October Update

I feel like this month completely flipped over and I am like what just happened.  

JESSICA

My friend Stefanie was in town earlier this month and blessed us with a stay in Punta Cana for the night.  Jessica was living 30 minutes from there so we decided to make the 6 hour drive to bring Stefanie to meet some friends flying in.  We contacted Jess before hand to come stay at the beach with us, but she didn't want to.  Her public school class had changed to online because they didn't have enough teachers for the 6th grade class.  She asked me to bring her a phone or computer to do school work through WhatsApp.  We stopped by and Jessica ran to the truck laughing and smiling.  THIS WAS COMPLETELY opposite of all our visits to see Jess.  Then, she wanted to come with us to the beach but she was already in charge of babysitting her 4 nieces while her sister was in school.  Her older sister is back in school getting her GED. I left her the cell phone to communicate with us.  She had been texting in the night and talkative.  

The next morning, we had lunch and I was about to bring Stef to her resort and drive the 6.5 hours home when I got a text from Jessica. 

Can I go back to Jarabacoa with you?

What do you mean?

Can I go home with you?

You want to live with us?

Yes.

Are you sure, Jess? We will not live with violence.  We cannot live with you screaming and yelling.

Yes, I am not going back to before.  I will follow your rules and listen when you talk.

We dropped Stefanie and headed to Jessica!  She had all her stuff packed and spent a little bit of time talking to her sister, then started on our long journey home.  Jessica left on her own merit and she was always allowed to come back when she was ready to live with us.  It might sound crazy to let an 11 year old decide, but at the time, she was already deciding by running away, living outside, and quitting school.  In order to keep us all alive, seriously, we prayed and let her decide to leave.

All has been calm and to be honest, Jessica is completely different!  I am not going to say that she is perfect and all is well--what I can say is that she has had the biggest revelation in her life.  She hated her life living with us to the point of wanting to die or kill us and now after being gone for 7 months, she can verbalize that life here was so easy and I never was asking too much of her.  

WOW.  

When she lived with Ana, she had to help take care of her 4 nieces and nephews, wash dishes, and clean the house.  SHE WAS BUSY ALL THE TIME.  AND, IT WAS LOUD WITH ALL THOSE KIDS.  

She got back to the house with us and the first thing she said was that this place was quiet and she could sit and relax.  

We were able to enroll her in Dani's school and commit to math tutoring.  We have been beyond impressed with their new school.  Jess was so excited that on the first day the Director took the time to find her at recess and give her a welcoming gift.  Do you have any idea how busy this man is!?  Yet, he set a timer to find my kid at her recess hour to welcome her to the school.  He didn't even know anything about Jessica or my family at the time, he literally just wanted to welcome a new student.  Dani says he has come in to her class to pray for them.  So much more to write about him, but I have too much to write in this blog!

Anyway--Jess told us on the ride home from Punta Cana that she prayed to God to not let me leave Punta Cana without her.  She had been texting me in the morning and it wasn't going through.  After her prayers she realized she had done some block on me.  She clicked it off and sent me a text, just as I was about to stand up from the restaurant table.  INCREIBLE.

I also needed many things for Jessica moving in and I posted on a missions group here and someone had by accidentally ordered an extra pair of sandals last week.  Isn't that incredible that God knew and provided for her before she ever knew that she was coming home?!  I also had another friend that has an extra pair of black sneakers for her for school!

Last thing I wanted to say about Jessica is that she is way more open to God.  She led the dinner prayer last night and my heart just overflowed!  She has been really open with her emotions and thoughts with us.  Every time she becomes angry or bothered, she comes and tells me what is going on and we process it. This is HUGE for her.  Sounds crazy, but it's like everything I ever taught her and her counselor Wanzie taught her is finally being put into use.  She just came to me right now saying she is getting angry with Dani.  Dani has her hair tie that is special to her and she wants it back, but it's in Dani's bun right now.  I was so amazed she came to me about this.  She was about to burst into tears telling me that she shouldn't be so upset.  We discussed how Jesus also cried and was sometimes upset.  We can be emotional, but how do we deal with that?  We talked about how mature and wise she was to seek counsel like Fausto preached last week.  We discussed how she handled this exactly the way she is suppose to!  Identify why she is upset and find someone to talk to-- to process it.  She wasn't angry or violent and she didn't stuff it into her shoes to hold against Daniela for weeks or years!  I am really impressed with her this week.  Jessica and I were super close her first years with me.  Then, as she went through this rebellious period, she has pushed me away the last 4 years.  It's exciting to see her loving and talking to me again.

