Hot Appendix

Mom and I had a nice Mothers day visit, but ......................... the next Morning I woke up about 5:00 am and my tummy did not feel so good. I will spare you all of the details but needless to say
I felt this too shall pass.

It didn't.

During the morning, I helped Mom tidy up the house and felt that moving around helped a little. We had business to attend to between 1 and 3. So I carried on in some pain an discomfort but still sure it would get better.


It didn't.


After that I lay on the couch with the heating pad on my Tummy and about 5:30 I decided we might consider the hospital as a possible option. My Mom bless her soul did not want to think that there was anything really wrong with me so upon my suggesting we should go to the hospital, she said "What for?" I told her perhaps it was appendix or gall bladder and she went to the computer to check symptoms. I had all of the classic signs of an appendicitis.

Off we went to the Emergency room of the hospital. It had a been a really busy day and they were terribly backed up. I was asked on a scale of one to ten how bad was the pain. I said a five being the trooper that I am and was sent to sit in the waiting room for about 2 hours. After that time I really felt that pain was getting worse. I went to the triage nurse again and she took my vitals and suggested that they get the blood work started and then I went out to wait in the waiting from for another hour.

I was then called into a back door of emerg and put in a room on a gurney where I could at least lay down. The nurse told me to put a gown on and the doctor would be in shortly. We waited and finally I buzzed the nurse and asked if I could have something for the pain. She advised she could not give me anything but would get an IV started so that when he did come in she could get something started right away. I guess she had a pretty good idea it was appendix or she would not have put in the IV. She then told us it would be another 2 hours before the doctor came in so I sent Mom home.

Bless her she did not want to go but she was falling asleep in the chair and I did not want her going home to late at night. As it was she encountered a drunk wandering down the middle of the road downtown.

About two hours later the doctor came in and told me he was pretty sure it was appendicitis but they would keep me and do a CT scan in the morning and then if correct, I would then see a surgeon. Needless to say I went into the hospital at 6 pm and finally at 6pm the following evening I was having my appendix out. The hospital is brand new, I had a lovely private room and the nurses and doctors care could not have been better I just felt the wait was a little long and that there are still despite all that is being done many people in the emergency room who could have seen there own doctor the next day or perhaps a regular walk in clinic.

I am home now and have a couple of big incisions to show for it. The doctor tried the laproscopic type of surgery but because of prior surgery it would not and I have a regular incision.

Sincerest Thanks to Dr. Graham Gibb,  my Surgeon and nurses Marg and Lynda who took great care of me.