May 9, 2016

Hey!

So I've gotta apologize for the lack of information last week, and the fact that you were kind of left hanging! Our week got a little crazy, and it's actually a really long story, but I'll see if I can sum it all up quickly:

On Tuesday night, Elder Martineau badly hurt his ankle. While playing basketball at a ward function here in Pest, he came down hard on his left foot and had some pretty serious, immediate pain. That ended up brinding a close to our sport nap activities for the day, and we ran to a nearby hospital to take x-rays and make sure that nothing was broken. The doctors there made a very brief inspection of his leg, and then concluded that nothing was too badly damaged, and said he'd probably be able to walk the next day.

Unfortunately, state-run government hospitals in Hungary aren't very well-stocked with supplies, so they had no brace or crutches to give him to help him get around until he can walk on his own again. A very kind friend who was at the basketball game with us drove us back to our apartment, and the next morning we went on splits with the other elders from Pest to get a hold of some crutches and a brace for his ankle.

That same day, we headed across the city to the mission home in Buda, where we gave a zone training. With the help of the Simkins senior couple in Buda, we hitched a ride and made it there right on time. We came back home and spent the remainder of our day in our apartment, because Elder Martineau was largely immobilized.

The next morning, I woke up and called Sister Szabadkai, our medical coordinator, because it had been a sleepless night after three or four painful days with a bad stomachache. We made a doctor's appointment for that same morning, and again went off on splits with the Pest elders so that Elder Martineau would be able to rest and stay in our apartment. The doctor took urine samples, blood tests, and put in two liters of fluid through an IV as the results from the lab were being developed. The conclusion was indecisive, and ultrasounds were also decided upon. In the end, the ultrasounds didn't seem to prove exactly what the problem was, but the doctors knew that the pain was not caused by a virus, and that there was internal swelling in the abdomen.

In order to make sure that nothing too serious would happen before they could determine if the problem was bacteria or appendicitis, they suggested that I stay in a hospital overnight to be monitored in case of a more serious emergency. Our missionary insurance is really good, and it ended up covering the cost of staying in a private hospital here in Budapest. Long story short, they decided to operate when no signs of improvement were seen the next day, and now I don't have an appendix.

The rest of the week, and the majority of this week, as well, was spent in recovery at the hospital, then at the mission home under the care of the Szabadkai's, and then finally at our own apartment in Pest. Nothing turned out to be too serious, and the doctor said after going back for a checkup the other day that the bacteria is almost gone and no symptoms of the appendicitis remain. Elder Martineau's leg is still pretty damaged and they will take some ultrasounds later this week to determine if it is a badly sprained ankle or a ruptured ligament. Hopefully, it's nothing serious and we'll be able to get back to work soon. :)

Anyways, that's most of the major news for this past week, but I'll also include a few pictures that let you know what we've been up to recently! Love you all lots and hope you have a great week. :)

We went to visit the big Jewish Synagogue here in Pest a few weeks

ago for a p-day activity. It was so beautiful! Really cool to see, 

I guess it's one of the biggest ones in Europe! This is the cemetery

inside the Synagogue walls.

Inside the Synagogue

They give everyone a Yamaka who goes inside the Synagogue,

because all the boys and men need to cover their heads.

Elder Martineau and I inside the Jewish history museum!

Beautiful architecture of the Synagogue

Star of David

One week after having surgery, and feeling all better! :)