SIBERIAN HUSKY

Daniela's new best friend raises huskies.  For weeks, she has been asking if we could have one and I keep saying NOOOO.  I don't even like dogs and I have 3.  Jessica moved in and the day she started school, I picked her up and did her physical therapy.  She has some muscle injury or we think it could be her crazy growth!! and they are doing some muscle manipulation stuff to get the wrist tendons to open up.  We headed to grab Daniela at her friend's house.  I sent Jessica down this dead end road because it's hard to get my truck in and out.  Dani got in the car with a FREE Siberian Husky.  WHAT!

Now, let me tell you the back story.  Who do you think has had an OBSESSION with SB her whole life?

Jessica.  

This is literally a gift from GOD.  

I looked at Dani and pulled away.  Loki is now a part of our family-- she's pure and expensive!  But she was FREE!  I still cannot believe we now have 4 dogs.  

TEACHING

The kid's school is the school I came down here to teach at in 2012.  The principal sent out a message the other day saying that he will be teaching high school English because the teacher had a family emergency in the USA and was leaving.  I felt bad for him because he is doing a fantastic job leading the school, but figured they would be fine and God would provide another teacher.  

The next morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I could feel God leading me to tell him I could help.  When God asks me to do something, sometimes I get shaky and I have this urge to speak it.  However, I wanted to keep it a secret.  I do not want to commit to another job.  I already have a job as the Director of FIGHT.  And because we have been waiting on Conani to certify us, I can't hire positions because I have no idea when we will ever open!  So, I am the counselor organizing the programs for Conani, office manager, and the HR person, and the teams coordinator and whatever needs to be done for Conani certification  But there I was on Thursday morning-- knowing I am suppose to email Perez and tell him that I can help if we can work with my schedule until SOMEONE FILLS IT IN.  I have no experience in high school English language arts!  But, my colleagues didn't name me Editor in Chief and Ms. Google for nothing 😉.  I really love information and writing.

I went in to speak to Perez and would you believe that the exact days and times I could give him....are the exact times he needed covered?  Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.  I mean, I can.  I knew God was asking me to help, so I knew it would work with my schedule.  Perez is still the head teacher and is in charge of lessons/grades, but I have 6 periods that I am covering while they do work.  Can I say that teaching is really my heart's desire?  I miss the classroom so much, but I know it isn't what the Lord has had for me the last few years and I am thankful to help through Christmas in the class.  I really don't think my teaching career is completely over. Even when we open, my butt will be found in the classroom helping the teacher on my off time from being the Director.  😉 

FIGHT

So, just as I left Jarabacoa Christian School (JCS) and headed home, I contacted my lawyer and told her to call Conani and get permission to open the orphanage while we get certified.  She wrote back that at her meeting the day before CONANI said OPEN.  

OH MY WORD.  

I thought, God why did you just let me commit to JCS!  We will never understand His ways, completely.  So here we are!  About to hit the ground running with hiring! And, once we are fully staffed and trained--we will welcome girls at our safe house site.  

Let me plug this real quick:  we need people to commit to donating to FIGHT monthly!  THERE IS SO MUCH TO BUY!  Go to www.fightministries.org/donate and become a monthly supporter of the ministry!

Treatment #3 of Chelation

You guys are getting blogs weekly like when I first moved here!  I really do love writing.  I hope to keep up with a few blogs a month after this resurrection of the blog.

Dani was sick at school ayer, I ran to pick her up and take her home to turn around and go meet with our ministry lawyer.  Straight afterwards I went back into town to the doctor to do my IV.  The nurse was able to get my iv needle in so smoothly.  She sweetly taped it and it wasn't going anywhere.  Last week, a different nurse used my big vein on my hand and the tube popped out midway and blood was everywhere (and so was my expensive solution until I stopped the iv).  

Doc always asks how I feel and how it's going.  I told him I feel awful.  Everything is making me nauseous, I can't workout at all, my legs are jello, and I want to sleep a lot. I am dizzy and can't seem to think straight most days.  He said all of this is normal--that it gets way worse before it gets better.  He asked if I have a taste in my mouth that is different and I realized I do!  I didn't really know what it was, but it wasn't normal.  He said it was metals being released. He asked if my feet hurt and they hadn't yet, but last night I woke up with one sore foot.  

He said after the initial 21 day diet of basically juicing, I will do another 21 days slowly adding in protein. He said since my kidneys are having issues, we took out meat to be able to let the kidneys get going and then we can add it back in.  My kidney that had been real sore has gone down to almost never being an issue.  A few days the other kidney had a slight soreness, but he said it could just be that kidney going back to working.  Next Monday is the last chelation therapy, but we will retest the organs and blood to see about functioning and levels.  My liver enzymes were high to start.  My creatine was low and so was my uric acid.

I figured out my hate of coffee enemas and found an article that said to cut the amount in half and do it in two parts for a longer time.  I also lowered the bag from the high shower curtain to midway on the shampoo rack.  I finally have success with this.  I was getting frustrated with this because it's a huge part to the liver detox.  Basically, the coffee stimulates the liver and the liver produces bile and eliminates toxins.  It is really wild to hear the gall bladder dump in this process too.  You hear a loud rumble like your stomach is hungry but this is higher up on the abdomen and to the side a bit.  (I tell these details because I had no idea so many of you do this for detox, so if I could help someone with that process by my experience, I'm glad!)

