44YO G1PO AMA EDC 10/7/16

Team Rodriguez update

We have been in the States about 8 1/2 weeks, rather quietly for the first month or so. For those who weren’t aware or are new to the blog, we came home rather quickly when I discovered that my mother had a rather large sternal mass which turned out to be a low-grade lymphoma. It took a while for her to undergo all the testing since her initial results were somewhat inconclusive. Then a biopsy came back as an atypical lymphoid infiltrate and Monchy and I booked tickets quickly for a flight home. We are so grateful that Monchy was granted an Immigration Visa in late February. It seems that God knew exactly what we would need for the next upcoming months.

We arrived in the States in time for her surgery but were still very quiet about our arrival initially. Thanks be to God, her surgery went very well and the surgeon was optimistic that he was able to remove all of the tumor/mass. After surgery we waited nearly 3 weeks to find out the final (we had 2 preliminary diagnoses first) formal diagnosis of low grade follicular lymphoma. We are so grateful for the prayers of friends and family during this time and have FELT your support. In meeting with the oncologist after the formal diagnosis and recovery process, it has been suggested that Mom start a radiation treatment. My parents are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on vacation currently and after they return from their trip, Mom will begin radiation for a 15-18 day schedule. I am so happy that I am in Pennsylvania and able to go with her and be a support to her in this time. We are very optimistic about her diagnosis (my favorite words now are LOW-GRADE) and look forward to finishing this treatment and moving onto the next Big Thing….which… is…..actually….

About me. And Monchy. Team Rodriguez. And our baby on the way. Yup. Magdalena Rodriguez will be arriving in late September or early October. Which is probably as shocking to us (still!) as you! I feel so overwhelmed with emotions every time I think about God’s timing in our lives. He KNEW that we would be coming home to be with Mom. He KNEW that Monchy was going to get a Visa, the very day after I received a very shocking confirmation ultrasound that there was a real live baby growing inside of me. He KNEW that Mom and I would need to see her on the ultrasound the same day that we met with the surgeon after surgery and still didn’t know what the pathology results were. It had been difficult for me to focus on this pregnancy and feel hopeful during a cancer scare….at least until the last several weeks.

But as my stomach is growing and I continue to receive reassurance from my doctors and midwives (ZIKA! Advanced Maternal Age! High Risk! Chromosome studies! Medical assistance! Healthy Beginnings! Perinatology! ), I have been able to settle in and know that this sabbatical- and-then-maternity-leave will be and has been more than a break from most of my work at Solid Rock.  Dear ones, I am more at peace now. This 44 year old first time mama is trying to throw all of her cares upon Jesus and wait this thing out on Him. I am still handling some email and planning work with Solid Rock but I spend my days quietly and very SLOWLY am starting to get out of the house more. I could talk about how overwhelming the States is for Monchy but truthfully would need to admit exactly the same for me. How does it cost 12 dollars to go to the movies now? Why is everyone so busy? How long can it take me to clean out the refrigerator? Why are grapes so expensive? Is it wrong to stay on the couch all day thinking? The list goes on and on. But slowly, slowly, I am getting there.

I went for a drive the other day…down in horse country, Chester County. Oh the hay… and the fields that go on forever. Not a soul around me. Mine, all mine. Then driving by my old house, remembering puttering in my garden, my flowers, my yard. I could smell the peonies. I could feel the dirt under my fingers. I could remember driving home from the hospitals in the morning after a long long night helping babies into the world. I can remember a little bit of who I was…and I wonder who I will be as a Mother. My husband thinks I am “tranquilo” here. Tranquil. Peaceful. Surrounded by my family, my friends. I can sit in the sun all day with a book and listen to old music. I sing loudly and Monch says I’m a “campasino” (country girl). So it seems like this is my time. My time to be with Mom. My time to grow a baby girl. My time to savor, to suck in these moments because although I feel like I’m in slo-mo, I know this is flying by. My time to rest and replug and reconnect and recharge and prepare for a crazy 2017 back in the Dominican Republic.

