Off With His Appendix!

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

On Monday night, while Debbie & I were out & about, our middlest son called us to inform us that he was having terrible pains in his lower right abdomen. (I sometimes refer to him as the middlest son, because why should the 2nd of three kids be the only one without a superlative?) Having been through one bout of appendicitis and an appendectomy with our oldest son in 2006, I immediately thought "appendix". Obviously, having seen what his brother went through 2.5 years ago, #2 son was not thrilled at this diagnosis.

Neither were the wife & I excited at the prospect of another appendectomy in the family so soon after the first. If you've never had a teenager have to have surgery, you must believe me that at some point you will contemplate offering to undergo the procedure yourself as a less painful option.

However, so as to not jump to conclusions, we gave our son some (admittedly woefully inadequate) over-the-counter medication, and asked him to try and get some rest...hoping it was gas or some other transient dyspeptic condition. As with the eldest son, this strategy was to prove wildly optimistic.

By the wee hours of the morning, the pain in my son's stomach had intensified and had awakened him from what little sleep he'd managed to grab. So after the other boys were off to school, my wife made a walk-in appointment (which is an oxymoron, isn't it?) with our doctor. After examination, my son was sent to a radiology clinic to confirm the preliminary diagnosis, appendicitis. The CT scan showed that his appendix was in fact inflamed, so off to the ER he went.

At the ER he awaited the arrival of the surgeon, and then it was on to pre-op and into surgery; where his belly was shaved, carved, relieved of one useless and rather unattractive internal organ, and stapled shut with what appeared to be the same staples you'd use to hang fiberglass insulation. Then to recovery and finally to a hospital room where he convalesced for two days. He is currently at home resting and trying not to walk around like an old man.

I must give the young man his due: not being known for having a high pain tolerance, my 2nd son was a real trooper, maintaining a stiff upper lip and a "can-do" attitude throughout the whole ordeal and it's aftermath. He did very little complaining, and was eager to do his best to get moving again and not lie around and suffer. After almost 20 years in the health care profession, I must tell you that the maturity and determination he showed is rare among patients twice his age.

I'm glad my son is healthy and on the mend, but I'm also proud of the character he displayed during this illness. My sons are growing into fine men, and nothing could make me prouder than that.

(BTW, for those of you keeping score at home, that's two appendices down, one to go)

Nolanbuck