Coffee enemas also deplete your electrolyte balance so I am trying to watch that.  Between that imbalance and a light food diet, I feel so out of it.  I pray through the process daily and if I feel too light headed or malnourished, I eat a piece of fish (twice a week I am allowed fish) and some extra carbs.  The process also make you nauseous afterwards when you are detoxing metals, he says.  All these things are released and then you feel sick as your body deals with it.  I have to do it morning and afternoon.  (Can I brag on my staff at this point?  I found clothes on my line last week and a load of laundry in the washer and was like who is doing laundry!? I asked Maria, our campus cleaner, and she said she stopped by one morning to start a load, and then another for me.  I could cry!  Fran, my maintenance guy, took my trash out of the truck and I didn't ask.  Julio, my farmer, brought produce up to my house after I told him to leave it by the office and I would go get it sometime.  I am so thankful for them!

Doctor says after this week, I should be turning and feeling much better.  I can say last night I didn't sleep 13 hours like last week, I was up at my normal 6am and went to bed around 9.

My weight didn't change this week.  To me, this is shocking because I feel starved most days.  My friend that does this therapy weekly for some paralysis after stroke, lost 10 lbs JUST last week.  Men, they make us angry.  Eat a few veggies and lose weight.  

After my Spanish class this morning, I am going to take Dani to the doctor.  She has slept since 1pm yesterday. Sore, red throat, sore back, dizzy, lethargic--  Lift her up for me.

Also, Jessica has registered for school in Higuey, the place she is living now.  She will start public school on the 20th when the country starts!  That's exciting!  I will send you a first day of school pic.  Gabriela's (sister) adoptive mom took her school shopping last week and she sent me a photo of Jess.  She is sooooo tall. I spoke to Jess this week and she is excited to start school.  That was nice to hear because she hates school! 

Blue Scorpion Venom Treatment

Number 2 out of 4 of my chelation treatments was Monday.

Last week my doctor started me on a new diet that basically has me drinking green juices 8 times a day with a few days of oatmeal or fruit for breakfast and for lunch sometimes I can eat green vegetables. Sometimes soup of vegetables made with water, cilantro, and garlic. Other days I can have a potato or maybe a piece of fish.  I’m currently on day 7. These juices help to restore vitamins to my body and the potato is for potassium.  

Last week I had more energy. I did my workouts and increased my weights, but this week I am so EXHAUSTED. I’ve been nauseous for 5 months or so, but this week, I don’t even want to eat when I can or it’s hard to finish.  

Another part of treatment is coffee enemas. Don’t freak out too much. People in America do this, too.  It's a way to detox the liver and colon.  I was slow to start this part of detox because I couldn’t find the bag enema here. I found a regular enema at the farmacia, but it only holds 133ml.  I needed to do a full quart.  This seemed like a cluster. I went to the medical store that I rented Daniela's surgery equipment and found the bag one last Saturday. This looks just like the bag you use when you have an earache, or at least it’s what Filomena used! 

Once I got the bag over the weekend, I started coffee enemas. You boil a quart of water with 3 T of coffee grinds for 3 mins. Strain it a few times and let it sit. Then, you are suppose to do it twice a day, but i am still trying to get used to a quart of coffee sitting in my bottom for 10 mins. Your stomach bubbles and pushes out as gravity just pushes it in. It’s so weird at first, but I’m trying to get used to it. The stomach expansion makes me more nauseous and afterwards I just don’t feel good. Kinda dizzy. Sometimes I fall asleep right after as it zaps my energy, which is OPPOSITE of what others say. Some say you feel so awake from the coffee.  They say it causes the liver to excrete bile and detox. I know it's becoming popular in America, but I won't be someone telling anyone to do this.  I'm just following the doctors orders and hoping all this kicks my liver and kidneys to work properly.

I had a bowel movement on Sunday that looked like black sludge was weaved throughout it.   For a week or two before treatment my bowl movements were yellow. This had to do with my liver issues. My bowels have returned to a normal color/size today. I found this so hard to believe because I feel like I am starving to death on juices.  I dont even understand how I could have a full movement.

A few nights in a row, I have had calf Charlie horses. I googled and saw that the enemas deplete potassium. I asked my doc if I could eat an extra potato on Sunday. He said yes, or eat more raisins. 

Did you know raisins have more potassium than potatoes? I’m surprised. (I can’t eat bananas.)

My doctor recommended that I get Blue Scorpion Venom. 

Wait. 

What? 

He asked what my family history of diseases are and I said cancer. He didn’t seem to care about cancer. What else? I don’t know. Dad died of heart issues and had his first of many heart attacks at 55?? 

