transfer 4 week 2

Well as I'm sure most of you have heard by now, it's been an interesting week. Lets start from the way beginning..

Back when I was 12 years old, we discovered that when I was born, my intestines were born in a sac of skin. And that my appendix was on the wrong side, after many many years of pain and hospital trips, we finally figured out what was wrong with me. I got surgery a few weeks later to remove my intestines from the sac of skin as well as remove my appendix. They used scar tissue to attach my intestines to my abdomen wall so that they would hopefully not get twisted again. 

This brings us to Sunday. Sunday was going great! Got past the first few days of being a new OA and was starting to get in the swing of things. We even were a big hit at the staff meeting! They loved and congratulated us on how well we presented the data. I just love math. We were heading into the busy Sunday night when all the Zone Leaders turn their zone's weekly numbers into us when I started getting horrible stomach aches. I didn't think it was that big of a deal so I just grabbed a heating pad and some chocolate and sat down at the computer and started analyzing the numbers. Just a few hours later when we got home and in bed, I was in massive pain. We had to call the AP's in the middle of the night to come and help me, we all prayed fervently that night and did our best to calm the storm within! I made it through till morning, with absolutely no sleep. I didn't have too much luck with pain on Monday either. I made it halfway through the day before Sister Poulsen said I looked like death and needed to go see a doctor. We actually just called the doctor that all the Temple Square sisters visit, and after hearing my symptoms he thought that my intestines weren't digesting food. Which is something that often happens with infants he said, so he had me take some milicon. And on the bottle it said "If you weigh under 24 pounds take this amount, if you weigh over 24 pounds take this amount" uhhh.... so I'm pretty sure I'm way over 24 pounds? I gave it my best guess. Turns out that it didn't really matter because I threw it all up that night anyway! Monday night was what I imagine hell to be. Complete pain and lack of control of anything. I feel bad for my poor companion, she did EVERYTHING she could to help me, and there was simply nothing we could do to get better. She even held a heat pack with pressure on my stomach one night for 3 straight hours! She's an angel. Anyway, after a night of complete body disturbances in any way imaginable, we finally went to the hospital on Tuesday morning. 

The first thing the doctor said to me was "You must be tough, because you waited WAY too long. Most people only last about 30 minutes before coming to the hospital when they have this." They quickly gave me some morphine and I was in happy land. According to Sister Poulsen and Sister Takahashi (sister who drove me) I was hilarious. I was trying to get referrals from the nurses and was turned down hardddd. I blame my horrible How To Begin Teaching Skills on the morphine. Anyway, I got a CT scan because they figured I had a bowel obstruction. While they were waiting for my results they did the most painful part of this whole week, they stuck a tube down my nose, throat and stomach. I had one of these with my last bowel surgery, but they did it while I was asleep. So they started draining out my stomach (and the new blood that this tube caused to be there) until we got the results back from the CT scan. The results arrived and the news came that I would be getting surgery that day! 

What happened it that my intestines got twisted and stuck to the old scar tissue that was there from my last surgery. So it is like when you twist a hose and the part where things are flowing enlarges until it bursts from the other side (hence throwing up).They told me before my surgery that if the part of my intestines that is twisted is really bad that they might have to remove it. That it might be past the point of repair. Well prayers were heard and answered because they were able to save it! They said that it was very sick and purple, but repairable. The surgery and everything went really well, I got a simple 5-6inch vertical incision right in my mid-line, crossing my belly button. The healing process has been going very well and I am on my way to recovery! They told me 3-5 days of recovery in the hospital and then another week in bed. I'm going to be staying here in Utah at my Aunt's house for recovery, that way I'll be up back in no time on the Square! 

These past few days in the hospital have been interesting, it's so weird being a missionary in the hospital. For starters, I'm alone most of the time. I haven't been alone for 5 months... Something that I'm glad I don't have to get used to for too long. Also since they cut into my abdomen wall, it's extremely hard to sit up or walk. But I started racing one of my nurses Ezra in the hall (I think he's just being nice and letting me win). I'm at an LDS hospital, but a remarkable number of employees here are not LDS. I have been working on it though, slowly but surely! 

As of 20 minutes ago, I had some gas! Never been so excited for gas, because that means I am on my way to leaving the hospital soon. My surgeon, Doctor Jackson, said I am making a great recovery and that today I will be taken off the morphine, and put just on basic pain killers. And most importantly, that I'll be getting out of here tomorrow morning! So that's the latest with me.

I have been so lucky to have so many visitors this week! Some family, mission friends, countless long visits from my wonderful mission president and his wife, and even some missionary mom's who just simply heard about me on facebook! I've gotten spoiled with flowers, balloons, cards, and even a cookie dough blizzard that is waiting for me in the fridge! The love and support that I have felt over these past few days is incredible. I know that God is so aware of me, and that he has blessed me with such a remarkable recovery.

I just got done with a visit from Sister Poulsen, mission president's wife. And she told me that she thinks my remarkable recovery was due to my positive attitude and my faith on God's plan and will for me. That is something that I know to be true! I know for a fact that God WILL work mighty miracles, as long as you have faith in him. As long as you can accept His will before your own. God is a God of love, and I felt that this week. I am a witness of the true loving nature of God. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, he truly helped me get through this physically difficult week. He is my Savior, Redeemer and healer. I love this Gospel, and I love even more being a missionary.

I'll be with my parents for the next week if you want to send them a quick message to get to me. 

Best wishes for the week ahead,

Sister Brock