Kicking off the New Year

Paul and I were looking forward to a nice, quiet New Year's celebration as a family this year. Then we thought we'd like to spend it with the Sego family in Richland. Then Paul was assigned to head up the Boy Scout Christmas tree removal service a couple days after the New Year, so we decided it would be better to stay home. We were planning on attending a New Year's party at our friends the Youngbergs.

But why do that when you can get an appendectomy instead?

Paul started feeling sick at work on Tuesday (Dec. 30) and came home early. He was feeling pain in his stomach, he said, similar to pain he felt a couple of months before that had gone away after a few days. Back then I thought it was probably food poisoning of some sort, but this time I couldn't think of anything that I had fed him that could possibly have given him food poisoning.

Paul spent the afternoon and evening Tuesday on the couch, barely able to move. He's not one to just lay there at any given time, so it was pretty sad. As the night wore on it got worse and worse. Finally he was in such pain that he couldn't stand it anymore and said he wanted to go to the hospital. For those who know Paul, you know he's one to tough things out, so going to the ER was a big deal.

Our good friend and neighbor Cassie came over to stay with the boys around 9:30 that night while I drove Paul to the Emergency Room. A doctor, after listening to Paul's symptoms, suggested that it might be a kidney stone. Great, thought Paul. But after a urine test, a blood test, and a CAT scan (and about 4 hours after we arrived), the diagnosis was appendicitis. Yay! Although not thrilled, Paul was quite relieved that it was something rather than a mystery to be waited out at home.

They'll take it out first thing in the morning, the doctor told us. You're nowhere near rupturing, but definitely inflamed. It will need to come out since it is not going to get better.

Paul got settled in a room for the night and I drove home alone.

The next day a nurse called to tell me that Paul wouldn't have surgery till five or six that evening. Poor Paul wasn't allowed to have anything to eat or drink until after his surgery, and he had not eaten since lunch on Tuesday.

Which is why we found him looking very unthrilled when we visited him Wednesday afternoon (New Year's Eve).


Benjamin thought the hospital was pretty great. He was a little weirded out by Paul lying in the hospital bed at first, but soon began chatting about "Dada get sergry."

When the boys started getting restless I took them to run errands, then got a call from Paul telling me that they wouldn't be operating on him till 8:00pm. Bummer. At least he had pain medicine to help him, but he still couldn't eat!

We came back to see him before his surgery only to learn shortly into the visit that he had been bumped back to 10:00pm. I was hopeful that we'd still be able to ring in the new year together, even with Paul just recovering.

Nope. Another nurse told us the surgery wouldn't happen till closer to 11:00. By then Paul was pretty resigned to all the delays.

The boys and I stayed with Paul as long we could. We were with him as he was prepped for surgery. Our lingering visit at the hospital was 100% because of my need rather than Paul's. I hated leaving him there by himself, but he just rolled his eyes at me and said, "I'm fine. I'm not going to die."

So Benjamin gave him some rocks and we went home around 10:45, just before they wheeled Paul into surgery.


I spent my New Year on the phone with Paul's mom while Benjamin slept in his bed and Rhett slept in my lap post-nursing.

Shortly after the start of 2009 Paul was stitched-up and short one unnecessary body part. The doctor called me himself right after he was done to tell me how it went. He was so nice and friendly. I appreciated his kindness in calling, not sounding rushed or frustrated at all, even though he had spent all night operating on people, and still had one more patient to go! Happy New Year, Dr. Vander Griend! You're a champ!

Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of Paul's immediately post-surgery incision, but we took one after the bandages came off and it was mostly healed. The incision was 2.5 inches long. Please note that Paul does not shave his belly on a regular basis. Or ever. The doctor shaved the area for the surgery.

Happy 2009!



*****ADDENDUM TO PAUL'S APPENDIX*****
made 13 January 2009

Paul went to see Dr.Vander Griend today for a checkup to make sure Paul was feeling well and healing correctly. Thankfully Paul has been back to normal for about a week now. Dr. Vander Griend surprised Paul with the news that his appendix actually had burst! Lab study of Paul's appendix showed that it had very minorly ruptured.

We are so grateful that we were able to get to the hospital before Paul's condition became even worse. If Paul's appendix would have ruptured any more he would've most likely been in much worse condition today. The Lord was really watching out for us, and we feel greatly blessed.