Maria is a dear lady who was the first one to come to our Bible Studies. She has been such a blessing to us! She is faithful and growing in the Lord by leaps and bounds! (She was saved in 1980 in Michigan) About two weeks ago she went into the hospital with chest pains. She soon found out that she had had two heart attacks. Finally after almost 2 weeks she was transferred on Sunday to Martinique where she can have the surgery needed to unblock her arteries. There are two spots that are blocked.
She called this morning to say that the surgery is scheduled today for 10am. I told her we would definitely be praying for her and we're ready for her to come back home! Her spirits are doing great and she has joy in her heart. Her surroundings are a different story. I'm realizing through this that in America we are so blessed. I've taken for granted the clean conditions we have in our hospitals! Where Maria is there is no air-conditioning, only a small window with a light breeze coming through. All phones and lights are turned off by 8pm. Cold showers (no hot water) are all you can do IF you don't have an IV...otherwise you must stay in bed, with just your birthday suit and a sheet. No Tv's in the room unless you pay the 8 euros a day, then you can have it Monday through Friday. Expect some mildew in the bathroom, or as Maria put it, A LOT! After her surgery she will not be able to leave her bed for 48 hours for anything.
So, please remember Maria today. She's ready to feel better, and to come home.
If you're in a place where hospital conditions are better than what she's experiencing, then you need to be thankful. We really do take a lot for granted, don't we?
Praying for Maria's complete recovery! Hospitals are clean here in BC, of course, but they are not the nice semi-private and private rooms we have in the US. The rooms are wards, with 4 beds in each room, and unless you're in the maternity ward, you will probably be rooming with members of the opposite gender. One bathroom per room. No phone or TV unless you pay extra for it. And the hospital is crowded! I've seen people in beds in the hallways. I was pretty shocked the first time I visited the hospital here. The reason is government-funded medical care. There's only so much money to go around.
ReplyDeletePraying for Susan today. Yes, I am thankful for the good medical facilities we have in Nairobi. The rest of Kenya doesn't have much, but at least we are well taken care of in the capital city.
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