John's Appendectomy

Life gets cray-cray people!  So remember how I mentioned EZ and I got sick in Arizona?  Well we think it was the stomach flu.  We both recovered nicely and fairly quickly though.  Somehow John must have caught it because he got really sick... but he kept staying sick.  He wasn't getting better.  I thought maybe he got another dose from someone at work or something.  It seemed like he'd start to get better, then it would hit harder and faster all over again.  He was toughing it out and still going to work!  Not to be too gross here, but he was having major bowel issues and body aches and chills. It had been about a week and a half until he decided he better go see a doctor.  He woke up around 2 on Tuesday, the 21st just feeling awful.  He asked me to go to the store and get him some medicine.  I was gone for about an hour.  When I got home, he took the car to an Insta-care by our house.  He called me about a half hour later with bad news.  They knew it was bad but couldn't diagnose without more intense testing so they wanted to send him to UVRMC.  John swung home and picked me and EZ up.  Yes, he drove us to the hospital.  I insisted he let me but he didn't want to move!  It was a fine drive, although I sure felt nervous the whole way!

We first went to the Lab area but they told us to go to Radiology because their equipment was better.  We swung around the corner, the only thing between the two areas is the Emergency Room, and checked him in.  Took about 10 minutes.  EZ and I went through a kid's bag the Lab people gave us and got to color and play with some stuff while we waited.  Isn't that nice of them?  Anyway, John came out after about 10 minutes of testing (CT Scan and stuff) and he tells me they think it's appendicitis.  We were both surprised because John had not thrown up once and his fever had only been about 1 days worth.  He said he didn't really realize he had pain in his abdomen until they mentioned his appendix.  Most of his pain was in his back.  We had to wait until the tests made it to the doctor so he could diagnose it and call back with the news.  It only took a few minutes.  From John's tone of voice and the things he said on the phone, I was sure it was something simple and no big deal.  Then John turns around and says, yep it's appendicitis and I have to get it removed right away.  It was a bit of a shock!  He sounded grateful that is wasn't something worse or something he had caused (like not being careful at work).

So we had spent about a half hour in the Radiology place.  Then we walked over to the ER and got admitted.  We got in a little room where they had John change into a robe and chill out on a bed.  The doctor and nurses came in and asked questions and what not.  John was joking around with all of them and exaggerating the ridiculousness of the situation! He told me later he was feeling kind of nervous and was trying to lighten the tension, both for his own benefit but also for mine and EZ.  We didn't need him to be freaking out!  We waited only about 15 minutes.  During this time I called both his parents and mine.  John's parents dropped what they were doing, alerted the family, and made their way to the hospital.  My mom was surprised that I was handling it so well.  She went through something similar with my Dad.  He got appendicitis when she was about 9 months pregnant with her first child.  He was in a wheel chair and she was carrying a suitcase.  They say everyone was giving them dirty looks.  No one could believe he was making his huge pregnant wife walk and carry stuff while he strolled in.  Funny right?  Well it still hadn't quite sunk in for me.  Everything had happened so fast.  John didn't seem too worried which kept me from worrying too much.  Plus, appendicitis isn't like the scariest thing in the world.  I knew he would be okay.

Anyway, EZ had been doing really well up until they rolled John into the surgeon's waiting room.  A few more people came and went asking questions and telling him what was to come and all that.  We waited in there only about 15 minutes then they had EZ and I walk out to the waiting room.  John's parents were there having arrived just a few minutes prior.  I didn't think it was all that necessary for them to come, but once I was away from John, it was sure comforting having someone else there.  They bought me dinner too!  I want to say it was about 7:30 at this time.  We waited about 45 minutes before the surgeon came out to talk to us.  He said once they got in there they saw that it was really inflamed.  When they started to remove it, it just fell apart.  So, to avoid infection they had to leave a drain in John's stomach and he would need to stay until Thursday.  That was about the worse they expected it to go.  (We were originally told the surgery takes about 10 minutes with about 15 minutes of anesthesia to kick in and he'd most likely leave the next day.)  Then he said it would be about 45 minutes to 1 hour before we could see him.  By this point it was 8:30 and EZ had had just about enough.  He was getting sleepy.  So I decided I would run him home and put him to bed.  Then I would have John's sister who lives near us come over and sit in our house while I went back to the hospital.  John's parents stayed at the hospital in case John woke up sooner, which he did.  Sadly, I wasn't there when he came to.  I got there oh about a half hour later!  He was a little groggy and seemed absolutely exhausted.  I stayed til about 11 then chose to go home.  He needed to rest and he wanted me to be able to rest too.  Being pregnant and all, I gotta keep myself in mind too.  I didn't sleep all that well that night, and apparently he didn't either.  Pretty typical I'd say.

The next morning I took EZ in to see him.  We only lasted about an hour.  Hospitals are just not kid friendly!  Way too many dangerous buttons to push.  John did get up and we took a walk together.  Being a nurse himself, he is determined to push himself to recovery.  He knows what he needs to do and he makes it happen.  He was better than the night before but I could tell he was still pretty out of it.  He said they think it was caused by the medicine he was taking.  All that bacteria was forced to back up in his system and landed in his appendix.  He had to take something though, he still had work ya know!

Well we went home and EZ had a nap.  I tried to clean the house and put up some decorations so that it would be nice and cozy for him to come home to.  After EZ's nap, I took him to his grandparents house so I could go back alone and be there with John for a few hours.  He was doing much better later that day.  He and the nurses said they expected he could go home the next morning.  So I left around 7, picked EZ up, and we went home and to bed.  Thankfully I got some good sleep that night.

So today, John called saying he should be able to leave around 10.  EZ and I got there about 9:45 but ended up waiting over an hour before we actually got to leave.  So, now John is home and napping, as well as EZ.  I'm here writing this whole crazy experience out so we can remember it for always!   Ha ha, or just for those that want the details!  John will have at least a week off work.  He isn't supposed to do anything intense or lift anything heavier than 20 pounds for 3 weeks.  So, he won't be able to get back to the stuff he wants to do just yet.  But, we're in no rush.  Just grateful for doctors and hospitals and family and friends support and so many things.  We were blessed.  I know it could have been much worse.  Of coarse we'll see just what the bill is yet to be.... I can't imagine emergency surgery is cheap!  But it's all good.  The most important thing is John is here and on the mend.