z k n . l i f e: My 5-Day Getaway @ UC Davis Medical Center

I'm thinking I need to look for a new travel agency. This last one booked me a room for five days at UC Davis Medical Center on Tower 11. Their excursion package included a once-in-a-lifetime appendectomy, an all you can eat buffet of antibiotics and painkillers, 24 hr. room service that never lets you sleep, and a floor full of entertaining guests who made the same mistake as I.

I don't know who recommended these guys to me. Yes, I love adventures and, while I admit surgery has never been one I had experienced, I think there were many other adventures that could have been a bit less, less.... painful?

Eh... it hasn't been entirely bad. Now, I can proudly stand and resolutely say "I've had an operation!". I mean, come'on, you know how these kind of stories come up. Just don't be alarmed if I go around asking "Do you want to see my incisions too?". I mean, they're kinda cool looking. They'd probably look better on a 6-pack, but you get whatchya get and you don't throw a fit.

As a side note, Cavity Sam from the game Operation, I know how you feel bud and don't you worry. Not that I was conscious at all during my surgery, but I got you covered with your appendix problem!

All my travel woes started last Wednesday September 5th when I woke up to some abdominal pain. It increased over the next couple days as I went to school, played volleyball, and washed my car. There was always a dull, constant pain, but at times the pain would surge up and become excruciatingly agonizing.

It carried over to Friday and by time the afternoon came, I knew a doctor's visit was inevitable. The on-call doctor recommended me to the ER and off I went. They did blood work, a chest x-ray, a CT scan, and an ultra-sound! Mom made a lot of jokes about that last one. Nope, we're all good, no kid. Around midnight they determined it was appendicitis and shortly after I had surgery early Saturday morning.

Mom and Dad asked how I felt about having surgery. Heck, I had no use for my appendix. I was of a "do whatever" attitude. Also, it was perforated, meaning their were holes in the appendix leaking infection and I definitely didn't want it to rupture. Let's just take it out and end this thing! So, they did and out came my appendix.

I thought this was quite funny at the time. But no, I didn't do that. Sorry future whoever.

But, that wasn't the end of it. I seemed to be recovering fine and when Sunday afternoon rolled around, they discharged me. I didn't feel good enough to go home, I was shaking and felt a fever coming on. The moment I stepped into my house we knew I needed to go back. We played the whole ER waiting game again, but this time I was fast tracked a little. I had a temp of 104°F and life was the pits. They gave me something good for it and my fever never reached got that high again. I spent the next three and a 1/2 days dealing with the complications of the infection and getting myself into a state that would allow me to finish up at home.

I'm home now, yet that doesn't mean I'm all ready to start life back up again. I've got loads of school work to catch up on and, though I'm home, it doesn't mean I feel GREAT. But I'm going to try to make myself feel GREAT by being GRATEFUL it wasn't any worse. : )

The staff at UC Davis Medical Center weas fantastic. Mom and Dad were awesome. They are awfully patient with me. I love them a lot. So many people have prayed for me and they have been heard. Last night, the pain was so great that no where felt more comfortable then on my knees. There is power in prayer, and I have many friends who have done so. Thank you and I love you all!

Picture time!