Not "Just a stitch"
Abby Lockhart awoke to the harsh sound of her alarm clock. She groaned, turned over, and read the 5 AM on her alarm clock face. "Another day, another dollar," Abby thought to herself. She quickly got up, showered, and changed into her doctor scrubs. She grabbed a piece of Carter's birthday cake before leaving the house, smiling as she remembered the party that had been thrown for Carter the night before. "Owww," Abby said aloud as her stomach produced a sharp pain, "I can't believe it's that time of the month already!" She popped a couple ibuprofen, and within 20 minutes was in the ER, chatting with Carter about the upcoming day.
"I can't believe Weaver has us filling out patient surveys today!" Carter was ticked off at Weaver, as usual, and Abby just brushed it off as she changed the subject.
"I'm here until 12 or 1 in the morning, how about you?"
"Same here…well at least we will be able to grab something to eat after the shift," replied Carter, "Got to go, a snake bite was just wheeled into Trauma 3!"
Abby looked around and sighed as her shift began with a 13 year old girl who had a nasty eye infection.
"If you come near my eye I will spit on you," Jess (the girl) threatened.
Abby rolled her eyes and told Jess if she didn't get her eye taken care of she could go blind. It was a lie, but the girl stopped thrashing about.
3 HOURS LATER
"Oh my God Carter, I've had the worst day! I had a bitchy girl with an eye infection, a rat bite, Anthrax scare, a guy with a gross stomach bug, who by the way, managed to throw up all over me, 2 broken ankles, and so much more!" Abby was tired, but happy to have an hour off for lunch with Carter. All of a sudden the stomach pain came back, worse than before. "Owww," cried Abby in pain, "My period is causing such bad cramps this month! It's never been this bad before. Oh well…" She quickly took out 2 more ibuprofen and downed them with lots of water.
Carter was shocked. He had never seen Abby complain of pain before, and it scared him. "Abby are you alright! You look like you are in a lot of pain. Plus you're pale and I've noticed you've been very tired."
"It's called a period, Carter. God didn't they teach you anything?" Abby didn't mean to sound rude, but Carter was being paranoid. 20 minutes later they were back in the chaos of the ER.
"I NEED SOME MORPHINE! I'M DYING"
"Sir, you need to wait in the waiting room like everyone else! If you don't I will call security." This was the 3rd Morphine addict of the day. Abby knew Neil rather well. He came to the ER almost 4 times a week, complaining of a fake injury or pain. Luka gave Abby an understanding look as he rushed off to Trauma 1, to bag a heart attack patient. Abby looked at the clock. It was only 6 PM, and the night was just beginning. Abby walked over to the rotation desk where Susan, Sam, and Ray stood.
"Hey Abby, things are pretty crazy tonight huh?" Susan noticed Abby looked tired, but didn't say anything.
"My favorite part was when the stomach flu guy puked on you! Haha people are such bitches aren't they Ab! Hey Sam, better go chase after Luka, he's bagging an 80 year old lady and looks like he's enjoying it a little too much!"
"Go to Hell, Ray!" Sam smacked Ray in the head with her clipboard as she ran to Trauma 1. Carter walked past the desk and began telling everyone about his adventure with a lady in her 20's who believed she was dying and in turned confessed her love for Carter.
"She's crazy! One minute I'm checking her IV, the next she is trying to jump on top of me!" Everyone laughed, and again Abby felt the excruciating pain. Only this time it had moved to her lower right abdomen.
"Uhhhhh," Abby cried once again.
"Oh Abby what's wrong," Susan looked very concerned.
"Come on everybody. It's just a stitch from my period…it will be gone in a minute." Sure enough 15 minutes passed and the pain subsided. Abby got back to work.
1 HOUR LATER
It was about 7:40 and Abby was so bored. The ER had calmed down considerably.
"It needs to be like this more often," said Sam, who was once again playing on the computer at the circulation desk. Luka and Carter were busy with a rousing game of paper football, while Abby and Susan were chatting about which had the more tedious day. All of a sudden 2 traumas rolled in.
"Anaphylactic shock from bee sting! Push IV meds stat!"
"Abby you look so tired. Why don't you let Luka and I field these?" Carter was being nice. Abby knew this. She still couldn't bring herself to sit around doing nothing, let alone by herself. She grabbed her side as another excruciating pain shot through her right side.
"OK, I'll go refill some supplies." Abby wondered down the hall and began to take meds and stuff out of their shipping boxes and putting them on the shelves. 10 minutes later she was close to done. As she bent over to pick up the last box the pain shot through her side. It was the worse pain she had ever felt and her life. Everything around her blurred. She felt dizzy and weak. Her stomach hurt so badly, and she knew she had to get some help, and quick!
"Sam, Luka, ANYONE…HELP!" Abby screamed with all her might. As she fell to the ground she assumed the fetal position and prayed that someone had heard her.
5 minutes passed and Abby was still sobbing on the ground, holding the right side of her stomach. Although it was only minutes, it felt like hours before she heard Sam's familiar voice, "Abby we need you in Trau…OH MY GOD, ABBY WHAT'S WRONG?"
"Oh Sam, it's my stomach! It hurts sooooooooooooo much! Please help me!" The words were barely out of Abby's mouth before another shot of pain bombarded her body. The pain very VERY excruciating and constant, but every 30 seconds or so there was a stabbing and throbbing sensation with pain even worse thanwhat Abby could ever have imagined. Sam wasted no time. She ran off and got Susan and Carter. Within 10 seconds they were crowded around her.
"I knew something was wrong with her! She didn't look well at all this morning, and several times her stomach hurt her today…I should have known!" Carter was in hysterics. He had known Abby was sick, but didn't want to make a big deal of it.
"Carter it's not your fault! Call the OR, it's her appendix! It's going to rupture if we don't get her to the OR…NOW!" Susan was calling out orders and the next thing Abby knew she was on a gurney headed to the OR.
"I love you Abby! I'm so sorry I didn't pay more attention…" Carter faded off, not knowing what to say next.
"I love you too, Carter. I should have said something. I should have listened to my gut feeling when my period wasn't due for another 3 weeks. It was not just a stitch, and I knew it." Abby fumbled for Carter's hand, then darkness.
THE NEXT DAY
Abby opened her eyes and looked around. Room 78S was bolted on the door. At first Abby was confused, but then it all came back to her; her attack with acute appendicitis and Sam, Susan, and Carter wheeling her to the OR. She tried to sit up, but the pain from the operation was still fresh. She grimaced as she lay back on to the pillows. The sheets were scratchy, and the pillows flat. When she got out of here she was going to have a chat with Susan. She shivered, closed her eyes, and turned on her "good" side.
"Good afternoon Abby. How are you feeling?" Abby hadn't even noticed Carter was sitting by her side in the chair. He didn't even wait for her to respond before he yelled,"You scared the hell out of all of us! You know the symptoms of appendicitis! Don't ever keep anything from me again!" Carter was more worried than he was mad, but he wished Abby had said something sooner.
"I'm sorry Carter. I just didn't want to make a big deal out of what was probably nothing. I was stupid not to say anything...I still feel so sick!" Abby noticed her body was shivering, and her whole body ached with pain.
"Abby your appendix was so infected it caused a whole body infection. You have a fever of 101 last time your vitals were taken about 25 minutes ago. You're appendix came within minutes of rupturing! You should be able to leave the hospital in about a week. When you get home I promise to take care of you." Carter took Abby's frail hand into his own. They looked at each other and smiled. Abby closed her eyes, and fell asleep.