The "Back"ground story

Hello everyone! 

How is everyone doing? How is life in the USA? Can y'all believe that January is almost over?

I'm currently writing this letter from my bed. I'm now officially on day 6 of bed rest! For anyone that doesn't know, I fell and broke part of my back! This week has been crazy and boy oh boy, I have quite a story to tell! 

Let me just say that winter is the start of all my problems...Here in Odessa, we had been very lucky, not seeing any ice or even much snow. It's been very mild. But this last week, winter hit. And it hit HARD! It all began last Monday. If you remember, I wrote about the rain and how it was starting to cover everything in a layer of ice. In fact, by the time P-day ended, everything was SO slippery!

 ICE ICE BABY

 

Our plan for that night fell through at the last minute so Sister Kelly and I didn't have much to do. We decided that we would head to the church, tune my violin, practice for a few minutes, and then go perform a musical number for some members of our branch. As we headed to the church, we were in the middle of a totally ice-covered city! Everything--from the trees, the telephone wires, even our clothing was coated with ice! Sister Kelly and I were having quite a time trying to stay standing! But we were having so much fun! It was like ice skating! We finally reached the parking lot across from the church (right by the giant Christmas tree) when I slipped and fell, landing hard on my behind!

When I first fell, I was so shocked. I was laughing and Sister Kelly was laughing so hard that I thought she was going to fall also. Before I could even really comprehend what had happened, (and this is so Ukraine culture) I felt two arms grab me from behind and lift me up to my feet. This random Ukrainian man then just walked away.

We also walked away, still laughing. My pride was slightly hurt that I had fallen, but I didn't think much of it. We went to the church and practiced our music. At first, nothing really hurt (I think it was probably numb) but within a little time, it started to really hurt. I went through the rest of the night and by the time night came, I didn't know what to do.

As missionaries, we have the number of a doctor that we can call. So Monday night, I called Dr. C and told him what was up. He told me to take some painkillers and try to sleep it off. So that is exactly what I did.

Then I woke up Tuesday morning. My back hurt so bad--I thought I was going to die. I could hardly focus on studies. Before long, we had to call and cancel some of our plans. I tried to see if I could sleep off the pain, but I couldn't sleep. My head was pounding and I felt like I was about to throw up. At one point, one of our neighbors rang the doorbell. Sister Kelly went to answer and I was laying on the couch. While Sister Kelly was talking to our neighbor, I all of the sudden knew that I was going to throw up. There was a bucket in the middle of the room. I got to the bucket and while I was throwing up, I hear our neighbor ask, "What is going on back there?" Sister Kelly responds with "Oh it's just my friend back there." I'm so curious to know what our neighbor thought. 

When Sister Kelly came back, I told her that I needed to do something. So I called Dr. C again and he told me to go to the hospital. He knew of a good one here in Odessa, so we decided to do that. I was nervous. Ukrainian hospitals?!? I've heard stories and even been to a few myself to visit people! Thankfully, this hospital was so nice!

Sister Lam and I headed to the hospital. We prepared a list of words that we maybe would need. When we got to the hospital, everything was so quick. (As compared to American hospitals). Within 5 minutes of arriving, I was in a checkup room. No paperwork or questions or anything. The nurse asked what happened and then had me lie down and see what was hurt. There were places in my back and my stomach that were really sensitive so she said that I needed a KT scan and ultrasound. So we went and paid for them.

While Sister Lam was paying, this man came and got me and told met that I needed to go with him. I tried to explain that I needed Sister Lam with me, but (1) he didn't care because he is a doctor, and (2) broken back pain and Russian don't agree. So eventually, I just went. He was telling me something that I didn't quite understand when we went into a room and he pulled out a needle and told me to take off my pants!! And all of this was just a little too much to handle, and so right when he was giving the shot, I just passed right out! I don't remember what happened next, but before long Sister Lam came in and the man had some sort of smelly chemical. Sister Lam just said I was so white and sweaty. Before long, I was feeling much better so we headed in to the KT scan. We did that and headed straight to the ultrasound. The ultrasound man was my favorite, he was so nice. He did an ultrasound of all my vitals. It reminded me of when I went with Mom when she was pregnant with Parker and the doctor told her that it was a boy and I started crying. Do you remember that? Anyways...

  I died at the hospital

 

The ultrasound man told me that all my vitals were good. Then the lady from the KT scan came back and gave me this big sheet of scans and a paper with something written. Sister Lam and I looked at it and then at each other and then at the ultrasound man and told him that we had no idea what it meant. He took us to a room where we met this lady that spoke English and she told me that my "sucker" was broken. I had no idea what that meant and so I called Dr. C and was like "My 'sucker' is broken." And he didn't know what that meant either. So we realized that something was wrong with the translation. All we knew at this point was that something was broken and that I needed to see a traumologist. So Sister Lam and I went out to the main room and sat on a couch and thought about what to do. We eventually decided to call Sister Klebingat. We called her and had a doctor (my shot friend) read the diagnosis. That's when I found out that I broke my back and that my tailbone moved. We were shocked. Sister Klebingat said how it was my S4 and that I was really lucky because it didn't shatter or lose pieces or anything. So we set up to meet with the traumologist. So we went and met with him. He talked to Sister Klebingat. Then he wrote out a whole page of instructions and medications. Then we went home.

