Surgery

Life on the farm can be tough at times. Fences to build, hay haul, cattle to wrestle. It wears the body out, and suddenly one day - poof you have a problem.

My poof started on Tuesday 11/10. I went for a walk to the library. On the way back I got stomach pains. I little indigestion I figured. I had just drank some very expired milk. The pains persisted though the night, but by next morning they were not too bad. It had now concentrated to the lower right quadrant. But during the day the pain got worse. "What side is the appendix on?" I asked my nurse wife. "Left side" she says. But later on I looked it up on the web page and the appendix is on the right side and I had some of the symptons of an appendicitis.

I went to a water board meeting and then afterwards we were going to a church dinner. As I got dressed for the dinner, I kept thinking, there is something odd about this pain. Maybe I should have it checked, so we went to the emergency room. After some tests which took almost 4 hours, it was determined that yes - you need surgery for your appendix. Luckily the surgeon was in town and by 10pm I was knocked out and under the knife.

What followed was two and a half long days in the hospital recovering. Not a fun experience. I slept well the first night, still drugged from the surgery. Thursday was ok - hooked to an IV and having to get out of bed about every hour to go to the bathroom. But as long as I had pain pills it was tolerable. I survived the hospital food and another night sleeping in a uncomfortable bed where they wake you about every hour to check vitals or iv or something.

By Friday morning I was feeling better though and ready to go home. No says the doctor, we can't release you yet. So I sat all day Friday being bored. Friday night was the worse. I was off the IV, but I couldn't get comfortable and the staff still checked on you hourly. It was a long long night.

Finally Sat morning came and I was feeling good. No longer needed pain pills and everything was functioning good. I was up and walking well. The doctor came in at 11 and said "Yep you are out of here". He didn't have to tell me twice.

Good to be home. Now just a couple of recovery days of lounging around in my jamies with the wife waiting on me hand and foot. Yep - I'm doing good.

Here is me in the hospital Mary brought me flowers. :) Yes I was in pain.


Here is my battle scar. I knew you wanted to see it.