Most Exciting Summer Ever...?

I am pretty healthy. I always have been. My biggest claim to fame growing up was that I had never been in the hospital, had surgery or broken bones. Ha...Ha...Ha. Well at least that last one is still true! I am going to do this story in 2 separate posts because honestly the story is just that long! So let me begin back on May 29th. I woke up on May 29th feeling pretty normal except for some slight stiffness in my abdomen. I ignored this and went to work attributing it to my recent regiment of crunches and various other stomach area exercises. By that night I was incredibly sore and curled up into a ball on my bed and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up for work barely able to move without crying in pain. I HAD TO WORK! I need the money so I forced myself up and got ready and suddenly a wave of nausea hit me. I tried to sit down hoping it would pass before I had to leave. It did... After I puked my guts out praying to the porcelain god asking him why he was punishing me! After that I felt great! I convinced my mom it was a fluke and that I could force myself through work. My sister started driving us to work and about halfway there everything came back. I started hurting, sweating and just feeling like the world was turning lopsided. I forced myself through about an hour of cleaning then everything started going a little gray around the edges. I made my way to the car and slumped in the backseat. My sister came out a bit later started the car and explained that our boss had arrived saw me in the car and said take her home. I felt awful but he understood I needed to go. By that night I was in such intense pain that any slight movement resulted in me gasping in pain. By the next morning my mom knew this was serious. So she somehow managed to get me in the car and to the doctor. He got in, asked me what's up and then poked me in the belly... to which I responded by almost passing out. He got all serious and said we needed to get next door to the hospital like now. I needed an appendectomy and I needed one now! So here is where things get blurry. I am not sure if it was because of pain or stress or both. I don't remember driving to the hospital. I remember standing at the emergency entrance waiting for mom to park. Then I remember laying in a gown in a hospital bed. Next I remember my home teachers giving me a blessing. I remember seeing my grandparents and seeing an iv in my arm not knowing how either had got there. Then they wheeled me out and into a room where some people in white half pulled and half lifted me onto a table. Then Nothing. Next thing I know a man was standing near me saying "McKell. McKell. You need to breathe. There were some complications. Yours lungs collapsed so I need you to try and focus on breathing deep." I focused for a couple gasps and then faded again. The next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital room feeling like I had been hit by a bus! It was explained to me that my appendix had not burst although it would have within hours and that during/after the surgery my lungs had collapsed and my heart rate had become erratic. They also told me that my appendix was pretty bad. It was practically dead and horribly infected. They described it as roadkill. They said I would be receiving a spirometer and would have to work on my lungs constantly to prevent pneumonia. The next few days were a blur I was medicated often and just feeling like crap. All I kept thinking was "Why can't I go home? They said most people go home next day!" Then everything went haywire. I had to receive a second iv because I was dehydrated and needed more fluid I freaked because I hate needles! Next I was transferred to the ICU step down unit because my heart rate was dangerously high and wouldn't go down. I was in the ICU for a couple days being constantly monitored and medicated until they felt my heart rate could be controlled, I was also put on this horrible breathing machine to improve my lungs. I hated it! It was a huge mask covering my face that made me look and sound like Darth Vader and Batman's Bane had a love child! During this time the ICU nurse decided a second iv was unnecessary and pulled it. HOURS later my original iv blew and had to be removed. I was told I would have to receive a 3rd iv. I bawled and begged them not to until they finally called my doctor and after promising to basically sell my soul he agreed to not put in a new iv! *sigh* Finally I was admitted back to a room. Throughout this stay I was x-rayed every day and they told me that I had pneumonia and my lungs were clouded. So every day they were tracking my lungs to see any improvement. I continued with the stupid breathing machine and did as they told me. The one dark spot everyone had with me was I couldn't eat but I pacified them by drinking those disgusting Boost and Ensure drinks and forcing a spoonful of yogurt into my mouth. During one of my last few days of containment I started feeling extremely weird... like a caged animal! I started hallucinating seeing these awful creatures all around me. From a screaming woman banging on my window to these gremlins things climbing out of my garbage can! I didn't say anything to anyone out of fear I was going completely insane! It lasted for hours! After finally bursting into tears because of these creatures my family got me help. Come to find out what I was experiencing was common among long hospital visits. They assured me I wasn't crazy and that I was just experiencing a anxiety attack on steroids! So I was given yet another medication... this one to calm my anxiety and the creatures and the feelings of capture went away! Finally after almost a week of hospital fun I was allowed one bright spot. A shower! Only downside I had to BE showered. Nothing more humiliating than having to have someone else wash you. But at least it was one of my favorite nurses and she made me feel less awkward about my situation. Finally on June 8th I was allowed to leave!! I was told to take it easy, work on my spirometer (I could only blow a 750 which is BAD) and come back Monday for lab work. YAY! I went home and still couldn't eat and just didn't feel very great. Monday my family had tickets to see a movie so we went to the hospital and did my blood work then went to the movie. The movie was 3/4 of the way through when my grandma appeared in the theater and said "The hospital called there was a problem with the labs she needs to see a doctor now!"...... To Be Continued...