Rupture for Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving day we were going to volunteer at the  homeless shelter to serve Thanksgiving lunch.  I did this as a child and it was time to share it with the hubs.

Well, the hubs began to feel ill Thursday morning so we decided to stay home.  We changed back into our PJ's and watched some TV.  He took a long nap.  He had some tummy pain and such; no fever, no massive amounts of pain.  I asked him if he thought it was appendicitis or a kidney stone.  Nope, not that kind of pain.

Then I began to feel puny.  I was up and down all Thursday night with an upset tummy.  Some wonderful friends brought over Thanksgiving dinner for us to eat.  BTW, it was awesome.  We thought we had the flu.  I even posted in my blog about staying home so not to share germs. 

The hubs felt well enough to go to work for Black Friday at the big orange HD.  They sent him home after four hours due to a fever and not being 'himself'.  i.e. snapping, upset, and overly verbal. wink wink.

So he came home and slept.  I had called in because I did not want to get anyone else sick.  My nursing home residents and staff would not have wanted what I had. 

Well, he took some naps after coming home from work.  Then his fever sky rocketed, he got the shakes.  The shakes were like convulsions they were so strong.  He wouldn't listen to be about a doc.  I called a wonderful redheaded lady that is an RN that lives just a few blocks from me.  She brought her thermometer and brought the manual cuff.  I had an electric one, but gosh, she would never use that.  Oh, and BTW if you are an adult without kids, own a thermometer for goodness sake.  I sure didn't.  In fact, my RN friend left hers with me for the future!

Anyway, she told him (just like I had) ER or a clinic.  He chose the clinic.  There were 30, count them, T-H-I-R-T-Y people in front of him.  I filled his paperwork out sitting on the outside side walk next to a Mom with her sick teenager because we couldn't sit inside as all the seats were taken.  We left our phone number with the clerk and picked up dog food, Poweraid, juice, and "get well people food".  He stayed wrapped up in a quilt from Great Aunt.

When we returned we still had nine people in front of him.  He decided to get out of the car for a call of nature.  He could barely stand, almost screamed, and had to 'hobble' into the restroom inside the building. 

At this point he had told me multiple times not to be the "health care, forceful provider".  Hah!  I went up to the window and waited.  When the young brunette opened the window I stated:  "You are going to see my husband, you are going to see him now.  I know there are other sicker people in front of him, but he can barely stand he is in so much pain.  You ARE going to see him now."  I almost choked on the words as I began to cry.  My husband never hurts.

They saw him within 2 minutes. 

He was coming off the table he was in so much pain.  They told him they were going to direct admit him to the hospital of our choice because he probably had a ruptured appendix and needed a CT within the hour.  He refused; well duh; of course he did.

I had to explain that he would only be a direct admit to the ER if he did what the PA-C said.  Notice, I explained it, not the clinical professional.  He still refused.  I told the guy I would drive him to Christus.  He said he would call over so it would be a direct admit.  We saw them for 60 seconds, maybe.

When  got him to CSM the guy had NOT called.  I argued to the clerk in blue scrub:  "The XXX clinic said he needed in one hour as he had a ruptured appendix."  They said they would call the clinic. They hadn't.  I repeated myself and was and Advocate (xitch) for the love of my life.  The clerk rolled his eyes and handed the admission sheet to an RN that I danced with when were children.  She took this seriously and did everything should could.  Awesome.

We were in the ER for a number of hours waiting on the CT, lab work, etc.  The pain meds didn't work.  They only brought him to a 9 when had been a 10+ pain.  Then the doc came.

Surgery for a ruptured appendix with peritonitis at 9:10pm.  While he was under I picked the Hubby's toothbrush, deodorant, etc. up.  I was back within 20 minutes (that's stretching it).  I then pounded on off buttons of annoying channels in the surgery waiting room.  Why can't we have no TV in this space?  Hello!?

He was out within 45 minutes and the surgeon told me he did well, yet the abdomen was very infected and we had to keep watch for sepsis.

Hubby was in the hospital for 9 midnights, 10 days.  10 bags of Zocin, 10 bags of Flagyl.  Wow.

During these 10 days my good friends provided me with wonderful BBQ, Julie's Deli, Home Depot Christmas hats, and more prayer than I could imagine.  Hubby and I love all of you!

We are 17 days out of surgery and there is still pain.  Please continue to pray for the Hubs. 

Love to all.