Gratitude

This week

Well, hat was quite a week! It started out great.  I spent my Labor Day weekend working on a project for my kitchen.  You know how much I love a good project.  While I cannot wait to share that with you I am so filled with gratitude about my non-project life.

Unexpected news

On Tuesday, I woke up with every intention of working on my current project.  I was out in the garage taking care of that when my phone rang.  It was my oldest son.  “I’m okay but I’ve had a car accident.  Can you come get me?”  Glad he started with the “I’m okay”. 

Accidents are scary.  They take away the illusion that we’re in control.  He was the 3rd car in a 4 car accident.  He had stopped to avoid cars #1 and #2 but…  car #4 couldn’t stop and hit him, pushing him into the next car.  I’m sure it will be a complicated insurance mess but for now, we are just full of gratitude that he’s okay.

Ouch

I got my son home & settled and went back to my project.  I worked on it as much as I could then went to my desk to take care of my day job’s business until it was time to go to Devin’s soccer game.  A bit before game time, my stomach started hurting.  I laughed at myself thinking I pulled a muscle working on my project.  Really, I’m the only person I know who could hurt herself doing a home project. Graceful is not a description of me.

As the game progressed, so did the pain.  I could barely move without pain. I went home and debated what to do about it.  No fever and no appetite but also, no icky stomach issues.  There was pain and a wave of nausea now & then.  The pain was bad but I really didn’t think it was emergency room bad so I opted to try to sleep.  I was thinking I had some kind of bug.  I went to bed waiting for ugly stomach things to happen.  They didn’t.  I woke up a few times from the pain but was always able to fall back to sleep.

Seeing the doctor

Wednesday morning, I woke up still in pain.  It was bad enough to go to the doctor.  With an appointment at 1:00 pm, I didn’t do much Wednesday morning.  It hurt to move so I stayed as still as I could.  I was really happy that Andy offered to drive me to the doctor.  I was the first appointment after lunch so we didn’t wait long to see the doctor.

The doctor came in. He pushed all around my belly button asking where the pain was.  Within a minute, he made a face…  It was not a face you do NOT want your doctor to make when he’s looking at you.  It was a mix of uh-oh and compassion.  “I think it’s one of two things.  It’s either an ovarian cyst or appendicitis.  You need to go to the ER right now to find out which.”  Ummmm…  What?!  I honestly thought he was going to send me home saying I had gas….

The ER

He stated that since I’d never had a cyst before, he thought it was my appendix.  So…  off to the ER we went.  Thankfully, the hospital is barely 2 miles from the doctor’s office.  I checked in and we waited to be put in a room.  The wait didn’t really register with me. I can’t tell you how long it was.  I can only tell you that I was really uncomfortable and it felt like an eternity.

Jodi, my sweet nurse came to get me.  She ushered me straight into a restroom.  Sample time.  Yay.  Then, into my ER room where I was quickly ushered out of clothes and into my oh so fashionable hospital gown.  Jodi was nice enough to shield me from Charlie, who was there to take my blood.  He had thoughtfully turned his face to the wall.  Next thing you know, I’m on the gurney and they are filling tube after tube of my blood.  A very short time later, the doctor came in.  Her thought was leaning toward gallbladder with a possible appendicitis.  Ugh…  Another body part to worry about.  Really?! Just my luck.

She ordered an ultrasound of my gallbladder and a CT for my abdomen.  The ultrasound came first.  Thankfully, that didn’t require pressure on the part of my belly that hurt which made me think my gallbladder wasn’t the troublemaker.  CT time…  Right after my CT, a webcam was brought in and I was talking with someone via webcam.  I should ask Andy was that was about because I honestly don’t remember.  I got distracted by what came next… 

Uh-oh

My ER doc stuck her head in my room, scrunched up her nose and said “I’m sorry.  It is your appendix.  You’ll need surgery.  You’ll need to stay in the hospital tonight.”  As fast as she came in, she was gone.  Scared, I started to tear up a bit.  I think we finished up with our webcam person but again, I just don’t remember.

Truthfully, there was no time for tears.  Next thing I know, a guy came in the room to say they were taking me up to surgery right now.  It all happened so fast…  which seems weird to say because at this point, we are at about 6:00 pm.  Five hours had passed and I had no idea how that was possible.  It is all a blur to me.  By 8:15 pm, my appendix was gone.  I was awake again and in a hospital room.

Post Surgery

It all happened so fast.  I’m grateful no one was seriously hurt in the accident and undoubtedly, I’m really grateful my son wasn’t hurt.  I’m grateful I didn’t ignore my pain.  I have so much gratitude! My family doctor was so dang accurate!  The ER, the surgery team and the hospital staff took care of me.  I didn’t wait and my appendix didn’t burst.  It was all as uncomplicated as an unexpected as a surgery can be.  The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. It happened while Andy and I had taken a week off.  My mom and kiddos handled things at home.  I’m grateful Andy was a champ and went back & forth between hospital and home to help everyone.  I didn’t have to stay in the hospital for very long. All in all, there’s a lot to be grateful for.

I got out of the hospital on Thursday afternoon.  And here we are, Friday morning… I’m okay.  Sore but I’m taking it as easy as I can and I’m sharing my crazy life with you.  I’m grateful to be here.  I’m really hoping your week was much more uneventful than mine.

Because this week made me feel SO full of gratitude, I made you a little graphic.  Click on the image below to download.  Hope you enjoy it!

(It’s 8×10 in size)

xoxo

Donna

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