I would love to talk about what the States has been for Monchy but suffice it to say, my husband is a rock star. He misses his family and friends and his Dominican life desperately but he rises daily at 530 and heads out to mix concrete and haul rocks nearly every day in this heat. He comes back with dust in his hair and exhaustion in his steps. And the first thing that he says when he gets home is “Y Habichuela?” (“And our Bean?”). I can also not say enough about how welcoming and KIND my friends, family and church fam at the MG (Maple Grove Mennonite) have been with my husband. It brings tears to my eyes to enter church and have many people greet my husband by name and make him feel KNOWN and LOVED. I could cry for joy watching him interact and practice English and play church softball with surely the finest friendliest “Young Guns” on the planet and then participate in a weekly small group that some of them attend as well. I love listening to him laugh with his co-workers and take pride in his job and learning new things. I like hearing him talk about baseball and life with my Dad and brother and hearing new words and opinions about American culture come out. It’s still mind-blowing to take in my life here through his eyes.

We do have a few prayer requests though. This past week has brought an unfortunate run-in with the laundry basket which has left me with a minor back injury. I am so thankful this is not pregnancy-related but do find that much walking or prolonged standing is very painful. SO- I stay close to my couch and ice and heating pads and pray that this is temporary. I was hoping for a trip to Ohio/Indy to do some visiting but that is off the table at this point. Please pray that I will recover quickly and that the pregnancy will continue smoothly and without issues. Please also pray against loneliness for Monchy. My husband is a social animal and misses the constant camaraderie, noise and bustle of his barrio world in San Juan. Please continue to pray for my mom as we walk into an unknown world of radiology in the next weeks, specifically that she would have zero side effects and 100% healing. And finally, the idea of becoming a MOTHER is crazy to me. An unexpected gift. Pray that God prepares me to be the Mother to Magdalena that she needs as we plan to raise her in 2 different cultures (and at least 10 “subcultures”) and a busy ministry setting. My controlling nature keeps trying to plan and arrange and have things organized and settled in my mind and then….. Psalm 84.

I mentioned this Psalm in my last blog but it keeps coming back to me time and time again. I understand that to mean that GOD IS SPEAKING IT DIRECTLY TO ME. The whole Psalm is gorgeous and meaningful- every single word. But I can’t seem to shake off verse 5 : “Blessed are those whose strength is in You…whose heart is set on pilgrimage”. Oh that I could find all my strength in You! And please help set my heart on pilgrimage. I feel a bit like a little pilgrim setting out for shores unknown.   However, I pray that my pilgrimage is more than this, more than this stuff on Planet Earth…but that it’s a SEEKING anew of the God who created us.. He built a baby inside me, He sent my husband into a new land, He restores us, He renews us, and He has an incredible journey set up for me and all of us. I want to SEEK and KNOW (MORE!) that God. In my chaotic life, it has been and does get left behind. And in these quiet times, the growing, the grass, the sunny pond and the hay fields, I want to come back to it.

Love you guys. Thanks for coming along for the ride and praying us through it too.

Love,

Nik

** Disclaimer: the title of this blog should be evident to my former co-workers. For everyone else, it’s OB-speak.

** PS- below some photos of (mostly) Monch’s US experience so far.

This (pic above) is Sue Eby and I at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon in April.  It. Was.  Freezing.

Pic (below) :  Monch checking out Pine Creek Valley and then FREEZING at a campfire with my dad.

Hanging out (below) and learning to mow with my Mom.

Oh man, how I praise God for a large Latin Dominican presence in Lancaster!  Below is Monchy purchasing REAL chinola juice at La Chercha, our fav food truck on King Street, right down the street from La Cocina, a Dominican restaurant.   Monch says it feels like being in Santo Domingo when he’s eating there.

And um, as IF we would NOT go see a baseball game.

Of course my husband met Maicol Franco from Azua, DR.  OF COURSE HE DID!

Hanging with the Straleys at the Phillies game when Dan and Kari were in town.  FABULOUS!

Below:  Not only did Cora come and cook wonderful Dominican food for my homesick husband…Dan, Kari, Jenny and Diego came to spend a night with us.  Please note the 4 Americans (Nik, Kari, Dan, Diego), 1 Canadian (Cora), and 2 Dominicans (Jenny and Monchy).  We felt well represented.   Also below, my beautiful niece Aneesa GRADUATING from West Chester University.

