Life’

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BY Tim Drake Al Kresta is back on the air. When the WDEO radio host and author went to Ypsilanti's St. Joseph Mercy Hospital on Feb. 17, suffering from pain, he began a new chapter of his life. After a 10-week battle with flesh-eating bacteria, an amputated leg and months of physical therapy, Kresta returned to his popular Catholic radio show for the first time Aug. 4. His most recent book is Why Do Catholics Genuflect? He told Register correspondent Tim Drake about his battle with the disease. First of all, how are you doing? I'm doing much better than I deserve. I'm beginning to use a prosthetic device twice a week along with a wheeled walker. The wound itself is almost entirely healed. You've said that there was a spiritual dimension to your suffering. For two months prior to this happening, I felt frozen inside spiritually and intellectually. The Friday before I was hospitalized, I had strep throat and a friend, Gary Zmuda, had brought Communion to me. I told him that I felt like there was a logjam and that I was willing to go through whatever suffering I needed to in order to break that logjam. And you got what you asked for. On Monday night, my wife, Sally, noticed that my lower left leg had swollen a bit and that it was warm to the touch and was reddish. She told me that I should go to the emergency room. I told her that I didn't think I needed to go. About 10 minutes later I began having severe shooting pains in my leg. I was unable to put pressure on it, and it took the support of my 19-year-old son, Nick, and his friend to get me to the van. When I got to the emergency room the pain was intolerable. I told Sally that the pain was so bad that if they didn't do something I was going to throw myself onto the floor and start screaming. My blood pressure was so low that they couldn't administer any pain relief because it could kill me. Once they got my blood pressure up, they pumped me with morphine. The pain gave way and I spent the night in the hospital. When did you learn that your life was in danger? The next day, in the afternoon a number of doctors came into the room to introduce themselves. There was a kidney doctor, a cardiac doctor, a vascular doctor and a general surgeon. They all looked pretty concerned and asked me how I was doing. I told them that I was tired, but I thought it would pass. They pointed to two purplish-black marks on my leg and asked if I had seen them before. I told them I had not. They explained to me that they thought I had necrotizing fascitis (flesh-eating bacteria). I asked if there would be a way for them to test it any further. They said that they could do a biopsy, but the condition was so far advanced that if they didn't take care of it in the next 20 minutes I would be dead in one to three hours. They explained that they might have to take my leg to save my life. It was a clear choice to make. A nurse came over to initiate prayer with me. I thought this might be the end and I embraced my wife. I had been visited by two priests earlier in the day, so I felt as prepared spiritually as I could be. They slapped the mask on over me and put me to sleep. I woke up about six to seven days later without my leg and with a lot of pain medication in me. What was it like when you came to? My daughter was the first person that I had a lucid conversation with. I still had a sensation of my toes and I couldn't tell whether they had taken my leg or not. I asked her, “What happened to my leg?” She said, “You're alive! There are 30-40 people in the waiting room. You're really loved and you're alive.” She hadn't answered my question, so I asked again, “Let me ask you directly, did they have to amputate my leg?” She asked, “What did the doctors tell you the options were before you went in?” I told her that they would try to save my leg, but that they might have to take my leg to save my life. My daughter said, “That's what they did. They took your leg to save your life.” Years before I had been somewhat of a hypochondriac, but I had to laugh at myself. You can prepare yourself for all these fearful future options, but you'll end up confronting something you never expected. There was already an out-pouring of prayer and support for you. I had received hundreds of pieces of mail and e-mail, for which I was extremely grateful. Yet, I had to set it aside. At the time it was enough for me to be assured of people's love. I didn't want to be distracted by it. I looked upon this like something in the book of Job, where the devil has his way, but God is achieving some particular purpose. I needed time to pray and discern his will in all of this. I had never been through something like this as a Catholic and so I wanted to join my suffering with the suffering of Christ. I was helped by a book by Hubert Von Zeller titled Suffering in Other Words and the Holy Father's Christian Meaning of Human Suffering, which my daughter read to me. It took weeks before I began reading all of the mail. Do you believe it had an impact on your recovery? I really believe that I'm on the earth today because of the prayers of God's people. I believe it was intercession that spared my life on earth and equipped me for future service. I feel like the paralytic in Mark 2, whose friends lowered him down into the room in the presence of Jesus. I felt like the prayers of the people were falling down upon me like rain and they were lifting me up in a boat into the presence of Jesus. I leak, it's true, but overall it's been surprisingly smooth. In what ways has your ordeal impacted your faith? My favorite chapter in von Zeller's book is titled “Imperfection in Suffering.” I had Sally read that over and over to me. I would try to offer up the suffering and think that I was participating with Christ on the cross. I would feel that this had some redemptive value and then I would get a sharp pain and curse. When Catholics talk about suffering they are not talking about masochism, stoicism or fatalism. The Catholic attitude is what we see in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus says to his Father, “I would like this cup to pass, but not my will but yours be done.” That is the perfect attitude when we find ourselves in a position of suffering. It is central to the Christian experience. I might have said that before, but the experience made it all the more real to me and sobered me up a bit. How do you hope the experience will change you? It made me want to focus my attention more on Eucharistic adoration. While I'm glad to be back on the air, sometimes I think that the best thing would be to do what these hospital chaplains do — going room to room to room offering people the Body of Christ. It's an interesting contrast. There I was with all of these tubes sticking out of me. They're taking your blood and giving you medication, and amid all of that suddenly it was almost like an angel appearing asking if I would like to receive Jesus today. The first time it happened I didn't know what she was saying. I said, “Of course!” She replied, “Well, good,” and offered me Communion and then slipped away. They came every day. Your daughter, Alexis, is getting married Sept. 20. I understand you're going to walk her down the aisle, correct? I will be able to do it at least with a wheeled walker and a pros-thesis. The prosthesis goes through several fittings as they shape my leg using tight stockings. The whole process will take about a year before I get the final prosthesis and get comfortable walking with it. Tim Drake is based in St. Cloud, Minnesota. http://www.ncregister.com/info/email-a-friend/radio_evangelization_from_the_cloister