 MEDS!

 

 Sister Lam and I didn't understand a lot of what was going on. But we just kept trying! We went by a pharmacy and got all the medications and paid for those. Speaking of payment, that was a huge miracle! Before we went to the hospital, we all pitched together money to pay. When we first got to the hospital, we paid for the KT scan, ultrasound, and the 1st appointment. That took all the money that we had brought. When we had to pay for the next appointment, I was about to pay with my card (hello lots of fees) when I found the exact amount needed in my pouch! Miracle! Then when we went to pay at the pharmacy, I was about to pay with my card again when in my pouch again, we found exactly the amount that we needed again! We were so blessed! We got home and I was resting. There were a million and one phone calls. Over more and more phone calls, I found out more and more what I was supposed to do--including bed rest. I was a little sad because the next day was zone conference and I didn't think I would be able to go. But President and Sister Klebingat are the BEST! They arranged everything for me so that I could attend. That is also a story that I need to tell. But later.

So that night, and all this week, seriously was so many phone calls wondering about me and if I was dying and going home. Gossip spreads fast in the mission field. I think some of my favorite moments of the week were telling people what happened because people have great reactions. :) But I think all the rumors got stopped before too many people were told that I was leaving. :)

 our Russian cheatsheet for what happened!

 

So that was crazy Tuesday, but the next day was almost even more crazy. This was a really special day. It was a special zone conference with Elder Lawrence. Elder Lawrence is a member of the 70 (you can find him in the conference Ensign middle picture thing). He is the area president over Europe East. I've been excited for this conference for so long! But I'm sure that Elder Lawrence will never forget me. Why? Because I attended zone conference in p-day clothes (jeans) and on an air mattress!!!!

Wednesday morning, we woke up and Kolya came. He is the driver for our mission. We loaded the air mattress and all my stuff in the car and headed out. President had talked to Kolya and told him to drive careful and Kolya tried so hard not to bump at all. So nice. 

We got to the church and the assistants, and the zone leader helped set up the bed. President had called them too. :) Everyone seriously bent over backwards for me! I'm so blessed to serve here with these missionaries and with my amazing mission president and his wife! I love them so much! 

So President and Sister Lawrence, and President and Sister Klebingat walked in and said hi to me. They were all so sweet! It was so funny because there were so many missionaries there and not very many people knew what had happened...so awkward!

 Me at zone conference with Sister Klebingat

 

The conference was so good! We learned about the great apostasy, and how to be a good missionary. Both President and Sister Lawrence were so complimentary to us as a mission and as missionaries. It was so funny at one point because President Lawrence was talking about working with members when he said, "...and before long, they will break their backs for you. Oh, sorry Sister Ford." Everyone that knew what was wrong thought it was so funny. We also learned about member missionary work, spiritual gifts, and planting seeds. So good. :)

The day had so many tender mercies. People were so caring. Anytime President Lawrence walked by, he would wink. President Klebingat would always stop and talk with me for a second. Not to mention he took a million pictures (for all future videos and his journal and such). One of the assistants' goal all day was to make me smile whenever he saw me. Same with a lot of the other elders and sisters. One elder gave me a cough drop? Also, I think I got patted on the head a million times. Sister Klebingat also was so helpful. She helped me learn what all the medicines were and how to take them. She also translated the doctor's note (because messy Russian cursive is impossible to read). So he told me bed rest for 2-3 weeks with a checkup after 10 days. I really, really hope I'm not in bed for that long! Sister Klebingat has seriously been the biggest blessing during this. She's the closest thing to a mom that I have here!

So zone conference was so good! I was so glad to be there, even if I wasn't mentally all the way there the whole time. (I did have a broken back  ). At the end of the conference, I just went home and slept. I was so tired! 

So those were the big adventures of the week. The rest of the week, I literally did not leave my bed. And I definitely have not left the apartment! I've studied so much! I read Jesus the Christ, the teaching of Joseph Smith, and so much from the quad! I've also watched a lot of general conference (thanks Grandma!) and slept! 

One thing that is a little crazy is my medicine schedule. It took me a while to figure out, because everything is written in Ukrainian and because there is so much of it! But now I know and it goes something like this

7:00 am--put on the patch (imagine really intense icy-hot)

10:00 am--take the little white pill

3:00 pm--take 2 red/white pills and the blue/white pill

7:00 pm--take off the patch

10:00 pm--2 more white pills

So that keeps me entertained. 

The members in the branch found out and have been so sweet. They call and send me food. They want to visit--but sadly it's not allowed. :( They all are so nice, I'm so blessed to be in this branch!!! I've learned a lot of ways to "heal"--those are fun! Don't worry--I haven't done anything except what the doctor said!