ANDDDDD my manita got married!   I can’t name names…but there WAS some salsa dancing and my husband MAY have been involved.   What a beautiful day!

So cool to meet up with Indira y Yayi Sanchez and Chris Dotterer near Harrisburg and go out for Dominican food.   Filled my husband’s heart (and mine) with Latin solidarity.

And below you have it.  #15 on the “Young Guns”.   My fav guy, #mitodo, and my #babydaddy.   So glad I’m in this adventure with him.

On the Move- April 19

Greetings from the green fields of Pennsylvania! Um YES, much has happened since my last blog post.

As many of you may know, my husband and I had tentative plans to spend a summer “sabbatical” in the United States, arriving in May after our last surgical team of the spring. We were so grateful that Monchy had received his Visa which would enable him to travel with me. Little did we know that we would need it a bit sooner than expected! In late March we received news of a family medical situation in Pennsylvania which changed our plans from departure in May to “the sooner the better”. After fast discussions and planning with Joe and Shannon and the Solid Rock crew, we packed up and flew home on April 6th to be with my family. And here we are! Wide eyed and transitioning….

How does everything feel? Everything feels a bit crazy and overwhelming. Seeing the United States through Monchy’s eyes is definitely different. Car heaters, dish washers, hot water everywhere, huge open spaces, enormous houses, Ollie’s, Costco, mega-churches, multiple expensive cars, and Amish buggies are mind-blowing for him (and sometimes for me too!). And yet we feel so surrounded by loving family and friends during this transitional time. We are trying to take things VERY slowly (to the best of our ability) to soak into this time here. We spent the first 10 days with my parents in Lancaster and now we are tucked away in a sweet lil apartment on the Bare farm in Chester County. My sweet husband can wake up to cows mooing, turkeys gobbling, and a wide open green meadow and pond in front of him.

In the last few days, I have found the 2016 VelvetAshes Retreat to be a very comforting reminder of leaving fear behind in order to get closer to God. The theme of our retreat this year was Leaving Fear and it could not have been more directed towards me. I like to be a planner…and the last month of our lives has been really UNPLANNED. Family health issues, anxiety, travel, immigration lines, husband adjustments, culture shock….. I have been afraid of what I cannot control. I’ve been journalling and processing through the Retreat on fear and although I can say that this is an ongoing struggle for me, I had peace this morning. I read this verse this morning in a book, “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs: the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion”.

The verse spoke to me in several ways but the first was through the word pilgrimage. Is my heart set on pilgrimage? Wikipedia says that pilgrimage is a journey or search of spiritual significance. Do I really have my heart set on a search for spiritual significance, figuring out, learning, KNOWING MORE about God? This was a great challenge to me. The other was the phrase “they go from strength to strength”. I cannot look around here without seeing all of the “strengths” that have been provided to Monch and I, from church softball practices to job opportunities for Monch, this amazing apartment, the rides, vehicles, meals, hugs and words of encouragement. In the midst of potentially nervous times at the outpatient surgery center and the doctor’s office, God provided familiar faces from my nursing career here in Lancaster which really eased our concerns and made us feel at home. I feel like I am going from “strength to strength” .

In regards to the family health situation, things are stable at this time. We continue to wait for some pathology results, but I know that my family would say that they have really felt the power of prayer. I am so grateful for all of your support, your prayers, your encouragement. I am going to continue serving with Solid Rock in team communication and planning, which I’m greatly looking forward to. It feels good to stay connected to my wonderful San Juan community too, even if it’s from far away for right now.  Annnnndddd I know many folks are wondering if Monch and I are going to hit the road and do some visiting. We aren’t going to make any plans until we know exactly what will be happening with the family health scenario. So stay tuned and please continue to pray for all of us!

And the answer is..........YES!

Guys, the Visa news is good.  Finally.  

