Why Do We Even Have An Appendix?

On October 28^th I developed some pain in my abdomen (I swear this story is really too much like my birth story experience with bladder stones! Jeez!). Throughout the course of the evening it got progressively worse, but was nothing unbearable. It started in my back. At first I thought I had just pulled a muscle or something, then as it got a little worse I thought it was my kidneys. By the time I went to bed it was under my rib cage, in the front. It was uncomfortable, but again, nothing extreme.

We went to bed and around 1am I woke up in serious pain. I was curled up in a ball and really hurting. I was also shivering uncontrollably. I got up and went in the living room and turned on our electric logs to try to get heat quickly. It wasn’t quickly enough. It was odd pain. It was bad, but it was not the sharp, stabbing pain like I had with the bladder stones. This was more of a nauseating, constant ache. At that point it felt like it encircled my entire abdomen.

Finally I got Damon up and filled him in. He said we should go to the Emergency Room, but I was in so much pain that the idea of having to haul myself into the bedroom to get dressed, and then to have to ride to the hospital was too much. I really just didn’t want to have to move. I wanted immediate relief.

I ended up calling my mom around 2am. She headed our way to watch Calum while we left. Between that phone call and her arriving at my house, the pain let up- a lot! It was weird, but I felt much better by the time she got there. I ended up staying home and going to bed. Sleep was wonderful.

By morning I felt so much better, but I noticed when I would pick Calum up that it hurt in my lower right side. Nothing bad, just something noticeable that kept catching my attention. Damon was scheduled to work the rest of the week, so that Monday was the only day I had child care available, so I decided I would go get it checked out. I had promised my mom I would anyway.

I headed to the ER around 10am. I got back quickly (the perks of having a husband who works there) and was seen fairly soon. They were going to do a CT scan, so I had to drink some gross fruity concoction- two whole bottles. It didn’t seem too bad at first, but it got worse as I drank it. Funky aftertaste for sure! I pretty much just gulped them down.

I ended up waiting over three hours for my scan. Apparently there was a lab issue. Anyway, had my scan finally around 4 or so and was taken back to my room. I still had the pain- thank goodness. I was worried after all that waiting that it would be like when you take the car to the mechanic. It makes that noise all the time, but once you get there it goes away. Well, it didn’t go away. I really felt like it was probably nothing though, so when the doctor came in and told me it was my appendix and that I would have to have surgery, I was shocked.

I didn’t realize he meant right away. I was there alone. Damon couldn’t head to the hospital until my mom got to our house to watch Calum. Damon’s mom came down to keep him after that, so my mom could come out to the hospital too. I was out of surgery and in a room around 10:30pm. They did it laparoscopically, so the pain wasn’t bad. I am glad I didn’t have to have the big incision in my side.

I went home the next day around 11am. The recovery from the pain was fairly quick, but I wasn’t able to pick up the baby for several days, so I had to have help. That was odd. I really appreciated the help, but I felt badly that someone had to stay will me, just to pick up and move my baby around. I am glad I am better now.

It’s interesting that my brother and I both had to have our appendix (is the plural form of the body part “appendices” too?) removed in the month of October- but 8 years apart. Also, his was awful, as it ruptured and caused infection. Mine was just inflamed, but was removed before it had the chance to rupture.

I am glad that it is over, and not something I will have to experience again.