One guys story

by Ray Trezona
(Homestead Florida)

Well I still didn’t become a Christian until 1976 sitting in jail in Pensacola. I was in the Navy and screwed that up to. I constantly got in trouble due to drugs or something related. I soon got into trouble several times with the civil authorities and did 1 year in a county road gang. As if that was not good enough I was soon arrested again after being released and was sent to prison (at the age of 21) for 3 years for violation of probation and possession of Marijuana, with intent to sell (well ½ Lb).

I left home under an escape mentality so fast I just never really took time to think about life and the decisions I was making Well in Jail I underwent a conversion experience that was as simple as coming to an understanding of what controlling my own life had brought me to.
I was released on mandatory parole in 1979. One of the things I did was to join the singles group at my church (Southwest Community Church).

At any rate this is how I met my wife Diane (now divorced). What attracted me to her besides being a beautiful young woman was her zeal for God and I just felt a real connection We really did not know each other that well and in honesty the entire time together from intro to proposal was at best 2 months maybe 3.

I worked many different jobs trying to make more money but all the time believing in my heart I would one day become a pastor. In 1992 we started attending Old Cutler Presbyterian Church. With Diane now working and the kids being older and going to school I decided to go to Seminary.
I started Knox Theological Seminary in 1992 working and traveling to Fort Lauderdale almost daily at night to finish school.

In 200 I was told I had cancer in my esophagus and it would have to be removed. I only had 2 semesters left to graduate school to get a Masters in Evangelism. So we went to see the surgeon Dr Rick Fraga who boasted on his ability to be able to do the surgery. Well shortening the story we later found out from the intensive care nurses that watched me after surgery. That the only other person Dr Fraga worked on had died. Well what happened was I ended up with multiple continual complications. I had an infection hat almost took my life and did destroy a ¼ of my lung and scared my lungs permanently. I had lost my voice the nerve to the vocal cords was cut.

First I had to have emergency surgery (Thoracotomy) to clean out the infection I had and I finally recovered with permanent lung damage. I had a new surgery eventually to fix my paralyzed vocal chords.

I had a continual decline of health I could not swallow even my own saliva. I was being fed through a tube into my intestine directly, all the while what happened is my stomach that was reattached to my neck during the original surgery was dieing because it was never connected correctly. I had been in and out of the hospital while they tried to stretch my throat so I could swallow not knowing my stomach was dieing all the time.

I went from doctor to doctor for help. I had what they call plural effusions in my back. That is when there is a leak somewhere and was causing fluid to build up behind my lung. If you touched my back basically it felt like a water bed. Every doctor we went to said the same thing go see Dr Allen Livingston at UM.

Sometime later when I had lost so much weight that I was at 146lbs Dr Stacy Murray my primary care doctor who had been intervening for me throughout this entire process got me over to see Dr Livingston. Dr Livingston was outside my HMO network at the time. I truly have to say I owe my life to Dr Murray who went above and beyond her obligations to help me.Dr Livingston explained that my Stomach had died and that the only solution was to do surgery again. Dr Livingston said that in my current state of health he was not sure I would make it but there was no choice. I was finally sent home and it took months to slowly start to recover. That is the story that leads us to the present My kids were going through there teen years my wife was upset with me I found out latter and resented my being sick and said she just could not stand to even see me in the hospital more then a few minuets. This series of events from 2000 to present are what caused the problems leading to my divorce.

While on disability at home I tried to get back into the work force doing anything in an effort too provide better the Social Security. I was constantly in and out of the hospital with Kidney stones, aspiration and pneumonia problems that eventually just took its toll on me and I have had to go back on disability. I am currently working on a book and going to try and use my time to teach Bible and write as God provides the opportunity. We have to work at what we can with what we have it could just be this is Gods way of leading the horse to water, it is up to us to drink. Things don’t make sense to me I admit. I have done everything I can to save my marriage and be a creative force to help others in anyway I can.


Thank you
Ray Trezona

if I can help you in anyway you can leave me a comment