Excitement in the Life of a Missionary . . .

August 12, 2013

. . . Well, I'm super glad that you guys are all busy....because right now I'm having to work to stay busy. Sounds weird yeah? Well, I'm gonna be honest with you about what's going on. Right now, I'm in Guam for my neck and I'm going to have to have surgery on it on Friday.....

My neck/face/chin before surgery

That's about the most exciting thing I can write to all of you about, I'm still going out and teaching. One thing is for positive, I definitely miss Chuuk like crazy!! I keep hoping and praying that this trial will be over soon so that I can get back to the work in Mechitiw, because they have pulled Elder Toa out and put him in Sapuk....

I'm so glad that you guys are doing well and I hope you all continue to see blessings from your hard work.

I love you all, I miss you all, and I'll talk with you later!!

Love,

ELder McEwan

This is the letter we received from Sean this week. Needless to say, we were a bit concerned that we had not received word of this from anyone in the mission. So grateful for email technology! It was the middle of the night in Guam when we received this message. We were able to send a message to the Crisps, the senior couple on Chuuk. They sent this reply first thing in the morning:

Brother and Sister McEwan,

Elder McEwan was not feeling well and had a swollen neck.  He seemed to be recovering, but he got feeling worse.  He was in contact with the mission nurse on Guam and I got a call to check on him.  It was determined that he should go to Guam and get it checked out, so we got him on a plane Tuesday of last week.  

I was told that he had a cyst of some sort in his neck and they were treating it with strong antibiotics. They were to have a consult yesterday to decide if the antibiotics were shrinking it enough or if they needed to go in and take it out.  From your note it appears that they are going to take it out.  He was in good spirits and the last I heard is that he is anxious to get back to Chuuk.  

I would have sent you a note, but really didn't know very much and did not want to alarm you.  I thought that the mission office or the nurse would fill you in.

I have gotten a few updates on how he is doing and each has indicated he was much better and just waiting for it to go away.  

We are ready for him to return.  When I put him on the plane last Tuesday, he was just ready to be well and hated to be leaving.

Elder Crisp

Elder Crisp also gave us information for the mission nurse, so we were able to contact her. All of our questions have not been answered, but we do have more information than was received at the beginning of the week :). Sister McClellan, Micronesia Guam RN, had more insight into the situation since she is taking care of Sean:

Dear Brother and Sister McEwan,

Thank you for contacting me. Your fine Elder was brought to Guam for the best quality care he could receive in the mission. He has what we now found by an Ultra Sound is a cyst right under his chin that pressed up under his tongue making it painful for him. As soon as he go off the plane I brought him to FHP an Urgent care facility that I feel has the best care providers. He has been on IV antibiotic therapy daily since  the 6th. He has been a trooper and tolerated it well.

On Friday I went with him to a general surgeon for evaluation per FHP phys referral. On that day it was determine that the antibiotics are effective. The cyst had diminished some and Elder McEwan was no longer having pain or difficulty eating, so the surgeon felt surgery to lance or remove the cyst could wait. He wanted your son to receive further antibiotic therapy through the weekend and reevaluated yesterday (12th). I have had to come to Saipan so the AP's took him for his appt. I have tried to make contact with them and your letter lets me know the surgeon must feel the cyst is not diminishing as he had hoped. It will be done in his surgical facility. I will be back in Guam to be with him at that time.

He is a sweet young man and still doing his mission work while going through this. He has had a positive attitude and followed mine and the doctors instruction in detail. I will keep you informed. He has received a blessing. He is doing well. Bless you all with peace. We will take good care of your son.
Sincerely,Sister McClellanRN

We know that trials, whether big or small come to all. It is our loving Heavenly Father's way of refining us, helping us to grow and realize that we can do hard things (even when our son is thousands of miles away :). We know that Sean is receiving great care and has wonderful amazing, caring, knowledgeable people to take care of him (a few extra prayers don't hurt though:).