Down but not out

11/9/2011

I should have called this..."It only hurts when I laugh".

Do you think you are pretty strong?  In good shape for your age?  Build your life around the fact that you can lift, climb, reach, pound, pull and push?  That’s not a bad thing as that’s pretty much how I operate all the time.  But one’s plans can require some adjustment if something like a case of appendicitis hits you. 

On Friday evening I started feeling very achy around the middle section and tired, exhausted.  Went to bed about 7:00 p.m. and slept fitfully, on and off.  I attributed my achiness to a failed attempt to remove a flat tire.  I yanked twice real yard on some lug nuts but gave up. 

Saturday, I was definitely achy but crippled.  I spent the day taking it easy, cleaning up the driveway, cutting scrap wood into kindling, burning scraps of wood.  By 7 pm, I was spent once again but with increasing pain around my middle.  Again slept fitfully.  I didn’t have an obvious temperature and no sinus issues, so I started to think this was not the flu but just throwing my back out of alignment. 

Sunday, I was worthless…all day.  Slept on and off all day but not for long and not deeply.  Monday morning I went to see my chiropractor, Stuart Kaplan, and he figured out pretty quick this wasn’t a structural issue, and suspected the appendix.  From there, I went to Blowing Rock Hospital and saw Dr. Charlie Davant, Jr.  And he too was 99% sure it was appendix.  From there, went to Watauga Hospital for a CT scan which showed not only an inflamed appendix but also gall stones and a hernia.  Surgery Monday night took care of the hernia and the appendix.  Doc thought maybe I could go home in the a.m. but surgery was complicated the length of time my appendix was irritate my insides, and being in the wrong place.  The anesthesiologist also had a rough time getting a breathing tube down my throat.  Multiple attempts left me with a minor sore throat.

I was released about 6 p.m. and given a prescription for pain pills and antibiotics.  Hannah hung out with me some and brought me home.  Doug and Jo came by and had me laughing so hard, I kicked them out before I split a stitch, internal or external.  Ben came by, chatted and offered his assistance as well. 

While no one likes to this stuff to happen, I’m lucky in several ways.  I have health insurance.  I have a pre-tax account to cover the deductible.  I have great friends and neighbors who have expressed a willingness to help if I need it.  I’m in pretty good shape and expect a pretty rapid recovery unless I do something stupid and overdue it too soon.  One of the best lucky breaks is that I got this out of the way before Hannah delivers her baby.  I could use a week or two to get ready for that, even if the house isn’t exactly ready yet…but I’ll get there.  The doc said I couldn't lift anything more than 20 lbs for the next two weeks.  I told Hannah...she seemed so concerned that I told her the doc said I couldn't do dishes, or vacuum for a year...she ain't buying it.

I have to say, the hospital staff treated ne vert well, other than the fact that they said they were too busy to give me a CT scan on Monday and I'd have to wait til Tuesday.  The good doc in Blowing Rock leaned on them and they got me in, actually quite quickly. 

I had a nice "six degrees of separation" experience.  A male nurse named Andy came in to hook me up to an IV.  We chatted about one thing, then another.  Turns out, he is friends with our next door neighbor Tammy and Ken, but his wife was at the baby shower they threw for Hannah.  I was able to thank him in person for his generosity. 

All this makes me appreciate my health.  I hope and expect to be pretty functional for a while, so this little temporary setback will inspire me to take better care of myself.  It will also teach me to get checked out as soon as possible if I don’t know what is going on.