Surgery, Love, and Friendship

This one is from June 23rd:

June 23, 2007

Let me start by saying that I know it has been a while since I have written, but I actually have good reason this time. Friday, June 1st, I wasn’t feeling great. I was having this cramping pain in my right lower part of my stomach. The boyfriend and I went to dinner with a couple that are friends of his that night but I didn’t eat anything. Saturday morning, he begged me to go to the doctor to check it out. We were imagining it could be anything from just bad constipation (as though you wanted to know!)to eptopic pregnancy (we were thinking of EVERYTHING!) and everything in between. I went to MUSC Family Practice (as usual) and thank goodness they were open on Saturday for a little while. The doctor gave me a pelvic exam to rule that out. And then he got another doctor in and he said the symptoms seem like an appendicitis. Ok. He said he was going to call ahead to the ER and I would go over there to get a CT scan done to make sure that is what it was.

So there I was sitting in my ER room, with a blanket and thank goodness for the book I brought drinking some gross stuff mixed with apple juice. The wonderful boyfriend, MKJ, came by after I was done with the scan and awaiting the results. One of the surgeons came in and said that it was not appendicitis but there was some inflammation in my intestine and appendix area. He wanted to do laparoscopic surgery and keep me overnight. Ok. I had been in touch with my parents all day about what was going on. This was about 4 PM. I called them and let them know. MKJ said that he would be there the whole time. He had to leave for a little while for a wedding he had to play, but would be back as soon as he could. This was going to be simple and easy. They give me a hospital gown and MKJ takes all my stuff.

So there I am in the pre-OP area. All alone. No doctors. No nurses. No one. They come in and say it will take 45 minutes at the most. Ok. They give me something that relaxes me…and that is the last thing I remember.

I wake up and blurrily see my mother. I am burning hot. Yelling and trying to take off my gown. I feel a fan. Thank goodness for that. Once I really wake up I am told by my mother and MKJ that while the doctors were in there, they saw something that made them cut me open. They cut a 7 inch incision, like a C-Section incision. My mother stayed all week.

Many things happened that week. I was discharged that next Thursday, so a five day stay at MUSC. I got the best care while I was there. Let me just say that if MKJ wasn’t working or sleeping, he was at the hospital. Everyone said he sounded scared when he called them. We finally said I love you to each other. My first night at home, even though my mother was sleeping in the other bedroom, MKJ slept on the floor by my bed just in case I needed something. He’s wonderful. He’s everything I always wanted and more. That’s all about him.

Now, I am doing a lot better. I have that incision and two smaller ones from the laparoscope site. I am back at work for a little while but only part time. CCSO has been very understanding about all this. MKJ called them that Monday since I was supposed to go to register at the academy that Wednesday. As of now, it is planned I will start with them on August 17th and go to the academy September 17th. We’ll see how it goes. I am eating better. MKJ and I are much more open to each other about everything (digestion, especially). I haven’t been back to the gym yet, but Kate said to take it really slow. I plan on going next week.

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My best friend and I are having some problems. First she said she wanted to take me out for my birthday. She said she had to work on Saturday, but we could go Friday night. PERFECT. I need to get out of the house. Wonderful. I knew I couldn’t go out but dinner would have been great. Well, Friday about 6:30 she texts me and says she was still hungover from the NIGHT BEFORE, though she had been in bed all day and how about Saturday night (tonight). Well, I just got a text about an hour ago saying, how about tomorrow night. She said, “I know you hate me.” Well, no. I don’t hate her. I am just upset. Hurt. My feelings are dashed. I mean, I know her well enough to know that more than likely she got a better offer for tonight and is going out with them instead. I was online with MKJ while she texted me. OF COURSE I cried. I mean, it hurts. MKJ said something about letting her go, but if I do, that’s my only friend. It makes me upset that I didn’t get into a sorority so I could have real friends. Damnit, I am fun, but she doesn’t give me the chance to be. I texted her back saying that we should do dinner on a night that she knows she can do it. She said she knows she can do it Sunday. All I responded was “ok”. The ball is in her court now. Take it or leave it.

If she leaves it, I’ll be destroyed.