Adventure

Well, maybe adventure isn't quite the right word....have just had an appendectomy! It all happened so fast I'm still trying to process it. Woke up at 1:00 a.m. Wednesday morning with abdominal pain that felt odd -- not bad at first, but different from any tummy pains I've had in the past. As it worsened and coalesced on the lower right, I just knew it could very likely be appendicitis.

So by 9 a.m. I was filling out papers in the ER.

Good thing, too. It was early enough that some of the typical symptoms (fever, nausea, high white cell count ) weren't present. The pain got worse and worse though, and my temperature did start to rise. After ruling out other possibilities, I had a CAT scan and within an hour of that I was headed for surgery. Good-bye appendix!

One sort of funny thing - I had an appointment that afternoon with Stephanie, for a regular foot reflexology massage. Stephanie is also a doula. As I was drinking the first of 6 massive cups of contrast solution for the CAT scan (a drinking binge that stretches out over 3 hours), I called Stephanie to cancel my appointment. I jokingly said it would be nice if she could be my appendix doula.

As I was starting on Cup #3, Stephanie arrived in my ER cubicle and proceeded to massage my feet for the duration, and bless her heart, she stepped right in and acted as an advocate, asked questions I was too anxious (and possibly too medicated) to think of asking. Paul arrived shortly after Stephanie did and I think he appreciated her presence as well. And one of the nurses asked for her card.

I spent a night in the hospital and came home around noon today. All in all, I am doing very well, though have little stamina and find myself quite easily exhausted.

So for now, the Joyful Juggler has to put down the balls and rest awhile.