The Tables Have Turned

So two nights ago I ran to the emergency room, but not in an ambulance. It was for myself. Around 2200, I had a sudden onset of pain in my abdomen, just above the navel. The pain then radiated down my right side and into my right lower quadrant and eventually into my groin. I palpated my abdomen and sure enough, it was tender down in the RLQ. I was guarding against my own touch. It was different from the other three quadrants where I was not tender and not guarding. “Great,” I thought to myself, “Appendicitis.”

So I decided to call the insurance company’s nurse hotline. She suggested that I go to the ER as soon as possible since she agreed with me that it could be appendicitis. So I went to the ER and was first in line to go in for treatment. Appendicitis is something to be taken seriously. After a while the pain got more and more intense and a CT scan was scheduled for me.

Ah, you have no idea how much torture a CT scan is. I had to drink one and a half canisters of Barium, let me tell you that was not fun. There is not a worse flavor in the world, period. So after stomaching that I went to the CT scanner where they hooked my IV line up to an iodine solution. That really felt weird, and yet cool at the same time, because I could feel the heat that it created in a reaction with my body all down my back and in my throat (I assume at the thyroid.) CT scan was done, and I was taken back to my room in the ER. The radiologist was then sent my information but could not read it because the Barium had not finished absorption at my appendix. So I had to return to the CT scanner for another attempt. I’m surprised I’m not glowing in the dark. Luckily, the radiologist was able to read this one and saw what she described as early acute appendicitis. A general surgeon was then called in.

After a while the surgeon arrived. He agreed to remove the appendix. I asked how long he thought the surgery would take and he gave me a valuable piece of advice, which I will always remember and will hopefully repeat someday. “A good surgeon will never give you a certain amount of time. I will take the time to do a good job.”

An hour later I was being prepped for the open appendectomy. I will take the opportunity now just to say that all the staff that I have encountered was absolutely amazing; you couldn’t have asked for better healthcare providers. There was both an anesthetic and an anesthesiologist who told me what they were going to do when I entered the room. The next thing I know, I was wheeled into the operating room, a mask was put over my face. They said it was just oxygen and then I assume they pushed the drug because I woke up in the post-operative ward. I don’t remember a thing about the surgery and I don’t even remember being wheeled into the OR. After the surgery they made sure that I was in no pain. I appreciate everything they did for me. The nurse told me that the general surgeon had said that the appendix was on the verge of bursting. That would’ve been bad, very bad. A septic nightmare. Thanks again everyone for everything that you’ve done.

After that I waited in the post-op ward for a couple of hours, sleeping off and on while they tried to make room for me on the med-surg floor. That’s where I am now, writing about it on the laptop. I’m on an antibiotic now for prophylaxis and also lactated ringers and 5% dextrose which is running into me now at 100mL/hour.

They call me the “doc” here and “EMT.” I took an interest in reading my own EKGs. Their machines show U waves! My vital signs are currently: blood pressure (BP)- 98/58 and pulse- 106. Guess that means I’m in compensated shock considering my normal BP is 114 systolic and my usual pulse is 64. I’m going to be out of action for a while. That means no power-lifting (that’s what we call the technique we use to lift our patients) for me for a long time.
I’ve still got to see if they’ll let me keep the appendix in a jar. Some hospitals will let you, but I doubt they will at this one. They’ve probably already gotten rid of it.