When we arrived in Ukarumpa I realized I did not feel well.
It was getting harder to breath. So my first trip to the clinic was as a
patient. My oxygen saturation was just okay. I was sent home to rest with an
antibiotic to take. I did rest but the breathing did not improve. Two days
later I was reexamined and they determined I was not any better. In fact my
oxygen saturation was decreasing. The doctor sent me home with oxygen and said
if I was not better the next day I needed to be hospitalized. This would mean a
trip to Australia.
I did not sleep well and realized my breathing was not
improving. I was using the oxygen more and more. In the morning Jay called the nurse “on call”
who picked me up in the ambulance and took me to the clinic. She assessed me
and called the doctor. During this time I sat in the treatment room on the
stretcher with my head up using the oxygen. I slept on and off.
There are many things that have to come together for a
medevac to happen. Aviation is called. They line up pilots and airplanes. The
doctor has to find an admitting doctor/hospital in Cairns, Australia. They have
to wait for a letter saying we can come. Customs is notified. Passports and
visas have to be approved. This all takes time and many people. Sometimes the
communication is easy and other times emails take time to reach their
destination or phone calls do not go through. The process started around 8am.
We flew out around 2pm and arrived in Cairns around 6pm. I slept for a while.
The Kodiak airplane was arranged with a stretcher with me on and then 2 seats
next to it. The doctor and Jay came. The ambulance and customs meets us at the
airport. Once we are cleared with customs the ambulance takes us to the
hospital.
It was busy in the Emergency Room. We waited until the
Doctor was able to talk to the triage nurse.
Jay says a nurse noticed my graying color as I waited without oxygen and
moved me to a bed so I could be put on Oxygen. Then I was moved to an isolation
room in the ER. There Jay and I waited as nurses and doctors came in and out.
They drew my blood, asked lots of questions and took me for a chest X-ray. It
was around 11pm I made it to a regular hospital room. I slept quite a bit.
Now I will have a personal understanding of a medevac the
next I have to take a patient. I am grateful to be able to breathe and do
things. I am grateful God healed me. I am grateful for the care I received in
PNG and AU. There was a few moments I thought God does not have to heal me. Then
I thought, “Would I be ready to die now?” My mind wondered for a bit thinking
what it would be like to meet Jesus face to face. But I can rest in the fact I
am called to be here now and support Bible translation.
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace
in which we stand,
and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
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| Flying over the ocean. |
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| It is a long 4 hour flight. |
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| Concerned husband and diligent pilot. |
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| Ambulance ride to the hospital. |
Thank you to all who prayed for me!
And to the God who healed me!
