« Won't I ever learn? | Main | Another hectic day »
March 28, 2005
Sometimes, life intervenes
The past couple of days seem like a blur. The most important reason for that is the fact that Matt is recovering from an appendectomy he had this morning. We were all worried about how the food in China would bother his sensitive stomach, and it turned out that he came off the plane with appendicitis--an abdominal problem that has no connection with food. His flight from Hong Kong to Chicago was horrible for him because they had turbulence for 10 of the 14 hours and he was just starting to develop symptoms of appendicitis (although he didn't know it at the time.) When I picked him up from the airport (where, incidentally, I had landed an hour earlier still without my baggage), he looked horribly pale and we went right to the emergency room. I wasn't sure what hospital to go to, but it seems like we made a good decision because all has gone well so far and it is only about 5 minutes away from our apartment.
Anyway, poor Matt was so tired from being awake for probably 36 hours that he could barely stay awake when we were waiting to be seen in the ER. I was really scared, because I've never seen Matt in that much pain and also because I am just uneasy in hospitals in general. I was really surprised when the first doctor who saw him suspected appendicitis, because it just seemed too coincidental--he had just gotten off a terribly long and turbulent flight, and who doesn't feel crappy after that? But blood tests and a CT scan did show that he needed surgery, but luckily the appendix hadn't ruptured. By the time we got the results of the CT scan, it was 1:30am and Matt was totally out of it from pain meds and fatigue. He was scheduled for surgery first thing in the morning so I headed home for a few hours of sleep and to alert our families about what was going on (they knew he was in the ER but not that he needed surgery.)
I woke up really early to call the hospital and verify the 6am surgery time. Luckily, everything was running right on time. I would have gone for a quick run to clear my head before going back to the hospital, but my achilles just won't have it and I didn't have time to swim. There were more important things going on, anyway. I waited around at the hospital for Matt to be brought up from surgery, and my awesome grandparents came to join me. It was really nice to have them there with me. Matt made it through surgery very well but was super groggy for almost the rest of the day. Since my grandparents were there, I drove to school to pick up books and check in with my professors and let them know what was going on. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Matt and it was nice to see him getting perkier. By 4:30 or he had fallen back to sleep so I slipped out to get groceries and go for a quick swim. I felt guilty about it at first, but I had my cell phone on the pool deck and to be honest, exercise was the best way for me to clear my head.
I went back tonight and Matt was doing fine, watching TV with his hilariously crass "neighbor" and eating real food for the first time in many hours. If all goes well I will pick him up tomorrow after the one class I have.
I'm exhausted but it hasn't really hit me yet. I also have to deal with my lost luggage and getting the claim form filled out, but all of that can wait until Matt gets home and settled. And then there's my achilles. It's feeling better but still pretty swollen. And I got Runner's World which is all about the Boston Marathon, making me feel even worse! But now I have perspective on everything, and it makes a world of difference. At least for this week!
Posted by becky at March 28, 2005 10:26 PM
Comments
Hey Becky- I'm really glad that Matt is back and is doing okay now. I wish both of you speedy recoveries!
Posted by: Karen at March 29, 2005 6:50 AM
Wow, I'm glad everything turned out okay, and it's probably been good for you to have your mind on things other than not running. I hope Matt is getting some rest and your life will return to normal soon. Take care!
Posted by: Alison at March 29, 2005 10:09 AM
I am glad to hear that Matt is doing okay! What an ordeal, that sounds just exhausting for both of you. Wishing him a speedy recovery :) And some well deserved rest for you two.
Posted by: Barb at March 29, 2005 11:04 AM
Hey Becky! So sorry to hear about everything-- at least you know you made the right decision in going right to the ER! Give our best to Matt...and remember that sometimes things happen for a reason (achilles). I never cease to be amazed at the mind/body/environment connection. Keep your chin up!
Posted by: beth p at March 29, 2005 12:40 PM
Becky, you and Matt have a had a rough few days! I'm glad to hear that he is doing better. And I hope Delta is able to track down your bag and that your achilles heals up soon. Seeing how swollen it was and how warm it felt, you're doing the right thing to take time off. Hey, we can trade swim workouts, but I'll have to get some first. :-) Everyone was really happy to see you, especially Rob and I! Hopefully we can get together this summer in NYC. Take care of yourself and Matt!
Lei
Posted by: Leilani at March 29, 2005 1:16 PM
It seems that you made a very wise decision in heading straight to the ER. Some things in life are more important than getting out to run or workout every now and then, this is one of those things. I hope that you both heal up quickly and well.
Blondie
Posted by: Blondie at March 29, 2005 7:37 PM