For months Annette and I had planned to go to Guatemala on Jan 3, 2006. It was to be our second trip in support of the drilling project. Tickets had long ago been purchased and we had told many people we were going on that day and to expect us at the orphanage campus on the evening of the 4th. But then reality intervened in the form of serious illness of her father in California. For a short time we debated whether or not we should cancel altogether or whether I should make the journey alone. I decided I did not want to go alone and that we would postpone the trip for three weeks to see how her father progressed. It was a difficult decision but we made it and cancelled with the airlines on Jan 3, rebooking for the 21st.

On Jan 4, I went to work and felt a little sick and had a mysterious pain in the right upper portion of my abdomen. It got worse and about 2:00 went to the doctor to ask his opinion. He examined me and told me (more…)