Bye Bye, Appendix.

Well I’m finally home for the first time in about five days. I could have blogged days ago, but boyfriend has been on the computer all day every day since we got home from the hospital. So, while I sit here eating a Greek yogurt and sipping some orange juice (prinal, I know) here’s a catch-up on what happened this past weekend.

Saturday

The Box was closed for a big competition that all the trainers took part in so I met up with two other badgers and we did a nice metcon at the track at the local park. It wasn’t my best– it was about 85, my stomach wasn’t feeling the best and I needed to have a good chat with the toilet. I tried to eat something that morning, drink plenty of water, but let’s face it– morning WODS aren’t my forte. The plan was to do six rounds of 30 flutter kicks (which is really 60), 20 air squats, 10 push ups and a 200 meter run.

Running. That deep hatred I feel? It’s toward running. I made it through four rounds by the time the other two girls made it through six. It was 20 minutes flat. My stomach didn’t hurt during the whole WOD, but I wasn’t really paying attention to stomach pain.

Through the rest of the day, I noticed a nagging pain in my right side, right next to my belly button. I called Mom and explained my pain and she thought it was gas but it had been hanging around since that morning and it hadn’t moved so I was worried. I told her I’d keep her posted, showered and got packed for Boyfriend’s.

While there, the pain was getting worse so I called Mom again and she told me to go to Urgent Care. Boyfriend drove and I worried. Blood was taken, urine was miraculously given and tested and both tests came back normal. I went in for a CT scan where they found that my appendix was inflamed and there was ‘banding’ around it. It wasn’t bad enough that it should be removed immediately and the surgeon needed to see me and evaluate me. By about midnight, I was exhausted and loopy and I needed sleep so pain was the furthest from my mind when the surgeon came in and evaluated my pain which I wasn’t reacting to. He admitted me, Boyfriend went home quickly to get chargers and stuff to clean up quickly and some food since he was hungry (I was starving, but you know… no food for surgery kids) and returned to spend the night on the couch in my room. I was in and out of sleep and got about five hours total, was woken up every two or three hours (Finally came to the realization that it needed to come out at about 5:30 when I got out of the bathroom and was in a lot of pain) and was finally woken up by the surgeon at about 8 Sunday morning, barely pressing on my belly to find pain. He decided it needed to come out but he had a couple surgeries beforehand so I’d get in by about noon.

Sunday:

Boyfriend called Mom. She had a patient to see but said she’d push the appointment up a bit so she could be there when I got out of surgery. He also sent out an e-mail to his side of the family, asking for their prayers and thoughts. We watched Star Trek and, as soon as the movie ended, the nurses came in and started wheeling me away. I cried in fear and nerves for the entire ride to the OR, Boyfriend hugged me tightly and recited Psalm 91 in my ear before kissing me and heading to the waiting room. I was told not to worry, that I was the third appendectomy of the weekend, and that I’d be fine in an hour and a half. I laid down on the table, fell asleep and woke up in recovery to some random dude watching over me. He gave me some water (FINALLY!) and, after 10 or so minutes, I was wheeled back to my room where Boyfriend and Mom were waiting. Many kisses were given but I had my priorities: To get the hell out of that hospital.

I had three duties to get out: Keep food down, be up and moving around and to void. I immediately asked for some pudding as I was ravenous. I could have eaten an entire rotisserie chicken had I the option. My upper lip and throat hurt as well as my belly button where they laproscopically inserted the camera. I downed the pudding faster than Mom wanted me to and I finished the water cup they gave me as well. It was cold and made my throat feel so much better. I found my underwear in a bag by my feet (they took them off after I was under to clean my skin to the surgery) and put them on to go to the bathroom and I started putting clothes on to feel normal for the first time in 24 hours. Within 20 minutes I had completed all three tasks. I walked around the hospital room with a blanket around my shoulders trying to figure out the next steps, when I could shower, get back to CrossFit, take off the bandages, etc. I was happily discharged, wheelchaired down to the exit where Boyfriend picked me up and took me back to his place after stopping at Walgreens for the Tylenol with Codeine and getting noms at the grocery store.

Boyfriend made mac and cheese, we ate, I took a tylenol/codeine and passed the hell out until about 9 p.m.. I thought it had worn off since I felt totally awake so I took two more a couple hours later. I woke up once to pee and once because Boyfriend accidentally (lightly) kneed me in the stomach and woke up with a hangover.

