Month 6 on the race was finally here. After 24 hours of travel, my squad and I had landed in South Africa. We had a 5 hour bus ride standing between us and our 6th country, Swaziland. Just before we boarded the bus I began feeling sick…very sick. I turned, jokingly to my squadmates in the bus with me, “Well guys, this might be the time I poop my pants on the race.” We drove for about 15 minutes before I literally was about to go poo in my pants. It was serious. Susan, my squad mate and also a nurse, convinced the driver to pull over. Keep in mind my whole squad was traveling in three vehicles, caravan style to Swaziland. So, when one vehicle stopped, they all stopped. At this point my sense of dignity and self awareness were gone and would not return for another couple of hours. As the bus pulled over on the highway, I jumped out along with Bri and Susan following behind me. They didn’t even think twice about helping me. No more than a few seconds went by before I was going number two on the side of the highway with Bri and Susan holding up a blanket to shield me from on-going traffic.
Let me take a second to point out that a thunderstorm was going on while we we driving. Bri and Susan were more than willing to not only shield me as I got sick but did so in the pouring rain with lightening striking around us. I’m pretty sure at one point Susan said “Wow, Ali the view is really nice from here, you picked a good spot to go!” While there was a moment of relief, soon my sickness grew worse. There was no time for me to be embarrassed or think about what I was doing because before I knew it, I was jumping out of the van again with Bri and Susan holding up blankets as a shield again. The next thing I knew, I was in a public restroom sitting on a toilet getting sick out of both ends. (sorry for the graphic description). Time was lost in my mind and I was going in and out of awareness. As I sat in the public restroom Bri, Susan, Libby, and Amanda (who is also a nurse) took turns standing outside the stall incase I passed out or needed anything. At one point I opened the bathroom stall and slid to the ground. Sweat was all over my body and I was dry heaving into a plastic bag. As the heaving slowed I was helped to my feet and eventually taken to a van. The squad leaders made the decision that I would be moved from the bus to the van to allow the other two buses to continue on to Swaziland. At some point after, we left the rest stop and my van had pulled up to a hospital as I was being rolled up in a wheel chair to some hospital in South Africa. Amanda, Libby, and Mary came with me and took turns sitting in the emergency room as I received fluids and a diagnosis of my sickness. After a check up by the doctor he assessed that I most likely had appendicitis, although it wasn’t certain and it would be best to be admitted for the night. It wasn’t much longer before I was moved to a bed upstairs in a ward with 5 other ladies. I said good night to my squadmates, Ben, Libby, Lauren, Mary, and Amanda (who slept in the lobby of the hospital). As you can imagine it was difficult for me to fall asleep, thinking I was going to get my appendix removed in the morning. I turned the T.V. on to help get my mind off of everything and to my surprise the NFL Thanksgiving game was on! I almost shouted with joy when I saw an American football game on the screen! Not only was I watching the Cowboys and Raiders play live, but Matt McGloin was quarterback for the Raiders! Incase you have no clue who that is, McGloin was the starting QB of Penn State when I went to school there. Talk about something great coming from something awful…kind of.
I fell asleep watching the game and awoke in the morning to a nurse changing my I.V. and replacing my antibiotic fluids. To my surprise, the shooting pain in my stomach had lessened and I was hopeful for good news. A number of hours went by before I was taken to a doctor to receive news if I needed the surgery or not. Amanda, Ben, and I went to the doctors office and received the news. A mere five minute appointment with the doctor is all it took for him to asses I did not need surgery, however it would be best for me to stay in the hospital another day. So I was glad for the good news but wondered why I needed to stay another day. A few moments later, when I was back in my bed, a different doctor came by and assessed the problem and assured I did not need surgery. Wanting to know what was making me so sick, I asked him how he knew so quickly. He explained if I were to have appendicitis, I would show no signs of improvement over night. Although the doctor believed my condition was a result from food poisoning; I believe I didn’t need surgery because my squad was praying for me.
It was still early in the morning and I knew I would be in my bed the whole day, so I began to wonder when somebody from my squad would be back. I figured they had enough logistics to figure out as well as finding a place to eat. An hour or so went by and I really began to feel lonely. It was a feeling very foreign to me and I realized how much my squad has become my new family. They have been with me and I have been with them through so many things. I began to realize that the loneliness I felt will be similar to how I will feel when I go home in 6 months. It’s not normal to live with and see the same 50 people every day. My heart changed there in the hospital. My teammates and my squad mates faces flashed through my mind. Not my family back home. While going home is still far away, I know I will be losing the greatest community I’ve ever been apart of and may ever be a part of.
The next morning I was still feeling ill but had permission to leave the hospital and through only a few barf bags later and a stop to see wild Rhinos, my van finally made it to Swaziland where we would be reunited with our squad and I went to bed. Today I am feeling better and still have a swollen heart for my squad. Whatever the purpose of me getting sick and being hospitalized, I know one reason was to open my eyes to the Jesus I see everyday in my squad.
This blog does not do justice to the comfort and love I received from Susan, Bri, Libby, Amanda, Ben, Mary, and Lauren. Each of them showed me unconditional love and I am so thankful to have them as a part of my T squad family.
P.S. To my T Squad,
God is the perfect planner and it was no mistake I was hospitalized in the beginning of month 6. It was also no mistake that for the third time this race, our entire squad is together (normally a squad is only together once or twice per race). So what ever unity God has planned for T squad I’m praying we embrace the love Jesus is waiting to pour out upon us through loving each other, serving each other and loving God together.
