Missing an appendix

Last week Ali came home from school on Tuesday as usual and an hour later was rolling on the floor in pain. When I calmed her down enough to get some details, her main complaint was lower right side pain.  My first thought was appendix but I didn't want to over react and freak out (which I NEVER do, of course ;)) so I asked her to try lying down and resting to see what happened. The pain seemed to lessen if she was very still. Adding in some of the other things she said about the pain I started thinking it wasn't appendix, possibly a UTI, and decided to take her to Urgent Care to have her looked at. We were there a few hours, most of that time trying to get her to give a urine sample.  Imagine me trying to convince her to keep drinking water (since they were waiting for us to see the Dr. until they could do a urine culture) and half hauling her back and forth from the bathroom, because she could hardly walk with the pain. I was thinking this was a lot of pain for just a UTI but since we were already there and the nurses didn't seem in a hurry about it, I decided to see what the Dr. said. They finally gave up on waiting for the sample and we saw the Dr, who promptly sent us to the ER.  I should have gone with my first instinct and headed to the ER I guess. :)   As soon as we checked in there, they informed me she shouldn't have anything by mouth.  So much for all the water we just had her drink!  By midnight we had a diagnosis of appendicitis and knew we were looking at surgery, they just weren't sure if it would be right away or in the morning and the surgeon would be in to talk to me and make that decision.  By this time, with the help of pain medication and lying very still, Ali had thankfully dozed off.

After calling Paul to fill him in, we debated calling my mom.  I hated to wake her up but I also knew if they decided to do the surgery right away I didn't want to be sitting in that waiting room alone!!  I made the call at 12:20 am and I think she was on the road by 12:45 to our house in case Paul needed to come to the hospital with me.  Meanwhile, I hadn't heard anything yet about what decision had been made.  About 1:20 I was told the surgeon would not be coming to see us until morning (probably around 6:30-7) and she would be admitted for the night.  Since the admitting process is pretty long, it was 3:30 at least, before we were left alone in a room to try to get some sleep.  Me still in my clothes, sleeping on a couch next to my daughter who was in pain and facing surgery the next day.  Let's just say, I've certainly had better nights of sleep! :)  Also, there was this weird dripping noise that started around 4 am that was really bugging me.

Ali woke at 7 and was awake for the day.  As we flipped on the lights we realized the dripping sound I had heard was a leak in the ceiling.  As the ceiling was beginning to bend under the water weight they decided to move Ali to a different, very tiny, room temporarily until the leak was fixed.  Paul came around 7:30 and we waited around until someone came from the surgical department around 10:30 and scheduled her to be taken back around noon.  Paul had an appointment for something that he could do at home so we decided he would go do that and keep the boys and mom was going to come sit with me during the surgery.  Ali's surgeon was very nice and actually came out himself to wheel her back. That was around 12:15 pm. Earlier in the day Ali had asked me if she could have her appendix after it came out.  I said no for two reason. :)  One being that I didn't think that was an option anyway and secondly, just eww!  Not something I want sitting in a jar in her room. :)  Well, I guess as they were wheeling her back, she asked the surgeon if she could have pictures of it and he very nicely took some for her and gave them to me afterwards! My mom tells me when her appendix came out they DID give it to her in a jar so maybe that was an option!  I think I'm happy with just the pictures!

At this point I hadn't eaten since an early supper the night before and mom hadn't arrived yet and I was told I wouldn't see Ali again until around 3:00 pm so I headed to the cafeteria and grabbed something to eat quick.  When I arrived back to the surgery waiting room, I checked in at the desk and they asked who I was there to see.  Her name wasn't on the list, even tho they had taken her back 45 minutes ago.  The volunteer took down her information and said she'd call back and check if she was there.  I believe I uttered something along the lines of "She better be since I watched them take her back there!" I was maybe just a little stressed out and it was starting to show. :) Just then a nurse came out and assured me Ali was back there, the nurse just had not added her to the list yet.

Surgery went well and almost immediately her pain level was down because the soreness from the surgery was nothing compared to the earlier pain!  Her appendix had not ruptured but she did have clumps of bacteria in abdomen area that they also removed by "sweeping" them out.  The culture that they finally got from her urine also showed a urinary tract infection.  The poor girl was sort of a mess! And thankfully by the time she was done with surgery we could move back to the room that we could all actually fit in. :) She stayed another 24 hours in the hospital and then we were set to go home!  She is mostly back to normal, still some limitations on her activity, no gym, jumping around and things like that.  She did so well with the whole thing and I was so impressed with how mature she was during most of it!  We are very thankful that we have access to good medical care!!

Now for pictures, although please excuse the not so great quality from my phone.  I didn't think to grab my camera on the way to the ER!;)

Around midnight in the ER.  With pain meds and keeping still she was able to finally get some rest.

Finally in a room and dealing with admission things around 2:30 am

We called the IV pole her buddy since it went everywhere with her!

After surgery and giving me a groggy smile

They boys came to visit her and enjoyed the Sprite and cartoons more then anything else!

One of many, many walking trips around the hallways after surgery.

Trip around the hallways with no IV pole but accompanied by "Rover" the dog shaped pillow she was given to press against her incisions to help manage pain when she walked, coughed, etc.

So ready to head home!