After lifting, rigging, and flipping rafts over in 40°F water, swimming class III rapids, rafting in the snow through class IV rapids in 25°F weather, purposely jumping into river current and being rescued by a throw bag(rope) to shore, swimming into eddies, unexpectedly falling out in a class IV rapid section, prying, pushing, and paddling our way down the Arkansas, Eagle, and Colorado river, our intense two week raft guide training and Colorado certification finally ended on Friday and our rookie class of nine were officially Raft Guides for Lakota Guides. We rigged a trip for Saturday morning, arrived home at 7pm and proceeded to relax and unwind.
Had some stomach cramps that I didn't think too much of. Then the pain started moving into my back. Needless to say as the night grew longer the pain became worse and by 2am I was in the ER. We got there and they checked for kidney stones, appendicitis, and ovarian cysts. I was diagnosed with several ovarian cysts, each being fairly large(6cm at the largest). They gave me pain killers and told me to see a doc. Saw the doc Tuesday where she had instructed me to take birth control pills for the next month which will decrease the size of the cyst and we'll re-evaluate it in a month.
But in that month my physical activity is limited, which means no raft guiding. If I can't guide this month, by the time my health is under control the season will be over. So I have to find another job. No Fun. At All.
Praise God that I am on my feet. It is a very crazy situation. There were so many possibilities that could've made this worse. I could've been on the river when the pain started, I could've been at our two day overnight on the river, I could've been at home when no one was home to take me to Vail Hospital (45 min away). It's SO insane of a circumstance that I feel it could only be God. He most have something greater for me. Just when you think you have everything figured out....
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
