Crazy story, when I was 13 and in 6th grade (year behind which is another story) I got sick with what seemed like a stomach ache. But it wasnt like a normal stomach ache and in fact seemed to move to the right side of my stomach. We owned a few volumes of an old Encyclopedia ( like 3 out of 15 or something) and I knew they had a whole section on anatomy ( we had the A thank God) and I noticed that where my pain was coming from seemed to correspond to this little dangling Appendix thing was. Having the A Encyclopedia was double win because I looked that thing up as well. This was in 1996 and we were poor (lived in the projects at the time and I thought it was one of the best places we had ever lived in) so there was no Googling or internet I had access to. Continuing from appendix I looked up what it referred to as appendicitis. At that point I was concerned. I immediately went to my mom and explained what I thought I was suffering from. It must have sounded funny saying appendicitis because I couldnt pronounce certain sounds right. My mom thought I was just trying to skip more school or it was my imagination. Upon bringing the encyclopedia to her and pointing to exactly where it hurt and what was there I somehow convinced her to take me to the hospital. After a long wait I was evaluated in the ER. I dont remember what all the tests were but I was concerned about being wrong. I knew that it was beyond my control because based on the doctors opinion I had it and I dont remember a CT scan being done. Sitting in a wheel chair with an IV in my arm waiting to go to the OR is not fun for a 13 year old. I wanted to deny it at that point, pretend I didnt look anything up, hadnt convinced my mom to take me to the hospital. But something in me kept me from giving in to a denial mindset. I remember being brought in the OR and being positioned for surgery. The last thing I remembered was being told to count to ten and getting to 2 before the world went black. I remember waking up being pushed down a hallway and seeing my dad (he wasnt in jail at that time thankfully). The pain was terrible and would be until I was situated in my room and given morpheme in my IV. I dont remember the test of the night but my dad said I had a crazy conversation with him for a long time. I learned the next day that I had indeed had appendicitis and that it was swollen full of a dangerous amount of bad stuff. If it had ruptured my life could have been in serious jeopardy. In fact, had I lived 100 years before that I believe that would have probably ended my life. No wife, no Josiah, no Zion. It makes me wonder who I would know today had they who lived before have what we have now. There is another thought I would like to add to this story. What if my mom had been into CAM (complimentary alternative medicine)? What if she had been in it so much that showing her in an Encyclopedia was just brushed aside as influenced by pharmaceutical companies and corrupt government? What if instead she took me to see an acupuncturist or a homeopathic practitioner or a chiropractor? What if after adjusting my spine or chi or zen or eating belladonna or Bryonia I was taken home for the (pick one CAM from above or make up your own) to work? I might as well stepped in a time machine. While its possible it could have gotten better even after rupturing, it would have been an incredible risk. And that my friends is why I both thankful for reason, doctors, parents with enough sense to trust medical science (btw my mom had an 8th grade education level at the time) and I abhor all of these CAM treatments. If you want to believe in some Woo and really think it is making your life better then do so, but please, for the sake of love, if your child comes to you with a acute pain on their right side (or left) be reasonable! Take them to a medical doctor that hopefully to have a good relationship with and trust and find out whats really wrong. I have yet to see an alternative medicine that claims to raise the dead.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 03:30:21 +0000
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