 What I do all day

 The 1st night with my x-ray. I know I look DEAD!

  

The sisters also have been so helpful! They have been rotating who stays in with me and they just wait on me hand and foot. :) Also, the elders in my area deserve a MAJOR shoutout! They have been so helpful! I know that Mom asked Sister Klebingat if I got a blessing, and I did. It was the first thing that the elders offered! They also brought me the sacrament yesterday. I'm so grateful for them! Brothers, take a note to always help the sisters! The elders think the whole situation is so funny, so they keep the mood light!

 view from my head

 

 In zone conference, we talked about how Heavenly Father accomplishes good through us everyday. At first, I was a little skeptical, "How can I do any good in bed?" So I asked Heavenly Father to help me see the good I've been doing! And He has! Everyday I've been writing a "HDHFAGTMT" section (that stands for How Did Heavenly Father Accomplish Good Through Me Today) and each day it becomes more and more--even if I am on bed rest. 

I thought I would share a journal entry from this week, because I had a really great experience and I wrote it down. It's from Thursday:

Well, Day 2 of bedrest! Well of real bedrest...only day 1! I can just say that I have a loving Heavenly Father! He loves me beyond my comprehension! There have been so many times today where I have looked around and thought with sadness or maybe almost fear about how hard the next few weeks will be or thought about how no matter what I did, my back hurt of thought about how it stresses me out to think about how reliant I am on others, especially without my family near. But I know Heavenly Father loves me because everytime I start to think that way, the Lord has given me some sort of tender mercy confirming to me that He is aware of me and will "not forsake me" nor leave me alone. They range from a verse in the scriptures to something one of the sisters has said to a strong feeling of the Spirit or even a phone call from someone that cares about me. 

The most profound of those moments came when I was watching a session of general conference. The speaker was President Henry B. Eyring in his talk called "Mountains to Climb". Already one of my favorite talks, it was more powerful than ever before. As I'm sitting here (well...actually lying here) in the midst of one of the hardest trials of my life, I received the strongest confirmation that the Lord is aware of where I am, how I feel, and what I am going through. Despite the fact that compared to the trials that others face, mine barely seem significant, the Lord loves me enough to comfort me. I feel His love, His support, and His help and know that I will never be alone! One part of President Eyring's talk that I love is when he says, "Sometimes we may think to cry out, 'When I have tried all my life to be good, why has this happened to me?'" I have definitely thought that in the last few days. "Heavenly Father, when I have tried so hard to be a good missionary, talk with everyone, help others come unto Christ, why has this happened to me?" And although others may joke, I'm sure the reason is not that I don't drink my milk, but rather because Heavenly Father knows that this trial and my response to it can and will help me become the type of missionary and eventually the type of person that He wants me to be! And I'm determined to endure in a way that will just make me better! He loves me, I know it and He has and will continue to bless and protect me! I'm so blessed to have this knowledge that allows me to see the eternal perspective. I just feel so blessed despite, or maybe even due to the fact that I'm lying here with a broken back.

I know that hard times will come, but I hope that I can always remember what I have learned tonight, that the Lord loves us and will never forget nor forsake us! I love and am grateful for the fact that I know about my loving Heavenly Father and that I have the chance to share that knowledge with the people here in Ukraine, which I will do even more diligently once I can leave the apartment again!

This week I found out officially that I will be staying in Suvorovsky 1 more transfer!!! I will be going on 10 months! Woah! I'm so excited because if I had left, I wouldn't have had the chance to say goodbye to anyone! That would've been so sad. Next transfer I will be with Sister Lamoreaux, so this whole hospital was just practice! We are both called as Sister Training Leaders--which is like a zone leader, but for sisters. We will do a handful of exchanges and be a part of the mission leadership council (with President, the Assistants, zone leaders, and other STL's). It will be quite the learning experience for me! I'm excited. My lovely companion, Sister Kelly, will also be staying in Suvorovsky with a new companion, Sister Rea. It will be a little weird to be in the same area and branch, but not be companions, but it will be so good for Sister Kelly to take the lead with a younger companion! I'm so blessed to have been her companion! She is a ROCKSTAR MISSIONARY! I love her so much. 

To end on a high note, since I've injured myself, I have literally been the "butt" of every joke. The elders gave us all characters from Disney movies...I was always the little injured character...Nemo, or the little man from Emperor's New Groove that gets thrown out the window. 

But the best came from the senior office elder. He called me about some money issues and told me this story. "Sister Ford, in the 1960's my father owned a Chevy car dealership. Do you know what I learned from that experience? That if you were a Chevy and not a Ford, you wouldn't have broken!"

I thought that was pretty funny!

Anyways, I'm doing good! Resting, reading, smiling--all my favorite things!  Keep praying for my back and thanks for all the love and support! I love you all so much!

Love, love, love, love,

Sister Kati Ford