Safely Home!

I am safely home, protected by angels and God’s grace once again. Apparently my decision to return home quickly was a wise one. I spent most of yesterday driving around town to different sectors of the hospital and seeing different doctors. I then proceeded to collapse onto the couch and finally sleep for a few hours. Placing a cast on a knee injury-especially before a plane ride-is the worst thing you can do. Apparently enclosing an area that is still swollen and will swell more during a plane ride is dangerous and can lead to blood clots, which can cause strokes and heart attacks. It was probably a blessing in disguise that I had the meanest flight attendants of my life that refused to allow me to sit in the promised seat with more legroom and I was forced to stuff my cast and all under the seat for 3 hours. If I hadn’t been so uncomfortable (periodically sticking my leg into the isle) and squirming to keep the swelling down and the blood flowing I might have really been in a real pickle. I “missed the bullet” on that one as my doctor put it. I am feeling incredible fortunate at the moment to have wonderful parents that are willing and able to look after me, a father that knows a quality orthopedist (bones and joints doctor), US health insurance, caring friends and family, and a quality education. The best orthopedist at the newest and most modern hospital in the province around Jarabacoa was dead wrong---dangerously wrong about my knee injury. I wonder how many Dominicans are unable to recover from their injuries because they didn’t receive proper medical care. Proper medical care would require a quality education which seems to be difficult to find in the DR since the doctor I saw was trained in the capital (where the best schools are). He was a nice man and obviously did his best to help me, but medical training in the DR seems to need an upgrade. This all leads me back to believing that the quality education that Doulos is providing could truly change the DR for the better. Anyway, it is looking like my ACL is severed and that I will need surgery, but I wont know until next week after an MRI and a few more doctor visits. I am very relieved to be home even though I will miss my students and friends in the DR. I will keep you all posted. Thank you for all of the encouraging messages and prayers.