OOPS! I lost my Appendix!

Happy dragon boat festival and surgery!

Well another new holiday is here. We have received a lot of these super cool rice dumplings! and there are tons of dragon boat races I guess. We didn't get the chance to see any because we were out saving souls, (and having surgery) but I heard its really cool. 

So yeah I had surgery this weekend!  Probably the craziest few days I have ever had in my life hahaha. Two weeks ago I went to the hospital with Sister Knapp, but they told me that they didn't know what it was. They gave me pain medicine, told me to come back if it gets worse and sent me home. I had pain on and off these past two weeks but Friday night/Saturday morning I couldn't sleep cause I was in a lot of pain, so I woke up my companion at 2:30 in the morning and called the Mission's doctor. She told us to call an ambulance. (119 which is 911 in america) It was a very hard conversation cause the only Chinese we really know is gospel words. So while I am in the worst pain of my life me and my companion are flipping through this dictionary trying to communicate with the police. We have our address on a paper in characters so we were both unable to read it. We told the man what street we live on and so they drove up and down that street until they found us on the curb. It was pretty stressful then but now that I think of it, it is super funny. It has been quite an experience. Definitely one I won't forget. After two ambulance rides, lots of tests, people staring at me, needles, prayers, pain medications (that didn't work) hours of waiting, and more waiting.  The doctors told me I had an Appendicitis. When they finally wheeled me into the surgery room I felt like I was in a movie. There were Asians surrounding me and I had no idea what they were saying hahaha then I was out. When I woke up I was in the worst pain of my life.. I was still kinda out of it from the drugs, and I was so mad because I was in pain hahah Sister Davis said I was glaring at all the doctors lol I don't remember that part. After 36 hours of not having any food I finally ate breakfast that President and Sister Jergensen brought me. I couldn't eat a lot but I ate. Everyone has been so nice to me. My zone leaders came and gave me a blessing. My district leaders came and gave me the sacrament. Our investigator Zhang Dx has spent more time with me then anyone else. He actually works at the hospital I was at. He is a nose, ear, and throat doctor. He brought me flowers Sunday night and stayed for two hours then today he brought me food and some drinks for breakfast and lunch during his lunch break. He actually just went to see me again after work but I wasn't there so he called to make sure I was fine. Isn't he so kind? And so worried about me. I have had other friends visit me and bring me a balloon and some fruit. I am blessed with the best Mission President, a good companion who has had to have lots of patience this past weekend, and good friends/Investigators! My wounds are disgusting and they hurt. But I will get better fast. I am staying at my Mission Presidents while I recover. This has been my life for the past few days.

All of my pictures from this adventure are on my companions camera, which right now is having difficulties. I will send those next week (:  (Updated pictures 7/19/16)

I am doing so good and just working on getting better so I can go back out! Thank you everyone for the support and love!! I know the Gospel is TRUE

Here are some additional things that she said in her letter to us personally that I thought were interesting and funny. We are very grateful for President Jergensen who contacted us before the surgery and after to let us know she was okay! We are also grateful she is being watched over and resting in the mission home until she is back on her feet!

[Then we were at the hospital and they did a bunch of tests which took forever and put me on pain medicine while they were waiting for the results... but the pain medicine weren't working. For some reason the bag wasn't dripping so I was sitting there for awhile without any medicine. They got that fixed but the medicine still didn't take away the pain. Over time they tried three different kinds and they all didn't work. My body was being stubborn I guess. They came back telling me I needed a ct scan. I actually had to get two because the first one the instructions were in chinese so I didn't know when to breathe and not to breathe lol so the guy switched it to english. Then they put me out on a bed in the hallway. (there were so many people in that hallway it was ridiculous and everyone just stared at me) after a reaaaaaaalllllllyyyyy long time they came back with my results saying "there is nothing major wrong with you, we suggest that you drink water and eat something" so President Jergensen gave me some water and I drank it. Literally two minutes later after telling me there was nothing wrong with me, the doctor rushed back and said "the results just changed and you have an appendicitis. Don't drink or eat anything because you need surgery" wellllllllllllll yeah. Because I drank water I had to wait out in that hall for about another 9 hours. I was in that hall for about 16 hours total. It felt like an eternity because I couldn't sleep at all. There were so many people and sometimes they would accidentally hit into my bed with another person's bed. And there were some really bad smells haha. They took my blood so many times out in the hall. I have had more needles in my arms the past few days then I ever have before. They kept messing up and so they had to keep trying again and again hahaha and they had lots of blood tests to see if I had any poison in my body. Not fun. But finally surgery time came and I was a little nervous it being my first surgery and all, but I wasn't afraid. While all of this was happening I was never afraid. Because the blessing President Hutchings gave me in the MTC specifically said.. "no sickness will take you away from the work for more than a few days."]