Appendectomy: Take 2

Last time appendicitis struck our home, I was in California with Bogey who had just had a cleft surgery.  Ace was home with the other children and Gimme kept calling me telling me she was in so much pain...so sick.  I called and scheduled an appointment with our doctor and Ace took her in.  That was the last I heard anything until I got a message on my phone from Dr. Someone who was at the hospital trying to get a hold of me so that we could get Gimme in to get her appendix taken out.  I called Ace and asked him what was going on, and he tried really hard to play like nothing was happening.  I told him about the message I received.  He fessed up and I flew into a full-on panic.  By the time I could get all my tears out, Gimme's surgery was over and she was getting ready to go home.  Our faithful friends and family were of course there to take care of everything.

This time, both Ace and I were home, and Mulligan was bent over in pain.  Ace knew exactly what the problem was.  He thought we should just take Mulligan in just to make sure it "wasn't appendicitis."  He quickly volunteered to take him in.  I sat home and panicked.  Just like good ol' times.  It's funny how quickly those feelings of anxiety and fear take over every other feeling.

When Ace called me, he let me know that Mulligan would have to have surgery to remove the appendix.  I met them at the ER and tried really really hard to keep it together.  The first thing Mulligan said to me, was "It's the curse of Mr. B's class!"  (Mr. B is his current teacher.  Ironically enough, Gimme was in Mr. B's class when she had appendicitis.)  I laughed at that.

In the waiting room, I had a mini-meltdown.  Ace looked at me, and said, "Oh, Caddie.  He's not having open heart surgery.  He's going to be done in about 30 minutes."  He laughed at that.  I didn't think it was so funny, but I didn't cry anymore.

Ace was the champion who stayed at the hospital the rest of the night with Mulligan.  He doesn't panic at the beeping monitors or the nasal cannula pumping oxygen, or the other smells and sounds of a hospital room.  I actually had to remind Ace that just 4 years ago we were in the room two doors down with Double Bogey who had RSV.  Ace wonders how and why I remember such specific things.

Mulligan enjoyed the attention from the nurses and staff at EIRMC and the food he ate.  He was also pretty excited about missing some school to stay home and watch ESPN.

I'm already mentally preparing for next year when Birdie is in Mr. B's class.