I posted this on Facebook and decided to post here as well. Just wanted to let everyone know that I’m doing okay, despite the recovery process being slow (and sometimes painful). I’m hoping to join the TMN members once again very soon in their efforts to bring Strawberry Scented Burnout to the masses…

So, here’s how things went down with me…

On the night of June 15, I decided not to go meet up that Team Mixed Nuts was having at Tea N More, citing stomach problems. That weekend, my stomach continued to give me problems, mostly on my right side. I tried taking Advil, but it didn’t work. It was difficult to sleep… On June 17, I went with my brother to KM Bowl to watch his pool team play. While I was there, I felt very cold and was shivering. I wanted to go eat after the team was done playing, but some members of the pool team said I should really go to the emergency room to get checked out. I opted to go home and rest for a little while. While lying in bed, I developed a really bad fever and the pain in my right side was still persistent. I contemplated whether or not to go to the hospital now or wait several hours so I can try and get more rest. I had decided to go right away…

It was already early morning on June 18. My brother drove me to Paradise Valley Hospital and I slowly walked into the ER. I explained my issue to the nurse, filled out some paperwork and had vitals taken by the nurse. After some waiting, I was given a room in the ER. Some blood was drawn, was given 3 IV bags as I was told I was dehydrated and a CAT scan was done on my abdomen. One of the nurses informed me I had a high white blood cell count, which meant I had some type of infection. The doctor was still looking into what the cause was. More waiting ensued and the doctor finally stepped into the room and told me what the problem was…and it was something I didn’t want to hear…

I had appendicitis…

The doctor said it had to be removed and it would be a simple surgery. I then had my brother come into the room so I can tell him what it was. He then went home as I was taken to a room up on the sixth floor. At this point, it was already past 5 AM and the doctor told me my surgery would happen at around 9 AM. I was given more fluids through IV to prepare for the surgery. The doctor performing the surgery came to my room and proceeded with explaining what she’ll do during the surgery. She also explained the effects of the anesthesia. I tried to rest, but I couldn’t as the surgery made me a little nervous. 9 AM came and past… One of the nurses told me there was another operation ahead of mine, so I had to wait until that one was finished. It wasn’t until about 10:30 or so that I was taken to the operating room. I was put onto the operating table and an oxygen mask was put on my face…

Next thing I know, I wake up in the recovery area. After some time had past, I was sent to the ICU. My mom and brother started to come visit once I was in the ICU. It hurt like hell trying to move my stomach. I don’t remember, but while I was in the ICU, it was explained to me that my appendix was longer than expected and was folded behind my cecum. My appendix was pretty much dead and ruptured. There was pus around the appendix and it had spread. So, what was supposed to be a simple surgery ended up being a major operation not only removing the appendix, but also cleaning up the pus as well. The nurses noticed that even after the surgery, I had a high pulse and a fever. Some blood was drawn and I was taken to have a CAT scan done on my lungs and heart. I also had an ultrasound done on my heart. I was given something for my pulse and fluids (mostly strong antibiotics) through IV. The next day, a cardiologist came to visit me. He said there was nothing wrong with my heart and that I had a blood infection, which the antibiotics were taking care of. I had lots of difficulty sleeping while in the ICU, mainly because I had a tube in my stomach that came out from one of my nostrils, had a “wound vac” in the middle of my stomach with a tube attached to it, a drainage container on the right side of my stomach and, my least favorite, a catheter…

On June 20, I was transferred from ICU to a room on the fifth floor where I spent a day recovering there. I was transferred to a room on the sixth floor the following day. The tube in my stomach and the catheter were (finally) removed. The doctor told me that the wound vac would be removed on Saturday and would be discharged soon after that. I was allowed to start consuming liquids. I was given chicken broth, juice and jello to start off. On June 22, I had more visitors than usual. LJ and Rudy stopped by to see how I was doing. I was given solid foods to eat and I happily ate it…because the chicken broth was just not cutting it for me…

On June 23, I returned to the operating room to have the wound vac removed. This time, however, only local anesthesia was used, so I was awake during this operation. I didn’t feel the wound vac being removed, but I did feel the area being rinsed off…

Then the stitches and staples came along…

I felt the staples and stitches being put in and I screamed as each one was set… The doctor said I was doing fine and was almost finished. She wasn’t kidding. She put in a couple more stitches and the operation was done. I was put into the recovery area and, after some time past, was sent back to my room on the sixth floor. I was given some shots to prevent blood clots. The next day, I pretty much ate, did some breathing exercises and did some walking around the sixth floor. June 25 came along. The nurses were telling me I would be discharged. The discharge papers came soon after lunch was served. I signed them, ate lunch and left the hospital. I was not used to seeing actual daylight after being inside the hospital for a week.

To be honest, I’m glad I went to the hospital when I did. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I had waited several hours before going…

Things I’ll miss from the hospital:
* The nurse in ICU. Her name is Marise.
* The nurses on the sixth floor, especially the overnight nurse

Things I won’t miss:
* The hospital bed. Makes my lower back hurt…
* The Filipino Channel… No…just no…
* The old white guy that keeps yelling at the staff and disturbing all the other patients…
* The chicken broth…