Praises!!

So we just got a call from the doctor. The doctor says that it is just some common bacteria that he could catch from anything. He has to be on strong antibiotics for the next 2 weeks then he will go in for a check up. The doctor said that they are going to still keep looking around at the samples just in case something pops us (I think they are intrigued by this whole thing). Eric slightly annoyed that its not something bigger because of the whole ordeal, but i am thankful! thanks for all the prayers over the past week we have been blessed!

Thanks again!

Heather (& Eric)

Still the youngest patient in the hospital

Eric was still the youngest patient in the hospital today, at least I'm pretty sure.

We got up to the hospital around 830 where a nurse met us and after eric was registered they took us to his room where he was to get drugged and then recover. I had to wait in the waiting room while they were getting him ready with an iv and what not then I was allowed to go back into his room. The room he was in was a zero pressure/oxygen room so all his germs would be sucked out but visitors and drs in the room had to wear masks. He thought we looked like planet of the apes characters. Steve and Barbara and then Donny (his youth pastor) came and joined me in the room before they moved him to the room to do the brochoscope.

As he went in for the procedure we were able to ask a nurse to look at the cat scan from yesterday. It was the view like looking down his body, pretty interesting. So toward the middle to the bottom of his lung there is a mass growing the problem that is concerning the dr's is the cavities that are eating away at his right lung. They are creating a honeycomb like effect there.

It looked pretty scary to me, so after looking at this the nurse says that we should not jump ahead to any conclusion until we see the results. So it could be from TB to a bacteria that they can get rid of with an antibiotic. The drs are hoping for the best.

After he got out of the procedure he was quite amusing, slightly dazed and confused. He mainly repeated a couple questions, which was normal because the drugs create an amnesia type effect when the are wearing off. The procedure went well and they were happy with the We are now at his parents house resting from the morning, he's taking it easy and closing his eyes.

We will not be finding out any results until wed at the latest. Please be praying that we might find out earlier! My sisters wedding is next weekend and we are supposed to be flying down wed night. If this is something not to serious were he doesnt have to wear a mask anymore (he has to wear a mask when around people until they figure out what it is) he can fly, but if it serious he cant fly and will still hopefully be able to go to the wedding. Anyways please be praying for us. Thanks everyone

a hospital visit

Hi everyone.

Thanks for all the prayer and support and love that you have given us the past couple days.

Short Story:

was supposed to have surgery today and didnt instead had a xray, cat scan, and two drs look at eric to figure out what is wrong with him.

Long Story:

Eric went in for a check up on tuesday afternoon and instead was tested for TB, anemia, had an xray and an appointment set up for surgery on wed in okc with a cardiac surgeon. We drove in to the city late tues night and stayed with his parents. Wed morning I called the hospital to get more information because all we knew was that he was having surgery that day and it was at 2(The dr at OSU didnt tell us anything about what kind of the procedure this was going to be). The secretary said that he was just coming in for a consultation with the dr. I was kind of bewildered, yet relieved, since we thought he was going in for surgery.

Once at the hospital he had to get another xray and was seen by the dr. (cardiac surgeon) who said that we needed to keep doing some test and a cat scan to see what is going on in his right lung. He said that the osu dr had an overreaction in telling Eric he was going to have surgery that day and he wanted to figure out exactly what was going on before he went in and took anything out. This dr. also made sure the pulmonary dr. was interrupted from his schedule so that he could look at Eric's cat scan immediately.

After his cat scan we talked with the pulmonary dr. He asked Eric a series of questions of when everything started happening, then Eric told him that he went to Africa this past summer and the dr. started talking about how this was the most likely answer to what was going on inside his body. Since he got a TB test they were going to be able to see the result tomorrow and he wanted Eric to come back in on Thurs so he could see. He also said that eric is coming back in Thurs for a binocular scope look into his right lung where the dr is going to take samples of the mass in his lung and send it to the lab. The tests can be back as early at Thurs afternoon or as late as monday (we are praying for Thurs, this way we can stay in the city and figure out what we need to do next without driving back and forth).

So when we get done at the hospital tomorrow I will post another update. Eric goes in at 830am and the procedure is at 10am (looking into his lung). Please continue praying for this and give the drs wisdom to give the correct diagnosis. Thanks!

Heather & Eric

They Do Exist!

Talked to Eric today for the last time before he comes back home! 

