First, I am OK!!! (momma, don’t freak out)
So we got to the beautiful country of Ecuador last Saturday and what a beautiful country it is. We got up Sunday morning went to church, had lunch, and a few of us went to one of the tourist traps better know as the equator.
Monday morning we started with our ministry at COVI. Playing with kids, helping in the kitchen, cleaning after lunch, weeding a garden, and so much more. So bless to be serving there this month.
Wednesday morning I wake up with a super sore throat but no worries, with staying at 8,500ft above sea level, I thinking it is just the mountain air and change of seasons. Not to mention that it is so hard to breath here.
Thursday it got worst. I could feel congestion settling in my chest. I was like No BUENO!(no good) I went to ministry an fought through it, or tried. My teammates momed me and made me chill out and sit most of the day. I could feel fever coming with the cold sweats and chills. Thursday night, I was out. I slept like a rock but it was the only sleep you get when you are sick with a fever.
Friday morning I felt terrible! I was getting ready and could hardly breath. I talked with my team told them how I felt, prayed over them and sent them to ministry with out me.
I was devastated! This is the first week and I already am missing a day of ministry? How could this happen to me! Im am never sick in the states! What is going on!
These thoughts rush through my head as I walk back to my bed. My head hit the pillow and the rest of that day was history. Lets just say one of my teammates woke me up for dinner at 6 that night. I ate dinner hung out a bit, had a night of worship with the squad, and headed back to bed. Still not felling great but at lease rested.
Saturday, I still did not feel great but I was like I am in Ecuador. Ether I feel bad and stay here at the house and not do anything or I go out see a little more of the world and still feel bad. So me and one of my squad leaders walked a forever long time, went on a gondola ride up to 13,000+ feet, rode a sketch roller coaster and had a great day but by the end of the day I was still not feeling any better.
Then there is Sunday morning. There were a few people on the squad that was not feeling well so we decided to head out to the local hospital as a small group. We cought a cab and I thought if this sickness does not kill me, this cab driver will. After a few passenger brake stomps and prayers we got to the hospital and was able to find the emergency check in where there was NO ENGLISH whatsoever but luckily we had someone with us that knew spanish. She helped us out a good bit but she was there to be treated also so after she went back we had to tend to ourselves.
I went through triage and was placed in a room (kinda). After a short wait a doctor came in to check me out with about 15 words of english. I was able to made out a few of her questions such as allergies, how many days have you been sick, how many days have you been in Quito, where is your pain, and then I was able to make out that she was going to send me to get a x-ray of my chest, blood work, IV antibiotics, nebulizer treatment… the list goes on. After all of that and about a three hour nap she came and told me (all in spanish) that I had an upper respiratory infection and my treatment plan to which I did not understand about 93% of it. As she walked away I laid in the bed thinking to myself I have no clue what is going on here or what do I do now. I start to process the day and the fact that I am in another country, in a hospital, having only the slightest idea of what is going on. Mind blowing!
I started to put my shirt back on still not really knowing what was going on. The girl in our group that spoke spanish was just across the aisle so I was able to get my doctor over there to explain everything to her and then to me. I felt better about leaving then. The last three of us gather our things and headed out to leave the hospital. We stopped by a market on the way back to our contacts house and I stocked up on gatorade because it was the only thing that reminded me of home and being sick at home.
So after about 10 orange Gatorades I think even though this would not be a first week I would have asked for, I am sure it is a week I most likely will not forget.
Get sick in a foreign country and get treated in a hospital there can now be added and checked out the bucket list!
