My grandson went to radiology for another CT Scan to determine why his temperature continues to spike. The scan revealed an abscess that formed after surgery. They have to drain it.
Yes. We're in North Mississippi Medical Center and yes...it's been a harrowing week.
He's 13 years old and very athletic. To look at him, you'd think he was 16 or 17. But...he's just my big, growing grandson.
It happened on Martin Luther King's birthday of 2015.
My grandson (Devin) and his cousins went to the movies the Saturday prior to the holiday. He said he threw up after eating some nachos and cheese at the theater.
He laid around all day Sunday. That Monday he complained of stomach pains. We all thought it was a touch of food poisoning. I told him I would bring him to hospital emergency, but he wanted to wait and visit Med Serve the following morning. Well...it couldn't wait until the next day.
After feeling his forehead and realizing he was very hot, (and as fever is an indication that something is wrong in the body, we hurried to the hospital.
Needless to say, they rushed us right through; did the examination, along with a CT Scan and blood test. They determined he suffered a ruptured appendix.
The surgeon came in our room in the emergency ward and explained what they found.
"It's good you got him here when you did. His appendix ruptured, and he has bad infection throughout his abdominal cavity. His white blood count is 25,000, which is way over the normal count. His body is being invaded by the infection and is struggling to survive. We need to go in and get it (his appendix) out right now. We need to clean up as much of the infection as we can and start a drain. To begin, we'll inject a dose of morphine into his I.V. to numb the pain. Then we'll begin prepping him for surgery."
Needless to say, that was the beginning of what seemed to be a long, uphill climb--but it really wasn't--at least not as much a physical one for him, as it was an emotional one for me.
He's young and strong, and his body doesn't have a lot of existing issues to weaken his chances of a complete recovery. Despite the confusion over what his problem was, Devin will be fine.
Though he thought he had a stomach ache and though we thought so too, at first--overall I'm grateful. It could have been much worse. The surgeon said it was a close call. His
hot forehead is what literally saved his life...and mine.
I want to share a couple of important things I learned from this experience:
- A fever is ALWAYS indication that something is wrong in the body, and you should seek medical help immediately. Better safe than sorry.
- Listen to children when they tell you they're sick. Pay close attention to their behavior and act accordingly.
- You won't know an appendix is infected until you go to the hospital and do the necessary tests.
- Don't assume. Symptoms can be deceiving.
- NEVER blame yourself because you didn't know. It's easy to feel guilty like there was something you should have done. But only a series of medical tests can confirm an infected appendix.
Today marks day 7 of our hospital stay. We were hoping he would be discharged today. However, his temperature keeps spiking. Like I said, a fever of any intensity means something is wrong in the body.
Well...since the new development, we'll probably be here for another few days. But that's okay. I don't mind as long as he's recovering.
Thought: Appreciate each other while you have each other. You never know when one of you will no longer be around.
Article was written by Peggy Hatchet James
Copyright © 2015