When I talked to him last time he left me saying that there is no wild life in Zambia (at least in their part). Well much to his surprise within a next couple days he and his colleagues where driving to a work site and out from the plains walks an elephant! this particular elephant, we'll call her Elle, stopped in the middle of the road and started to walk again, not off the road, but on it toward their vehicle opening up its big ears. They then started to realize that Elle was picking up speed, the driver started driving backwards as Elle kept coming toward them. Then the ranger that was with them fired the gun he had, with blanks, straight into the air and Elle stopped and just walked away. We are assuming that Elle reacted this way because on this particular reserve poachers still get on and kill the animals.

Next they went to lake tankinika where they saw hippos that came right up to the boat. Eric said he could touch one, but he didn't. So in conclusion animals do exist in north Zambia and Eric will be returning to me very soon! 

/ˈzæmbiə/

talk to eric last sunday... sorry it took so long again.

He is doing great but very exhausted! they get up at sunrise and dont stop moving until after they eat dinner at around 830pm. They have been mapping out the area in the north Zambia. He said that they have been walking through grass that is taller then him (in my opinion that is not grass at all but little skinny trees). Although they have not seen any snakes he is sure that they have come close to them (the only ones there are not friendly). So all though he is not near crocodiles or hippos he's got snake, yuk. 

they have also been having adventures while trying to take samples in the lakes. so far the main problem is people who own boats that dont know how to run them. Last week they tried to go out in to a lake and the "captain" flooded the engine. as they pushed off  3 men who were not with their group and just watching from the shore jumped on. since they couldnt get past the big waves on the beach, which were filling up the boat quickly with water, eric was concerned that he and his colleagues were going to have to save these other men if the boat tipped (they did not know how to swim) and get their equipment.

thats ill ive got from him, my poor tired man. 

Zamtastic continued....

I was able to talk to eric on sunday, on the phone! Sorry it has taken me so long to get on here and tell you how his life has been.

So far everything is going well. He said that there are no whiners on the trip, which makes room for lots of adventures in eating and walking around! this makes him really happy. They have still been enjoying lots of meat and whole fish at dinners and going to the market in the morning for their lunches for while they are in the field. They are moving north this week to start working on gravity and magnetic sampling of the sorts for the faults and rocks. I think that I may not have that completely right but Im not all sure what it means, ill pull some more stuff from him next time we talk. He is also working on sampling the rivers and lakes as well. Hes having fun bartering with the locals for taking boats out and being able to give them a little bit more money then what they were charging. so hes the generous white man :) thats my hubby.

they have been trying to enjoy the music of zambia but if the place is hopping with people and their drinkin the musicians dont come out for a couple hours after they are supposed to.... i think thats about it for now. ill be having another phone date this following sunday. only 2 1/2 weeks left! thanks for your prayers. ill put some stuff up about my adventures in cali after ive been here a couple days

Zamtastic and the woods

Zamtastic: the adventures of indiana eric! 

We arrived at 7 in the morning with no problem and passed through custom with no problems. We showed up at our hotel and found out that the power was out for the whole country. 

Later we met with the Zambian Geological Survey and some people from the University of Zambia (UNZA). The food is absolutely amazing, all they eat is meat and fish and dry paste called nshima. For one lunch our driver took us to a local place for lunch where you tell them what meat and fish you want and they cook it there. It may have been the best I have ever had. With that they gave us pumpkin leaves, sweet potato leaves, raw okra, nshima and we had to eat everything with our hands. 

Victoria Falls was amazing, i was living a national geographic magazine. we walked in front of the falls and go completely soaked. there is so much spray you can barely see the actual falls. you can see the spray shooting up from livingstone which is 10 KM away. we took a path that was away from the falls a bit and the view was unbelievable. the only animals we have seen so far are baboons and little baby ones too.

Eric and I got to talk for a little bit on facebook on saturday but thats all the contact we've had. were hoping that he will have more time in the next couple weeks to get online if service is available. He's been staying in some nice lodging so far ill post some links to some of the website later on. Keep prayers up for him as he continues research and for his safety as he works traveling around north Zambia.

Little red riding hood in the woods.

I have been hanging out with my family and its been lots of fun. this past week was really busy, the fam made sure of that.  Laura is starting up her own business so we worked on a website and some other things for her. The website will be up later this week so i expect everyone to go and look at it later :) i turned a quarter of a century this past wed. my parents are amazing and got me a an iphone (not the new one, way too much money). so i have been playing with it. this is also how i was able to talk to eric! he sent a message and i got it while we were out doing  stuff and i was able to chat via facebook on the iphone! oh how wonderful i think technology is right now. 

for fathers day we went to ikea and we found lots of wonderful things! and i have two more days left its sad to think i have to leave soon. its been a great trip. ill only have to work in stillwater for a couple days and then off to sunny CA! ill be keeping ya'll updated as soon as i find out more.