Getting cut open and taken care of is a great way to get comfy with a new country ay? The last three days of my Australian extravaganza were spent in Norwest Hospital in Bella Vista, New South Whales. This was not only my first Australian hospital experience but my first hospital experience ever
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I woke up Wednesday morning at Caressa’s apartment with a cramp feeling in my stomach. I tried eating a banana and it only caused the pain to get worse. I got back to my house around twelve o’clock that afternoon and still felt a bad cramping, it was now across my entire abdomen. Skype calls home to friends and family helped me get my mind off of the pain for a few hours and I had thought resting would relieve the cramp feeling. That night was a cookout for all the new college students and I was in so much pain I couldn’t go. It had reached the point of me not being able to get out of bed without excruciating pain. Some friends heard I was sick and came by with some medicine after they left church. Nothing worked, I knew this pain was not a pain I had felt before. It definitely was not a little stomach virus. I probably slept all of two hours that night and woke up around 3:00 a.m.. It felt as if all my pain had moved to my lover right side of my stomach, I knew it was my appendix. A friend took me to the nearest clinic the next morning (Caressa was in orientation during this time) and the doctor immediately knew it was appendicitis, he told me to go straight to the ER. The realization that I was about to have to go to an emergency room alone hit me. I began to cry to the doctor explaining that I had no one here with me and how I had never been to a hospital in my life. I was terrified. On the way to the hospital I texted Caressa and told her what was going on. Right when orientation was over she met me in the emergency room with Martha Stunt, from the church, my roommate Nastassia, and a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. She knows me so well. When they arrived it was like everything was all right. I really wasn’t scared anymore, just in a great amount of pain. The surgeon didn’t see me until six o’clock that night, I waited a long eight hours to be seen. It is a miracle my appendix didn’t rupture. Caressa and Nastassia wished me luck as they wheeled me back to where I would begin pre op and sweet Martha, who filled in for mom that night, followed me. At this point the pain had gotten so bad I was begging for them to put me to sleep and get my appendix out! But, since nothing is ever fast in Australia, it was another forty-five minutes before I was moving from my bed to the operation table. When I laid down he told me I would be falling asleep soon and I do not think I lasted another twenty-seconds before I was out cold. When I woke up I remember feeling no pain at all. Dr. Soo really did a great job. Martha Spent the night with me at the hospital in my room that night. Caressa returned the next day as soon as orientation ended and stayed all day and night with our life saver, seasons four and five of Grey’s Anatomy. There is no way I could have done this without her here with me. It made me feel so much better. Later on hospital day two, new friends from school came by to see with flowers. It was so sweet. They kept me company for a while and prayed for me before leaving. I will definitely adjust nicely to those kind of new friends.
I have realized I am far from the hospital type of person, the last two days of recovery I felt like I was locked in a dungeon. The food was awful. I absolutely can not stand sitting still. When I was disconnected from my IV to shower, before the nurse could hook me back up I was downstairs with Caressa getting a turkey panini from the cafe. It was the best and pretty much only thing I ate while I was there. Besides the Krispy Kreme, Mcflurry, and French fries Caressa brought me. She was the best nurse. Now being out, I still can not believe it happened. It’s crazy to me and I am so glad it’s over. Such a funny way to build trust in my new home, let them remove my appendix.
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