Thursday, January 26, 2012

Ukrainian Appendectomy Podcast

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was going to be telling a story on The Porch. The event happened and was incredibly fun. The Porch is a show that takes place in Utah where story tellers come together and share a wide range of experiences--some funny, some inspirational, some sad, etc. As you probably guessed, I was invited to come share an inspirational story about overcoming adversity a humorous experience. So I had the occasion, before a very generous audience, to tell one of my favorite stories from my life: having a surprise emergency appendectomy in a forest in western Ukraine in 2004 (I'm really not kidding). It was great to meet some stranger readers there who came and supported. For those who missed it but desperately wanted to hear the story, I have good news! It was recorded and the surprisingly good quality podcast is found HERE. For those of you who missed it and didn't want to hear the story, I don't have any good news. Below are a few pictures from the night:


Just at the end of a sneeze?

With the world's most supportive friends

With the very brilliant Jolyn Metro

This is how I look when I try to swim.


Hope everyone's week is going well and Just Gets Stranger~

14 comments:

  1. Hey! You're attractive even without a snuggie and a grecian urn! ;)

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  2. My husband and I listened to your story last night and had a good laugh. Glad you made it through alive with some of your dignity in tact!

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  3. ^_^

    Could you PLEASE create a tumblr account of your blog?

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  4. I had a hard time getting past the rectal thermometer in the mouth, until you woke up during surgery, then that seemed a little more horrific.

    Amazing and hilarious story.

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  5. I hope you're actually going to visit the old woman in the forest after ten years. There should be a good story there.

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  6. That story was freaking fantastic. Hilarity abounds. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  7. i love that you posted this! Last year when Adam had to get an appendectomy, I was trying to tell him your story... except i couldn't remember all the hilarious details. Even if i did remember, it's much better to hear it from your mouth!

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  9. Are freakin' kidding me? I thought I was the only one who had a traumatizing appendectomy in Ukraine! Here's my story:

    http://russophilia.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/dont-afraid-my-terrifying-appendectomy-in-a-po-dunk-ukrainian-hospital/

    Btw, looks like we have several mutual friends (Maxim Goryachev, the Snows, etc.) on Facebook. Ahhh the oh-so-cozy Mormon community.

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    1. And I'm realizing you had your surgery just a month or so before mine. President West is a family friend so he sent the mission doctor (don't remember his name) to come visit me in the hospital. Wow, such a small world and so many things in common. We're probably even 3rd cousins too.

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    2. How strange! The mission doctor was Dr. Ashby. He and I spent a lot of time on the phone during my week there. A sr. sister in my mission had an appendectomy just 2 months before I did at the same hospital as me. Your hospital sounded more primitive than mine. Mine was one of the "nicer" ones, and definitely wasn't quite as bad as some that I had visited other people in.

      As to our mutual friends, I lived with the Snows when I was living in Moscow (and I cried my eyes out when I left that place, just like you did). And I met Max and his family through couchsurfing. I actually stayed with them just last month again. Small world!

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  10. It is very important to have contacts of good hospitals when you are travelling. This is much more important in Eastern Europe countries like Ukraine, because quality of medical services  there is often not very good. I created a directory of Ukrainian hospitals you may rely on while your travel to Ukraine. This travel directory also contains very useful information on accommodation, entertainments and transfers in Ukraine.

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  11. it kinda looks like you're wearing make up on the pics... maybe it's just the lighting..

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  12. That podcast in now outdated, I wish I could see that one and the "Curse" one.

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