The Difference between Moving and an Appendectomy…

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Several of my loyal readers are moving house this summer or have just moved.  They have all heard me talk about the difference between moving and an appendectomy.  The differences are two:

1.  With an appendectomy, you get anesthesia.

2.  The recovery period on an appendectomy is shorter.

In either event, you get gutted.

Up until this weekend, my favourite comment about moving has really been purely speculative.  I had never had an appendectomy.  Now, I can speak to this now with some expertise, as I have both moved and had an appendectomy. 

With the anesthesia, they do that in two stages.  The first is a stage just to put you out.  The second is for a much deeper sleep.    They told me that most people do not last 30 seconds after the injection for the first stage.  I deliberately counted to 30, but have no recollection of what happened after that.  Difference #1 is absolutely correct.

On an aside, the nurse involved was very funny.  He said that surgery is like a liberty port.  You wake up somewhere else, with no clue how you got there, and with very little clothing on.

I am at present not certain of the recovery time.  I do know that I feel much better post-appendectomy than I did prior.  I also feel much better this evening than I did this morning.  So I am guessing that I am correct on difference #2.

*Sunday morning, T+36 hours – I feel a lot better today.

A couple of notes: I called the hospital duty chaplain and asked him to contact the LANTAREA chaplain and let him know what was going on.  He did so.  On Saturday, the chaplain whose office I will cover next week came by.  He hung out, helped me out, and even made a run back over to my hotel room to pick up a few things.  Thanks Tim.

My immediate boss happened to be in the area.  Kim came by and sat with me for a while.  She also brought me an eight-pack of powerade.  This is good.  Powerade goes right through me.  I can now tell you that a catheter to help with ‘Operation Golden Flow’ is not a fun experience.  While she was sitting, the Reserve Force deputy chaplain came by.  My colleagues really did right by me.

Special thanks also go to Kim, my immediate boss.  She is presently working up at Yorktown, roughly an hour from here.  As mentioned, she came down on Saturday.  She is coming back down on Sunday for the sole purpose of getting me from the hospital back to where I am staying.

The hospital is having trouble feeding me.  Other than that, I must tell you that Portsmouth Naval Hospital is a fine place to have an appendectomy.  If I ever need another one, this is where I wish to go.

Have a good night.

R/SCG

*Appendix: As it turns out, my dad spent the same weekend in the hospital.