So, lately, I've mentioned I was in the hospital. I will now share my appendectomy story....
On Sunday afternoon, 6 April, I started to have an uncomfortable feeling in my lower right side. No biggy. Not sure what I had done, but it was General Conference and I was sitting around all day watching it on TV.
The next day, Monday, I woke up with the same feeling in my side, and as the day went on it got worse. I was busy with the roofer, as we had had some issues and he was coming over to fix it. All day long my husband told me to go to the doctor. After the roofers left, my husband called (for the upteenth time) and told me to go to the doctor. I told him I would if he would come with me. I made the appointment and was on my way in the late afternoon.
My appointment was at 3:00. They immediately got me in and started pressing on my side. It really did not hurt much until that point, and then, BOY!!!! That HURT!!! I was sent to the hospital for a CT scan. The result, "one NASTY appendix" as the doctor put it; and it had to come out, NOW! I looked at him and told him we were leaving on a cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary TWO WEEKS from TODAY. He said, "Well then, let's get you on that boat!
By about 10:00 p.m. or so, I was one less organ and tucked snugly in my bed. I really don't remember much 'til the next morning when the doctor came in and told me my appendix basically ruptured. Glad I went to the doctor! The plan was that I would be heading home the next day (Wednesday). Not so! My blood count would not go down and my stomach still hurt...A LOT; more than it did before I had that bugger out. I am allergic to a lot of different antibiotics, and the stuff he had me on was not working, so he upped it a bit. He told me that I was not dying, but he was going to give me an antibiotic that they give to people who are. I was also on morphine. I really don't like that stuff.
Thursday, nothing had changed, and my stomach REALLY hurt and I looked like I was pregnant. They upped my antibiotic, which made me sick, I went in for my second CT scan, and...fluid! So, in went drainage tubes; one in my stomach and one in my hip (about where you would get a shot). They did not leave the one in my stomach, but the one in my rear had to stay. The first night, I slept on my stomach. I could not move. They kept asking me, "On a scale from 1 to 10 how much pain are you in?" I was not in any pain, just uncomfortable. I finally told them, no pain, but discomfort, like about an 11 or so! So they gave me more morphine...yuck!
Friday, I was really hungry. I hadn't really eaten since before I had gone in the hospital. Nothing sounded or looked good, but I was hungry. They brought me something, I tried a few bites, and blah...! It was hard for me to sit or lay down, so I stood up and walked around quite a bit that day. Also, I had been poked so many times, that my veins would not cooperate anymore; so the lab would just prick my finger. Now why did they not do that to begin with? They only needed a very little amount of blood.
My original IV was not working anymore, and they tried to start one on my other arm, with zero luck. So, I had to get a picc line. Next time I have to go to the hospital, I am having a picc line! No more of this rolling veins thing!
Saturday, white count was still high, and the doctor came in to talk to me. In the past he would always say, something positive about the cruise, but not that day. He didn't even mention it. After he left, I called my mom and told her I think he just wrote off our cruise. I was not a happy camper.
The nurses were great. They tried so hard to make me comfortable and cheer me up. That stupid tube in my rear so uncomfortable! My back started to bother me. I did NOT want any more of that morphine, so I just suffered through it. Monday, my lab work came in, and my blood count was normal. YIPEE!!! I called my mom, and told her pack your bags, we just might make that cruise! The doctor told me that if my blood count stays down, I might be able to leave the next day.
Tuesday. White blood count back up....what?! NO WAY! I was really depressed. A few hours later, the doctor came in, and....blood count was NOT up, it was normal. He told me I needed another CT scan, and that if all was normal, they were going to take that tube and picc line out and I was going home!!!! YAY!!!
All was normal, I was going home...oh....all my tubes had to come out. I was nervous. Was it going to hurt? When they put all that stuff in, I was numb. I was really scared, but excited to go home. I'm not going to lie, it did hurt to get the tube and picc line out, but boy, was it nice to be FREEEEEE!
After eight LOOONG days in the hospital, I was ready and able to go home! Doctor's orders, though, NO lifting for a week! I could ride in a car, walk, and climb stairs. Whenever we go on vacation, I like to clean my house, REALLY WELL. Well, that was not happening. I was lucky to get packed. We left on Friday for Tennessee to pick up my mother in law, and headed to Florida on Saturday. We all made the boat on Monday, and had a wonderful time.
Doctor said, "You better be glad this did not happen in the middle of the Caribbean, little lady!" I agree, I am very glad that did not happen in the middle of the Caribbean.
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