From the ER to the OR

My journey began in my last post called, Spaghetti and Pepto for those who want to catch up.

It's getting late in the ER and so far I've only given a blood and urine sample.  A very painful blood sample if I might add.  The nurse or aide that tried to get a vein couldn't find one.. destroying my left arm.  So a very nice ER doctor came in and got a vein right away on my right arm.

The ER doctor started asking me questions about my symptoms and then she started pressing on my stomach.

Does this hurt?

No... No... No... YESS!

She pressed all over my stomach and finally pushed down right over my appendix.  It hurt so bad I sat up in the hospital bed and my eyes bugged out a little bit, but not like that scary lady with the bug eyes in that commercial.  She shook her head and said I was going to need a CT.

In my mind I got excited because I was finally getting to do all those things the patients do on the TV show House.  My first CT and I'm excited... I guess I'm kind of a dork like that.

It wasn't exactly like the one on the show.  The machine was shaped like a big huge plastic donut, with a bed that slides through the hole.  I think this machine was designed to make claustrophobians more comfortable.  The x-ray tech lets me know that whatever he's injected into my arm is going to make me feel very warm in my nether regions like I peed my pants.  But he assured me that I wouldn't actually pee my pants.

Well he was right.  I was lying there alone in the CT room while he's off in the control room and I was trying to hold back my giggles.  It really did feel warm down there... like I had an accident!  My laughter turned into snickers and then I was instructed to hold my breath for the scan.  He wheeled me back to my room in the ER and I shared my fun times with my poor sleepy mom.

At this point, it's past 1 AM.  Way past my mom's bed time.  But I'm very lucky to have a mom that cares enough to make me walk into the hospital in the first place and then keep me company through the whole experience.  I probably would have been a lot more nervous about the whole thing if I had been alone.

Then the surgeon on call walks in.  He's a very friendly smiley guy.  His smile made me relax.  I realized that it's part of his job to make me feel comfortable, so I don't run away screaming from surgery.  I tell my story of the symptoms again and he pushes on my appendix.  Ouch.  He explains the surgery and how he's going to give me a laparoscopy.  Only 3 small incisions: 1 on side of belly, 1 in belly button, 1 on bikini line.

I was getting kind of gitty from staying awake so late at this point.  For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to send a quick email to some close friends, letting them know that I was going into surgery and that if anything went wrong that I loved them.

Around 3 AM or so I get wheeled off to prep for surgery and my mom, poor thing, got escorted to the surgery waiting room.  Last thing I remember is talking to some nurses and my anesthesiologist on the operating table..Wow that's a big light...it's cold in here... Zzzzzz

Spaghetti and Pepto

    So it started out as a normal family dinner. We had spaghetti with yummy marinara. I took an acid pill before I ate to prevent acid reflux.  On my way home, I picked up my room mate at the metro.  While I was waiting for him in the car, my stomach started to hurt.  It started to hurt really bad!  I was sitting in the pick up area, trying to figure out what the cause of the pain could be... gas, indigestion, food poisoning...  Maybe if I just ignore it, it will go away... Maybe I just need to go to the bathroom.

    My room mate got in the car and we stopped by Costco on the way home.  Walking made it feel a little better, but by the time we got to the medicine section, I grabbed a bulk sized bottle of Pepto Bismol and had at it.

    By the time  we got home, the pain was only getting worse.  I got myself a glass of ice water and went up to my room.  I tried to drink some water... it rose back up into my mouth... I couldn't keep my water down?!  I hadn't eaten that much spaghetti, had I?  Nothing was comfortable, I couldn't sit down, fetal position wasn't doing it for me, so I paced around my room... thinking... how do I get rid of this pain?!  What medicine will work?  Pepto is failing me.

    I hear my roommate wish me well as he leaves to go out with friends.  At least I can suffer in peace without disruption now..  hopefully he discovers my body before my cat gets curious and hungry...  I called my mom.  I tried to blame her cooking, but that didn't go over well.  She advised I called the 24 hour nurse line on my health insurance card.  Thank goodness I even have health insurance.  Being self-employed I had considered trying to go without the expense, but luckily everyone yelled at me and convinced me otherwise.

    The nurse on the phone was very helpful.  She walked me through some questions and finally advised that I go to the ER.  She mentioned that if I started to vomit or piss blood, to call back.  Thanks!  So I called my mom and asked her to come pick me up to take me.  In mid-sentence, I hung up on my mom and ran to the toilet, where I proceeded to violently puke my guts out.  I had been feeling seriously nauseous for the past hour, but it didn't feel like I would actually puke.  I'm not sure if it happened because I was nervous or because it was time, but it happened.  It was gross, my dinner in the toilet with globs of Pepto Bismol floating on top... yuck!  I cleaned myself up, packed my purse with essentials: iPod and iPod charger and phone charger.

    I arrived in the ER and the triage nurse smelled like a stale pack of cigarettes... very healthy.  I didn't even want to walk into the ER when we first arrived.  I walked in circles in the freezing parking lot debating the symptoms with my mom.  The pain had almost disappeared after I vomited.  The pressure was released I suppose, so the only pain I felt was when I pressed down on the right side of my stomach.  My mom convinced me to go in so we could at least get confirmation that something or nothing was wrong.  I was nervous that I was overreacting and didn't want to be embarrassed.  The smokey nurse took my blood pressure and temperature and next thing I knew I had my name on a bracelet and a private bed in the ER.

    At this point I realized that maybe something serious was going on.  They wouldn't admit me in the ER if it was just gas, right?     OK, I'm not crazy and not embarrassed, yet..