After several years of "luchando" (wrestling), we were granted an Immigration Visa for my husband about 10 days ago.   Team Rodriguez is coming to visit the States!    What does that mean?   We kinda have no idea.   We were told that in two weeks we will be able to pick up Monchy's passport with Visa intact but we don't know if there are any restrictions, timelines, etc.   Hopefully they will tell us when he shows up to pick it up.   Our very tentative plans include coming to Pennsylvania in May and staying through the summer....all subject to change.   :)

I must say THANK YOU for all of your prayers, kind messages, support, letters, and strengthening words.    I greatly look forward to seeing many of you in the States and being able to say these words in person.     You have helped SUSTAIN me here over these last 5 years.  

While the visa has been the great news of late, we have been pretty busy with the busiest time of year in the clinic.   While there are always patients that one remembers, this winter has given me a few that really stick out.   In January, one of our barrio teams found a young man who had fallen from a horse 5 years early and essentially broken and bent his arm into a "frisbee-like" form.   I haven't ever seen anything like it and I don't know how to explain it.    Unfortunately he misunderstood the directions of WHEN to seek orthopedic help at our clinic and he showed up two days later after walking THIRTEEN hours to get to us.   His name is "Miguel" (name changed) and he is of Haitian descent.   Sadly, we did not have a surgical team when he arrived and I ended up driving him closer to where he was staying and giving him another date to come to the clinic.   When our next ortho surgeon showed up, there was Miguel.   He spent the night at our clinic waiting for surgery but unfortunately we could not obtain the needed instruments or plates necessary for his very extensive surgery.   Undiscouraged, the ortho surgeon spoke to the next incoming ortho surgeon coming down and the incoming team began to acquire and search for what they needed to do surgery on Miguel.  

This past Monday when we started our orthopedic consults, Miguel showed up.  Nef grabbed him, I found his chart, and he was evaluated by Dr. John Mann and Dr. Hugh Hagan and booked for surgery on Tuesday.   Dr. Canario wrote off the entire surgery.  Miguel spent the night at our clinic and had surgery on Tuesday afternoon.   I watched a bit through the window while Drs. Mann and Hagan worked together for HOURS to rebreak, reset, and straighten his frisbee arm.   I know exactly zero about orthopedic surgery but I can tell you that this was the surgery of the year at our clinic.   What those incredible guys did with Miguel's arm is a beautiful miracle.   It went from a FRISBEE shape to a REAL ARM.  The amazing anesthesia crew put a block in Miguel's arm so that he would wake up without pain, which he certainly did.   He was munching on crackers and chatting with us within an hour of his surgery ending.   Miguel stayed Tuesday and Wednesday nights with us at the clinic and on Thursday he caught a ride with the barrio team out west where he headed back home to his family in Haiti.    The barrio team cheered for him, packed a lunch for him, and sent him with extra vitamins.   Many of the workers in the clinic came outside when he was leaving to say goodbye to him and wish him well.   He called me about 5 pm to let me know that he was with his family and doing well.   It brought tears to my eyes.  

Folks like Miguel stay in my mind when I think of the miracles that I have seen at our clinic.    There have been countless life-changing surgeries over the years and no matter where I go in San Juan, there seems to be someone who has been in our clinic and is yelling for me to see their incision or their kid or their hernia or something like that.  
 "Do you remember me?
"Ummmmmm....YES but tell me your name and how I know you again????"

 It's amazing to be part of these incredibly talented teams that come to offer their services to the people in San Juan.   Humbling.    And kinda scary that I'm the one who stays here and I get to be the face, the representative, of those teams when they leave.    It's overwhelming sometimes.   But man, when they hug me and thank me, I am glowing on BEHALF of those guys like John Mann and Hugh Hagan, who perform SURGICAL MIRACLES like....everyday.  

Speaking of incredible folks, the last several years we have had a prosthesis team come with the ortho squad in March.   Sadly they were unable to come this year but had left several supply bags last year up in the Scary Room.   In March, many folks needing protheses come to the clinic in hopes of having a consult with the Prothesis team.   On Tuesday of this past week, while I was running around the clinic like a chicken with my head cut off, a man stopped me in the hallway and asked me about a new foot for his hip-length prothesis.  His old "foot" had essentially disintegrated and he was unable to walk with his prosthesis.   In a hurry, crabby, and only focused on my immediate tasks, I snapped at him that the team hadn't come and I couldn't help him.   He smiled, nodded and proceeded to hop on his ONE LEG out to his motorcycle to drive away.    I froze for a moment, took a deep breath, and followed him outside.

