He felt good enough to go to school Tuesday. That week, he continued to experience what I thought was gas pains. This past Monday I found him doubled over on the stairs and I started to ask specific questions. Where are the pains? Do you always feel it? I asked about bathroom experiences.
I was horrified to hear him say it was always on the right, lower area of his abdomine. He could always feel it, but sometimes it was intense pain, other times it was dull. He had pain when empting his bladder.
I looked online and thought I was going to research Krons disease until I heard right lower abdomine.
I called Craig the next morning, determined I was taking him to the emergency room right after I got Boaz on the bus. I told him he couldn't eat anything that morning, we were going to the doctor.
Josh didn't want to go. He wanted to go to band. He wanted to go to school. He thought it would be fine to go after school. I didn't listen and practically drug him to the doctor office.
Craig told me to go to the Urgent Care. It opened at 8:00 and we were the first people there. Well, we tied with one other patient.
She sent us over to the imaging center for an ultrasound. The tech was very nice, went for the radiologist. He came in and said the appendix was burst and the body had walled it off. He showed us the puss pocket that had formed. I felt like a horrible mother. I remembered the nasty "stomach bug" and knew that was when it burst. The radiologist had his raise his leg and sit up. Josh was able to do both things rather easily. That was amazing, he should not have been able to do either thing.
We were told to wait in the radiology waiting room while they contacted the surgeon on call. We were warned not to leave the hospital. I had been texting Craig throughout the morning and called him after I got Josh settled. We were both horrified.
I called my home teacher. He is a night driver and was home in the middle of he day. These things take some time and it was around 11:00 am. He promised to find someone and come within the hour.
The surgeon called and said he was assembling his team. He was getting him started on the strongest antibiotic and fluids. Josh was dehydrated, but he was happy hat he hadn't eaten anything.
It sounded that it was happening fast, maybe too fast for my home teacher to come in time. I told him I was waiting for some men to come and give a blessing. He said that was the best, first medicine and there was certainly time for that. And he would be interested in knowing what was said.
We were moved upstairs and got settled, as much as possible, into a tiny room. My home teacher called saying they were there and I gave them the room number. The blessing was short and sweet. Heavenly Father loves Josh, he was aware of what was going on. The surgeon was blessed to have steady hands and know what to do. He was blessed to heal quickly.
They left and the surgery team came in. I recognized a friend. He is a nurse anethsitist and found a vein for the IV. Josh unfortunately has my small veins, poor kid.
The surgeon came in, wanted to know what was said in the blessing, and hurried everything along. The ER nurse was very kind and told me to get some lunch. He made sure he had my phone number and promised to call and let me know how things were going. I signed papers. We hoped for lapriscopy, but acknowledged the chance for a bowel resection. He was whisked away. I was left with my crochet in the tiny room.
I headed down to the Cafe and got a bit of soup. Thirty minutes later I was back in the room checking my phone and counting double crochet stitches.
The promised phone call came. It was still lapriscopy, it was going well, he would call if it became something more.
More sitting, watching the clock, and crochet and the surgeon was there telling me it was over. He didn't have to open him up, but there was a lot of nastiness and he had a drain. He would have to stay overnight. He would come tomorrow after his surgeries and check on him in the afternoon.
I waited for him to come out of recovery. Craig's mom had called earlier and she came and bright her brother George who was visiting. It was wonderful to see familiar, kind faces that I loved.
Josh was brought in and it was over. Now we were focused on recovery, pain management, walking schedules, and killing the infection.
George and Dawn stayed for just a bit and then left with smiles and hugs and good wishes to give us strength.
School wasn't yet out and Josh was minus an appendix. I called and got Boaz situated and updated Thea and family.
We had a few visitors. Kind faces to lift our spirits and strengthen our resolve.
Thea got off work and brought Boaz to see his brother. I took the time to go home and shower and get things for the night. I missed the bishops visit. Shoot.
I am amazed at how strong Josh is. He is doing so well. He walked with determination to get better and feel better. We toured the halls and I was grateful for his youth and strength. There were a lot of elderly patients. Every bed was filled. They were starting to double up in the bigger rooms and I was grateful for our tiny room.
You don't get a lot of sleep in a hospital. Josh decided to go for a walk at midnight. Vitals taken every four hours. Various beeps and whistles from various rooms.
Wednesday we were all about walking and walking and walking. Vitals and pain medications and antibiotic drips.
We waited for the surgeon to visit and let us know if we could go home. We waited and waited and waited.
I was about to go crazy. The surgeon had a full day in Idaho Falls. He appeared at 6. Probably the exact time he told me. I just hoped for sooner. The nurse said she doubted we would be discharged. We were waiting for him to poop.
The surgeon authorized us to go home. Happy day. Three hous later we were still being processed. The pharmacys were all closed, but I ran with my boy to the safety of home.
Thursday morning I chased down his meds. We waited for Craig to come in at 11:00 pm again.
Today we had a surgical check-up. He is doing well we found out the doctor was almost at the point of opening him up. It was the worst he had seen in years.
So many blessing have occurred in the past two weeks. By all rights it should have so much worse.
But in the words of a very good surgeon, "faith, prayers and modern medicine" can work miracles.
I believe in miracles.
