God answers prayer

Since my surgery was postponed last week Thursday I decided to make the most of my pain free weekend :) I finished cleaning my room and prepared for craft and Bible Club on Friday.

Having fun making pattern with paint

Reflecting God's holiness

On Saturday I went to the last planning meeting for Ekklesia camp which will held on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. This is a free evangelistic camp which is held in the Point Fortin community for persons of all ages. I was able to brainstorm with the teachers for the 6 & under age group for ideas in presenting the theme of God's Gym to the younger children.

Teachers listen attentively as Aunty Carol shares about the theme

On Sunday I fellowshipped with my St. Augustine church family and it was uplifting as always. Sunday afternoon I headed to the hospital and had to go through all the preparations which had been done last week Wednesday night. I had a new roommate, and began talking with her. I also visited 'Pebbles' who was in the room next door. She was experiencing pains and was not feeling her baby moving so I prayed with her and for her baby.

On Monday, they prepped my roommate for surgery, but then found out that her blood count was too low so she had to return on Thursday. She was not pleased, but I encouraged her that it would not be too bad to have to come back, based on my experiences. They decided that, since my surgery had been postponed, they would tackle me first. I was grateful that I had a fresh team of surgeons and nurses to attend to me :)

The nurses in theatre were super sweet. They took off the AC in the waiting room because they realised I was freezing. When I got into theatre, they rubbed my arms and back to help keep me warm. The radio was tuned in to 107.1 so there was worship music playing in the background. One of the nurses prayed a powerful prayer before the surgery started.

I had told the anesthesiologist that I preferred for  him to put me to sleep, rather than giving me an epidural. He explained the benefits of the epidural (less drugs, less side effects, easier to manage during the surgery) and said that was the standard procedure for my type of surgery. However, 15 minutes after administering the epidural I was still able to lift both my legs "like if she is a high jumper" according to my doctor, so they had to knock me out. Before they started, the doctor examined me and said he could not feel the fibroids. I warned him against cutting me for no reason and the nurses laughed and said their doctor would not cut me for no reason.

After I recovered from the anesthesia the first question I asked the nurses was if they found the four fibroids which were on my ultrasound. She said they found more, but they would let the doctor tell me about it. The next day I found out that they removed 25 fibroids from my uterus. I have no idea how they all fit in there :)

Post surgery, still high on drugs :)

I was bedridden for the day of the surgery, but by the next day the nurses helped me get off the bed and move around. The pain is more when I move, but it's not unbearable. I just need to move really slowly, like an old woman LOL. The nurses in the hospital were really nice, checking me during the night to see if I needed any more painkillers, and very gentle in attending to me.

I don't have data on my phone, and I knew my whatsapp would have been clogged with messages from people enquiring about how I was doing. Bmobile has an option for you to get two days free data when you top up, but you normally have a limited time to activate it. I had topped up on Wednesday before I went to the hospital, but I didn't get the option to choose my reward. So I was pleasantly surprised when I got a text on Monday, telling me that I still had time to claim my reward! It was really good to be able to connect with those who had been praying me through and to share updates with my friends and family all over the world.

Some of my friends who reside in the northern part of the island were concerned when I said that I would be doing the surgery in Point Fortin. Some never knew there was a hospital there, and others thought it was "too far". However, my Point Fortin posse was with me all the way, visiting me during both the lunchtime and afternoon visiting hours, bringing gifts of soup, flowers, fruit and get well cards, and making me hurt my cut laughing. I really appreciated the demonstrations of love and support from my Point peeps!

Some of my first visitors

Big up my Point Fortin famaleeeeee!!!!!

Big lime in de hospital

My gifts ;)

This morning the nurse told me that I would be discharged today, and that if I didn't have a bowel movement they would give me something to ensure I had one. Thankfully, I didn't need any help so by the time the doctor made his rounds, he declared me good to go. The ride home was not as painful as I expected it to be, and I got my first visitors at home since being discharged.

Can you feel the love?

Dey come from far to look for me :)

I must express my heartfelt thanks to all who prayed, visited, called, sent emails, texts, whatsapp messages or called to show their support. All glory to God for a successful surgery, and I am continuing to trust Him for a quick and minimal pain recovery, and no reoccurence of fibroids. As much as I experienced His favor throughout, this is not something that I would like to go through again.

Oh this morning when I was walking, I saw that "Pebbles" had her baby boy last night and both mother and baby are doing fine. I am also in contact with my new friends that I made on the ward, and trusting God that I can be a source of encouragement to them.

I can truly look back at this experience and testify that God is faithful and He does indeed answer prayer!

Let not your heart be troubled

It all started in July 2014 when I was attending a regional ISCF conference in Guyana. While I was walking to bible study one morning, I started getting a pain in my lower back. By the time I got to the bible study, the pain became unbearable and I had no clue what was causing it. When those in charge saw the pain I was in, they took me to the nearest health center where I was given a pain killer and advised to do an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that I had four fibroids, but my doctor was not convinced they were the cause of my pain. I was advised to always have painkillers on hand in case the pain ever returned, but I never had to use them.