No, not that either.

He says my cells show signs of what could turn into lupus or arthritis. My lymphocytes are low and adding this to my treatment will cause my body to strengthen and not allow disease in. Ok, I think my mom has arthritis.

I called Mom that night and asked if we have lupus and arthritis. She said one of my nieces has been diagnosed with both.  Mom says she doesn't have arthritis.  Mom also has dementia, so she might not remember that she has arthritis because I swear she's had it since her 40's.

Hmmm to these sicknesses...

Although I feel like God usually speaks pretty loudly to me on decisions, this wasn't one of them.  I was saying GOD, I'M GOING TO NEED YOU to give me a deep conviction if I'm not suppose to do this.  I asked a few friends to pray and discern and no one felt a pull back.

So yesterday, I took Blue Scorpion venom in my IV. Feel free to Google it.  Stanford and some other places have done studies on it.  It's mainly used in Cuba, Argentina, and Mexico.

I slept 13 hours last night but I was fine this AM. I mean, I’m alive. One of my kidneys hasn’t felt good for 2 months now and I’m just waiting for that thing to stop aching. I don’t really have energy today and still want to go back to bed as I write this on my phone as Daniela is in the dentista.  This morning I was walking slowly around and didn’t want to eat because of nausea. I just felt drained and sick.

I am finishing this at 9pm and some of my energy returned and I feel much better than I did this morning.  I still have this foggy brain feeling.  I can't remember things the last few days and I feel like I keep repeating myself.

Update y'all next week.  xoxo

Education by Daniela

 Education

As a child, I never had the privilege of dreaming for a future outside of poverty. Around me, all I saw were people who were stuck in misery and always on the verge of losing everything, no matter how hard they worked to get it in the first place. Whenever I asked my mother why people lived that way, she always insisted that it was due to lack of resources for education.  In the DR, you have to pay for books and uniforms to go to school.

My mother never got to finish first grade. In my seven-year-old head, I thought that the only way out of poverty would be through education. From the beginning, I put all my attention into learning everything I could to escape the hand that was dealt on my life. Every thought about the injustice of my situation was eradicated when I realized that the circumstances life hands you do not matter as much as what you do to change them.

I saw my mother being murdered in front of my eyes at the age of nine (2013). The person who motivated me to find a better future no longer had one herself. With no one to help me financially with my education, I was unable to study for a full year. In 2014,  I was adopted by a woman who valued education and had a love for Christ.  She taught me that I could overcome any circumstances and find full healing in Jesus.  At first Mom thought that learning a language on top of my traumatic experiences and managing school was too risky. But, I was willing to do whatever it took to take advantage of the opportunity that was given to me.

I learned to write, speak, and read English in just one year. As I learned a new language, more doors opened in my favor. To the point that I was offered a position in what was said to be one of the best bilingual institutions in the country. That opportunity made me realize how powerful communication was for everyone.

My dreams of a better future became more and more concrete. I imagined what I could do with more knowledge ​​at my disposal. The tongue is an essential tool for causing change. Additionally, the range of influence only grows with your knowledge!

I consider it important for others to be offered more opportunities to learn a new skill, as this would help them be better equipped to handle future situations that may arise. This will help the future generation have the right tools at their disposal to be able to think critically and make better informed decisions about the fate of humanity. What are you doing to change your circumstances?

A. Daniela Espinal

Where is Jessica?

Life update. I didn't get my diet plan and workout schedule today, so I don't really have a new update to that, so while I waited for Dani at the dentist this AM, I wrote this:

Where’s Jessica? 

Y’all have been trinkling in week after week in my inbox asking. I want to remind you all that it’s ok to ask people what’s going on in their lives. We should be asking. 

She is currently not living with Daniela and I. She is living with one of her sisters, by her own choice.

The last 4 years have slowly become worse and worse. I can’t exactly tell you when it started, but I do know she learned about this Satanic cartoon from her classmates and she began to mimic the cartoon. I didn’t know why she was always tired and where she learned to raise her fist at my face, but these crazy behaviors started. Soon I realized she was stealing computers at night to watch this cartoon. She became so obsessed and watched it for hours through the night. 

Back in March, Daniela was extremely sick and Jessica was living outside for 7 straight days. She had run away, which she ran away all the time at this point. So this time, in the middle of the night, she was breaking in through windows to get food then crawl back outside to live. She was sleeping under the house in the dirt or in the fields.  She was convinced that I do not get to have rules and regulations. She quit school already by this point. She demanded that she lives how she wanted to without anyone telling her what to do. 

Most mornings over the last few years, Jessica woke up angry. Angry that she couldn’t get up when she wanted to! Slamming and breaking things in the house in fits of rage. Literally trashing her entire room tossing everything everywhere. 

