Happenings in the Pacific . . .

October 7, 2013

Chuuk Zone Conference ~ October 2013

Dear Family---

Things have been great here for me. Just had zone conference last night and so we are all in here on Weno. Transfers are in like two weeks, and I don't know if I will still be in Mechitiw, but will see. I glad that everyone is doing well, and staying busy. Yes I knew Micah and Emy and Kavika really well, that is so awesome that you guys are able to get to know them. Please keep helping them, because I love them so much. Do they remember me?

We have hit the rainy season here in Chuuk and so it has been wet here every day. As far as my clothes, I do need a new pair of crocs and some white shirts and ties. I did hear about Garrett and his camera, hopefully he finds a new one.

All of us at the Blue Lagoon Resort

The results of my T/B culture on the cyst still have not come in. However, the surgeon's staff promised Sister McClellan that they will contact her as soon as it does, and she will forward on the results to me and you. We actually have another Elder who has the same thing going on. He is in Guam for the same surgery. He has a different surgeon though because the one that did mine is going on vacation. The surgeon who is doing Elder Schroath's surgery came from Arizona just one month ago and is an ENT. He said he has removed many in his career and seemed to recognize "the classic" symptoms immediately. He said it is called a Thyroglossal Ductal Cyst. It is something that usually shows up during puberty. As it was explained to us, it is an anomaly that happens in about 1 in 10,000. In embryo about 5-6 weeks when the thyroid gland and the tongue move into their proper position sometimes a small single thyroid cell adheres to the hyoid bone (this is the bone the tongue attaches to). Puberty hormones sometimes set it off to grow or swell a little, usually painless; however if a pin point home forms in the duct attached to the hyoid bone, infection can get in. A cyst then forms, causing pain and difficulty eating and swallowing. He also said if the duct wasn't clipped off of the hyoid bone, another cyst could form, or maybe never again (I hope the surgeon who did mine clipped what he was supposed to :). My surgeon never told us what it was called or what caused it, so maybe he didn't know. The coincidence of two elders having this same thing, around the same time, and serving on the same island is kind of amazing to all of us.

Investigators are doing good right now, still trying to find more of the elect from The Lord. I love you, and miss you all.

Parker and Dylan--Groceries that I buy on pdays consist of ramen, pancakes, rice, tuna, sardines, and whatever else we feel like we need. Not really a whole lot to do on pdays when we are all together, but usually it ends up that we play volleyball or basketball, or me and Elder Toa and the sapuk elders go and hang out in Mechitiw. The most different kind of food that I have eaten so far...octopus, or nipwe as they call it. Hopefully that helps you out pal. Love ya!

Elder McEwan