Then in March 2015 while in Grenada, I experienced another bout of pain in the middle of the night and had to be rushed to the hospital. Again, painkillers were administered and an ultrasound was ordered. This time, my kidney appeared to be enlarged, and upon further investigation, it was determined that I had kidney stones. I was instructed to increase my water intake and again to ensure that I had painkillers available. Those who know me could not understand that diagnosis, since I am constantly drinking water during the day.

Upon my return to Trinidad in October 2015, my doctor did a full medical, and after more tests and a visit to a specialist, it became clear that the two incidents were connected. The specialist determined that the largest of the fibroids is pressing on my kidney, restricted the flow of urine through my ureter, leading to a build up of calcium deposits which eventually develop into kidney stones. Because of the pressure on my kidney, he advised that the fibroids be removed.

I decided to do this surgery at Point Fortin Area hospital for a couple reasons:
1. I could have the surgery done for free instead of paying $30,000 to do it privately
2. The waiting period there would be significantly less than at the bigger hospitals
3. My surgeon, Dr. Pierre, comes highly recommended

Throughout this entire journey, I have seen God's faithfulness and provision:

• The pains I experienced were pretty excruciating, and came on suddenly. I thank God that, on both occasions, there were persons around who were able to take me to the necessary medical facilities for treatment, especially since on both occasions I was not in Trinidad
• Except for the tests and the cost of the specialist, all the other treatments were free of charge for me. I am so thankful for my doctor for being such a great support to me during this entire process
• Apart from the incidents recorded above, at no other time did I experience pain
• The two pints of blood I needed for the surgery was readily provided
• I was given the option to select the date for my surgery so I chose a date that was convenient for me
• When I went to the hospital last Friday for my screening, the head nurse was very friendly and helpful when she recognised me as the person who had read the eulogy at her sister's funeral (her sister was my accounts teacher) I feel very comfortable knowing that she will be looking out for me while I am at the hospital

In the midst of the horror stories in the news about the experiences some people have had at public hospitals in Trinidad and Tobago, and having heard the risks involved with my surgery, I am at peace, because I know that God is in control. Please pray for a successful procedure, for help to endure the post-surgery pain, and for a meaningful use of my time during recovery.

Psalm 100:5 - For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations

Celebrating Christ

Those who know me would be aware of the fact that I do not celebrate Christmas. However, as a follower of Jesus, I do not hesitate to make the most of every opportunity to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the month of December, there were many opportunities to share God's love and plan of salvation with many who do not regularly hear about Him.

Dramatising the birth of Christ

The first activity was the Closing Program for the children who attend the weekly Bible Club in our community. For this term, we examined the life of Paul and the lessons centered around how a life can be totally transformed when it is surrendered to God. Each class depicted what they learnt through songs or drama. We also used the opportunity to share about the importance of Jesus coming to earth to bring salvation to all. Many parents who had never before attended a closing program were there to hear these life changing messages, and the children were also challenged to allow the Holy Spirit to transform their lives so they could live pleasing to God.

Receiving additional presents

The week after our Bible Club Closing Program, we were contacted by a charity which had gift bags that they were willing to donate to children for Christmas. Since our children had already received tokens the week before, they were very surprised when we showed up at their homes with gift bags filled with snacks, coloring books, reading books or activity books for the older ones. They were truly blessed to have benefited from the generosity that is prevalent at this time of year.

Toys for children who had not received any before

This same charity was also responsible for donating fifty snack bags and toys which were distributed to children in Palo Seco through Is There Not A Cause (ITNAC), which has been working consistently in that community for the past couple of years. Fifty families benefited from food hampers, and over one hundred children received toys.

One of the children with her gift

The turnout was huge, and we used the opportunity to share with the residents the reason why Jesus had to come to earth. The message was clear that, without Jesus' coming, there was no way we could escape the penalty of sin, which was eternal separation from God. The residents had the opportunity to pray to God for forgiveness of their sins, and to invite the Holy Spirit to take control of their lives.

Resident thanking ITNAC for our investment in their community

One local church decided to take advantage of the Christmas break to offer training for their Sunday School teachers. I was invited to conduct a session entitled, "Why Teach Sunday School". We examined the importance of children in God's eyes, and the consequences of our not teaching them biblical principles while they were young.

Sunday School teachers participating in session

On Christmas morning, a crew of ITNAC volunteers gathered to package breakfast boxes for families which we were going to visit. We then loaded up the maxi with hampers, toys and breakfast boxes and visited families in San Fernando, La Horquetta, Maloney and Morvant. At each home, we were able to pray and encourage the family members, in addition to putting smiles on their faces with the items which our supporters freely gave.

Preparing the snack bags for the children

Happy for their Christmas morning blessing

Prayer for the family

My final stop on Christmas day was by a close family friend, who opened her home to UWI students who were unable to go home for Christmas. It was a rich time of fellowship as we shared the meal with brothers and sisters from Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. After a scrumptious meal, we enjoyed an intriguing discourse on relationships, religion and scripture.

Delicious meal provided

I am grateful to God for the opportunities He provided to feed the hungry, cheer the lonely, comfort the discouraged, and share the gospel with those who did not know Him.

Matthew 25:40 - The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."