Yup, emergency surgery... FOR ME. What? I did NOT have time for this crap! The afternoon I put the Gramercy cart together I began to feel some uncomfortable abdominal pain on my lower right quadrant. Thinking it was muscular, or gas (hey, I'm getting older!) I dismissed it. During the night I recall trying to stretch out my torso on that side, feeling uncomfortable. I got up and went on into work anyway. It was "chemo Monday", which is arguably our busiest day. And I wasn't a sissy. I could work with some discomfort. By my 0900 break I was texting my husband that I was in really in some pain. He suggested I go downstairs (our Emergency Department is downstairs) and get checked out. I said nah, I am off tomorrow. I will go see Dr. H. I called his office and made an appointment and scrubbed back in.
It did NOT get better. I went to lunch around 1230 and didn't eat much. When I returned, before I could even scrub in, my pharmacist (also a good friend of ours) took one look at me and said, "What the heck is wrong with you?" Uh... I guess I looked worse than I thought, or about as bad as I felt. I told him about the right quad abdominal pain. He had me lay down on our garbing bench and did the percussion test on the area that was hurting. I almost came off the bench. He told me I was going to the ED, he was afraid I had appendicitis. "What?" I said, "I don't want to go to the ED. It takes forever and I have TPNs to run! Who is going to do all that?" He was firm and direct. He repeated I was going to the ED. I recognized his expression. Arguing would be fruitless. I went.
When I checked in there was some confusion that I was, in fact, checking in as a patient. I was in full scrubs and employee badge. Triage advised me they would get to me as soon as they could. "It's covid and a full moon." And I knew they were working as fast as they could with the staff and resources they had on hand. I settled in for the duration. I was here and checked in now, I was committed. When I was triaged the Physician's Assistant palpitated my left side and I almost came out of the reclining chair from pain on the right. She nodded and told me that is an indicator of appendicitis. She had a sweet nurse named Mary give me an IV and pull my labs. I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
I have endometriosis and PCOS, I've been fairly open about that. To rule out an ectopic pregnancy an ultrasound was ordered. "That won't be too bad," I thought. Not realizing an abdominal AND a trans-vaginal ultrasound had been ordered. The abdominal ultrasound was uncomfortable, with the wand pressing in on my abdomen. The trans-vag ultrasound was excruciating. The poor ultrasound tech almost had to peel me off the ceiling, especially after she had to move my uterus out of the way to get a better view of my right ovary. At that point I was over the entire process.
I was to go straight to CT scan but my pregnancy test had not come back from the lab yet. It is hospital policy any female of child bearing age must have a negative pregnancy test before a CT scan. The patient transport tech took me back to wait. And I waited. When I finally could stand it no more I went back to my nurse and asked if I could at least have a Tylenol. She called and got the results of my test over the phone because it was not showing up in her system. Then she called CT. They were ready for me. Her eyebrows knitted together in concern, "CT is ready for you but I don't have anyone from patient transport to take you." I was in so much pain I just said, "I know the way, " and turned on my heel and walked myself to CT. My anesthesiologist later told me I'm not supposed to do that. I said, "I figured, but I hurt so bad."
When I got to CT I again had to have the "Yes, I'm an employee and I am the patient discussion." It was a strange sight, I know. My CT tech ran my tests and then came to get me. He stated he had called the ED attending physician and told him he didn't like the look of my scan. Then he walked me to a room in the ED. At this point my husband had been allowed in, along with my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law is a patient care tech in our ED and happened to be coming on duty. She came in and helped get me into a gown. The ED attending came in, palpitated my abdomen, I jumped again. He said, "As soon as radiology calls me back and tells me what I already know you'll be having surgery."
Within fifteen minutes the surgeon was in my room, talking to me and my husband. Shortly after that I was being wheeled upstairs, leaving my husband holding my purse, lunch box and small bag my daughter had packed from home with extra clothes. I was taken to the OR Holding area where I saw my anesthesia team. I knew them and it was comforting to see familiar faces. The last thing I remember is my CRNA saying, "Here comes the versed!" I blinked, and I was in recovery.
I have worked in pharmacy most of my adult life, healthcare for all of it. I had never had versed but I have compounded a lot of it. I found out first hand why it is dubbed "the amnesia drug". I remembered not a thing. I don't remember being wheeled out of holding, down the hall, or into the OR suite. I also do not remember a full conversation I apparently had with the night custodian (whom I have known for years) and I don't remember it at all. He had to tell me about it.
I sent my husband home after I was settled in a room for the night. He was exhausted, so was I, and I knew I would be sleeping most of the time. And the only place for him was a small reclining chair which did not look comfortable for me, much less him with his bulging discs. He was hesitant but I insisted he go get some rest.
And that is how I ended up taking three weeks of unplanned medical leave smack dab in the middle of renovations.
You can see some snaps of funny conversations with my husband and my boss (red markings) on social media and text. I <3 my boss. He's awesome.
Be well, y'all.