Friday, November 30, 2012
Surgery Update
Sorry, no pictures for you this time. Life has been a little boring just lying around recovering from my surgery. By the way, hope the last blog didn't confuse anybody, our trip to Georgetown was just before my big medical emergency. Anyway, I went to the Doctor this past Wednesday and he removed my stitches and gave me a clean bill of health. No infection, and so far, the surgery seems to have been a success. Thanks to all of you that had me in your thoughts and prayers during this time, I really appreciate it. The congregation here has really taken good care of me, bringing me meals, running errands for me, and calling and visiting to check on me. One sister that lives nearby was even coming by and helping clean my incision! I'm so grateful to Jehovah that he has taken care of me during this time. Now I'm ready to slowly get back into my normal routine and start living life again. Thanks again for all the support I have received! -Crystal
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
To town we go..Georgetown that is
So your thinking about visiting the city of Georgetown in Guyana, this is what you could expect to see.
This is a College, supported by one of the churches. If you look close at the center above the door you'll notice a statue of a saint.
One of many Angelican churches that exist in the city. These buildings may appear to be in good condition but trust me they are a handyman's nightmare. Some are in such disrepair that they can't be used for fear of collapse.
Back in the day (under British rule) these buildings probably stood as proud structures filled with faithful patrons, however now they just creek in the wind, straining to stand erect in the face of neglect and apathy.
No, this is not the Magic Kingdom, it's City Hall. This is my favorite building in GT and I can only imagine what it must have looked like in it's prime. Again, another sad tale of wear and tear and it leaves you shedding a tear.
And here we find ourselves standing before the High Court of Guyana. I was at once impressed with the craftsmanship and time it must have taken to build, yet once more my eyes begin to move beyond the scroll work to the rotten planks and blatant lack of effort to keep this important facility looking it's best. Case in point, could you enlarge the statue of Queen Elizabeth you would see that her nose has been broken off and one of her arms is missing, then to top it off someone left clothes at the base of the statue and it appears they have been there for a LONG time.
Now our tour brings us to the one place in GT that is well-kept and gives evidence of pride, the Presidential Headquarters. Donald Romatar is the president of Guyana and he has at least ensured that his place of dwelling is taken care of, go figure.
Granted not all of the city is crowded and buzzing with activity but you should be prepared to move quickly when needed, the traffic is to say the least controlled kious. So, if you are planning on come to see the city settled on the coast then bring your patience but leave your high expectations for another day and antoher city.
Till next time.....Scott & Crystal
This is a College, supported by one of the churches. If you look close at the center above the door you'll notice a statue of a saint.
One of many Angelican churches that exist in the city. These buildings may appear to be in good condition but trust me they are a handyman's nightmare. Some are in such disrepair that they can't be used for fear of collapse.
This is a snapshot of the downtown market. The place is packed with people during the day and then becomes a vagrants haven after hours.
This iconic clock has been broke since we've arrive. Often times Guyana is advertised as a tourist location using this structure as a beacon of capitalism and progress but upon closer inspection you find yourself searching for the first cap going in the opposite direction.
Back in the day (under British rule) these buildings probably stood as proud structures filled with faithful patrons, however now they just creek in the wind, straining to stand erect in the face of neglect and apathy.
No, this is not the Magic Kingdom, it's City Hall. This is my favorite building in GT and I can only imagine what it must have looked like in it's prime. Again, another sad tale of wear and tear and it leaves you shedding a tear.
And here we find ourselves standing before the High Court of Guyana. I was at once impressed with the craftsmanship and time it must have taken to build, yet once more my eyes begin to move beyond the scroll work to the rotten planks and blatant lack of effort to keep this important facility looking it's best. Case in point, could you enlarge the statue of Queen Elizabeth you would see that her nose has been broken off and one of her arms is missing, then to top it off someone left clothes at the base of the statue and it appears they have been there for a LONG time.
Now our tour brings us to the one place in GT that is well-kept and gives evidence of pride, the Presidential Headquarters. Donald Romatar is the president of Guyana and he has at least ensured that his place of dwelling is taken care of, go figure.
Granted not all of the city is crowded and buzzing with activity but you should be prepared to move quickly when needed, the traffic is to say the least controlled kious. So, if you are planning on come to see the city settled on the coast then bring your patience but leave your high expectations for another day and antoher city.
Till next time.....Scott & Crystal
Monday, November 12, 2012
Emergency!
As some of you may or may not have heard, I (Crystal) recently had to undergo an emergency appendectomy for acute appendicitis. In other words, they removed my appendix. It was my worst fear about coming to another country: that one of us would face a serious medical issue while we were here. Since Guyana has a reputation for having a less than stellar medical care system, we had been happy that so far, we had not had to seek any kind of medical help.
