I can't believe 2020 is coming to an end.
As we start the new year, the Dominican government has put us back into a lockdown. This one is more extreme than we have seen all year. During the weekdays we have curfew starting at 5pm, but can be driving on the streets until 7pm. This is good because Santiago is 1.5 hours away from my house and I need the extra driving time. We go to Santiago for things like mail, the chiropractor, our ministry's accountant, big supermarkets to get imported items I can't get locally, etc. On Saturday and Sunday's we have a curfew that starts at 12 noon and goes until 5am. Restaurants, bars, and small stores are not allowed to have customers inside. Corner-stores are a lot of peoples' family businesses. All of our stores and businesses require masks and have during this whole process but people have been congregating on the streets and homes without it. Part of the culture is sitting outside talking with friends and family. The barrio on my way home doesn't seem to be participating in any of the rules in place, not even masks in stores. It's confusing. Churches are closed down so we will head back to online.
Update on Daniela: she tore her meniscus and her ACL in her right leg. Last year after her accident, we were told she was fine. We did physical therapy and were released to play soccer again. She always complained to me that her knee never felt right and she felt unstable. The doctor in Jarabacoa emergency room should have sent us to a specialist. In early December I took the kids to a trampoline park in a mall in Santo Domingo, the Capitol. As I saw my friends Dave and Megan taking Dani off the trampoline, I knew it was that knee. Sure enough, it was.
Before I even had time to turn around and tell Megan I was going to some underground nurse's station, I turned around and Dani was gone in a wheelchair. I shook my head, but I can't say I am shocked anymore. I got downstairs by being escorted by an employee and told Dani, next time don't let them take you away without me! Oh, Mom. I'm fine. Before we knew it, she was getting a shot in her butt and I was asking, hey, can you tell me what this stuff is?
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| Daniela's wheelchair didn't have anything to hold her leg up that couldn't bend. |
We had the wheelchair to go eat and then the trampoline place and security took the wheelchair away from us. Daniela was in serious pain and could barely walk and they said they needed it in case someone else got hurt there. I'm often reminded that this isn't America. We walked ever so slowly to the elevator and to the car. Dave sweetly pulled the car up front to let Dani in.
We saw a doctor in La Vega (just down the mountain and not as far away as Santiago). He confirmed her first set of MRI's (I brought these from the soccer accident) showed a tear in the ACL. My eyes filled up with water. I let my kid play soccer and games on a torn ACL, and then I let her jump on a trampoline and now we have torn the meniscus. I set a surgery date with him for the following Monday. That was December 14th. In the meantime, I went to Santiago to a hospital that is supposedly the best in the Caribbean. He says the same with with both MRI sets and I decide that we are going to go with him instead.
When we were in the smaller hospital in La Vega no one was following the hospital's protocols...not even the doctors or surgeons! They were cramming people in the elevators and the waiting room was crammed. The nurse taking Daniela's blood for tests for preop kicked her bad leg. Some lady almost beat me up because I was following the protocol that only 2 people are allowed in the elevator! If you know me, I am not scared of COVID but I do follow the mandates in place and I DON'T WANT COVID. I also don't want my kid that is about to have surgery in the elevator with 11 other people! This lady was legit pushing me to get in and in my face. A nurse standing next to her said those signs don't matter. Daniela said I missed a modern day miracle that a man that had crutches let his crutches go and walked over to the elevator to see the "fight" that was about to happen. A pregnant lady was pushing people to get in to see the action. Finally a man stepped in and said stop! The sign says 2 only! As the door shut the lady screamed at me THIS ISN'T YOUR COUNTRY! Dani looked at me and said I can't believe you didn't hit that lady pushing you repeatedly. I was thankful I had the Holy Spirit living inside of me and was calm as can be, but not letting them all in. A few minutes later Daniela and I busted out laughing! WHAT IN THE WORLD JUST HAPPENED.
Our new date is set for January 8th. I didn't want to do her surgery right before school starts but we have no choice because the physical therapy place doesn't open up until January 11th. School starts online on January 11th. We are just rolling with the circumstances. She needs an EKG next week for a preop test but I haven't been able to get anyone to answer the phone at the local cardiology place. A lot of things close her in mid December and do not open again until after 3 King's Day, which is January 6th. Besides the holiday, a lot of doctors are only working half days because of COVID.
This surgery is going to cost around 5,000 USD. The physical therapy is going to cost around $800. The doctor gave me ballpark figures for each part that had large gaps. I don't know why her hospital room will be between this number and that number. Medicine could be up to maybe $80,000 pesos. The doctor says if I pay him in cash directly he will take off 10% of his portion which is $120,000 pesos. I often do not understand the system, but I go with it after 8 years of living here. The surgery will have her stay a night in the hospital. My friend Dilenia said she can watch Jess while I sleep with Dani there. One of my high school friends paid for Dani's surgery. God has been so sweet to me. My heart wishes she could do surgery in the USA but y'all know that isn't possible.
Other than all this, life has been real slow and I am trying to be thankful in this season.
I hope you all take today to remember all the things the Lord has done for you in 2020!
I lost Dad in 2020, but I can still say God has been so faithful and good to me. I cry as I write that. You know those tears just slip out sometimes and you aren't even sure what emotion is coming out. Writing Dad died is so confusing and heart wrenching. BUT, it has not been the worst year of my life. If anything, it has been a year that I purged a lot of things I didn't even know were inside. For that I am thankful for the never ending process God has going on inside of us.
Lord, thank You for all you DID in 2020! Thank You that YOU never stop working and that for every tear I cry, You bottle it up. Thank You for the never ending conversations to the One person that will never leave.
Happy New Year, Friends!
My friends Kami and Heather enter the new year with words...I encourage you to do the same! I love the idea! I am praying on what my word or phrase will be. Do you have one?