When school would start, she’d run out of the house screaming, FUCK YOU, Bitch! I’m outta here! Or Burn In hell, you son of a bitch! (Mimicking this cartoon)

If I would be talking to her about something she did, she would get nose to nose and say, “slap me, so I can go to bed because I’m sick and tired of listening to your voice!”  Dani usually would come out of her room by now yelling Mom, BACK UP from her! (Dani knows she has some authority to hold me accountable.

2 summers ago she was in a mental institution here in another town. Her psychologist recommended it because she heard voices telling her to kill herself. 

She seemed calm for a few weeks then returned to normal. Life was so chaotic.  Everyone was miserable.

She also threatened to kill us.  Dani and I would hide the knives and sleep together locking the door.

Life became a daily mess. Dani and I would let her sleep late to not wake her, tip toeing around to not let the BOMB wake up. 

I knew I was losing my mind. I felt traumatized. You can only ask people to take Jessica so much.  The reality is people had their own lives and watching a kid that’s crazy isn’t exactly fun. Some people just said no. 

And some said give me that kid and come back when you want to!

One day, Daniela came to me.

Why are you waiting for one of us to get hurt? 

Wait. What? 

It was like—I see it all and I’m affected by it all, but Daniela woke me up that this is her life, too. 

Yeah, Mom, I hate living here. I can’t wait to go to college. I finally got out of my violent life and now, I have to live like that again!? I dream of leaving! I can’t wait to get out of this house. 

WAIT. 

What if we let her move out like she wants and then no one has to get hurt?  YES, Mom!  Let her go if she wants to go!

One of my pastor’s is an orphanage director and we had him come to the house to talk to us and Jessica didn’t want to live there. 

Ok, what about her local family. Her sister heard she was staying at her aunts and she came into town that night a couple hours away. 

I didn’t post because I thought after a day she would wake up and want to live with us. Ok, maybe it will take a week. Maybe a month!? 2 months? 

We talk to her almost weekly and every week I end the call asking if she’s ready to come home. The answer is always “No, I don’t want to live with you guys.”  We have secret ways in English/Spanish to tell me to come get her.  She knows my door is always open and she just needs to call day or night and say, come get me!

I don’t understand but I do know she isn’t having massive breakdowns there. She’s not violent. She doesn’t run away. She hasn’t threatened to kill herself or others. 

Dani asked if it upsets me that “I couldn’t do it.”

I started to cry. I don’t think like that, at all.   Even if I don’t believe in earthly happiness/joy/peace. I’m thankful for the first time in years cortisol isn’t flooding this child all day long and she’s found some sort of calmness. I cry that she finally doesn’t cry and want to die. If letting her move out keeps everyone alive, then this is the best we can do right now.

I don’t think Jessica is gone from our family forever. I have full Dominican legal rights to her and haven’t signed it over. We pray and fast that God will convict her heart. In the end, you couldn’t say Jesus without her slamming her head against a wall or screaming covering her ears. 

My hope is God is with her. And that one day, she will turn. I often have this vision of her on a stage speaking her testimony. 

A powerful one it will be.

Join me in prayer as Daniela's little sister's parents are thinking about taking Jessica in.  This Dominican family values family, education, and therapy.  Jess was in therapy before but her sister said she didn't need it anymore when she moved in there.   We are closer to the little sister's family than we are her older sisters.  They also have internet and we could talk to Jessica more often.

 

Chelation Therapy

Guys, I write blogs in my head allll the time!  I just don't ever write them down.  I have a few blogs coming your way this week.

Last month I quickly gained another 15lbs. My weight has been an issue for years. I am the only person I know to gain 10 lbs on WHOLE 30. I decided to hire a nutritionist here in the DR. She ran blood work and we saw that my liver and kidney enzymes were high. My creatine was low and my uric acid was high. My nutritionist said I would usually be considered obese but my muscle mass is high. She knows I weight lift 4 days a week.  She asked how much alcohol I’m consuming. I said none. She looked at Dani. She shook her head saying I don’t drink alcohol. She sent me for a sonogram and told me to drink more water. Sonogram didn’t show any enlarged organs, but I know the doctor that does the sonograms always asks, “what’s wrong, why are you here,” etc, so I brought my results. 

He asked, “how much alcohol are you consuming in a day?” 

None. 

I had already googled these levels and saw that it usually has to do with cirrhosis or maybe hepatitis.  Unless this is damage from binge drinking in my youth, it's not cirrhosis.

I left the nutritionist with a juice diet--basically, with a dinner that was a small banana, 2 pieces of cheese, and a small piece of avocado. I still do not understand the logic of this diet.  It was a let’s get you to lose weight quickly diet and I’m not looking for that. I left and didn't hire her.

I hired a personal trainer online to help. I’m 4 weeks in and haven’t lost anything. 

