Well I can honestly say that I
never expected to have major surgery in a third world country only 2 weeks into
the world race. But I guess we
don’t really make those decisions so why not? I’m sure many of you have already heard what happened either
from my parents or other members of my team that have been walking through this
with me. Monday I started having
pretty bad stomach pains but I figured it was either just something I ate or
cramps so I figured I’d just take some ibuprofen and give it time. That night it felt like I was being
stabbed and I didn’t sleep at all, I also started running a pretty high
fever. So the next morning I opted
not to go to our ministry site but rather to go to the doctor to get checked
out. One of the girls had
suggested that I might have had an ovarian cyst that burst which could be what
was causing my pain. So I went to
the doctor and waited for a while for him to get there.
The Lord is good and provided me
with a doctor who spoke enough English that we could understand each other and
I could tell him my symptoms and he could explain what tests he would do and
what it could be. After an
ultrasound and searching out the high intensity points of my pain (which let me
tell you was super fun) he explained that he felt that with the area of my pain
as well as the high fever that his conclusion was that it was my appendix. He wanted to run some blood work and
consult with a surgeon and they would give me their final conclusion in an hour
or so. Great. Yea, I figured I’d get sick at some
point on this whole endeavor but I never really anticipated having surgery in
Guatemala. It wasn’t exactly on my
lists of things I hoped to do while I was gone. But ok. I can
do this.
Becca, and Greg have been with me
the whole time at the doctor and I am so thankful to them both. Becca has a lot more medical knowledge
than I do so it was such a blessing to have her there holding my hand telling
me I’m ok and that everything’s fine.
So they come back and let me know that’s it definitely my appendix and
they would like to operate in an hour because apparently there are stages in
appendicitis and they prefer to operate during the first two, the third is more
difficult and the fourth is when it has already ruptured. So I call my Dad and fill him in on
what’s happening and they take me to a room to start prepping me for
surgery. I was pretty loopy by
then from my high fever so I don’t remember everything exactly as it probably
happened. They took me to the
operating room and the anesthesiologist was attempting to explain what he was
going to do but he didn’t speak any English and I’ve gotten pretty good at my
blank confused I have no idea what you are saying to me look. So finally when my doctor got there he
stepped in and explained that he was going to do a spinal block or something
I’m sure that’s probably the wrong name and that I would be awake. Nope. Not happening.
I quickly explained that I had no intention of being awake and no desire
to remember anything so that’s what needed to happen if they didn’t mind. And I don’t remember a thing after that
till I woke up in my room so apparently they granted my request.
I remember off and on from that night when I was back in my
room but it was all a little fuzzy mostly I remember being poked a lot and I
REALLY hate needles. Like
seriously. The next morning I was
awake enough to call my parents and let them know that I was alive and doing well
according to the doctors. Abby and
Becca had stayed with me through the night and were waiting to shift change
with Lauren and Nikki till the doctor came to talk to me. I’ve gone back and forth about how much
information I would put on here but seeing as how my Mom has already posted it
all over my facebook I might as well.
When the doctor came in he explained that when they got in to remove my
appendix it was in stage 3 and that they also found a lot of free floating
blood. So they searched for the
source and found that it was my left ovary. Apparently I had some cysts that had built up over time and
eventually hemorrhaged my ovary and fallopian tube or something in doctor
language that is similar to that.
They couldn’t be saved and ended up removing them as well as my
appendix.
So yea not so great news. He explained that this would have happened
no matter where I was so I didn’t need to question if I had caused it by being
down here and all that jazz. So a
lot of things have happened in the last week that I would never have imagined. The great news is I can still continue
on the race. I have to take it
easy for a few weeks but will be well enough to travel to Nicaragua and slowly
work my way back into ministry.
I’m so very thankful for all of the prayers that people have been
sending my way. And I ask that you
continue to pray for a speedy recovery both physically and emotionally. It’s definitely something I struggle
with at times it’s hard not to question why this is happening while I’m in the
middle of doing missions work. Why
now? Why me? Why this? Wasn’t the appendix enough? A verse that both my mom and I really cling to is Jeremiah
29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'” So I may not know the why’s now. I may never know the whys. This is an excerpt from my devotional
that I read last night:
“Don’t vex your minds by trying to explain the suffering you
have to endure in this life… Even
in the midst of your suffering you are in his kingdom. You are always his children, and he has
his protecting arm around you… Don’t ask why; don’t try to understand. Does a child understand everything his
father does? Can he comprehend
parental wisdom? No – but he can
confidently nestle in his father’s arms and feel perfect happiness, even while
the tears glisten in his eyes, because he is his father’s child.” -Albert
Schweitzer
So I don’t know the whys and I’m going to do my best not to
dwell on him. My purpose here is
still the same. To share the love
of Christ with the people of the world.
This is part of my story now and I plan to embrace it. Learn from it. Grow in it.