Monday:

We both slept in and Boyfriend got up to get to work from home just a few feet away. I slept in for another two or so hours and finally woke up to get some coffee and other foodstuffs. I stayed in bed for the most part while Boyfriend puttered away working all day. Mom stopped by and brought clothes and flowers. I washed my hair in the sink as I didn’t feel comfortable showering properly yet. We finished our day by going to CrossFit Fort Atkinson and I cheered Boyfriend through a WOD.

Tuesday:

Mom told me on Monday to start moving around more, so we walked to the cafe down the street so I could get some protein. The walk was fine and the CO2 was finally able to get out of my system a bit more. I kept moving around and stayed as vertical as possible to recoup as laying down wouldn’t help me much. My belly was feeling better and it only hurt when standing straight up from a sitting or laying position. We ordered dinner after Boyfriend WODded his ass off again at CFFA and it was delivered shortly after we got home. Food was had, my bandages came off and I cringed when I saw the hellish feature that had become my belly button. I only took one tylenol/codeine and barely slept well that night. I was tossing and turning, my right shoulder hurt as if there was still CO2 in it, and it just hurt to move so I was awake a lot.

Wednesday:

Boyfriend told me to get back to sleep and he would continue working at his computer and would get to work later. I slept until about 9:30 when I had to get up and pee. I packed everything up, brought a bunch of Boyfriend’s laundry with, and we headed out. It was the first time I had driven since Saturday. Steering proved to hurt the most as it used those abdominal muscles. I made it home just fine after visiting with the kittens and I’ve just been trying to relax and get my Crochet on today.

So that’s it! Tomorrow I meet with the surgeon to get a post-op check up and today I can’t wait to get in the shower for a quick wash-up. I get to start up CrossFit (scaled, of course) on Tuesday and I’m so ready to start up!

Playing Catch-Up

I wish I had a better excuse for not writing for over three weeks… but I don’t. Since losing my job, I’ve applied at a multitude of random jobs and not heard back from anything so I’m just trying to keep my head above water and not have a nervous breakdown at every turn. It’s not been easy to tell people that I’m not working, I’m applying for unemployment and I’m desperate to not spend a penny if I don’t have to. I’ve been crying on the phone regularly to Mom in extreme gratitude as she bails me out with a check to pay for my rent and the minimum payment on my bills. And now I’m sitting here trying to figure out what the unemployment letter means…

Anyway– Onto the CrossFit news: I graduated Elements! My day 1 July Elements Ben time was 9:15 and I took off a full minute from that with the month off. I was extremely sore from the WOD before and we had to go through all the movements so we were pretty gassed already. Squats were a bit of a problem but luckily I have discovered the delicious pain delivered to me by the foam roller prior to a WOD, which helps loosen up the tight muscles making it easier to move.

Since I just left the job, I talked to Tyler and signed up for a year-long membership. I told him, it’s not like I’m going anywhere (my apartment lease is up in one year and I love the place) so I was more than ready to get started.

I had the rest of the weekend to myself and I spent it crafting. Boyfriend and I are going to GenCon this coming weekend and I had a lot of costuming to do. I’ll be re-cosplaying Amy Pond while Boyfriend will don a sweatshirt and jeans and be The Master. Saturday is our big day: I, with the massive draping help of Mom, have completed an incredibly sexy Silk Spectre I costume. The yellow chiffon drapes beautifully around my curves and I’ve modified it so the skirt is longer, the fishnets are higher and the boots aren’t heeled. Boyfriend bought a Comedian costume online and I altered it a bit more to it would fit better, though it’s a little lopsided. I added some fabric paint to parts so it’s not so cheap-looking and I have plans to buy him a cigar or two. Sunday I’ll be oh-so-comfortable in a blue-gray sundress with two TARDISes fabric-painted on so I become the Time Vortex. Boyfriend might become a Ghost Buster.

Onto the knitting part of this project: I decided last second that I’d be knitting the single opera glove for Silk Spectre and I’d re-knit the mittens for Amy Pond as I screwed them up last year. I went to Main St. Yarn Shop and grabbed a skein of black Malabrigo sock yarn and two size 3 Addi turbos. I cast on during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and finished 15 hours after the closing ceremonies. I’ve added 16 gold buttons and the closures between the fingers are the best I’ve ever done. I’m so happy with myself.

The mittens are such a disaster. I started them with size 4 but gauge was way too big. Then I went down to size 3 and found the gauge was too big again. I’m now on size 2 needles and I’m praying that I can be done with this.

It’s now almost Tomorrow so I’m going to write more about my first week in big girl CrossFit classes when I’ve woken up.