Tuesday was Enrichment Night at church, the subject was gardening. I wanted to go, sort of. I always have a hard time leaving my house in the evening. As much as I sometimes want a night out I really just want to be with Mike and the kiddos and just finally relax at the end of what is usually a relentless day. Jane had stake girl's volleyball that she left at 6 ish for with her friend, I was supposed to pick up. I was feeling a little anxious because I had planned on running during preschool and preschool was cancelled due to Carrie having a sick baby. I'm getting a little nervous about the mileage I need to start running in order to get ready for a relay I'm doing in June. Although I had done a short workout in the a.m. more than going to Enrichment I just really wanted to run. It was a beautiful evening and I just wanted to be outside. Mike stayed home to watch the kids and I headed out to the trail for five miles.
When I returned home Sadie was laying beside Mike on the couch. Mike said to me "Sadie really isn't doing well." Now I am fairly certain I have discussed Sadie and her aches, pains, illnesses, trips to the school nurse, etc... In fact last time the nurse called, she prefaced the call by saying "I haven't had a chance to talk to Sadie's new teacher yet and tell her," followed by the current ache or what have you. So... Sunday night Sadie complained of a tummy ache. We believed her, she had eaten more chocolate than any human being should eat, even if it was Easter. Monday she complained in the morning that she had had stomach pains during the night.
"Sorry sweetie, you should be good now. Let's get you ready for school." Monday evening she was doing fine, jumping on the tramp, playing, etc... We heard one or two little complaints. Tuesday morning she woke up saying her stomach ached but then went into the bathroom. She complained of constipation and I went in and sat with her. Eventually everything came out alright, she complained that her stomach hurt and I discussed it with Mike since it had been recurring. We decided she should go to school, that her tummy should feel better after her trip to the bathroom. Tuesday afternoon, she was out on the trampoline again, but she complained a little bit when she came in and wasn't really hungry at dinner.
Now I am home from my run and I reach over and she feels warm. I can't tell if it is just because my hands are cold so I go get the thermometer. Fever. We start asking Sadie for all her symptoms, finally considering that something might really be wrong. Mike starts pressing on her tummy (which I had done when she complained after school), this time she is getting panicked and saying it hurts so badly her vision is going black and she is seeing stars. Mike looks up appendicitis while I run up and do a quick rinse off in the shower, then Sadie and I are on our way to E.R. Sadie is scared to death, I believe because Mike might have mentioned something helpful like the fact that people can die from a burst appendix. I was actually afraid she was going to start hyperventilating, so I start talking to her about the Hunger Games trilogy. She finally calms as we discuss the final book on our drive to the hospital. Luckily I have Ellyn's handicap tag and that's where we park. By now Sadie can barely walk, I figure that is a great reason if there ever was one.
The E.R. was awesome, they got us in quickly. At first I said we didn't need a wheelchair but when she needed me to carry her to and from the bathroom I figured it was time. Sadie had to tell her story about 10 times, no exaggeration. They wanted to hear her own version, finally she begged for them to let me tell it (triage, nurse, dr,, ultrasound, surgeons,). Poor kid was such a champ, but in so much pain. They put her on Morphine. The funny thing is it didn't make her too loopy, just more Sadie? Hard to explain. At one point when the Dr. was explaining how poop flushed through the appendix Sadie asked if there was any way we could call it scat. She had just learned what that meant at school and thought it was a great word. It wasn't obnoxious, it was funny. The Dr. started talking again and then stopped to laugh. The ultra sound tech and nurses loved her and spoiled her. We finally got the word from the surgeons that the pediatric surgeon would remove her appendix in the a.m. since there was a stone but nothing needing immediate attention. We were taken up to pediatrics at 2:30am, they hooked her I.V. up to everything and gave her more morphine (she hated the I.V.). I got talked through pages of paperwork and finally we were falling asleep at 3:00. They woke me up two more times before 7:30 to sign paperwork and then at 7:30 I was on the phone with Mike talking through Ellyn's morning routine.
We had an unexpected visitor, Bro. Jensen, from our ward come to see us. He is an anesthesiologist at the hospital and saw our name on the list for surgery. I have only talked to him once or twice but Sadie has Activity Days with his wife and is friends with his kids. He was able to tell us when we were tentatively scheduled for surgery, checked on us before surgery, and, at the final hour, when Sadie was getting upset because I couldn't be in the operating room when they took her in (they weren't putting her to sleep until she went in), he arranged for me to throw on a "paint suit" and hold her hand and tell her a story while they put her to sleep. It wasn't much of a story, she was out in seconds. He was awesome, I am grateful that God gives us so many good people in our lives. Bro. Jensen, the surgeon, the med student that came in and held Sadie's hand and explained what was going to happen, the medic who made sure Sadie got a teddy bear (I couldn't find Keely in time when we were leaving). Times like these I have great faith in human kind.
Of course, Wednesday was the day that Mike had a full day of meetings. He got Ellie off to school and took Sawyer to my friend, Becca's. Jane picked up Sawyer and they walked home and waited for Ellyn's bus after school. Mike came in during lunch, which was right in the middle of Sadie's surgery. We ate my California Rolls I had picked up as soon as I had the paint suit off (I was STARVING) and then he had to go back. The surgery went well and since there were no complications the Dr. told us we would be able to take Sadie home in the late afternoon. Once Sadie woke up this really worried her because she hurt so badly but they promised to give her plenty of meds. So at 4:30 Mike came up to Sadie's room and we loaded her up. He took her home and I stopped by the store for a couple of promised treats (cup of noodles, pudding, Cheetos-suggested by her dad) and one other surprise that I had arranged through Craig'slist. We had planned on it anyway but the timing just worked, something to keep my daughter that is forever active, busy while she has two weeks to recover.
Sadie wanted to make sure this was documented.
Pre-surgery, post-morphine
Post surgery
Finally feeling a little better
Sadie and Zoe taking a little nap.
I was very impressed with Sadie through out this whole ordeal. She was patient, brave, loving, articulate, and charming. As demented as it might sound I really loved our one on one time together. I'm guessing she'll choose a different activity for one on one time next time around!
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Love,
Grandma Barb