My sister convinced me from a thousand miles away to wake up my roommate and go to the ER. After a urine test the nurses determined I had kidney stones. It didn't surprise me that I had them, since mom and dad have had them before, but it made me mad. Why did I need to get them? I am only 23, too young for this.
After vomiting, trying to sleep in the freezing hospital, and finishing the IV of harsh pain medications, Christin and I headed back to our apartment with more pain meds in tow. The nurses also gave me the name of a doctor to see on Monday. I slept and drank many liquids for most of Sunday (and had a few visitors who brought me juice!), and then Monday rolled around.
God sent me a wonderful friend in 2016. Carla lives down the street from us, and she is my age. She just finished her time in the university and is waiting to graduate. She agreed to accompany me to the hospital on Monday. We headed to the seventh floor to see the doctor, only to find out he was on vacation. No one knew when he was going to come back. I was ready to give up right then and there.
Carla took charge, and we went from floor to floor looking for other urologists. In the DR, in order to see a doctor, you don't have a specific appointment time. You arrive in the morning and put your name on a list, and the doctor sees patients in that order. We found the urologist with the shortest list. After waiting a few hours, he could see me.
The doctor was so kind and funny. He did a sonogram and could tell there are at least two kidney stones, maybe more. He wanted me to have a special X ray done. Monday when I got back from the doctor I found these sweet notes from my students. Their prayers made me cry.
Thursday I had to fast and clear out my system for the X ray on Friday. What a painful process. Friday went fine, I just arrived home extremely tired, but with the X rays. This week I will go back to the doctor with the X rays to see how many stones there are, how big they are, and what we can do about the situation.
I has been a difficult week. I was kind of mad at God at first. WHY I kept asking. I am getting more involved at church and serving more in Santiago. These kidney stones are holding me back. The devil doesn't like it when we are serving God. We are in a battle (la batalla) and this was one of the devil's schemes to knock me down, make me feel discouraged, and tired.
My two words for the year are REST and PRAY. I have gotten lots of time over the past week to rest. I need rest. My body is trying to get these stupid kidney stones out. It's tiring. I also have had lots of time to pray. It was a long weekend, and many of my friends left for the mountain or beach. That left me alone in my apartment. I took advantage of the time to talk to my Heavenly Father.
There are no limits for those who have faith in God. Trust in him. He makes the impossible possible. He changes and transforms our circumstances.
One of my friends in the DR said to me, you will never know God as HEALER if you are never sick. Those words really hit me hard.
Thank you for your prayers, texts, and messages. I have felt SO supported in this challenging journey. What is God teaching you in the middle of the battle?
Con mucho amor.
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