Appendicitis

Mia woke me up around midnight last week Wednesday.  She was complaining of a stomach ache. Moaning and holding her right side. So if you are like me the first thing you think is appendicitis. I had to do a quick search on Google to see if your appendix is indeed on your right side. It is. 

It was hard to sleep that night as Mia continued to moan in intervals. During this time in which I could not sleep I was busy consulting with Google again. Seemed like pain in that area could also come from gall stones or constipation. 

When she started running a fever the next morning we headed to the doctor.

The nurse was very kind and did not make Mia get on the scale. I asked Mia how much she wight and she thought  maybe 68lbs. Later she had to get on the scale and sure enough, 68lbs exactly.

 At the Doctor

The Doctor said it could be appendicitis and sent us to the ER. Oh man.

All Mia could think about was the cabin and if she could go. We were supposed to be leaving the next morning. 

 They were ready for us at the ER. I was thankful.

 Nurse Beverly our ER Nurse. When asking Mia about her level of pain she used a chart with smiley faces that had numbers and went from happy to unhappy. Mia picked a 5 or something and Beverly said, "Ok, so it's not like you want to shoot yourself'. There was another nurse and an a trainee there as well. With big eyes they glanced at me during some awkward silence. Beverly put Mia's IV line in and totally burst Mia's bubble. You see, up until this point she was pretty happily distracted with that TV remote. She flipped the channel 3 times and found Pioneer Woman on food network.  Then the doctor came in to see her and she didn't want to turn off the TV, so he turned it off and when he asked her if her tummy is hurting her she said no. Proud moment for myself.

Ultrasound showed nothing.

Cat Scan. Before the surgeon told me the results I heard Nurse Beverly letting the operating room know that we are going to surgery. Mia whispers to me, "Don't you need your appendix?"

Upon being wheeled out for surgery, Nurse Beverly yells to us, "Well, no more swimming for you this summer." 

 Waiting for Cat scan.

 Nate was working near by and showed up in time to see her off to surgery. I was glad as they really went from that Cat Scan to surgery very quickly.

Wheeled off for surgery

Of course the anesthesiologist had to know exactly what was the last stuff she ate or drank. Mia is slowly reporting to them, "Hot chocolate, ...............cappuccino, ....................and some prune juice" 

So the whole team looks at me with eyebrows raised and I said, "I'm sorry, I thought she might be constipated!" Everyone was so kind. 

 She was pretty sad to wake up and find out that she is so sore. After commenting on that she got bossy with us and said, "I am hungry and thirsty!"

 Nate spent the night with her. I had to go home and pack Ellie and Stuart up for the cabin. 

Nate sleeps like a log, it is so hard to wake him up. I told Mia to use her call button if she can't wake her Dad up. Nate said he woke up the one time and she was yelling at him. Other than that moment she whispered the whole time she was in.

Nate said she ordered breakfast but then when it showed up all she wanted was toast. Too bad she didn't order toast.

This is how I found Mia the next morning.

 The nurses showered her with fun things. Gifts that church groups give to them to hand out. So sweet.

Still very happy with her TV time. I might have a chef on my hands the way she loved Food Network. There was plenty of Sesame Street going on as well. How smart to have the speaker right on the remote. She could turn it way down and put the speaker by her ear, quite for us.
When I helped her order lunch I told her that she has to eat what she orders, she can't ask for toast when it comes. So she ordered chicken broth, Italian Ice, and toast. 

 Still in a lot of pain. 

Irish Wolfhound making rounds.

I feel for families who are in for longer periods of time or for anything serious or sad.  Nate and I switched off but we were still so ready to get out of there. 

 Heading home 24 hours after surgery.

 I take one picture and then she smiles so I take another one.