grey's anatomy

We had an unexpected anatomy lesson this past weekend when Isabela had to get her appendix taken out. It was a whirlwind of a weekend that seemed to pass in slow motion. There was an amazing calmness to the whole experience. We joked that Isabela does this every January right before my birthday (thinking back to her stay in the hospital for pneumonia several years ago). I said her present to me is her getting all better...but that next year, she can just buy me something :)

Here are the FAQs:
How did it happen?
I woke up around 4am on Sunday to her crying in her room, saying that her stomach hurt. I don't think there were actual tears, just that pained face that something is wrong. I thought at first it was that she might throw up or needed to go to the bathroom, but that wasn't it. I woke up JP and told him what was going on...and he suggested his solution for most ailments : Make her a cup of tea. It seems to work for him, but I was never a tea drinker and that answer always seems strangely ridiculous to me. I did start to heat up some water in the microwave, however.

How did you know to take her to the hospital?
I'd say that was probably motherly instinct, but I did have a few clues. First, she was kind of rolling back and forth on the bed, usually described as writhing in pain. I remembered doing that when I had my gall bladder taken out. And the second clue was when she said she felt "pressure" in her belly. Many people I told were surprised to hear that an eight year old said pressure...and as soon as she said it, I knew something wasn't right. I'd say we were in the car, headed to the hospital, not more than five minutes after I woke up. The cup of tea was still sitting in the microwave when we got home from the hospital the next day.

How did the doctors know it was her appendix?
Initially, they didn't. She did throw up in the waiting room when we arrived, but seemed to get a little better while we were there. She and I were joking, telling stories, laughing...we were in the ER room for 10 hours before they transported her to a different hospital...no TV and nothing to do except talk. Despite the circumstances, it was great bonding time.
After an Xray, they ran a blood test...she had an elevated white cell count which was a surprise to me. I had thought they'd be sending us home anytime. They decided to do a CT scan and that's where it showed up. Isabela was brave throughout all of it...the IV, drinking the CT nasty stuff, the hot flash during the scan...she is quite amazing.

Why did you go to another hospital?
The closest hospital to our house, it turns out, does not have a pediatric surgeon. Ever? I'm not sure. But they transferred us to their sister hospital for the operation. Meaning....she got to ride in an ambulance! A huge one. With a TV in the back. She watched part of Happy Feet on the way over. I rode in the front, second row. It was a slow ride over...I kept checking the speedometer because it felt like an old grandpa was driving, but he was doing 60 on the highway.

How long did the operation take?
Fifteen minutes after we arrived, they were taking her down for prep. This was where I just had to trust that everyone involved knew what they were doing and were who they said they were. There were probably a dozen people asking questions, telling me information, reassuring Isabela. It was hard to know who was actually going to do the operation. I was pretty sure it was the guy who shook my hand, but I wasn't positive. It was probably Isabela's calmness that helped me remain calm during this time. In all, it took about an hour. A nurse even called me on my cellphone, from the operating room, to tell me how things were going!


Where was Juan Pablo?
We are so thankful to our friend, who may as well be family, Liz, who offered to watch Joaquin and Diego. Juan Pablo dropped them off at her house and headed over to the hospital as we were being transferred. His GPS led him somewhere else, of course, and then there was parking and a huge hospital for him to wander through. We'd never been to this hospital before (although it's where I was born). I was standing in the prep room as they're wanting to wheel her out, talking to him on his phone, trying to find out where he was. He sounded utterly dejected like there was no way he'd reach her before the operation. But the nurses were so nice! They told him to find any elevator and hit G and someone would meet him there and lead him back. He made it just in time to kiss her head and hand her a sweet teddy bear and crayon drawn cards from Liz and her kids. A wonderful moment to witness.

How long before she'll recover?
They sent us home the next day. Isabela was sad to go...she misses a TV in front of her bed. Plus, being that she seems to go to the hospital right after Christmas every time, they always have a lot of presents to give out. This time she got a penguin pillow pet. This is a prized possession. I have not fallen for those things yet and had been successful keeping them out of the house until now.

She should be back in school next week and has a follow up appointment after two weeks. She's already been walking around a lot and hasn't taken any tylenol for two days.
The biggest challenge is keeping her two active brothers from bumping and jumping on her. I have recruited Joaquin as a helper in Isabela's recovery...with the promise of a reward if he does a good job:
A pillow pet. Ugh!

Joaquin put everything into perspective the other night at dinner. He asked what would have happened if they didn't take out Isabela's appendix. I said, "Well, she would have died." We all fell silent, and then quickly changed the subject. (This is the same boy who asked Juan Pablo when the doctors were going to put her appendix back in.) Children ask the best questions.

Thank you God for watching over our sweet Isabela, and thank you to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.