Sweat and tears dripped down my face as I became conscious and then blacked out again and again. My hands cramped up, not able to stretch out my fingers. My parents were are sitting on the edge of my bed trying to comfort me,. sScared without the knowledge of what to do and how to help me. A cold rag dripped on my forehead with while I was cramping so badlt that I couldn’t bear the pain. Finally, I blacked out for a hot minute enough to settle down.
It was late at night at, the end of summer before 5th grade. II was sSitting at the cold marble stone island, eating my favorite hot slice of squared pizza. It was my sisters and I’s favorite pizza. I started feeling some cramping. lLike someone was taking their hands and squeezing my guts, in an Iindian rug burn motion. My mom made an appointment, with the but the doctors and they simply couldn't figure out a diagnosis why I felt the way I did. I went continued to go to summer camp the next day, as I sat at the table I felt myself getting really hot and but the cramps returneding hard. I needed to go home. My camp teacher called my dad to come get me. and he came as he stayed home from work that day. I tried laying on the couch, curled up in a ball, and triedying to mask the pain by distracting myself withto a movie. I couldn’t stop saying, “Iit hurts;, it hurts.” I was begging my dad to take the pain away. He decided we needed to go to the emergency room.
My dad Tree workers were at my house that day, hence why my dad stayed home. So he called my grandmother to come house sit while we left. My grandmother already had a clue of what was wrong with me. She had asked if it was my appendix. I hadn’t even known at the time what that was. My dad drove took me to the Christiana hHospital, and. aAll I could think was, “Pplease drive faster... please.” We got there, and the wait was hours long. I couldn’t wait with the pain any longer. We went to AI Dupont Hospital for Children and they took me in. They checked me out, cold hands pressing on my stomach, and the metal circle of the stethoscope toucheding my chest., and Tthey thought I just had gastritis,. wWhich happens to have the same symptoms as appendicitis. asof aAppendicitis but they didn’t think to check for it. They misdiagnosed me and sent me home. That night, was when I couldn’t breathe in without feeling pain. I couldn’t eat or drink. Everything, Nno matter how I laid in bed or how I breathed in and out, the pain was there,. sStrong as ever and not going anywhere.
My parents set up had a doctor's appointment set up the next morning and we rushed straight there. They took a blood test which was the key that something was wrong. My white blood cell count was through the roof. It was 21 when it should normally be at around 8-10. They told me to go straight to AI Dupont Hospital for Children for an ultra scan. They said I needed to be admitted, “right away.” A doctor came in and explained to me that this whole time, the past week of being I had been misdiagnosed and told it was the flu or gastritis, but actually that my appendix was rupturing which if not found any sooner could have been fatal. He told me it was so far ruptured that they couldn't just take it out;, they had to drain all the infection that had spread throughout this time that was and was shutting down my body. I couldn't eat or drink before surgery, and I hadn’t been able to eat the past few days. I have never felt hunger pains so strong. They told me I was going to need My surgery was scheduled for the next day at 1:00pm.
I sat in the hospital room,. sStaring at the blank, blue walls and watching the clock hand move every second. I was so nervous. After hours of waiting, the nurse came in to take me to the prep room. I was so nervous and scared I broke down. My parents and grandparents were so upset at how upset I was. They had to sedate me right in the waiting room instead of the surgery room because I couldn't calm myself down. Everything went black. Before I knew it, I was back out in the room and my surgery was done. Everything was dizzy. It felt like I was looking through in a kaleidoscope. They took me back to my room and I was so exhausted. I was in the hospital for about 11 days, and which I had then missed almost the first whole month of school. I had also lost 13 pounds from sitting in that hard bed and barely eating. They sent me home with a follow up the next week to see if I was ready to get my two tubes out. As the follow up came, they said everything was fine and took them out. That was also very scary but I tried my hardest to hold my emotions in.
After a week or so, I started feeling a little weird. I had some pains again. They scheduled me for a CT scan to see if everything was okay. Unfortunately, After I came out, they gave the news to my mom and I that the infection wasn't actually all gone. I had to go back in to surgery for another tube to be placed in to drain the rest. After about five 5 days, with that I was able to get it taken out and the infection was finally all gone. And now, we were now able to schedule my actual surgery to remove my appendix. It was scheduled for the Thanksgiving break of Thanksgiving. The day came, and after everything I had been through, I was way more prepared and ready for this next my surgery. They took me back, and I counted backwards from ten as they placed the bubblegum anesthesia over my nose. I woke up and was able to go home after about an hour of being awake. I was sick as a dog though after the anesthesia,. bBut it was finally all over.
This experience It makes me look at the world and life differently. Now I see how fast your life can change overnight, and I know not to take it for granted. because Iif things it had gone differently, I think about how I mightay not be here today. And how ever since then, I've had to deal with a sensitive stomach from the trauma it caused.