Appendectomy

Monday morning I woke up feeling fine. I didn't ride my bike to work, #1 because it was raining, #2 because I was starting my full training schedule again. Monday would be my rest day for the remainder of 2009 and through the 2010 season.

Around 10am I felt bloated and gassy. I also felt hungry and a little nauseous, so I ate a bagel with cream cheese and drank some water to make sure I was hydrated. I figured I was having gas pains and I would be fine as soon as I could fart!!

Around 12 noon, my co-workers, with love, told me I looked terrible and that I should go home. So, I did. I could not get comfortable though. I tried all sorts of positions and wondered if there is a yoga position to help alleviate gas pains.

Rhonda called our doctor and got an appointment for us. It was time for Jubal to get out of school so we went by and picked him up. ( we do everything as a family). When we got to the doctor's office I could not even sit in the waiting room but knelt on the floor with my head on the seat.

Clue #1: If it hurts that bad, it's not gas.

I was taken back to an examination room and laid on the chairs. Then doc came in and with quite a bit of shock asked me what was going on. I told him that I didn't know. He checked me out and sent me to radiology at the hospital to get a ct scan to see if they could find anything. As I was laying there in pain, the doc told me he could call EMS if I wanted him to. I told him that it costs way too much, and had Rhonda take me. She did just fine driving me to the hospital.

I made my way to the check in desk and once again squatted down. I really should have gone to the ER but trusted where my doc had sent me. After shedding some tears, and walking all the way across St Joseph's, I crumpled again to the floor while waiting for someone to show up at the desk, after I rang the bell on the desk.

A doctor came out, and asked me if he could help me. I told him I hoped so, and they finally got me on a gurney. Minutes later I emptied my stomach on the side of the gurney and the floor. The doc started freaking out about how I didn't need to be there, but in the ER. He called someone and repeatedly stated:" This guy does not need to be here, he needs to be over there" (at the ER). He finally communicated that they needed to send an ambulance to pick me up and take me to the ER. I almost opted for Rhonda to take me, because, once again, ambulances are not covered by insurance and they cost a lot. But, before I could oppose, they put an IV in and there was no turning back.

I arrived at the ER around 4:30pm. They put me in an observation room, took vitals and left me there. I ended up falling asleep and woke up around 6pm. I was feeling a bit better and was starting to think about going home. After discussing the possible ramifications of a ruptured appendix, I opted to stay and get the CT Scan done. Around 9pm, I finally got the scan and the result was appendicitis. By 10pm, they put the mask on my face and I was out.

I slowly awoke around 11pm, with lots of people bustling around me. At some point I guess they were all satisfied that I was back, and they all disappeared. A short time later, with a heart rate of 40bpm, they wheeled me to my room where I would spend the next 14 hrs.

The morphine through the IV helped dull the pain, but I was wondering what I needed to do to get out of there and back to my normal life. The PA came in later and let me know that if I was off the IV, eating solids, walking without dizziness or nausea and taking pain meds orally, then I would be free to go. By noon I was doing all of the above.

I was out of there by 2pm, in time to pick the kid up from school on the way home!!

So, now I'm at home recovering, resting, and not doing much. I'm a little anxious about the bills that will come from this, but that usually gets worked out, even if not in my timing.

I will be off the bike for at least 2 weeks, possibly longer, to let the ab muscles heal completely so I don't get hernias. I'll willingly stay off the bike as long as I need to in order to avoid another surgery. And this will give everybody a chance to catch up to my fitness level so we can start 2010 on an even playing field!!

I have an appointment with the surgeon in 2 weeks where we will discuss my options, and we will take it from there.

Have a great day