It's Been A Long Time...But Thankful

Hey ya'll,

So it's been a long time since I have been on my blog and so much has happened in that time. Let me give you an outline of where my life has been to this point.

On October 15, I left Northern Virginia headed for Richmond to meet my mom and my nephews for our annual trip to Charlotte, NC for my college homecoming (Johnson C. Smith University!). As usual, the traffic on 95 is the worst and people just don't know how to keep it moving and on top of it, it was pouring down raining. But I made it about 9:45 that night so it wasn't too bad of a trip.

Friday morning we got up, got our clothes together, picked up the rental car and headed on our merry way to North Carolina. We left a little late but it was okay, we made it. Our first order of business was Concord Mills in the middle of NASCAR traffic, very fun. However, we did our shopping, headed to the hotel and settled in. I hooked up with some of my girls and made it to the Young Alumni Party. We will say at least I was able to shake a leg. We ended the night with a trip to the 24 hour IHOP and got in a 5am Saturday morning.

Fast forward to Saturday and the lack of sleep that I got. I woke up at 7:45 to get dressed and headed over to campus to meet my aunt and see the parade. The monkey was on my back cause I was tired as I don't know what. I did survive the parade and then we walked around campus, looking at all of the changes and improvements that the new President of the University has done. Fast forward a couple of hours to the game and I refused to pay $30 to get in. I am still on a college budget. So to the tailgating area I go. I saw some of my classmates, ate and had a good ol' time.

That afternoon while chatting away with one of my good friends, I felt a pain on the right side of my abdomen. I seriously thought it was gas and figured I would walk it off. My friend and I walked up to the student union cause both of us had to use the bathroom. I went and was fine. We met back up in the union to talk and I still wasn't feeling to hot. I went to sit down on the couch and met up with another one of my friends. In the middle of talking to her, I had to go back to the bathroom. As soon as I go in, I started throwing up. It wasn't just one time, it was three times. Luckily my mom was still on campus and I caught a ride back with her to my aunt's house. As soon as I got there, away to the bathroom and throwing up. I was doing it so much that I was throwing up greenish-yellow bile. I was extremely scared because I have never thrown up that much in my life. My mom went to the store with my aunt and brought me some ginger ale back. That did settle my stomach for the evening and although my side was still hurting, I was able to sleep.

Sunday morning I woke up, still with the excruciating pain in my side but I was able to move around without heading towards the nearest bathroom. My aunt made me a bowl of chicken noodle soup and I was able to hold that down. My mom and nephews packed the car and back to Richmond we went. I survived the 5 hour trip, still in pain and sleeping majority of the way.

Just before we made it home, I told my mom to take me to Patient First (an urgent care center) instead of taking me home. She dropped me off and told me to call her cause she was going to take my nephews home to my sister. The doctor and the lab tech took my blood and I gave a urine sample which is routine to diagnose anything internal. After being there over an hour and napping, the doctor came in and said that there was one test that the lab was having a problem with and instead of keeping me too long, she was going to give me some pain meds, send me home and call me once the results are back. So I had to call back cause I think they forgot, but the nurse told me, after consulting with the doctor, that it was showing signs that I had acute appendicitis and I need to go to the ER.

ER is not fun when you are in dire pain and there are a whole bunch of people coughing with Swine Flu germs all in the area. My mom and I waiting about 2 hours before I went to the back to be seen by the nurse. Fast forward several hours and a CT Scan later, the results came back for sure that I had appendicitis and that I need emergency surgery. So after a day in the hospital, I stayed in Richmond for a week with my mom. She really did not want me to come back even after I was a tad bit better.

So I am saying all this to remind me that life is precious and we are all not guaranteed or promised tomorrow. Something so small as an appendix could have taken me out. Thank God for my mom being there because if she wasn't, no telling what would happen.

Until next time!