Well, my experience started this past Wednesday. We were out in the ministry, walking quite a far distance, when I began to have pains in my side. Thinking it was just gas, I kept walking until the pain became so intense, we decided to take a taxi the rest of the way to our meeting place for lunch. I figured if I could just sit and have something to drink, I might begin to feel better. Instead, the pain became worse. I was fortunate enough to make it to the bathroom before I "tossed my cookies". Scott called a friend of ours who lives in the area that happens to have a car to see if he could drive me home. Once there, to "cookie tossing" continued and the pain continued to increase. My temperature spiked to 102 and I eventually became so dehydrated that by around 2:30 the next morning, Scott decided to take me to New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Yes, picture us in the middle of the night motorscootering to the Hospital about 3 miles away! Actually, the cool night breeze brought some temporary relief from the heat of my fever. Upon arrival, I was given a brief medical exam (sort of) and diagnosed with a stomach flu and vaginal infection. They gave me an IV of saline solution and some anti-nausea medication and sent me home. The next day, I actually did seem to feel somewhat better, I was able to eat a little bit and keep it down, but the pain was not subsiding. When my temp again spiked to 102 that night, we decided it was time to go to a local private hospital that had been recommended to us by a missionary couple living nearby. I was pleasantly surprised to find brand new facilities with a friendly staff. After another examination and some blood work, it was determined that I had acute appendicitis and would need surgery. It turns out the doctor that examined me also happens to be their general surgeon, and he had performed over 1,000 appendectomies over the years. We decided to go ahead with the surgery, since there really is no other option other than waiting for your appendix to rupture. I was scheduled for surgery later that day and moved to a private room. I was truly impressed by the cleanliness of the hospital and the friendliness of the staff. More relief came when a brother from the Hospital Liaison Committee entered my room and informed me that not only does he work at that hospital, but that he would be part of my surgical team! Since this is a brother I have known previously, it put my mind at ease that he would make sure I would be taken care of. Jehovah knew my fears and put me at ease. The surgery was a success, and the doctor said had I waited another day or two it probably would have ruptured. Whew! Just in the nick of time.
Here are some pictures from my experience (don't worry, I left the gross ones out):
Well, my experience started this past Wednesday. We were out in the ministry, walking quite a far distance, when I began to have pains in my side. Thinking it was just gas, I kept walking until the pain became so intense, we decided to take a taxi the rest of the way to our meeting place for lunch. I figured if I could just sit and have something to drink, I might begin to feel better. Instead, the pain became worse. I was fortunate enough to make it to the bathroom before I "tossed my cookies". Scott called a friend of ours who lives in the area that happens to have a car to see if he could drive me home. Once there, to "cookie tossing" continued and the pain continued to increase. My temperature spiked to 102 and I eventually became so dehydrated that by around 2:30 the next morning, Scott decided to take me to New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Yes, picture us in the middle of the night motorscootering to the Hospital about 3 miles away! Actually, the cool night breeze brought some temporary relief from the heat of my fever. Upon arrival, I was given a brief medical exam (sort of) and diagnosed with a stomach flu and vaginal infection. They gave me an IV of saline solution and some anti-nausea medication and sent me home. The next day, I actually did seem to feel somewhat better, I was able to eat a little bit and keep it down, but the pain was not subsiding. When my temp again spiked to 102 that night, we decided it was time to go to a local private hospital that had been recommended to us by a missionary couple living nearby. I was pleasantly surprised to find brand new facilities with a friendly staff. After another examination and some blood work, it was determined that I had acute appendicitis and would need surgery. It turns out the doctor that examined me also happens to be their general surgeon, and he had performed over 1,000 appendectomies over the years. We decided to go ahead with the surgery, since there really is no other option other than waiting for your appendix to rupture. I was scheduled for surgery later that day and moved to a private room. I was truly impressed by the cleanliness of the hospital and the friendliness of the staff. More relief came when a brother from the Hospital Liaison Committee entered my room and informed me that not only does he work at that hospital, but that he would be part of my surgical team! Since this is a brother I have known previously, it put my mind at ease that he would make sure I would be taken care of. Jehovah knew my fears and put me at ease. The surgery was a success, and the doctor said had I waited another day or two it probably would have ruptured. Whew! Just in the nick of time.
Here are some pictures from my experience (don't worry, I left the gross ones out):
Me getting prepped for surgery
My room-they let Scott sleep in the other bed
Dr. Bob and his assistant
My surgical team (that's brother Samson in the dark blue scrubs)
Finishing touch.
Me ready to go home!
Scott helping me in the car. You can see the hospital behind him.
I was so grateful that everything went smoothly and this turned out to be a good experience for us. It just goes to show that Jehovah does take care of His people. Now, I am home recovering, moving around a little more each day. I seem to be healing up nicely. I go back Friday for my checkup and to get my stitches removed. Will keep you posted on any new developments. For those of you aware of the situation, thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
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