First Week in Maryland - Well, it could have been worse...

A little surprise that was awaiting for me before work on Friday.

Wow... Well, they definitely put some effort into this...

Paul and I right after getting back from the
urgency care center.

It’s been awhile since I have updated. I apologize for the lateness of my updates. My first week in Maryland has definitely been an eventful one. I started work last Monday and have been mainly focusing on training and getting the right security clearances to do my work. Early on last week, I worked on getting acclimated to the humid weather and the constant thunderstorms, but by the back end of the week, I found out that there were a few other things I needed to get acclimated to…

On Friday, I was introduced to inner-city crime of a large metropolitan area. Before heading off to work, I found my car broken into. From the pulled wires and the broken steering column, it was pretty obvious they attempted to hotwire and steal the car. I am thankful for the ignition kill switch in my engine block that protects against such attempts. They gave up and ended up taking the stereo system and the GPS unit. For some reason, they took the AC front panel too. I found that kind of funny since there isn’t much you can do with that. Due to the fact they tore out the ignition system in the steering column, the car doesn’t function, but it is currently in the good hands of my insurance company’s collision repair partner in Maryland. I should have it back some time in the next few weeks. I am very thankful for my roommates who helped me contact the right people and to push my car into the garage for awhile before the tow truck came.

On Saturday, I learned that bugs can indeed carry disease. I had a few bug bites on my left hand that I noticed on Thursday. By Saturday morning, those small bug bites on Thursday, had consumed the majority of my left hand, and left red streaks on my left arm. The accelerated swelling, redness, and pain in the left hand along with the lack of proper drainage of blood in my arm prompted me to go to urgency care. I spent the evening in the care of the nice folks at Kaiser Permanente hooked up to an IV drip of antibiotics. I found the nurse’s initial reaction somewhat disconcerting though, and even more so when the doctor said that it was serious enough to put me on multiple antibiotics immediately. I am definitely glad for my roommates, especially Paul (pictured above) who has acted as my ride since I lost the use of my own car and for carting me around to all of the clinic visits (and follow-ups) I have had to go to.

Oddly enough, I am actually quite thankful through this entire experience. Things could have been a lot worse on all fronts. I took most of my equipment, tools, and possessions out of my car due to the security requirements and checks at the base I work at. I went to urgency care before things got too serious. Had I waited longer, I might have been in some real trouble. God’s protection has been apparent through this week. I am still in good spirits and I have good friends for roommates so things should be getting better. I still need to post a picture of my house too…