Rwanda, How I 'Almost' Died, and Why I Would Do It again...
|
The beginning of this school year, academically, was pretty relaxed. I finally nestled into a few of the classes for my major and started studying French again. It was definitely a good precursor for the coming months.
In the middle of Summer, I found out that I had been accepted to one of the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs. It would be a fully-funded experience working with a couple professors and an undergraduate team from across the country for a month each in Washington state and Rwanda. It's difficult to reflect on the whole thing, because I experienced a huge range of emotions through out the experience, often simultaneously. At times I didn't want the day to end, while others I couldn't wait for it to be over. For this reason, it's best not to reflect upon it chronologically. So I will start towards the end. I never would have imagined spending my 20th birthday in a hospital bed. Shakespeare couldn't have wrote a better tragedy. We had just got back from Rwanda after a short overnight stay in Amsterdam. I was exited to finally be back; I was especially excited about finally being able to eat my staple foods of pizza and sandwiches. We had been on a healthy diet of beans, rice, avocados, and meat for a whole month, which I should emphasis would be a healthy diet if I wasn't such a picky eater. When I was weighed at the hospital I had lost 20 pounds, which is not easy considering I was already thinly built. The return to my normal diet was very short lived. A couple days back I started to have increasing abdominal pain and taking in any food or water just made it worse. I made the tough decision at 9:30pm on March 6th that I needed to go to the emergency room. From there the pain only got worse; I've never broken any bones, but it was the worst pain I have ever had in my life. It was one of the most humbling moments in my life as well. I was hoping I would be able to get a prescription and go home, but I ended up spending the next 8 days in the hospital. If anything it really reminded me that I am loved and I have clearly the best mom in the world. My mother, who works a full-time job, dropped everything and flew out to Washington the next day to be with me. She insisted on coming even though I tried to persuade her to not. I get a lot of my headstrong nature from her. Luckily after getting blasted with antibiotics and IV fluid I started to recover on the 6th day. Today, I can gladly say that I am fully recovered. So the big question is: why would I do it again? This is a really difficult question that has multiple different answers, but perhaps I'll answer one with a poker analogy. Getting the opportunity was like get pocket aces in a game of Texas hold 'em. Of course you have to play that hand, but sometimes (rarely) you won't win the pot. Life can be a constant game of bets and wagers, always playing your best hand possible. The most important part is that you have to keep playing and that often the 'winnings' aren't always what you expected. I may not have ended the experience how I would have liked, but I got to spend 2 months with an amazing group of students who both challenged and supported me through out and I hope I did the same for them. Would I do it again? Of course. -John |