Appreciate your Appendix!!

Appreciate your appendix if it's healthy, because you never know when it's going to go! Three days ago, our appendix adventure began with my husband. It started with some pain in his abdomen that slowly moved to his right side. In the morning, I noticed that he was struggling to walk and was holding his right side. Oh no- holding right side- pain worse than the previous evening- off to the hospital we went!! Luckily, we didn't have to wait long in the ER, before they sent him off for a CT scan. Unfortunately, it didn't show much, but they were still concerned about his other symptoms, so they brought a surgeon in right away. He examined him and told him that it had to come out right away! The kidney stone we were hoping for wasn't there!
The girls were so cute taking care of him. Putting a warm blanket on him, etc. The nurse even let them wheel him to the OR. My oldest was very concerned about him while the youngest begged for icecream. What a difference between in reactions between a 4 yr. old and a 6 yr. old.
The surgery went extremely well, but the recovery was more difficult. His intestines were pretty swollen, so he was in a lot of pain. Therefore, he spent two nights in the hospital so far. We are hoping that they will send him home today. The girls are missing their Daddy, so they spent the morning making signs and decorating for his return.
Now their topic of conversation is the appendix and where it's located and how do they take it out and what do we need it for and so on and so on.... So even though this isn't the best experience to have, the teacher in me has turned it into a learning experience for them. They even got to see a photo of their Dad's insides- pretty gross- but neat for them!
Here are some interesting facts about the appendix and appendicitis, because you never know when you might need them- just in case you are curious like us!!


Did you know??
The appendix is a small, worm-shaped tube.
It is about 3 inches long and only 1/4 in. to 1 in thick.
It is projecting from the cecum which is part of the large intestine.
Use is unknown- speculate that it might be part of an organ we needed in the past.

Source: education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia


The most common symptoms of appendicitis are:
* pain in the right side of the abdomen
* nausea
* vomiting
* constipation
* diarrhea inability to pass gas
* low fever that begins after other symptoms
* abdominal swelling
* anorexia
Source: Mama's Health
(My husband didn't have all of the above symptoms- some bathroom issues and the pain that moved from navel to right side.)

I'll try to post again soon. If you don't see a new post on here for a couple of days, you'll know why- I'll be playing nurse!!

Take Care!

Jen