"Hey wait, um...listen.  Can you give me about 10 minutes to see if I can help you?"

He beamed.  Of COURSE he would wait.   I hustled to the Scary Room and started pulling down some of the Prothesis team bags.  I was clueless about what might be inside but low and behold, I found a bag with some prosthetic feet.   I grabbed two feet and headed down to the consult room.   He handed me his prosthesis and I looked at the foot and it was instantly clear that I had no idea how to put the two together.    He saw my confusion and said "How about I leave this here and I'll come back later to see if this works out?"   Great idea.   He hopped out to his motorcycle again and I stared at the prosthesis and foot.    It definitely did not fit together.    In the Guesthouse, I recruited David Johnson, our radiologist who was in the clinic helping for the day.  David took a look at the two parts, and we called Charlie Coulter in the States, who is part of the Prosthesis team.   Long story short,  Charlie Coulter and Doug Call from Virginia Prosthetics, walked us (ummmm DAVE!)  through the fitting process and in less than an hour, Dave found the tools, the screws, the parts and HE PUT TOGETHER THE PROSTHESIS AND THE FOOT.     Around 4 pm, my phone rang and Celestino, my new friend, inquired as to if he could return to pick up his prothesis.   15 minutes later, he was in the same exam room with me and joyfully put on his "new" prosthesis.  Guys,  he WALKED out of the clinic, after not walking for a very very long time because he didn't have a prosthetic foot.

 I anxiously walked behind him, "Hey- wait!  Are you sure you aren't going to fall?  You aren't used to this yet".  

He turned around to me and said, "I'm not going to fall.   I AM NOT GOING TO FALL. "  with a huge grin.

I've met Doug Call and Charlie Coulter every time they have come to the DR during my time here.   I've known that they fitted and provided bajillion-dollar prostheses to amputees.   I've admired what they have done and knew that everyone raved about them.   But I've always been in surgery when they have been here and so I've never HUNG OUT WITH THEM WHILE THEY CHANGED  LIVES.   I've never seen someone walk again after not being able to walk without crutches or a wheelchair because they received a new prosthesis.   Tears.  Tears in my eyes.  Sadness that I have missed this chance earlier every time that Doug and Charlie have been here.   Relieved that I ran after Celestino that morning to tell him to wait.   Joyful that David Johnson was there and is a GENIUS at putting things together.   Grateful that Charlie gave me his cell phone number so that Dave and I could call him with questions.   Yes, my dear friends, I am grateful.

I am overwhelmingly grateful right now.    There are obstacles.  There are teary days.  I am tired and crabby a lot.   But I watched Celestino walk out of our clinic on his foot, limping a little, trying to remember his gait and rhythm.   And he KNEW he wasn't going to fall.    And I watched Miguel march off into the sunset with a new straight arm and a sweet goofy operating room hat that someone gave him from our clinic and listened to his sweet accent on the phone announce "I made it!  I'm home".     I heard the words "Visa approved!" in the US embassy around 10 days ago and hugged Monchy as tight as I could.     I spent a marvelous week with my mama planting tomatoes and swinging in the hammock and reading books and staying up talking and watching sunsets by the beach and I felt LOVED.    I heard my husband praying for me for a good nights sleep after a few sleepless nights and I woke up refreshed and NEW with answered prayer.    There are a million billion stories that I could tell you, both sad and happy, of my life here.   A million stories of God coming through, of folks beating the odds, of the tragedies that I've seen, of the triumphs we witness. A bunch of Celestinos, a bunch of Miguels, a bunch of folks that give of their time and lives to help make it happen.  

But I'll leave you with these few.   A man who can walk again.   A boy who will throw a baseball.   A radiologist who knows how to put together a prosthesis and a foot.  2 orthopedic surgeons who operate together and know without speaking what each one will do.    A Prothesis team who directs and instructs by phone.  A "Yes" at the embassy.   A husband who prays for his wife.  A woman who is constantly surprised by the wild and random moments of life here.  A God who loves and cares intimately for His people, every single one.   HE CHANGES LIVES.   He reminds me of this every day.  

