monday began just like any other day, besides the fact that it was 48 hours until my journey to south africa begins. fast forward to 41 hours until my journey begins and you’ll have the rest of my monday…

2:30pm – i entered a meeting with my 3 immediate supervisors: dan, troy and brice. we had been trying to plan this meeting together for a good month to month and a half – finally able to work our schedules out. so we’re about 20 minutes into this thing when i start to get a pain in the middle-to-lower part of my back. i had just had lunch about an hour earlier so for a little while i had simply assumed it is … ahem… gas. so i shifted in my seat trying to get things to flow, but it just got worse and worse.

i kept trying to listen intently as dan wrote on the whiteboard during our meeting and trying to be an active part of the discussion… but all i could think about was the pain. why was it getting worse?

i finally couldn’t take it any more and i had to interrupt troy and said, “ok guys, seriously, i am in a lot of pain”. i got up and sat in a different (straighter, flatter chair) and dan got me water. i said, “nope, i am gonna throw-up”. and troy began to help me up and walk me to the bathroom, but i didn’t make it – i puked. right there in the conference room. in the trash can. on my sweater. on my jeans. and i don’t know yet, but i am pretty sure, on troy too. all the while he’s rubbing my back saying, “aww sweetheart”.

whilst throwing up… i was still in severe pain.

after about 15 minutes, the pain began to subside and the nausea weakened as well. i went to the hospital anyway because first, i had never experienced that kind of pain my life and second, supposed to leave the country in less than 48 hours. i wanted to make sure all things were ok. good call.

through peeing in a cup and getting a CAT scan, turns out – i have kidney stones.

although nothing i’ve experienced has been worse than that first painful episode, i have had a couple minor pain-attacks. and i have to pee in a urine filter awaiting a stone (or several) to come on out. so gross, huh?

so what about south africa?

as of right now, i have the “a-go” on still traveling since the CAT scans came back relatively clear, but please pray for me! this whole thing put me just that much more behind… just that much closer to leaving not to mention… i’m weaker.

ps. according to a few sources, i could apparently handle childbirth without drugs when i get married and have kids some day. the pain of kidney stones is supposedly worse than labor.