April is for appendectomies
It all began with some Costco pizza on Friday night.
I had spent that Friday evening with my cousin Susie and her family. We had cheese pizza for dinner. I thought it didn't quite sit well after I ate it, but I put it down to indigestion. A few hours later, I was curled up in a ball in bed at 2 a.m., cursing that Son of a Seahorse pizza. But when I called my doctor at 7 a.m. Saturday, after five hours of pain all across my midsection that gradually migrated to my right side, she suggested appendicitis.
So I grabbed a book (The Kite Runner), my purse and cell phone, and I drove myself to the hospital (Alta View in Sandy). You may ask, Why did she not call an ambulance? Because just the day before, I sent off my final check to the Sandy City Fire Department to pay off the last ambulance ride I had in September (ah, kidney stones).
When I got to the ER without incident, I hobbled my way into triage. Thankfully, there was no one in the waiting room. A nurse got me set up in a room, and she began to take a history. Another nurse came in to mutilate my left arm. I mean, she came in ever so nicely to put in an IV and to take blood. The doctor came in, ordered some tests -- ultrasound and CT scan -- and diagnosed me at 1 p.m. with appendicitis.
I made some phone calls -- to my mom, boyfriend, my cousin, co-workers Katie B. and Ken K. (with whom I was supposed to have been in Albany on Sunday) -- and started removing my jewelry. Don't underestimate the challenge of removing earrings when you've got tubes coming out of your arm.
By 2:10 p.m., the surgery team had been called in from their on-call day off, and I was being wheeled into the operating room. I chatted to the nurse about cruises to alleviate some of my jitters. I've got some cool pictures if anyone wants to see my appendix or drugged-out face.
I was in recovery by about 3 p.m. My boyfriend had arrived, and I spent the rest of Saturday sleeping and taking trips to the bathroom (they take a lot longer when you have to unplug yourself from your calf-squeezers, move the IV drip holder, and have someone help you into a sitting position and finally out of bed).
I spent Saturday night in the hospital. Nurses came every hour, then every few hours to take my stats (temp, blood pressure, O2 level). I left at about noon Sunday, after convincing the nurses that I could keep food down (Percacet tends to make me queasy). I slept away most of Sunday and Monday. I am now resting somewhat comfortably at my cousin Susie's, where I will not be eating pizza anytime soon.
p.s. I'll post some photos soon.
I had spent that Friday evening with my cousin Susie and her family. We had cheese pizza for dinner. I thought it didn't quite sit well after I ate it, but I put it down to indigestion. A few hours later, I was curled up in a ball in bed at 2 a.m., cursing that Son of a Seahorse pizza. But when I called my doctor at 7 a.m. Saturday, after five hours of pain all across my midsection that gradually migrated to my right side, she suggested appendicitis.
So I grabbed a book (The Kite Runner), my purse and cell phone, and I drove myself to the hospital (Alta View in Sandy). You may ask, Why did she not call an ambulance? Because just the day before, I sent off my final check to the Sandy City Fire Department to pay off the last ambulance ride I had in September (ah, kidney stones).
When I got to the ER without incident, I hobbled my way into triage. Thankfully, there was no one in the waiting room. A nurse got me set up in a room, and she began to take a history. Another nurse came in to mutilate my left arm. I mean, she came in ever so nicely to put in an IV and to take blood. The doctor came in, ordered some tests -- ultrasound and CT scan -- and diagnosed me at 1 p.m. with appendicitis.
I made some phone calls -- to my mom, boyfriend, my cousin, co-workers Katie B. and Ken K. (with whom I was supposed to have been in Albany on Sunday) -- and started removing my jewelry. Don't underestimate the challenge of removing earrings when you've got tubes coming out of your arm.
By 2:10 p.m., the surgery team had been called in from their on-call day off, and I was being wheeled into the operating room. I chatted to the nurse about cruises to alleviate some of my jitters. I've got some cool pictures if anyone wants to see my appendix or drugged-out face.
I was in recovery by about 3 p.m. My boyfriend had arrived, and I spent the rest of Saturday sleeping and taking trips to the bathroom (they take a lot longer when you have to unplug yourself from your calf-squeezers, move the IV drip holder, and have someone help you into a sitting position and finally out of bed).
I spent Saturday night in the hospital. Nurses came every hour, then every few hours to take my stats (temp, blood pressure, O2 level). I left at about noon Sunday, after convincing the nurses that I could keep food down (Percacet tends to make me queasy). I slept away most of Sunday and Monday. I am now resting somewhat comfortably at my cousin Susie's, where I will not be eating pizza anytime soon.
p.s. I'll post some photos soon.
posted by Danielle P at 9:16 AM
2 Comments:
JAY-sus, woman! What's with you and the weird physical goings-on?!?
Didja get to take yer appendix home? I woulda brought a jar... I mean, after all, it's yours, isn't it? Just 'cos they take it out, that doesn't make it suddenly theirs. That's called robbery, no?
I'd consult an attorney.
April was your last post? Come on, funny things have happened since then.
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