Missionariesand Blessings
When we got back to Curitiba we Googled Curitiba LDS Mission and it brought up the address and phone listing to the mission home in Curitiba. We called and were able to get the number for the missionaries who covered the area where the hospital was. We called them an asked if they would come by and help me administer a blessing to Jena. Also asked if they would give me a blessing of comfort. We had a nice chat with them, on another day we called and asked if they would come and give a blessing to another american patient who was there who had the same surgery we did but she was having more complicated problems they Jena was.
Joey was able to go to the temple to get some garments and other things he needed. He called Anna, "our" cab driver. She lived in Boston for 3 years and is such an amazing person. We sold her our camera, so we don't have a picture of her, but she treated us like family. Here are some pictures she took for us of the temple, and a view from her cab.
Other american patients
During the time we were there there were other Americans who came for the same
surgery we did and there was a guy from the Bahamas who came as a care taker for some so they could have the surgery.
Neil was/is one of the most caring and loving people we met in Brazil. He made sure we had what WE needed, even though he was there to take care of Linda. We'll never forget you Neil!
Linda is one of our choice friends. Her dad stayed with her and we enjoyed all the time we had with them! We laughed about our silly predicament, not knowing when we could go home to USA...Linda and I couldn't eat, so we'd beg Ralph and Joey to describe how things tasted. I know, we were total dorks :) Ralph would always find something funny to talk about, and play tricks on the nurses like hanging bananas, beer cans, etc. on Linda's IV pole. The nurses loved him! Linda and Ralph were a huge part of our experience in the hospital, and I don't think it's coincidence we met. They're just that cool! :)
Eating and sleeping in hospital
During that time when i we were back in the hospital Jena didn't eat or drink anything for a month but i had to try and find foods that were soft that i could eat. The foods i remember eating are cottage cheese, nuts, lunch meat, tuna fish, regular cheese, rotisserie chicken and drink able yogurt. The cottage cheese was dry and bitter, definitely not like her in the U.S. and i remember the tuna fish didn't taste the same either.
The one hospital room we had the longest had this couch that folded out flat to make a bed. The picture from May 7th, the couch shows what the bed looked like when it wasn't unfolded out. I layered it we bed sheets and blankets to add some padding. We called it the Lasagna Bed cause with the layers it kind of looked like lasagna. Because i am really tall i had to sleep diagonal on it and had my feet hang off the end.
Other details i remember
On TV there were only two channels that played stuff in English one channel was CNN or some other international new channel and on the other they played re-runs of House and Law and Order SVU.
Also during the time we were there the World Cup began and on the days that Brazil played most everyone was at home or a bar somewhere watching the game. There was lots of fireworks going off too.
I remember many nights in the hospital waking up at 2 and 3 in the morning from the noise of someone's party that was going on right next to our hospital room window. Also remember waking up at midnight cause the nurse would turn on all the lights in the room when the came in to do there rounds.
About June 14th, after being there almost a full month after they were supposed to be home, we were given the okay to start making plans to go home. Throughout this whole time Jena prayed hard to find out what she needed to learn from all of this, and she came across some really great friends across the hall from the USA. Ralph and Linda were down and out as well, but it distracted her from not knowing when she'd get to go home.
Jena also turned to the scriptures and Apostles today for comfort and advice in this situation. She was able to receive it in abundance. Several talks gave her comfort. A couple of her favorites:
"[W]e should even give thanks for our afflictions because they turn our hearts to God and give us opportunities to prepare for what God would have us become." Elder Dallin H. Oaks (full article: click here)
"Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith." Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (full article: click here)
Finally, the day came when she was told she would be able to go home. She hadn't leaked anything for a full day, had a barium contrast test and the fistula was closed...she was able to make arrangements to go home!
The next day she started to leak again. She was absolutely devastated. Her faith had been tried each day for over 8 weeks, what was she to think now? The surgeon assured her she was well enough to go home. Just to be patient and this would heal on its own.
Here is a link to the last day in the hospital, dancing with Linda, her new buddy, and the nurses: {click here}
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