When In Doubt; Take It Out

Thirty minutes feels like hours when you are standing outside the door of an Urgent care center waiting for the door to open for business, at the sound of the lock tumbler turning everyone rushed the door.

Walking up to the counter there were four of us waiting to be chosen as the first to arrive, “What brings you here today” the man behind the counter asks “We are here for the dance class” was the reply which he did not find amusing, but I did see a smile as he pushed the clipboard with the forms to fill out in our direction.

A sore throat should be easy to take care of, so thinking we would be in and out in short order was not in the works for the day, in addition to a sore throat, a slight abdominal pain turned into a rush across town to the emergency room.

After Blood work, Ultrasounds, and CT Scans the ER Doctor comes in with the results of the many tests Appendicitis, how in the world can you go into urgent care with a sore throat and come out with the diagnosis of appendicitis?

A surgeon was called in to discuss the situation, I was kind of afraid when he walked into the room already in a surgical gown, and told me his motto was “When in doubt; Take it out”

What are my options Doc? In my opinion your appendix has to come out, are you serious it can’t be that bad, “If you go home I guarantee you will be back and on my table in less than twelve hours” so out the door we went to surgery.

The surgery went well, and the hospital stay was like most hospital stays, you know where they come in at all hours of the night and wake you up to see how well you are sleeping.

On the last night of the hospital stay the nurse on duty simply scared the Bejeezus out of Cindy, this lady stepped into the doorway and blocked all the light from the hallway. How many of you remember William “The Refrigerator” Perry from the Chicago Bears? I hate to say it but this is who she reminded me of.

But after introducing herself she became the most kindhearted and knowledgeable nurse I have ever come into contact with, the fear in Cindy’s eyes went right out the window and I have to say this was a case where we shouldn’t have judged the book by its cover.

A quick appendectomy, a slow few days in the hospital, a bumpy ride home last night, and now Cindy has the instructions to not lift anything over twenty pounds before the first of February.

This is a quick rundown of the last few days in our lives, Cindy is doing well and it looks like the next time she has a sore throat we just may go straight to the ER, but I know for sure next time she does have a sore throat, it wont be her appendix.

The Good Lord works in mysterious ways, because had He not given her a sore throat strong enough to take us to urgent care, the next symptom of the appendicitis may have made matters much worse.

Have you ever had a diagnosis that didn’t fit the symptoms that took you to the Doctor?