Next up for 2016

It's been a busy but wonderful start to 2016 with lots of changes.  

First off, Monch and I have MOVED.  We no longer are King and Queen of the Castle here in San Juan.  Instead we are house-sitting for Dan and Kari while they are on sabbatical in the States for a few months.    We've been here exactly one week and are enjoying the quiet patio (hammock is UP!) and beautiful home.  




However, of course there is always still laundry....



Monch and I have been working on paperwork over the last several years.   It almost feels like we COULD be making a little bit of progress.   I am waiting to hear from the National Police regarding my citizenship application (I did pass my citizenship test though!)  and we have an appointment at the US Embassy regarding a visa for Monch at the end of February.    I could go into detail about the trials and tribulations regarding BOTH of these scenarios....but suffice it to say that we covet your prayers.   Please refer to our paperwork blog from September for more horrific information.  Our goal for the next year is to be able to spend a summer in the States giving myself a much needed breather and allowing my husband to know my family, friends and culture.    I could also go into detail about how difficult it is for Dominicans to attain visas overall but again, please just pray for us.   Please specifically pray that I can handle all of this paperwork on my own without needing to hire a lawyer.   Everything seems very confusing and I have made possibly millions of phone calls and emails to the embassy, visa center, etc to be sure that we are on the right track.

I don't know if I mentioned it before but Monch and I had a fun anniversary trip in December.   We returned to our favorite hostel in Jarabacoa, caught a game in San Fran de Macoris, and then blew through the capital and Bani on our way back to San Juan.    It was a quick 5 days but a really fun time celebrating One Whole Year of marriage.   It's so true what folks say- I love him more today than I did when we got married.   Can't believe we have a year under our belt.   Craziness.



We went to the Botanical Gardens in the capital for a very brief (VERY BRIEF) time.  One of us really liked it and one of us really did not.   Does the picture give it away?  (Um- I guess I'll go back one day with one of my girlfriends...hahah)



And now in  January I've been back to the business of winter season.  Barrios and surgery.  I loved going back to one of the Bateys that we served last spring and seeing some of the same wonderful patients waiting for me.  They remembered braiding my hair and were ready to do it again.    They also helped me learn to count to ten in Creole.  



For those who don't know, we travel to the barrios (at least most of the time) in Monchy's bus.  This is not my husband Monchy but Monchy Sanchez, our fabulous chofer and invaluable do-it-all guy.  I can't believe I haven't posted a picture of this yet...but here is our bus at the barrio site last week.



And here's a few shots of the barrios from last week.   We had a blast with Pine Hills and the Bryan team with Dr. Sandy helping us out.



And two weekends ago Monch and I hiked up to the Salto of Babor Arriba.  It was a strenuous hike seemingly straight up a canyon ON a riverbed but so very beautiful once we arrived!   I love discovering new things in San Juan- especially less than an hour away from where we live!



And I must throw out some props to Gainesville, my first surgical group of 2016.  I believe that Gainesville was actually my first surgical group EVER, back in 2011.     These guys come prepared and willing and ready to go.   We had a wonderful week with over 55 surgeries.   Thanks as always guys (This is Brent Fowler handling the lapy machine in OR 2)  for starting off 2016 in such a great way.



Coming up next is a few surgical weeks with Spartanburg (arriving tomorrow in San Juan) and then a week off in which SUE EBY IS COMING TO VISIT ME.  Yes.  All is well with the world because my Mama is coming!    I'm greatly looking forward to puttering around the patio with her, sitting out in the sun and reading, and sipping coffee and talking in the mornings together.    This feels like a special God-gift to me.  :)

I have had some wonderful and encouraging messages and phone calls/Skype calls over this past month from several of you.   There has also been Kraft macaroni and cheese, beef jerky, M&Ms, candles, and other fab treats.   Um.... I have no words except THANK YOU.   I am constantly reminded that Jesus has called me here physically....but apparently He has called many of you "here" as an emotional, spiritual, and financial  support for me.   This has become very evident to me over the last 5 years.   I remain so grateful for the ability to be here...and I know it would not be possible without you.     Thank you for being the feet and hands of Jesus to me.   Blessings on your journey!