"Did You Think to Pray?" part II

This post is by Hermana Judd and she gave us permission to share with all of you.

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"For the first month after I came home, I dealt with serious feelings of inadequacy and pain.  I felt like a quitter; that I was crazy, and not worthy to be called an RM.

My back pain worsened.  In early April, I went to a spine specialty center, where I was told I had likely fractured my lower back.

They ordered an MRI, so I got one.

2 days later, I received a frantic phone call from my doctor, telling me to come into the center immediately.

A team of three doctors came in, sat down with me, and told me I had a large tumor on my lower back that had enveloped my spinal cord and 3 or my vertebrae.

Had I stayed in Guatemala, considering the nature of my mission and the area I was assigned to serve in, I would not have found out until approximately 2-3 months later;

When I would have more than likely woken up paralyzed.

I had surgery on May 3^rd to remove the tumor and the majority of 3 of my vertebrae.

They fused my spine with titanium rods and screws; cleaned the margins around the affected area, and I have been in a slow recovery since.

Fortunately my tumor was non-cancerous.

It has been a tough road since I came home.

However, I know now that my mission was cut short to, honestly, save my life.  The blessings of my mission are still affecting me to this day; and I know that everything that has happened has happened for a reason.  I have finally received closure, and can even think of myself as an RM. 

I served a mission.  And I returned home at the exact time that I needed to."