Visiting Hospital Escuela

Friday was the first time I have really been homesick.  I woke up at 5 a.m., which is my new routine, read a little, then fell back asleep.  When I woke up again my brother had posted a photo on FB of his back yard covered in snow.  A friend sent me a picture of the weather forecast predicting snow, and another friend said she had the first snow of the year at her house too.

Ever since I was little, I have loved the snow.  FB has an application which tells you what words you used most commonly in one year.  Mine were "love" and "snow".  Fitting.  I love to ski, I love to stay home and cook on snowy days, I love to sit and watch the snow blanket the earth around me.  I love to wake up to see everything white.  I love snow.

Honduras has two seasons - wet and dry.  The leaves don't change colors, even the temperature doesn't change much.  I noticed when fall came in the states and nothing changed here, that I use the seasons to mark time.  Without seasons my sense of time is off.  It will get a little bit colder here in November, December, and January.  But cold here is not very cold, except at night in the mountains.

So yesterday I was homesick, not for people, not for food, not for places, but for seasons.

Apparently Jose forgot to get dressed today

At the Breakfast Program they are practicing to perform again at church.  They will sing a cute song about faith the size of a mustard seed moving mountains.

Practicing with the morning group

Memo loves to sing.  Loudly!

The kids hung out and played because (surprise!) there was no school.  I know you are shocked.  Rumors are there will be no school on Monday.

Karla, Joss and Reyna (Walter's girlfriend) spent the day decorating the church.  Sunday will be another celebration of the 30th anniversary.  Last week after church we had a fish soup with crab and shrimp to raise money.  This week Lourdes is making her special rice dish.  Everyone is playing soccer all day Saturday, just to celebrate and have fun.  I think there are more than 10 teams signed up.

After the kids were served breakfast Lourdes asked if I would like to visit Clara in the hospital.  She has been there almost 3 weeks waiting for surgery.  I had a headache, but Lourdes was traveling by bus and I didn't want her to go alone.  Turns out Marlin was going too, but I also wanted to see Clara.  Lourdes' fibromyalgia has been painful lately, but she told me she is not going to talk about it any more.  She said she is going to get out of bed and do things.  So I really didn't want to complain about my headache.

We went to the hospital and found Clara to be doing well, in my opinion.  She is still in pain, but is given medicine for it.  She has a nice, clean room with a cool view of the city.  (The only thing I didn't particularly like was the funeral home across the street advertizing that it is open 24/7 with a display of caskets outside.)  But Clara seemed to be in good spirits.  We visited for a few hours.  As time went on, my headache became much stronger and I started having those flashes of lights that come with a migraine, then nausea.  I prayed, "God don't let me vomit in front of Clara."  God heard my prayer.

However, the Dr's came in as we were praying for Clara and everyone had to leave the room.  We went to the hall, which was packed full of all of the visitors from other rooms.  Suddenly I couldn't see straight and I couldn't stand.  I thought I was going to pass out.  I looked quickly for a nearby bathroom, but didn't see one.  So I turned to Lourdes and told her I was going to vomit as I slumped down to the floor.  She said we have to get you outside, but we were on the fourth floor.  We opened the door into the stairway and the smell and the noise of people made me feel more sick.  I told her I can't make it down the stairs.  I was walking like a drunk.  Then we saw another hallway with some windows.  I headed for the open windows and made it just in time.  I turned to Marlin and said I am going to vomit. Then I leaned out the window.  Luckily it was just roofs below.  No people.  But the hall was full of people sitting in chairs watching the whole thing.  Lourdes showed up quickly with a garbage can and turned me around  to face it.  Marlin held my hair.  I was sweaty and cold - you know how that feels.  And I threw up my oatmeal in front of 20 people who were all seated facing me.  The day before I had told Lourdes that in all of my time here, I have never had stomach problems.  This was caused by the migraine, but...

Afterward I felt better and told them I could walk, but as time went by the nausea came back.  We said good bye to Clara and by the time we got to the street I was really worried about taking the bus.  I didn't have the strength to stand as we waited, but I knew Lourdes would not want me to sit on the dirty sidewalk, so I squatted in the busy city street.  Bus after bus passed us by but none were going our way.  I would try to stand up again, but it made me more nauseous, so I returned to squatting.  Lourdes kept looking at me and finally she said, we are going to take a taxi.  I thought Hooray!  If I get sick, we can ask the taxi to pull over!

We made it back to the church with me sticking my head out the window.  Jairo invited me to dinner at their house, but I was still too nauseous to eat and to weak to want anything but my bed.  They all discussed that I had probably been overwhelmed by the sights and smells of the public hospital, which frustrated me.  The hospital was fine!  I had a migraine.  I went home and went to bed, but was shivering and sweaty.  I pried myself out of bed long enough for a hot shower on my sore muscles, then went back to bed.

This morning I still have a little headache.  It is worse if I move around.  And I'm dehydrated, but otherwise I'm fine.  Jairo called to ask me to come play football with everyone from the church.  I don't think he understands migraines because he told me everyone was having fun and running around.  It was so noisy in the background I could barely hear him.  I told him that I need to rest and he seemed disappointed.  Standing on a noisy soccer field with people yelling and cheering would not be best for me today.  I am disappointed too.  I hope I feel better for the anniversary celebration tomorrow.

Today I am going to sleep.