A Near-Miss that Wasn't a Migraine

Twenty-four hours ago, I had a near-miss that had my family on edge for most of the day and it’s given me a fresh perspective of what pain really is.

For starters, I am okay. Big sis came down over the weekend, mostly to visit but also to take me to my disability physical. When she got here, we loaded her car with my luggage and made the hour trip to West Plains, checked into our hotel, and went shopping. We began our weekend talking about politics and the NFL and laughed when we got hopelessly lost a few times. Truthfully, nothing too new other than our topics and it was shaping up to be the kind of weekend we both really needed.

Four a.m. Saturday morning, however turned really bad as we both got dressed and sis drove me to the nearest hospital only a mile or so away. I was woke up at three a.m. with excruciating pain in my abdomen, both of us believing that I was in the clutches of an extreme gall bladder attack and I was convinced I was going into the hospital to have it removed. Sis had hers taken out, so did our dad and I had had problems with mine since 2007, it was a logical course of thought.

The hospital was blessedly empty and as soon as I was checked in, I was in the exam room talking to the doctor and getting an IV started. We briefly talked about my migraines and I told the nurse starting my IV that I would do whatever it took to keep her in standby whenever I needed one in the future. She found a viable vein within just a few moments and I was stuck only once.

Naturally the stress of the moment did kick up a wicked migraine but the doc ordered Dilaudid for my abdomen and I got blessed relief from both as soon as she pushed it in.

One CT-scan, blood work up, a belly exam that had me ready to mule kick the doc because my pain was rebounding and one urinalysis later, my ER Doc came in to inform us that I was being admitted, it was my appendix and I was being scheduled for surgery. Both big sis and I sat there a little stunned as she started getting in contact with the family and I texted a few friends that I knew would want to know.

The surgical team that worked on me was extremely impressive; compassionate beyond anything I had ever experienced and I never once found myself scared or worried. The last time I remembered looking at the clock, it was 8:09am. My next memory, I was given a few ice chips, told that the surgery went well and I would be taken to my room shortly. When I finally woke up, it was a little after noon and the paperwork was being gathered for my release.

They were able to take my appendix through my belly button but it did give them a little bit of a fight; it had actually attached itself in my abdominal wall and the surgeon had to wrestle it out. I was told I am going to be a little more sore and tender than what is considered normal but considering the alternative, I’ll happily deal with it until I’m healed.

I caught myself wondering several times how close I had actually come to it bursting and that’s when the fear creeps up. My natural clumsiness, had I ran into a doorknob just right, it would have blown. My overly lovable and exuberant puppies could have jumped on my belly just right, I was just too close for comfort and glad beyond words my big sis was here. I would have loved to have all my family there, but I knew in their hearts and minds they were and it gave me comfort. I wouldn’t know what to do without any of them.