4 Incisions - Day After My Appendectomy

We arrived at this wonderful, very informal, little Thai Restaurant.  The Owner does all of the waiting and busing… the Wife does all the cooking.  And amazing cooking she did.  I haven’t had Thai Food in Arizona since we lived here.  I have had it in CA when I visit, but not here.  It was amazing!  My hunger-pains were gone after dinner and the fullness just set in.  I felt like I had a brick in my stomach.

After we got home I went to bed pretty early, about 8:30 after our babysitter was picked up by her Father.  I read for a while.  The pain was still bothering me, so I sat on the potty thinking that maybe I was constipated.  No luck.  I tried again an hour, or so later, no luck again.  I decided to get some of it out by vomiting (now understand this is something that I would not usually do, but that brink was just so antagonizing).  It all was just sitting there and came up very easily.  My stomach ache started getting worse and worse as the night went on.  About 1:14 a.m. I decided to use a 15 minute laxative that I had in the medicine cabinet (also something that I don’t like to do).  I just was feeling so terrible.  So, I waited about 15 minutes, or so then was able to go.  Thank goodness, I thought that was is it.  No such luck!  I ended up vomiting, and vomiting, then drying heaving all damn night.  My “brick” in my stomach got more painful and more painful.  I couldn’t sleep, so I thought that maybe I could walk the food through. I went downstairs and did some laps around the house.  That didn’t work either.  The pain got to the point that I couldn’t feel comfortable sitting, laying down, walking, or anything of the sort.  It was terrible!  I sat watching the clock.  When it was finally just a minute after 4:30 a.m.  I got dressed, grabbed my water bottle, cell phone and my book.  I woke up my Husband and told him I was going to the hospital.  Needless to say he was freaked out!  “Wait, don’t go, I’ll call Dad and get him to watch the Boys. I’ll take you!”  I told him I couldn’t wait another minute, I was in so much pain.  I drove myself.

I got into the car and of course it was on empty, blinking at me, ding-dong at me.  Ugh!  I stepped on it and make it to Gilbert Hospital in less than 10 minutes.  I wasn’t even finished with registration and two nurses were standing next to me and took me straight in and started taking my vitals and other information.  Following they put me straight in a room and told me to take everything off and get into a gown.  I vomited, well dry-heaved twice before a doctor even got in there to see me.  I barely remember talking to the doctor, or the Medic that came in to put in my IV and start my fluids, etc.  I was in so much pain by that point that everything was such a blur.

My Husband showed up sometime around 5:30, or 6 I think.  He had to wait for my Father to get there to come and watch our Boys. Apparently he had been calling and texting me, but I hadn’t been checking my phone at all.  I was so happy he was there.  He is always so wonderful in taking car of me.  Before he got there they had already had me do a urine sample and also gave me a Cat-Scan.  While he and I were there in the room someone, I can’t recall if it was the nurse, or doctor… nurse I think, came in to tall me that I had an Appendicitis.  Wonderful!  That was the not in my mind at all!  Funny thing is though that I kept thinking about people who have their organs flip inside of them and need surgery.  I also saw on this one show, it was either Mercy or House where this man was being carted in the hospital on a gurney with his intestines coming out though his bellybutton and he was saying that it didn’t hurt at all.  Yep, that is ow my head works.  Always weird thoughts.  Anyway, my appendix didn’t even cross my mind.

The doctor, Dr. Tahir, came in and informed me that my surgery would be put off for another 45 minutes, or an hour due to an even worse emergency.  I had two doses of low milligram Morphine by then and was pretty tired after being up all night.  Going into the operating room I remember, but the recovery room and being taken to my ICU recovery room I don’t remember at all.  I was in and out of conscience for several hours.

Andrew brought the Boys, which is always wonderful.  They all walked in with a gift.  Andrew beautiful roses with deep, deep green filler (I am going to try to paint a little tomorrow with them as my model).  Alex with The Host.  Devin with The Blind Side movie.  Pierce with the new Usher CD and Reed with the new, hmmm, well I’ve forgotten what music CD that was.  They all walked in one at a time with grins on their faces and happy to see me.  Each kissed me and gave me my gift.  I just love how loving they are and how thoughtful Andrew is.  He teaches them to be such wonderful little gentlemen.  They stayed for a while, then gave me my kisses goodbye and were headed home for dinner.

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful.  I read my book, Zen and the Art of Vampires by Katie MacAlister.  Dozed off.  Woke-up to beeping noises when my meds ran out. Had dinner, which consisted of chicken broth, jello, apple juice & water.  They asked me if I would get up and walk a while to get my body and bowels working and moving.  I walked for about 15 minutes, which felt fine.  They didn’t give me any pain meds after my surgery.  I did ask for some in the middle of the night, but I don’t know if she just forgot, or what happened.  I fell back asleep and never got any.

Andrew showed up with the Boys sometime after 9 this morning.  We hung out, talked about the wonderful Easter morning that they had with Daddy, Grandpa and Connie and I looked at the pictures that Andrew took.  I have the most beautiful Boys ever!  I buzzed the Nurse after about an hour, or so to ask about being released.  Dr.  Tahir showed up about 45 minutes later and discharged me.  Home we came.

I am stuck in bed for the next week, or so.  I am hoping that I will be up and around more in a couple of days though.

I forget to mention that I wasn’t worried about the surgery.  I was more concerned with having 4 holes and scars in the middle of my stomach.  I was lucky to have 4 children and no stretch marks.  Yes, 4 c-sections, but those are at the bottom of my bikini line. Now I have 4 laparoscopic holes.  Just wonderful!  They said they would heal and wouldn’t be able to see them.  I guess I’ll see! Maybe I will post a before and after here at some point.

Anyway, that is my Appendectomy story.  Yuck huh?  LOL!  🙂

xo