Appendectomy

What a way to start Spring Break! On Saturday, T started complaining that his tummy hurt. I was gone all day and he was telling Dad. The next morning I go wake T for church. His tummy still hurt. It hurt to walk. I ask all the mommy nurse questions, take his temperature, feel his tummy and determine that this is something that cannot wait.

I send Daddy to church with 4 kids and I take T to the urgent care clinic....hoping that we would get some antibiotics and head home. It was not that simple.

During the initial exam they suspect that it is his appendix. After blood work and a cat scan, it was confirmed that his appendix was the problem and it needed to come out TODAY. The doctors at the clinic suspected they had seen a hole in the appendix so they wanted to send us to the hospital by ambulance just in case. I was not thrilled with that idea. I could drive him, but Daddy said how often does a boy get to ride in an ambulance. Maybe we should if that is the dr's recommendation. So we did. All I can say is ambulances are bumpy.

During all this T is doing pretty good. He never had a fever and he could walk OK, but it hurt. Laying down he really did not complain of much but being bored.

Texas Children's ER went smoothly, they had called ahead and were expecting us. So after a short time we were upstairs in surgery preop, then the waiting room. After 1 1/2hours the surgeon came out with the good news, that yes the appendix was inflamed and swollen but it had not ruptured. That means we stayed one night and if no fever or ill side effects we get to go home. Had it burst we could have been in the hospital for several days.

T said hospitals are not much fun. They wake you up lots at night and they are a bit noisy. They are also boring, you lay around without much to do. The playroom was closed while we were there. He did enjoy eating in bed and watching TV. That was his favorite part. My favorite part was coming home. I am glad he is going to get better and that he is a strong healthy boy.