Nurse Frame at your Service!

Well, as of right now I am emailing from right in the middle of Cusco Peru! It has been quite the adventure the last few days. If you ask my companion-I don’t know if she would love to do the adventure again, but I am loving it!

The poor thing had appendicitis and had surgery here in Cusco! WHOA!!! Poor thing, good thing she is a tough girl who can handle having surgery thousands of miles away from home! Anyways, brace yourself because this story is quite different than a normal missionary emailJ

Well, this last week has probably been the hardest week working wise on my mission. Our investigator pool is struggling, and our progressing investigators are few, and wow I am just going to say it was a week that tried my faith. Wednesday I was SO done. I sat on the curb with my coke-yes I love coke and if you know me I HATED IT BEFORE- but wow it helps when the food just isn't quite digesting right… but in this moment I needed it emotionally. Oh boy I sound like a wimp writing that. Anyways I sat my bum on the curb of the sidewalk and told Hermana Hoskins… WHY AREN'T THE PEOPLE JUST FLOCKING TO US!!! We have this message that will help them SO much! My heart was aching. It is so hard to show up to investigators houses or newly contacted people and have them feel obligated to hear the message. Oh it just makes me want to shake them and say “We carry a message that is so precious, will you just listen?” But people have their agency. It was hard because at moments I found myself asking where the Lord was in our work, and whether I had enough faith. It was HARD. But, as always he is there. We just have to keep going. But when it all seems to fall apart, there always is something more to come!

 It started on Friday when my companion said she had really constant and sharp stomach pains in her left side starting that morning when we woke up. So I told her to shower and we would keep watching it. Mind you before this story you need to understand my companion IS NOT A WIMP. So I knew it was kind of odd just hoping it was digestive problems. Anyways the pain got worse but I gave her some IB profen to see if it helped and it did so we went out to work that day and she was fine with just a little pain here and there in between lessons. But we continued but it was still there. As most of you know I am a nurse so there were a lot of options in my mind of what could be going on but it was puzzling because the pain was on the left side all day… So anyways she went the rest of the night without IB profen. We decided that if it continued throughout the night we would just call the zone leaders to see if she could get a blessing because she was in constant pain. So we went to bed and I fell right to sleep but was woken up at 3 in the morning to her saying.. Hermana Frame it isn’t going away and it is a lot worse. So I jumped out of bed and got to work. We tried laying in all kinds of positions and at this time her whole bottom of her abdomen was hurting so I turned on the testaments for her to watch and gave her some IB profen and 20 minutes later she threw it up. Well by this time I said well I want to call the zone leaders but if you don’t want to I will wait till you are ready. If you know my comp it has to be her idea so I let her make the decision, but if she didn’t in the next hour mean Nurse Frame was going to come out. But luckily she said nope we are calling. So we called the zone leaders, and 10 minutes later we were on our way to have a blessing and to have her checked out.

Okay. This is where the story is ridiculously interesting for me because of my nursing background. Can I just tell you the hospital I walked into was DISCUSTING! I can’t even describe it. But I will try.. It was like we walked into the 50´s. They were mopping the floor when we got there and it was black water. It was completely open to the air outside and none of the nurses wore gloves. The ER room looked like the room off of MASH (a show my grandpa watches). I was flipping out inside because I knew if she was going to have any type of procedure done I was going to do it (okay I wouldn’t but it was not looking promising). But anyways we got in to get her checked out and yes it was indeed appendicitis at this point. It was 5 AM by this point and I am wondering all that will happen in the next few days because I knew she was going to need surgery and SOON! So the zone leaders came to help us because she and I couldn’t separate. They had to start an IV on her to start fluids and take her blood and as I watched the nurse prepare her arm I flipped and told her that if she didn’t get it on the first poke I will do it. I said the biggest prayer of my life and she got it on the first try! But it was crazy how willing the nurse was to just hand over the procedure because she knew I was an “American nurse”. So we spent the morning getting meds for her pain, getting blood drawn and an ultrasound. By this point there wasn't a doctor on call to do the surgery in Quillabamba and so the zone leaders were going to send us to Cusco. In my mind I was so grateful because I knew they would have better resources.

 So within 2 hours we made the horrible 5 hour drive to Cusco.  This was rough for Hermana Hoskins. The poor thing was in pain and at this point her body wanted that appendix OUT! She had the shivers really bad and she would spike a fever super quick and really warm. At one point she was almost going to pass out but I said a prayer and felt totally fine we would make it. I knew it was all symptoms of appendicitis. Anyways we got there and had our mission doctor check her out and she was in surgery within an hour! 

Waiting to get into surgery! This girl is a rock!

YAY! This was all at 7 o clock at night. The Hermana leaders were so good to take care of me.  But oh man the anxiety I had while she was in surgery. But I KNEW it was all going to be okay. It was hard to send her off to surgery and not follow. It was so odd being on the other end not being the nurse able to watch the surgery. Fun fact though! She got to watch the whole thing! They only had her under laughing gas and gave her anesthesia through her spine to not feel anything. She loved it!

After the surgery I came back and as they wheeled her in she looked great! The doctor proceeded to let us know it went well and then handed us a bottle with something odd in it. I was like, oh it must be a weird med and then I looked closer and THEY HANDED US HER APPENDIX! WHAT???? Haha only in Peru! 

Telling her all about her appendix and the surgery!
Oh she was probably sick of me explaining
 this and that and how cool this is
 and blah blah blah…
 She is so good to put up with me!

Admiring her trophy HAHA

 Right after surgery! We were so excited to have that bugger out of her body!

We still have it with us and are supposed to take it to get checked. Haha but it went so well. They did a laparoscopy procedure and she should heal super fast!

 

Hermana Leaders with the trophy of an appendix

 But it has been a weird last few days because we aren't doing missionary work.  But it was a blessing in disguise. I was so grateful to get to Cusco for her procedure with the equipment and care they had here rather in Quillabamba. But I have realized so many things as I have been able to care for Hermana Hoskins. I remembered being in nursing school and helping all my patients get through some really rough times. It reminded me of really why I went to nursing school. I want to help others. Not only just physically but emotionally. As a nurse we are right there helping with every need. It was good to feel needed as the last few months I have needed her. I also realized the precious opportunity I have to be a missionary and to be saving peoples souls. Not only have I been trained to save physical lives but spiritual lives as well as I am here on a mission.

 We are going to be in Cusco for a few days and then travel back with President and his wife on Thursday for our Conference we are going to have. Even though it has been a crazy weekend we have been taken care of. And my companion is doing great! Yay! Anyways, this is super long and not the usual letter but I am doing great! Saving lives and souls at the same time! Woot woot!

Overall it will be hard to leave Hermana Hoskins in 2 weeks as it is changes but we have learned so much together and the Lord knew we have needed each other at different times. I am learning so much each day. I love my mission adventures and all! Until next week…

Hermana Frame

 

Us having a slumber party in her bed on Sunday!
 We played games, watched movies,
 and talked all about random stories
we tried to remember from pre-misison life-
 haha such a fun time with this girl!