2 weeks ago, I asked my pastor who could evaluate my kidneys/liver and help. Like, really help. I figured I need a little more medical advice than drink water.  He texted me back a number of a guy he graduated medical school with (my pastor is a baby doctor) that had gone back to do molecular medicine. At the end, I will tell you his story.

I texted and he spoke English. I wanted this because medical is Spanish is so hard for me! There are so many words. Dani is no help either! 

I went to go see him and he asked me a bunch of questions about how I feel and my weight. 

You weigh too much. Like, YOU REALLY WEIGH TOO MUCH.

Listen, doc! I’m here for weighing too much! No need to throw in the REALLY PART! 

We all laughed. 

I didn’t mind saying that back to him because I know Dominicans are very vocal about people's weight and appearance to your face. 

Are you working out? Yes, 5/6 days week. 4 days of heavy weights and 3 days of soccer with Daniela's team.

He looks at Dani. Does she? Doc, she is always working out! She’s always trying to drag me to the gym! 

Do you have anxiety or depression? No, I'm pretty laid back. 

He looks at Dani—is she? Yeah, she doesn’t get anxiety or depression. (I actually enjoy Daniela talking about who I am or how she perceives me).  

What kind of blood are you? O negative

Oh gosh. Ok. 

It can sometimes be difficult to work with. 

We looked at my blood under a microscope. 

See this? This is metal. See this? That’s arsenic. That right there is mercury. See that, metal. Metal. Metal. 

Yesterday, I started chelation therapy. It’s a weekly process of doing an IV to pull out metals. He says my weight should fall off. My kidneys and liver should go back to normal functioning. He thinks one kidney is a bit paralyzed and the pain I feel in one kidney is the kidney doing extra work. Last week, I started some high dose D vitamins and a metabolism pill at a natural store. I know some of this treatment is high doses of Vitamin C, Zinc, Glut something and Vitamin B. 

His own story: he came down with brain tumors and became paraplegic. He was preparing to die when he heard Argentina was doing some new molecular medicine with high dosages of vitamins.  He flew to Argentina from the DR and decided they could just burry his body if he dies.  

He was healed. He doesn’t even walk with a cane. He went back to school and was in NY working when they decided to send him back to the DR to do a study here with this.

I read that most people lose 3-5 lbs after each treatment.  I woke up and have gained 3 lbs.  I am trying to just be hopeful but when you are gaining weight at an alarming rate, seeing the scale go up 3 more is frightening!  I have never weighed this much in my life.  

Y'all be praying for these kidneys and liver to get moving and doing their job!!

Dani gets her stitches out of her mouth today.  She is healing BEAUTIFULLY!  

I will write more tonight.  I am meeting with my doctor to discuss my new diet and workout.  If you are wondering how I have heavy metals, I have no clue, but I am investigating things like my 15 years of dying my hair is one, makeup has metals, water, soil, fish I purchase here, rice, ETC.

ACL and Full Tear of Meniscus Surgery Day 1/12/21

MIJA

FUN (questionable) FACTS about DANIELA that I heard that were noteworthy with all our time together yesterday:  Daniela got in trouble for stealing a book in Kinder because she had none at home. I swear her Christmas list was all books and I said, “add something else, please!”

She’s tried cocaine at age 10 with her sister after mom passed away.

Tuesday:

We woke up at 4 am. I had a dream about my brothers and I. In the dream I prayed and I said a few things concerning a verse about Elijah. On the way to the hospital I told Dani and she told me she read that very story that nothing! Can I first say I’m so proud to hear she read her Bible at 4am! We left at 5 and I didn’t even read! 

We dropped Jess at Dilena’s house and headed to Santiago with great time.

We arrived at 6:45am. We entered admissions and had no idea what to do so we stood there waiting for directions on putting our names on a list, a ticket, something. Minutes passed and the guy said sit down. This is actually really odd because usually when you walk into a Dominican room the attendant would say good morning.  Always.

We are finally called to the counter and the man rambled 3 documents to give him. I personally was given this folder here at the anesthisia test. I have no Idea the names of the documents inside. I pushed my envelope that I already gave him, closer to him. I was thinking okay, he just needs this hospital folder with Daniela's complete info.  He wouldn’t take her documents out. Again with no eye contact and angry he repeated his documents. I said I don’t know which those are...I started to well up with tears.

“Can you help us? Please.” 

He takes it gasping for air, hating his life and hating us. I’m so shocked and appalled because it’s 7am and they just opened! Then, he wanted a deposit and I told him ok, how much. He was agitated again telling me—I tell him. Ok can I make up the amount? More gasps, no! He basically told me forget it and to go wait to the side, I’m not prepared. I’m like wait! No! 😭 We have surgery in 30 minutes, please help us. Now I’m crying because I just don’t know why it always has to be so hard. 

Look my daughter up in the system and tell me. 

I don’t have her in this. Call your surgeon and talk to him. 

