An Appendix-Less Thanksgiving

I will never take for granted that I can pull myself into a sitting position.  I will never think that laying around and watching TV is something to hope for.  I will never deny the miracle of the human body to be able to heal itself.  I will never think that my little plate of cookies or dinner or note that I drop off to someone is meaningless.  I will never have to have my appendix cut out again, because it's gone now--thankfully never to return. 

It all started Friday morning.  I got a little nauseous while I was helping a friend wipe down her walls.  I thought it was because I hadn't had a great breakfast (I was out of my usual granola) and had had "fake" cereal.  I had a salad for lunch, but as soon as I finished my salad I felt REALLY full and kind of sick.  It felt like I had a brick in my stomach--like I'd just eaten a huge meaty, fatty carniverous meal--but I'd only had vegetables.  That brick stayed nearby all day.  I had friends coming over that night and right before they showed up I realized I really was sick but it was too late to send them all home.  They came in and we served dessert that I couldn't even touch.  We talked (ironically about my friend's appendectomy about a month before) and played games and every few minutes I'd go back in my bedroom to throw up.  I couldn't get much out and it didn't give that great relief.  I felt even more guilty going back in and sending them all home because then they'd know I had exposed all of them to the hideous stomach flu!  Finally at 10:00, I cut off the conversation and thanked them all for coming and went to bed where I had the worst night's sleep of my life.  The next day I was no better.   By Saturday night, I knew this wasn't an ordinary flu.

We started out at the Instacare and once they deducted that it was probably appendicitis they sent us to the ER.  I was ticked.  Now I had to spend $100 instead of the original $75 by just going to the ER first.  They did the CT or MRI and announced I would have to have surgery that night.  At the time, I didn't care. I just wanted to feel better.  I think I would have been a little more frightened if I'd known what was ahead of me.  I kissed Cam goodbye in the hallway and the next thing I knew I woke up in my hospital room.  My throat KILLED from that awful tube they stick down it so you can breathe.  But I slept great.  The curve of my hospital mattress was just perfect.

They sent me home the next morning and I was happy to go.  I didn't know my bed wouldn't feel the same.  I didn't know the medication would wear off.  I didn't know the air they had pumped into my body cavity so they could see the appendix would get trapped inside and would send shooting pains through my shoulders for three days.  I didn't know I wouldn't have a bowel movement for a week.  I didn't know I couldn't sleep on my side or my back or anywhere.  I didn't know my stomach would swell to 6 month pregnancy style.

And I also didn't know that my mom and sister would bring me a beautiful dinner that first night home and that my ward and neighbors would continue to bring soups, rolls, salads, dinners, desserts and notes for days.  I didn't know that Kristi would come and talk to me and sweep my floors and take my kids out for lunch.  I didn't know that Nikki would drive from Lehi to do my Christmas shopping for me.  I didn't know how grateful I would be to be able to kneel again, to sit again, to cough, laugh, and move again. 

It was a nice prelude to Thanksgiving, actually.  It opened my eyes to the amazing blessings of my life that too often go unnoticed.  So, thank you, Heavenly Father for my body, my life, my family, my health, my ward, my kids, my stomach muscles, my Savior.