Becoming Appendix-less

Hello, hello. So I'm sitting here in my hospital bed and figured I should probably update everyone on what's happened in the last 24 hours (actually less).

Thursday started out completely normal. I got up and went to work and felt just fine. I had a sandwich and banana for lunch. Then suddenly at about 1:30 p.m., my stomach started hurting a lot. At first I thought it might just be cramps, but then again, I never get cramps. At about 2 p.m. I was having a hard time and felt like I was going to throw up. I took a few trips to the bathroom but nothing was happened. It was really odd how fast it came on, and I wondered if it was because I didn't have enough food, or if something I ate was now affecting me. I debated back and forth about just leaving a little early but since I only had two hours left, I decided I could make it to the end.

But then at 3 p.m. I took another trip to the bathroom and this time did end up throwing up. I was like, "OK I'm going home" and went to tell my boss I wasn't feeling well.

I managed to drive home, found myself a handy plastic bowl to keep with me in case of an "emergency" and tried sleeping it off. But I couldn't sleep and my stomach kept hurting.

Now the last time I even remotely remember feeling like this was when I was 10 and was hospitalized for possibility of appendicitis. I ended up not having it but stayed overnight and was fine the next day. So those memories were in the back of my mind as the pain seemed to get worse.

I finally called my parents around 4/4:30 who tried to diagnose me. Since I didn't have sore muscles (aside from my gluteus maximus, but I was pretty sure that was from the gym :P) which would indicate the flu, they were leaning towards me having food poisoning. That wasn't very exciting for me because I had eaten my normal foods and would have had no idea what was the problem and would have had to find all new foods to regularly eat as I'm sure I'd be scared of my regulars from there on out.

But I kept remembering my 10-year old experience and finally mentioned that the stomach pain was mostly on the right side. Now they were both telling me that I had to go to see a doctor. I'm not much of a medicine/doctor person, so this took some convincing. But I started looking through the addresses for places on my insurance even though I was still unsure it was needed. The pain seemed to get worse and while I was going to drive myself to the doctor's, my parents now insisted I find someone to drive me and to go to the ER.

No one was at my apartment and I was telling myself that I could drive over. I had made it home from work afterall. But then my roommate's parents who were staying at our place for the night came in, and my mom was like "You need to ask them! Can I talk to them?" I declined and said I'd ask myself.

So my roomie's mom had started doing the dishes and I walked into the kitchen and said "Can I ask you a favor?" And she's like "Oh am I doing something wrong?" Haha, noo. But I explained that I felt sick and my parent's said I needed to go to the hospital and asked if she could take me. She said of course and we hopped in her car. She asked me a similar serious of questions that my parents had asked and agreed that it didn't sound good.

Right when we pulled up I could see Margie walking in so that was good. This was about 5 p.m. We checked in and they started processing us through really quickly. They took blood, did a urine sample, and the doctor came in to check with the problem was. After feeling around on my stomach, he said it was exactly where my appendix is. Plus my white blood count was up around 21 while normal is around 10.

So they set me up for a cat scan. They said they put a sort of dye inside that would make me feel like I had to pee or was actually peeing (as stated by the male nurse in the room). They were speaking really fast while they explained this and I didn't really know what they said...but I never did experience that apparently expected situation.

By the way, everyone was really really really nice throughout this. And funny; the guy in the cat scan room was like, "Now you aren't allergic to cats right?? But after looking at the scan a different doctor came in to tell me that my appendix was swollen but usually the swelling goes around the appendix rather than being swollen itself. So he asks me if I want to take it out, or if I want to stick it out. What am I supposed to say to that? Just tell me if I need to take it out and I will. I ask what "sticking it out" would entail, to which he says, "maybe another 12 hours of this, maybe it gets worse." Once again, uhhh you are the doctor.

So then they say they'll have the surgeon come talk to me and see what he thinks. I'm wheeled back to my room but not long after being there, the first doctor I saw comes in and tells me we are for sure going to surgery. He says there's no question that it's my appendix. So now it's about 7 p.m., and I'm prepping for surgery.

Just before this my grandparents arrived and brought their neighbor to give me a blessing. And then I'm off! I had to take my contacts out so from this point on, I couldn't see anything clearly at all. That always makes you seem out of it anyways, plus add drugs, hospital gowns and the strange environment. They take me to the opporating room where they decide to make me use the bathroom AGAIN just to absolutely make sure my bladder is empty. (Yea, I know you are all enjoying these lovely details.) So they drug me and say I'm be fadding out in a few...but then the nurse is like, Wait, you have to give me this info first. So I repeat my name and birthday and ...

The next thing I know I'm waking up...and apparently am quite emotional. I know one nurse brought me a whole box of tissues and I was having exasperated breathing, so another nurse sat by me saying stuff like "good job," just deep breaths" "that's great." I think I finally calmed down and they took me to my room. (Today my aunt told me that the surgery was just under an hour but I took about an hour to wake up which was more than usual.)

Fun for me, my roommates Miriam and Grace had stopped by too. Which was way nice of them, even though I was in a weird, loopy moode. And I know I made them stay longer than they planned....ooops. So with those two there, my aunt, grandma and grandpa went home. I was still randomly crying and breathing hard and such but I started to calm down...I think. The roomies also brought me flowers, a sudoku book, a coloring book :P and then this morning brought by a laptop (thank you!!) books, magazines, clothes, contact stuff, toothpaste, etc...Oh plus balloons later!

I actually felt like I slept really well last night. Even though the steady IV seemed to automatically wake me up every two hours to climb out of bed over to the bathroom. But it wasn't too bad. I'd wake up and be like...ooh it must be like 10!...No, it was 3. But that means I get more sleep!!

Let's see what else. Oh I have pictures of the surgery...inside me. I couldn't look at them until a couple hours after the surgery, and they still gross me out. The roomies and I also took some pictures last night, so I'll hvae to posts those later. (Warning: I probably look disgusting)

This morning I had to call work to let them know I wasn't coming in. I know, it all happened so fast. I mean, I only missed one hour of work yesterday. So I call around 7:40 and as soon as I start explaining the situation, I can hear my voice going weak but I did not want to be crying about this over the phone to my boss! Seriously. He asked me how I was feeling and I said, well I actually ended up getting my appendix out last night sooooooo well, I'm not gonna come in today." He seemed to feel bad and just told me to take care of myself and such. A little later a nurse popped her head in saying my employer was on the phone and if it was fine to give them my room information.

Then I start picturing the scene from the Office episode where Michael hit Meredith with his car and they all went to visit her at the hospital...luckily only the VP of my company came...and brought a card and flowers, which was really nice. He told me to take as much time as I need and not worry about anything...(hmm, I might reeeeally have to consider that.) This is getting long, so I'm sure I'll have more info later. But for now...well I'm gonna try for another nap cuz I'm kinda drifting....