Appendicitis?!

I was on Christmas break in 1st grade and I was with my grandparents.

At this age, I slept in my grandparents bed because I thought anything else was scary. That, and my grandma was my favorite person, my safe place.

One night, I was asleep in their bed, squished in between my grandparents, when I woke up feeling absolutely sick. It's hard to forget the pain that I had felt in my stomach and the urge to throw up.

I woke my grandma up and told her how I felt, in which she just had me go to the bathroom. After a few moments, I was just throwing up in the bathroom. My grandma brought me to the living room and let me lay down on the couch while she got me a bowl. She turned on Scooby-Doo for me to watch as I sat there throwing up for half of the night. She gave me that pink disgusting medicine you take for upset stomachs, but next thing I know, I'm throwing up pink. She thought about it being appendicitis, but I was pretty young for it.

The next morning she called my parents. My grandma wanted to take me to the children's hospital that was closer (in the states capital city), but my parents had chose for me to go three hours to the ER back where I lived.

The thing about appendicitis is it can't go untreated and can't be left waiting. That would put you at high risk for rupture.

My grandpa had to carry me down the stairs of their porch because I could barely walk or move. I was so weak and tired. They did as my parents wanted, they took me the three hours.

When I got there, I wasn't any weaker and I insisted on walking into the ER myself. My stepmom worked at the ER, which is why they wanted me to go there.

After going through tests, they confirm it's appendicitis and almost immediately, they're putting me on a gurney and taking me to the hospital. Before I go in the ambulance, I remember my family standing around outside asking me who I wanted to stay with me. I could only choose one person. I looked at everyone even though I knew it wasn't a big decision. I told them I wanted my grandma with me.

I remember part of the ambulance ride, hooked up to stuff and staring out the back windows on the doors. It was nighttime, and it was silent besides the sound of the sirens.

I remember very little from before the surgery, but the parts of things I remember is the "donut" scan, getting an IV, and when I went under. The thing I really remember though, is when it ruptured.

After getting to the hospital, I had to switch from the ambulance gurney to the hospital gurney. They let me do it myself, which I don't know if it was the best idea. I try holding myself up to shift myself over to the other bed. I'm holding myself up and I feel the pain, I smell that smell, the smell of an organ that just died.

They all knew what had happened.

This is where most of my memories are scattered or not there. I remember them putting me under, and that's all.

I remember getting visits from all sorts of family. I remember the pain that was there after my surgery. I remember the recovery and the scars. I remember being in the hospital for a week. I remember being out of school for so long. I remember not being able to play with other kids, or play at all. I remember having to do breathing practices after the surgery, along with my teacher incorporating them into activities we did. I remember being in bed for days. I remember so much from this horrible time.

I know my family was in fear for me. I know they were hurt by the fact that statistics say only 50% of people survive from a ruptured appendix. I did though.