I had appendicitis in 7th grade

Here's what happened...

I had an unusual stomachache. I was out shopping with my sister and my mom at the outlet mall in our hometown. We'd all just assumed I was hungry, so we went to a Wendy's where I ate a burger and some fries. I started to feel better, and then shortly thereafter I began doubling over in pain once again.

We got dinner with some family friends after a couple of hours of my writhing in pain in the car. Once again, I got a burger. I wasn't able to finish this one at all.

I went to bed with some partial relief, but when I woke up, I had a 103.6 degree fever. We went to the family doctor where they poked and prodded at my stomach and found, of course, that it was tender. Thinking I was fine, I returned home.

When the pain didn't subside, I went back to the family doctor. They recommended that I get some blood work done, so off we went to the hospital to get some blood drawn. We went back home to rest. I fell asleep while my mom waited for the doctors to call us back.

My white blood cell count was low, so we went to the ER. By this time, I was sitting in a wheelchair as I couldn't stand up I was in so much pain. After running some tests, they came to the conclusion that I would need an appendectomy.

Of course I was terrified since I hadn't had surgery before, but hey I'm alive!

**I strongly dislike whipped cream.**

I actually do. I don't know if it's the taste or the texture, or both. But whatever it is, it definitely doesn't mesh well with me!

I met my sponsor child in Africa.

We started sponsoring Sarah when we went to a very moving church event that was centered around World Vision and their mission to help others. At the end of the walk-through, you could choose to pick a child to sponsor. My mom and I chose Sarah. Back then it just seemed like one of those things that you knew you were doing something really good for another family. I never in a million years thought I would someday meet face to face with the child on the other side of the world.

Once you go through something like that, you're never the same. There's just no way that you can be! Seeing firsthand how incredible you have it in the states and seeing where your donations really go leaves such a big impression on you. It will leave your heart full, but tear it apart all at the same time.

I traveled 6,222 miles to meet my birth mother in Korea.

For those of you who don't already know this, I was adopted from South Korea when I was just 4 months old (May of '97). Growing up, I didn't think that someday I would actually get to meet my birth mother. And since I've received a lot of inquiries about this experience, I'll be launching post with everything in detail tomorrow. So stay tuned for that one!

Growing up, I really didn't like my ears.

I thought they sticked out too much and were too big for me proportionately. I got teased about them in school and people would tug on them. It stunk! But I think I eventually grew into them and now I actually kind of like them (they hold in earbuds pretty well and I have sonic *selective* hearing....yes mom I will recognize that my hearing is selective).

My middle name is a combination of names.

"Lin" is taken from my Aunt Linda. And "Ae" was my first name in my Korean name (Lin-Aye-ee). Also, people somehow think that my name is Mattealinae -- my full name is Mattea LinAe Wabeke. I dropped Wabeke for branding because I liked the name of just Mattea LinAe, and nobody ever pronounces my last name right. So I guess it's better to be 'kind of right,' than just really wrong, haha!

That's it for right now, but my South Korea post will be up soon! I'd love to hear an interesting fact about you--drop a comment below!

xoxo

Mattea