Emergency Surgery at Age Six

When I was six years old I was rushed to the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for an emergency appendectomy. It was an ordinary Sunday afternoon and all of a sudden I got cramps and I could not walk. My mother called the doctor who told her to rush me to the hospital.

Dr. Kline

My pediatrician was Dr. Kline, who was a legend in Wilkes-Barre. I think just about everyone in my generation had Dr. Kline as their pediatrician. Decades later when I had to pick a primary care doctor in the Geisinger System, I choose another Dr. Kline. They were not related, but just having the name of Dr. Kline was reassuring. Beside that, the new Dr. Kline graduated from the University of Pennsylvania which I consider to be a great school.

I can remember being rushed to the hospital. It was a terrifying experience as I did not know what was wrong, what I would have to go through, or even if I would survive. When we finally got to the hospital, of course, the doctors examined me and conducted the usually battery of tests. As a young child, I was scared and worried what he verdict would be, and what I would have to go through.

The Diagnosis

It was determined that my appendix had rapped itself around my intestine, and that was why I was having cramps and could not walk. It was a serious and life threatening situation. The appendix was infected and swollen and it could burst and spread poison throughout my body which could kill me. At the time, there was not any medication available to solve the problem so I had to have surgery. Of course, I had no idea what was going to happen next, but I could sense the drama.

The Surgery

I do not remember being taken to the operating room. But I can vividly remember what it was like after the surgery was over and I was taken back to my room and woke up. I was in tremendous pain, and as the anesthesia wore off I felt very sick. In those days they needed a large incision to remove an appendix. Mine practically came up to my stomach. I remember tossing and turning and jumping all over my bed. And, I was still terrified and I can still remember yelling to my father, "Don't let them take me, don't let them take me!"

Post Surgery

After I got out of intensive care, things started to get better. The pain subsided and I began to feel better and regain my strength. A couple of days after the surgery, I was told I might be going home the next day, and of course I got very excited, They said all I had to do was get out of bed and stand up straight. So I got out of bed and I tried to stand on my own strength. I fell right over and they caught me before I hit the floor. I found out they only wanted to get me out of bed to get my circulation flowing. They knew I was not ready to go home. Well, a couple of days later I did gain some strength and I was released from the hospital.

Recovery

I continued to recover at home, and went back to school but I almost messed things up. My friend Leo got a new bike and offered to let me ride it. Of course, I forget everything the doctor told me about not running and riding bikes, and I rode the bike. Fortunately, my first grade teacher saw me riding the bike and called my mother. She was smart enough to realize that I was not ready for bike riding. That was the end of that foolishness and I recovered without doing additional harm to myself.

A Successful Visit

One might ask why this journey to the hospital should be considered successful when I suffered so much pain and discomfort. It could have been so much worse. The appendix was swollen and infected. If it burst, it could have killed me, or inflicted permanent damage. With a lot of help from my concerned teacher, I avoided hurting myself while riding the bike.

Source: http://www.healthgrades.com/hospital-directory/pennsylvania-pa/wilkes-barre-general-hospital-hgst6f59e6a6390064