This week was supposed to be one beginning with a holiday and finishing with a trip to Singapore. Both sound restful and in a way they were. As Eileen noted in her posting on Monday night, a 10 year-old girl drowned in the pool at our apartment complex. Her name was Srikandi. She passed away the next day around noon. The whole experience was very difficult for Eileen. I was proud of her efforts and that of our mission president as they tried to save the little girl. In all her years of nursing this is the first time Eileen has lost a patient that was currently under her care. Perhaps it was harder on us as westerners than it was for the locals. Life is significantly harder here as premature death and significant injury are far more common. Eileen seems to be slowly coming to terms with Srikandi's passing. For me the whole thing still seems surreal. I have never held someone as they were dying before.
Our trip to Singapore was for a follow-up colonoscopy to one done six months ago shortly before we left the U.S. That procedure was not a regularly scheduled check-up but one prompted by feelings that Eileen had. It turned out to be fortunate they she went in as they removed a rather large precancerous tumor. The doctor insisted that she have a follow-up colonoscopy six months later to make sure the tumor had been completely removed and was not growing back. It had only been two years since her last procedure and if it had gone the full five years previously anticipated she probably would have had a significant problem after we returned from our mission. We are both grateful for God's promptings to have the procedure prior to our leaving and for the clean bill of health that Eileen received in Singapore. As you can imagine this was quite a relief for me. Having watched my mother suffer for almost a decade with colon cancer I have no desire to relive that experience. Overall the few days in Singapore were a welcome respite both physically and emotionally for us.
On Friday, when I opened the paper in Singapore, there was a picture of another fire in Jakarta. It seems there have been over 60 fires in Jakarta which have displaced families since the summer began. More on that next week. No pictures this week. Neither the scene of the little girl by the pool or the pictures of inside Eileen's colon are ones we want to keep.
I am sad about the outcome of the little girl, I know that it is hard as I have watched many people die in the emergency room. It was hard for me especially the little ones. Thank goodness for our knowledge about death and the end results. I am relieved that you have a clean colon, I was worried about you. We are still hanging in there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad experience you both have had this week. I too am grateful for the knowledge that we have of our life hereafter. I am grateful that you are healthy Eileen! May the Lord bless you!
ReplyDelete