There's a first for everything!

I had an exciting weekend!

Thursday night, we got home from working. We had gone to a part of our area that is kinda far away, but we were visiting a member and teaching his friends. Out of 4 families we visited, 3 of them made us eat something. Side note, I love Brazilians. They give me food. :) So I was pretty stuffed at the end of the night. Everything was delicious.

So we're at home, and I realize how stuffed I am. We go about our nightly routine and I start to feel a bit nauseous. But I got ready for bed and laid down and I figured everything would be fine. I couldn't seem to fall asleep. I woke up about 11:30 and went to use the bathroom. It was diarrhea. Dangit!

Unfortunately it was the kind that attacks you frequently, as in every 20 minutes or so. I kept trying to fall back to sleep between my runs to the bathroom and then around 12:30, the nausea comes back. And I just knew it was going to happen. I get to the bathroom and bam, all that delicious food they gave me comes flying out. Oh it was horrible. I start to yell for Elder Yorgason. I figured I might as well prepare him to be a dad.

I was able to get back to sleep until 3 and I had to throw up again. It was not fun. Throwing up hurts too.

5 rolls around and the nausea hits me again. I would have thrown up again but I literally had nothing left. I also notice I had a fever, and my body was hurting. I called Sister Dias and she sent me to the hospital. However, I was not willing to go to the emergency room here in Açailândia. So I convinced them to let me go to Imperatriz.

Worst hour car ride of my life. I was hurting all over, I had a fever, I was cold. We get to Imperatriz and we go to hospital. It was a decent hospital, I at least wasn't afraid of dying in it. I was admitted quickly and the doctor saw me and sent me to th]e emergency room to get an IV of that clear liquid you always see in TV shows. I don't remember the word in English. OH MY GOODNESS. I hated it. I hated the bed. I hated the needle in me. I was in pain, sick, tired, dehydrated. The bed was super uncomfortable. It put a lot of pressure on my lower back where the pain in my body was highest. I couldn't get comfortable!

It was the longest 20 minutes of my life. When it was over, the nurse came over and asked if I felt better. I didn't, but of course I lied and said yes, I just wanted out of there! There was no way I was laying on that bed one more minute.

I had to find a pharmacy after that to buy the medicine the doctor prescribed. But, I've never been to Imperatriz, so we just wandered around until we found it. This entire time, my entire body was just aching. You know that sick, aching feeling all over. But little by little, I started to get better. Whatever they stuck in me was helping.

We also had a Zone Conference on Friday, the day I went to the hospital. So we had to find our way to the Stake Center where it was at. It was not fun. By the time I got to the Zone Conference though, I was feeling better. And by the time the Zone Conference was over, I was much better.

However, the worst part of that entire day: Because I had diarrhea, I couldn't eat for 24 hours! And our lunch: Brazilian barbecue buffet! Eat as much as you want! But me? Nope, I couldn't eat anything.

Oh well, I didn't die, so it made me stronger. I hope at least.

It was an unforgettable experience that's for sure!

But I love you all! I'm fine now, so no need to worry! It's just weird to think the first time I had to go to the hospital was in Brazil.

Love,
Elder Rackham