Wait, can you call him? 

No, you call him.

 

I pulled out my document, that I demanded from my surgeon stating everything, and showed him that the hospital determines the deposit. I ask him to please call. He huffs and puffs. I’m still crying and can’t seem to pull it together. 

I wait to the side. I go to the bathroom to pray and breathe. I know God is in control but why can’t it be easy? 

Then he comes back with an amount. I just pay it. Then he wanted Daniela’s ID. I’m like she’s a minor, no one told me to bring anything. 

“Where’s her passport???”

I never told this guy she has a passport! Dani was like, “excuse me, sir, I’m a Dominican citizen only.” 

He assumed she flew in here with me. By now, I am full in tears and I’m so frustrated that it’s now after 8 and we aren’t even close to surgery. 

He storms up again making sure we know he isn’t happy. He comes back and now doesn’t care that she has no ID. 

He asked why have I not paid equipment bill. I told him I drove there yesterday and they said pay after surgery. He said no, I’m supposed to pay that first. He looked at me said this is a mess because of your surgeon!  If you read my last blogm, I had this concern too last week. I asked my surgeon to stop texting me and sending me voice messages with tiny bits of info here and there and changing prices.  I asked for all info to be put into a formal professional document from his secretary.  I also needed info on what the surgery was.  

Anyway, by this point I couldn’t talk anymore. My eyes were welled with tears. I let Daniela talk for me. I was already stressing her with my crying. 7:47am my surgeon texts he’s headed to the hospital. How odd he didn’t plan to be there before surgery time.  Why tell me to arrive at 7AM to do admissions to go into surgery at 8am?

Anyway, he continued, “He’s so unorganized and you don’t even have the information!” WOW.

The surgeon came in and I couldn’t believe how disrespectful he was to him! I thought, ok, he might be a mess but that isn’t how you talk to a surgeon. He flat out told him off. She got her bracelet and we were out.

We finished and went to preop. As we walked with surgeon there I told him Daniela has some food sensitivities with meat and dairy, if we could order a vegetarian diet for her. Oh sure tell the clerk on the floor when you get your room assigned. (Remember this.) 

We started to get ready to operate. We had 4 nurses stick her 11 times for an iv. I almost threw up watching the sticks then digging up and sideways to hit. Lady 4 came in and hit one first try. 🎉🎉We thanked her. With every lady we prayed asking God to hit something. 

She finished surgery around 11. He said it was successful and removed the 1/2 meniscus torn in half. I need to google that. I wondered if she needed something else there.  I was super late receiving that info the day before surgery--that if the meniscus is fully ripped, he just takes it out.  Call me crazy but I think God has it there for a reason?  

So surgery is over and a man found me and said I needed to pay. I asked to see Daniela. He said not yet, go pay first. I found this super crass. I asked do I go to admissions? Same place as in the morning? Yes, go to admissions. 

I go in there and decide I’ll choose the girl because the guy was about to kill someone in the morning. I tell her my kids name and I need to pay. 

You don’t pay here. 

She’s super short and little eye contact. She also doesn’t try to help or send me anywhere else. 

Can you tell me where to go? 

To the cashier outside. 

That guy told me you only pay there when you leave. He tells me she’s not in system. I go back to admissions.

I go back to the lady—

Well, the doctor upstairs said I come here to pay. He said I need to pay then I can see my daughter. 

It’s not here. This is admissions! She raises her voice and has hand and head gestures.

I said, What is going on here? Why is your face doing that— why you are so angry? 

Because I told you this is ADMISSIONS! YOU DONT PAY HERE!  Literally shouting and enunciating every single word.

Tears well up. I’m so on my last leg. 

She picks up the phone and the person said I need to pay the deposit. She looks at me and says oh you need to pay the deposit here. 

No apology. She just acts like it’s nothing.

I was waiting for Sal to jump out that this was a prank. 

“I paid my deposit in the morning.”

Sadly, I don’t have my receipt and it’s in my medical folder that keeps following Dani. 

I call on the guy that was my clerk in the morning. He seems to be on my be on my team now. I think he’s seen way too much crying out of me and took pity. He was raising his voice again for the phone to hear! She paid! She already paid! 

All I want to do is see my kid. They made another mistake and I could leave. I ended up not paying anything and seeing Dani in the recovery waiting room. I go back up and another doctor is talking to me again about how I’m paying. I find all of this so rude.

Can I go spend time with my kid? I have stated to my surgeon several times how I am paying. This is no mystery. This money hungry pushing me to pay is insane as she’s minutes out of major surgery (I didn’t know it was major surgery either until someone told me).

He kept repeating that they will take money off if I pay in cash.  There is a ATM downstairs and I could take the money out.  Pay in cash it's cheaper.  NOOOOOOOOOOO, I am not paying in CASH!  I didn't say that but that was exactly my thought.  Why do you keep pushing me to get the money out in cash.  You can pay tomorrow or the next day, it's better in cash. NO.  Sometimes I just crave a man to stand next to me and not deal with BS like this, but I also know the Lord has made me tough enough (He stands with me) to speak for myself and demand what I want and not cave.

the room we slept in all night

6:15 almost 7 hours later we have been waiting in a recovery room with other post ops. Sometimes up to 15. I was watching some man convulsing/shaking and I was becoming nauseous. I didn’t like seeing all these people out of surgery. I didn’t like screaming kids and crying kids for their moms. We stayed there all day watching every patient. The place was packed with about 15 beds at one point. I walked around people to get out. We at least got a back space around 3 pm. I sat on the floor for 4 hours next to he before they moved us to the back.  The back space was better with a partial curtain, several didn't have that. Plus, I finally got a chair to sit on.

6:14, a nurse said we might sleep right here. 🙃 I just can’t. I kept asking and I was told later, the afternoon, soon, your next.

We ended up sleeping in the recovery waiting room of post operation. The lights in the room are all connected, so you couldn’t shut off the light above your bed. 

Our nurse Jon who was taking great care of us said he would find me a bed to put next to Dani. By 8, I am about to pass out. At 9, there’s a new female nurse. I ask for a bed next to D and she said no. I asked her am I not going to sleep tonight?  She, no joke looked at me, and said, no, you aren't going to sleep tonight. I looked around and said I am going to sleep.  

Unless you are a single mom, you don't know SINGLE MOM TIRED.  I am going to sleep. I am over the running around this place up and down the stairs and doing it all alone.  

So, I found a metal bed with no mattress hiding behind Daniela's space and went to sleep on it around 9:10pm.  Next thing, I was being woken up by Daniela telling this male nurse that ASKED

  

Is that your Mom?  

Yes.

  

Why is she on that metal gurney with no mattress?   

The lady nurse told her she can't sleep here.  He was livid!  He was like why didn't she clean the bed with a mat for her?  

Dani said my Mom asked her to and she wouldn't.  

He rolled me in a bed.  I secretly loved that man.  Thanks, GOD!  I swear this male nurse disappeared and we haven't seen him since.  Or before.  He did nothing but find me in some crawl space and demand I get a bed.  

We were woke up several times to nurses laughing, playing, and talking loudly. I shhhhh’d them at one point. They stopped.

After 10PM sometime when I was passed out, they wanted to bring Dani dinner. DINNER. Up until this point they gave no snacks, no water, nothing. I already spoke to my personal nurse Casey and she said she can have some food. 

Around midnight, they started blaring secular Spanish music for a celebration of a birthday. I AM NOT KIDDING. In the room that patients STRAIGHT out of surgery go to for recover! (Casey, did you read that?)

Dani told the male nurse Jon, that was taking GREAT care of us, to please tell them to stop. Again, after a minute they turned it back on. Daniela asked them to please shut it off. They told her it’s a birthday! She told me she told them patients healing and sleeping are the priority, shut it off, I need sleep. She's going to be 17 next week and I am so thankful she holds her own and she never worries. me.

THIS IS THE PART WE ALL NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND---

Our nurse finally helped us understand what was going on and why everyone was so rude. He was on a 48 hour shift, not knowing when it will end. He’s not being paid either. Their paychecks are delayed. He lives pretty far away too and doesn’t get any gas compensation. 

And then it clicked why everyone is has been so mean since we walked in the door.  I do not know what this delayed pay means but I do know my security guard says that his company doesn't always pay him either.  Its delayed right now.  I find this interesting because I am charged 4 times HIS SALARY for his services, so my bill alone pays 4 guys months SALARY.  Why are they not paying?  Once again my hospital bill pays scores of their salaries, I bet.

Today is Wednesday and I am hoping to leave this morning.  I need to head upstairs, and there isn't internet in there, to see if the doctor is here to help get us out.

I wanted to leave you with this:  while Daniela and I were just in a funk to the treatment of this place we decided to sit and brainstorm where we saw God.  Here's our list <3

Where did you see God? 

In the English doctor we found who answered my questions. (He sent me to a place that doesn't exist anymore in another building, but still)

In the nurse asking her how she felt and would pray for Dani when I wasn’t with her

In getting safely through the operation

In the parents supporting me here

In the old man that was white as can be but was Haitian telling me to google and you tube her recovery myself and telling me to be careful they don’t take advantage of my money by charging me more. He reminded me of my dad. I went to talk to him in English and helped him put on his arm sling. I just wanted to be near him because he felt like my dad

In the sunset as I waited for food delivery

In the calmness inside

In the angel man that got me a bed

in the music finally stopping

in Jon our nurse being so soft and good at his job

in my Lake George hoodie that became my soft covering to the metal bed

Photos aren't uploading.  Maybe later when I have good internet xoxo